Switch is a new series on ITV2 about four witches living in London which looked like it was right up my alley :-D. The twenty-something witches have been friends, and a coven of four, since they met at fourteen, at Solstice camp. Now they share a flat together in Camden.
Stella is linked with the element Earth and, as that suggests, is the practical and motherly one of the four. She works at an advertising company and has a demanding bitch for a boss.
Jude is linked with fire, and works in fashion. Like her element she’s feisty and impulsive.
Hannah is linked with air, and is more interested in travelling the world than putting down roots.
Grace is linked with water, works as a physiotherapist, and is the quiet one who worries about the others and has an over-protective mother to deal with.
Things I liked:
~The four of them can’t cast spells separately, only when they get together.
~The spells they cast don’t always turn out how they want (which is pretty normal when it comes to casting spells, so not such a surprise, but the unexpected results feed well into the humour).
~The girls are supportive of each other and their bickering lacks any bitchiness.
~The humour.
~The summer Solstice camp, which is a lovely bit of worldbuilding.
~The mix of magic and mundane.
~Grace’s mother (played by the wonderful Caroline Quentin).
~The ending, which does a fab job of setting up the next episode.
Things that didn’t quite work for me:
~The episode’s conflicts - both from the relationships and the spells - were resolved a little too easily and neatly.
~The world lacks a certain edginess/darkness.
*Spoilers* below (should be blacked out so can be highlighted to read, so the warning is just in case.
~The plot holes – (highlight for minor spoilers)
like how Grace’s boss seemed to take things in her stride once the spell cast on her was lifted; like how the girls could afford their large, expensive London flat; like how one of the girls can travel halfway round the world in less than half a day; and like how the hell can someone put a cup of coffee in a microwave and not notice a (rather large) black cat.
Though with it being the first episode, hopefully some or all of this might change/be ‘explained’ in future ones.
I LOVE the show’s premise and I think it does exactly what it sets out to do – deliver a fun, light-hearted supernatural show that aims to explore the relationships between and around the four girls, with a little added magic. Though, I have to admit I’m not sold on Switch yet, but I want to be, so I’ll be watching next week to see what happens next! :-D
How about any of you? Did you watch? If so, what did you think (make sure you mark any comments if they include spoilers)? And are you going to watch again?
More about the show
here.
Watch the show
here (if you can access ITV’s iPlayer)
Picture taken with thanks from
here - copyright ITV2
