History Literature / TheWorstWitch

* ClosetShuffle: In ''The Worst Witch Strikes Again'', Enid is determined to have some fun on the last day of the term, while Mildred fears being expelled, and wants nothing more than to keep her head down. Just as they as the whole school is heading into the Great Hall, Enid suddenly dives into a cupboard, taking Mildred with her, so that they can sneak out later. Unfortunately, Ethel sees them vanishing into the cupboard, and locks them in, as the key happens to be there.

The 2017 show premiered on Creator/DisneyChannel on October 4th, 2021 as a "Disney Channel Original Series". However, unlike the previous incarnations (Netflix and CBBC) of the 2017 show, this version featured a LaughTrack to match with its current Disney Channel sitcoms. The series finished on October 31, 2021 with the episode, "Ethel Hallow To The Rescue" as the GrandFinale.

* HeroesWantRedheads: Played straight and averted, all with Mildred. She's liked by at least four boys in the original series - Merlin Langstaff, Barry Dragonsbane, Garry Grailsquest, and Charlie Blossom - when she is a brunette. In the spin off, ''Weirdsister College'' this trope is played straight, with Ben Stemson and Nick Hobbes (though the latter isn't really a 'hero'-ByronicHero, perhaps, but not a traditional hero).

* AbledInTheAdaptation: In the books, Maud wears glasses. She does not in the 80s tv movie.

** An inversion: Algernan Rowan Webb invites the girls to a castle he owns in the books. The 1998 series has it as a more modest riverside house.

* BoardingSchoolOfHorrors: Downplayed in the books, in that unlike the homely feeling of [[Franchise/HarryPotter Hogwarts]], the school is very utilitarian and prison-like, with many aspects described as "bleak" and "dreary". It is also very cold, even in summer, because all the doors have gaps underneath them, and the windows have no glass. There are also so many rules that you can't do ''anything'' without being told off; and the year is divided into two long terms, the Winter Term running from September to the end of January, and the Summer Term (always very cold and wintry at the start) running from March until the end of July. At the start of ''A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch'', Mildred makes the school sound even more horrible when tells young Sybil a made-up story about Miss Hardbroom turning pupils into frogs.

** In the second book Mildred gets blamed for a spell Enid cast going awry - and is put on probation. In the book, Enid enchants a pole in the vaulting competition - and Millie ends up flying into Miss Cackle's office. In the '98 series, they're on a marathon and Enid tries to teleport Millie to the end of the trek. She goofs and poofs her into Cackle's office and then into the music room. Except here it should be obvious that Mildred ''isn't'' the culprit because Cackle and Hardbroom are there and Mildred disappears without using an incantation - making it clear that she isn't the one casting the spell.

** Of course she likely wasn't a granny then, but the girls find this out about the school founder Granny Cackle; she was a magical version of RobinHood that went by the name of "Cackle The Jackal" - and founded the school with money she had stolen from an evil warlock.

Incidentally, the movie features a young Creator/FairuzaBalk as Mildred, with Creator/DianaRigg as Miss Hardbroom, Charlotte Rae as Miss Cackle and her EvilTwin, and Creator/TimCurry as a positively-creepy Grand Wizard. The first TV series features a young Creator/FelicityJones as Ethel Hallow in the first season.

''Literature/HarryPotter''? [[OlderThanTheyThink Whoever said anything]] about ''[[JustForFun/SurprisinglySimilarStories him?]]'' And no, we're not talking about ''Franchise/LittleWitchAcademia'', either.[[note]]Though according to creator Yoh Yoshinari, ''Little Witch Academia'' was [[InspirationForTheWork inspired]] by ''The Worst Witch'', specifically the '90s show.[[/note]] We're talking about ''The Worst Witch''. The first book predates ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'' by 23 years.

''Literature/HarryPotter''? [[OlderThanTheyThink Whoever said anything]] about ''[[JustForFun/SurprisinglySimilarStories him?]]'' And no, we're not talking about ''Franchise/LittleWitchAcademia'', either. We're talking about ''The Worst Witch''. The first book predates ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'' by 23 years.

* OldTimeyBathingSuit: In ''The Worst Witch All At Sea'', Miss Cackle orders bathing suits for the girls when they have a seaside excursion. In keeping with the old-fashioned nature of the school, these are striped old-timey bathing suits, complete with a school badge. When the girls are disappointed to see these, Miss Hardbroom is appalled by their lack of enthusiasm, and makes them write [[TheDreadedThankYouLetter thank-you cards]] to Miss Cackle for providing the bathing suits.

* MundaneUtility: When Mildred is turned into a frog in "A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch", she reflects that being able to jump like a frog is the only pleasant aspect of her condition.

* ObliviousTransformation: In "A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch", Mildred is at first startled by her tabby cat suddenly becoming much bigger; then she realises that everything else is much bigger, so she must be smaller. The truth only dawns when she discovers the MundaneUtility of being able to take a massive jump, sees her reflection in a mirror, and discovers that she has been turned into a frog.

* OldTimeyBathingSuit: In ''The Worst Witch All At Sea'', Miss Cackle orders bathing suits for the girls when they have a seaside excursion. In keeping with the old-fashioned nature of the school, these are striped old-timey bathing suits, complete with a school badge. When the girls are disappointed to see these, Miss Hardbroom is appalled by their lack of enthusiasm, and makes them write [[TheDreadedThankYouLetter thank-you cards]] to Miss Cackle for providing the bathing suits

* AwesomeButImpractical: Magic spells at least in the 1998 series where they tend to be long latin(ish) sentences and as Agatha and her associates found out they take so long to caste that the potential victim has plenty of time to simply run away before they can finish. Futhermore mispronouncing a single syllable or saying the spell a bit too loud can have dramatically different effects than what was the spell casters intent. [[note]] To turn someone into a pig the spell is Alverix Orcus, Transfrogamorphus, Spotticus, Trotticus, Transferus Porcus.[[/note]]