"Charmed" Sword and the City (2003)

Director:

Derek E. Johansen

Writers:

Constance M. Burge (creator) and
David Simkins (writer)

TV Series:

"Charmed" (1998)

Original Air Date:

9 November 2003 (Season 6, Episode 8)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

Plot:

The Lady of the Lake contacts the sisters and pleads for help. They suddenly find themselves the guardians of the Sword in the Stone. When one of them pulls Excalibur out of the stone, will she let the power go to her head? |

Plot Keywords:

Wiccan | Power Of Three | Demon | Witchcraft | Spell

Cast

Alyssa Milano	...	Phoebe Halliwell
Rose McGowan	...	Paige Matthews
Holly Marie Combs	...	Piper Halliwell
Brian Krause	...	Leo Wyatt
Balthazar Getty	...	Richard Montana
Mark Aiken	...	Dark Knight
Danny Woodburn	...	Head Dwarf
Brian Leckner	...	Head Executioner Demon
Edward Atterton	...	Mordaunt
Danielle Bisutti	...	The Lady of the Lake
Lamont Johnson	...	Soul Blaster Demon
Bjorn Johnson	...	Cranky Satyr
Matthew McGrory	...	Ogre
Amanda Sickler	...	Sophie
Scout Taylor-Compton	...	Fairy
Simon Brooke	...	Grimlock
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Thomas DuPont	...	Demon
Jessica Custodio	...	Nymph #1 (uncredited)
Jason Simmons	...	Wyatt Halliwell (uncredited)
Kristopher Simmons	...	Wyatt Halliwell (uncredited)
Todd Tucker	...	Creeper Demon (uncredited)

Directed by
Derek E. Johansen		(as Derek Johansen)

Writing credits
Constance M. Burge		(creator)
David Simkins		writer

Produced by
Daniel Cerone	....	co-executive producer
Peter Chomsky	....	co-producer
Holly Marie Combs	....	producer
James L. Conway	....	co-executive producer
Brad Kern	....	executive producer
Curtis Kheel	....	co-producer
Jonathan Levin	....	consulting producer
Alyssa Milano	....	producer
Jon Paré	....	producer
David Simkins	....	consulting producer
Aaron Spelling	....	executive producer
E. Duke Vincent	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jay Gruska

Cinematography by
Jonathan West

Film Editing by
Paul Fontaine

Casting by
Leslee Dennis
Vicki Huff		(as Victoria Huff)

Production Design by
Paul Staheli

Set Decoration by
Robin Royce		(as Robinson Royce)

Costume Design by
Eilish Zebrasky		(as Eilish)

Makeup Department
Audrey Futterman-Stern	....	department head key hair stylist
Lana Heying	....	key hair stylist
Bret Mardock	....	key makeup artist
Nanette Moore	....	key makeup artist (as Nanette New)
Ani Plotkin-Maloney	....	key makeup artist (as Ani Maloney)

Production Management
Jon Paré	....	unit production manager
Gail M. Patterson	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vincent G. Gonzales	....	first assistant director
Eric Oliver	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Gene Bowen	....	construction foreman
Scott Cockerell	....	assistant property master
Star Fields	....	construction coordinator
Roland E. Hill Jr.	....	set designer (as Roland Hill)
Michael V. Maurice	....	set dresser
Roger Montesano	....	property master
Danny Ronay	....	second foreman
Michael J. Zufelt	....	leadperson (as Michael Zufelt)
Shelley Adajian	....	set painter (uncredited)
Jeff Angelo	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Mary Kay Campbell	....	lead scenic (uncredited)
Dan Haberkorn	....	props (uncredited)
Jon Klein	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gary Boatner	....	utility sound
Jeff Clark	....	supervising sound editor
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
Brett Grant-Grierson	....	sound mixer
Andrew Logan	....	assistant sound editor
Bruce P. Michaels	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bruce Michaels)
Chris Navarro	....	adr mixer
Joshua E. Schneider	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Josh Schneider)
Lee Tinkham	....	foley mixer
Kevin Valentine	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Randy Cabral	....	special effects coordinator
Michele Mulkey	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Tim Jacobsen	....	visual effects producer
Stephen Lebed	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Thomas DuPont	....	stunt fighter
Jace Jeanes	....	stunt double: Eric Winzenried
Dan Lemieux	....	stunts
Noon Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Bryan Fletchall	....	technocrane operator
Steve Gausche	....	first company grip
Thomas B. Ham	....	second company grip (as Tom Ham)
Kurt Johnson	....	chief lighting technician
Kris Krosskove	....	Steadicam operator
Kris Krosskove	....	camera operator
Don Lehman	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Ted Lewis	....	company grip
Lon Magdich	....	camera operator
Richard Sobin	....	first assistant camera
Paul Szopa	....	lighting technician

Casting Department
Megan Entriken	....	casting associate
Douglas Maida	....	lead extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Daniella Gschwendtner	....	costume supervisor (as Daniela Gschwendtner)
Charlotte Iwata	....	key costumer (uncredited)
Kate Wood-Baldas	....	set costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Larry Goldstein	....	post-production coordinator
Eric Lea	....	assistant editor
Kenneth Miller	....	executive in charge of post-production
Bill Missett	....	on-line editor

Music Department
Nino Centurion	....	music editor
Celest Ray	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Tim Abbatoye	....	transportation coordinator
David Bassett	....	transportation coordinator (as Dave Bassett)

Other crew
Natalie Antoci	....	assistant to writers
Julie Auerbach	....	story editor (as Julie Hess)
Robert Boyle	....	location manager (as Bob Boyle)
Chrissy Coffman	....	production accountant (as Chrissy Cornwall)
Thomas DuPont	....	sword master
Doug E. Jones	....	assistant: Brad Kern
Parker McGrath	....	production assistant
Henry Alonso Myers	....	executive story editor
Rick Napoli	....	production coordinator
Jeannine Renshaw	....	executive story editor
Pamela Shae	....	executive in charge of talent
Nancy Solomon	....	script supervisor
Susan Suite	....	post production co-ordinator
Julie Swartsley	....	assistant: Jon Paré
Jack E. Herman	....	extras set coordinator (uncredited)
Christopher Xavier Lozano	....	stills photography (uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Constance M. Burge		creator

Produced by
Tony Blake	....	consulting producer (13 episodes in 1999)
Peter Hume	....	supervising producer: 14 episodes 2000-2001
Paul Jackson	....	consulting producer (13 episodes in 1999)
Chris Levinson	....	co-producer (9 episodes 2000)
Valerie Mayhew	....	co-producer (12 episodes 1999-2000)
Vivian Mayhew	....	co-producer (12 episodes 1999-2000)
William Schmidt	....	co-executive producer (14 episodes 2000-2001)

Original Music by
Johnny Dowers		(as Jake Alston)

Makeup Department
Cleve Gunderman	....	special makeup effects artist
Cynthia Hernandez	....	makeup artist
Matthew Jorgensen	....	special makeup effects artist
Michael Key	....	special makeup effects artist
Mary Kim	....	makeup effects production supervisor: Captive Audience Productions Inc.
Margie Latinopoulos	....	special makeup effects artist
Michael Peterson	....	lab makeup effects: Captive Audience Productions
Mark Shostrom	....	special makeup effects artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Blank	....	first assistant director (1998)
Vincent G. Gonzales	....	first assistant director (multiple episodes)
Eric Oliver	....	first assistant director (multiple episodes)

Sound Department
Gary Boatner	....	boom operator: second unit (2001)
Scott Brewster	....	adr recordist
David Diamond	....	sound mixer: second unit (2005)
Michael Florimbi	....	sound mixer
Frank D. Menges	....	sound mixer: second unit

Special Effects by
Michael Broussard	....	mermaid effects supervisor (episode "A Witch's Tail")
Steve Fink	....	prosthetics technician
Damian Fisher	....	technician: Steve Johnson's XFX
Thomas Floutz	....	artist: Steve Johnson's XFX (season 2)
Joe Gomez	....	technician: Steve Johnson's XFX
Matthew Jorgensen	....	special effects makeup
Steve Newburn	....	technician: Steve Johnson's XFX
Thomas Ovenshire	....	technician: Steve Johnson's XFX
Dan Rebert	....	artist: Steve Johnson's XFX (season 2)

Visual Effects by
Chris Aronoff	....	visual effects
Christy Beckert	....	digital effects artist
Jonathan Block	....	animator
Christian Boudman	....	digital compositor
Everett Burrell	....	visual effects supervisor
Nick Damico	....	visual effects
Changsoo Eun	....	visual effects artist
Jason Fotter	....	digital compositor: Encore Visual Effects
George Freeman	....	digital compositor
Trey Freeman	....	digital compositor: Encore Visual Effects
Eric Grenaudier	....	digital compositor: Encore Visual Effects
Alisa Loren Klein	....	digital artist
Craig Kuehne	....	visual effects designer
Dan Lopez	....	visual effects
Kurt McKeever	....	digital effects artist: Encore Visual Effects
Brad Moylan	....	digital compositor: Encore Visual Effects
Sean Mullen	....	digital compositor: Encore Visual Effects
Eric Reinhard	....	digital compositor
Rod Ripley	....	data management: Flat Earth Productions
Rick Shick	....	digital compositor: compositing and rotoscoping
John Shirley	....	digital compositor
Kevin Struckman	....	data management: Flat Earth Productions
Greg Tsadilas	....	digital artist
Wade Van Petten	....	visual effects
Todd Vaziri	....	digital artist: Flat Earth Productions
Matt von Brock	....	digital artist: Encore Visual Effects
Jeff West	....	digital compositor
Chris Y. Yang	....	3D animator
Owen Hammer	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Darin Hilton	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Julie Adair	....	stunts: Shannen Doherty
Robert Alonzo	....	stunts
Daniel Arrias	....	stunt performer
Rick Avery	....	stunts
Melissa Barker	....	stunt double: Rose McGowan
Nicole Basanda	....	stunts
Troy Bellinghausen	....	stunts
Cheryl Bermeo	....	stunts
Jon Braver	....	stunts: multiple episodes
Jeff Brockton	....	stunt double
Jodi Lyn Brockton	....	stunt double (as Jodi Lyn Wilson)
Wendi Bromley	....	stunt double: Shanon Doherty
Joe Bucaro III	....	stunt performer
Marla Casey	....	stunt double
Mark Chadwick	....	stunt double
Ilram Choi	....	stunt performer
Ken Clark	....	stunt double
Bruce Comtois	....	stunts
Laura Lee Connery	....	stunt double: Alyssa Milano
Brycen Counts	....	utility stunts
Sophia Crawford	....	stunt double
Danny Downey	....	stunt double
Brennan Dyson	....	stunt double
Casey Easlick	....	stunt double
Jonathan Eusebio	....	stunts
Debbie Evans	....	stunt driver
Roel Failma	....	stunt performer
Cody Gill	....	stunts
Lisa Hoyle	....	stunts
Claudette James	....	stunt double
Hannah Kozak	....	stunts
Don Lee	....	stunts (multiple episodes)
Diana R. Lupo	....	stunts
Brian Machleit	....	utility stunts
Alex Madison	....	stunt double (as Gail Monian)
Dina L. Margolin	....	stunts
Brad Martin	....	stunts
Jasmine Martin	....	stunts: Time Warp Trio
Jean-Luc Martin	....	stunts
Ron McCord	....	stunt double
Cassandra McCormick	....	stunt double: Kaley Cuoco (2005-2006)
Buck McDancer	....	stunt coordinator
Derek Mears	....	stunt performer
Mike Mukatis	....	stunts
Mark Munoz	....	utility stunts
Michael Munoz	....	utility stunts
Sonja Munsterman	....	stunts
Carrick O'Quinn	....	stunts
Rowbie Orsatti	....	stunts
Chris Palermo	....	stunts
J.J. Perry	....	stunts
Denney Pierce	....	stunts
Tim Rigby	....	stunts
Bridgett Riley	....	stunts
Felipe Savahge	....	stunts (multiple episodes)
Rick Sawaya	....	stunt double
Steve Schriver	....	stunts
Marc Scizak	....	stunts (multiple episodes)
Joanna Shelmidine	....	stunt double
Lou Simon	....	stunt double
Tim Sitarz	....	stunt double
Mike Smith	....	stunts
Tony Snegoff	....	stunts
Justin Sundquist	....	stunts
Ronn Surels	....	stunt double: Gildart Jackson
Nancy Thurston	....	stunt double: Holly Marie Combs
Jon Valera	....	stunts
Michele Waitman	....	stunt double
Chrissy Weathersby Ball	....	stunts (2004)
Gene Williams	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Albert	....	additional digital video assist operator (2003)
Brad Heiner	....	rigging grip (2000)
Justin M. Lubin	....	still photographer (2005)
Vojislav Mikulic	....	chief lighting technician (8 episodes in 1999) (as Voya Mikulic)
Guy Skinner	....	camera operator (10 episodes in 1999)
Michael Wahl	....	grip (1999-2002)

Casting Department
Dana Olson	....	extras casting
Pamela Shae	....	talent and casting executive (1998-)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lorraine Alexis Mahru Toomey	....	set costumer (as Lorraine Alexis Mahru)
Cindy Napoli	....	costumer
Cindy Napoli	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Fred Fouquet	....	editor: main title sequence

Music Department
Scott Cochran	....	music recordist

Transportation Department
Charlie Ping	....	driver
Brenda Ryan	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Bonnie Belknap	....	food stylist
Amy Carroll	....	production assistant
Joel Champagne	....	production assistant (2005)
Craig Conover	....	craft service
Charles Cornwell	....	production assistant
Jaroslava Fernandez	....	special effects contact lens technician
Wade Hagen	....	first assistant accountant
Peter Hume	....	executive consultant (8 episodes 2001)
Mary Kara	....	technical consultant (2001-2002)
Margery Kimbrough	....	script supervisor: second unit (2002-2004)
Ruth LaBarge	....	bear trainer
Lance W. Lanfear	....	extras background coordinator (season 5) (as Lance Lanfear)
Chris Levinson	....	executive story editor (12 episodes 1999-2000)
Peter Madamba	....	script researcher
John Phillip Nybe	....	executive assistant
Gregory Charles Schaefer	....	production assistant (1999)
Laura Starks	....	assistant production coordinator
Deidre Strohm	....	script coordinator
Nan Sumski	....	publicist (2003)
Hector Tinoco	....	key assistant location manager
Anderson Vilien	....	production assistant (2005-)
Jill Warner	....	stand-in
Chris Watkins	....	technical consultant (2001-2002)
Frank H. Woodward	....	location manager (as Frank Woodward)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures
• Spelling Television
• Viacom Productions

Distributors

• WB Television Network, The (2003) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

42 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Mexico:B | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Brookfield Farms - 1464 Hidden Valley Road, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Title is based upon the television series "Sex and the City" (1998) and the movie The Sword in the Stone (1963).

Quotes:

Mordaunt:It's simply a transfer of power, that's all. And now, all that remains to do is to eliminate the true recipient of Excalibur before he grows old enough to fulfill his Destiny as the Son of a Charmed One.

Movie Connections:

References "Sex and the City" (1998)

Baby gets a new toy

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The opportunity was probably too good to pass. Personally, I don't mind seeing the story of Excalibur rewritten, and the fact that the thing is basically orbed around for 45 minutes only adds to the fun. Besides, the crowd of magical pretenders will come back now and again for the next episodes (sometimes even the next seasons), which is just brilliant. I also appreciate that the manor sorely lacks a handyman now that Leo isn't around anymore. Ha!

But on the downside, WHY is it always Piper who gets turned into a murderous leather-clad warrior? At least, Holly Marie Comb seems to be having a lot of fun waving that sword around, but it is a bit hard to believe that in barely 10mn Piper would go from "This is just a big scam!" to "Let's recreate the Round Table with Harpies and Grimlocks!" I understand that it is meant to illustrate the old say that power corrupts, but the result is that the plot focuses on action and completely sacrifices character development.

Finally, it is very logical that Excalibur should prove to be Wyatt's heirloom, as the boy seems to be a sort of magical beacon. The only trouble is that the fabled sword won't do much in the future (I think it reappears once), so this is a lot of setup for nothing; and the fact that Chris isn't even here doesn't help connect it to the plot or the characters' evolution. Put the episode anywhere else in season 5, 6 or 7 and you won't see much difference.