History Literature / TheWorstWitch

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* NoPronunciationGuide: Books only. Clarice's name is pronounced 'clarris' rather than 'cla-reece'.

* BrotherChuck:
** No explanation is given (on-screen) as to where Miss Bat went after season 2 of the '98 series, although apparently CITV explained she went to live in Inner Mongolia.
** At the end of season 2 of the '17 series, Esme has her magic restored. While she is mentioned in the following seasons, there is no mention as to why she is no longer studying at Cackles or to her whereabouts. It is eventually revealed in the season 4 finale she is at college.

* SneezeOfDoom:
** While suffering from a cold in the 1998 series, Clarice sneezes loudly while her class are singing. This causes the class to laugh at her as her "Atchoo!" provides an accidental rhyme at the climax of the song. A second instance of this nearly occurs as a BrickJoke in the same episode, when Clarice is again about to sneeze during the same song, but Miss Crotchet unexpectedly sneezes instead and Clarice gets to laugh with the others instead.
** In the 2017 series, Beatrice Bunch's asthma [[spoiler:or allergy to cats as it turns out to be]] causes her to have sneezing fits, and each sneeze teleports her to random places around the castle.
** Mildred herself also gets one. While secretly listening outside the staff room door, she suddenly sneezes and is heard by the teachers. The doom is subverted though - when Miss Hardbroom opens the door to investigate, Mildred has her hand raised as though just about to knock, and manages to avoid trouble by BlatantLies.

* DullSurprise: Jadu is notable for her monotonous and robotic way of speaking.

** An episode from season 4 of the 2017 series has Mildred pull out of the running for head girl and turn in the badges she's collected from the competition. She then changes her mind, but is told that reutrned badges cannot be re-issued. However, Miss Cackle notes according to the rules that if a head girl candidate pulls out, another candidate may enter the competition, up until midnight of the same day. Mildred tells the teachers that she is "that new candidate" and rejoins the contest.

* MagicFire: In one episode of the live action series, some students try to make a magic fire but use too many fireflies and create a normal fire instead.

** Cackle's Academy is never really shown to have toilets in either of the series. The trope is almost subverted through Beatrice's fear of needing the toilet during an exam, but this never occurs.
** In one 1998 episode, Ethel almost subverts this too - when Drusilla snaps at Mildred to "get lost!", Ethel remarks [[DeadpanSnarker "She probably will - she needs a map to find her way back from the bathroom!"]]

** How Mildred accepts the position as Head Girl during assembly in the series finale of the 2017 series. Here, Mildred expresses to the rest of the students and staff how grateful she is for the adventures they had together. Ethel also delivers a brief one to Mildred in the same episode, during the post-credit scene, expressing that Mildred is not a bad friend and that she's very kind as the two reconcile.

* SamusIsAGirl: It turns out the often mentioned only once seen dr. foster of ''' "the foster's effect" ''' fame who everyone (except Professor Johnathan Shakeshaft) thinks is a man is in fact an australian woman.

* ShipsThatPassInTheNight: Subverted, since friendship is the case. While Mildred and Ethel are enemies, Bella Ramsey and Jenny Richardson are indeed best friends in real life. It is taken up to eleven when [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bellaramsey_jennyrichardson__b6jhefzhwtf.jpg Jenny visits Bella after she left the series after the show's third season]]. Heck, there's even a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwBnG0uMqas behind-the-scenes featurette featuring the dynamic duo]]. Now, all fans that need, to bring The Worst Witch back in a certain way, is for Netflix to sweeten the deal with CBBC for Bella and Jenny to have their own sitcom.

** How the last scene, minus the post credit scene, of the series finale of the 2017 series ends, following Mildred's speech, before the final moment between Mildred and Ethel. It was initiated by Ms. Hardbroom, Maud Spellbody, Julie Hubble, Dave "Spike" Jones, and Ethel Hallow, which completed her HeelFaceTurn.
* SmashToBlack: How the GrandFinale of the 2017 series ends.

* SpoilerOpening: The Filipino airing of the 2017 series replaces the opening titles with its own version that credits the actors and names the characters they play. However, the titles reveal Miss Hardboom's full name as "Miss Joy Hecate Hardbroom", which spoils the twist in Miss Hardbroom's story in season 3.

* TearsOfJoy: Kitty Slack, without breaking character successfully, lets it out at the end of the GrandFinale of the 2017 series as she watches Mildred embracing her friends in her final appearance. Her [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2021_07_10_195509.png expression says it all]].

* TwoTeacherSchool: Cackle's seems to survive on only having four teachers, and Weirdsister's runs with four lecturers as well.

* AllPartOfTheShow: In the episode "Star Struck" from the 2017 series, Mildred, Maud, and Indigo reconciling with Enid, right in the middle of Narcissus's show, results in them earning applause from the entire school, except Ethel, but heck, Felicity joins in!

** In ''The Worst Witch All at Sea'', Mildred is gifted a talisman by Algernon Rowan-Webb. The talisman is an ordinary piece of jewelry no powers. In the 1998 series, the talisman has the ability to repel The Dragon Lord's blasts of fire.

* BookEnds:
** The Season 3 premiere of the '98 series opens and ends with the girls dancing to the same song. In the opening, they unsuccessfully try to get Miss Drill to join in. At the end, she does.
** Done straight in the 2017 series, twice!
*** Two finales end in applause and cheers. The season 2 finale ends with thunderous applause from the students and staff of the school during the Halloween festivities. The GrandFinale of the series ends the same way, but when Mildred becomes Head Girl (or Valedictorian) of the academy.
*** The first and last episode has Mildred making a mistake, both new student and Head Girl respectively. The first episode of the series has Mildred making a mistake on her first day as a new student, in which she accidentally destroys the school on the first day. The GrandFinale has Mildred making one last mistake immediately after being promoted to Head Girl. When she was trying to make a thank-you speech, she accidentally reads her packing list, but this time everyone found it more amusing than when she accidentally destroyed the school on her first day four years ago.
** The 1998 series's first season finale ends with Ruby and Jadu lifting up Mildred on their shoulders after Mildred and her friends save the school. The GrandFinale of the 1998 series ends with Mildred becoming Head Girl and Ruby and Jadu do the same thing again but are helped out by Maud and Enid.
--> '''Ruby Cherrytree:''' [as she and Jadu try to lift up Mildred] A little help please?
--> '''Maud Moonshine:''' We'll help you. [she and Enid proceed to help Ruby and Jadu lift Mildred up as Mildred laughs with glee] There you go!

** The 2017 remake gives Ethel an ''older'' sister, Esmeralda Hallow, commonly known as Esme. It also introduces Miss Gull and Mildred's mother, Julie Hubble.

* ChristmasSpecial: The final filmed episode. It featured a [[SchoolPlay School Pantomime]].

* DisneyAcidSequence: Tim Curry's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmG80v473AI&feature=related Halloween Song]]

* EveryEpisodeEnding: Every episode of the 1998 series has a FreezeFrameEnding on a close-up of Mildred's reaction to the episode's conclusion (given the preponderance of [[HappyEnding happy endings]], usually a big smile).

* FreezeFrameEnding: The grand finale of the 2017 series ends with a freeze-frame of Mildred and her friends celebrating Mildred's promotion to Head Girl as the screen fades to black.
* FinaleCredits: Downplayed in the GrandFinale of the 2017 series. The final episode's credits has the show's theme song play one last time. At least it was enough to trigger tears of joy from the fandom. However, the original broadcast on CBBC has the song "Nobody Knows" by Kate Alexa playing over the credits at the end, despite the CreditsPushback. It's bittersweet and a nice way saying that even if it's over, nobody knows where the road leads them next but they'll always be together.

** "The Witching Hour, Part 2" for the 2017 series.[[note]]However, the Disney Channel version of the series finished airing on October 31, 2021 with 3 out of the 4 seasons having wrapped. Therefore, the final episode on the Disney Channel version is, "Ethel Hallow To The Rescue".[[/note]]
*** Both finales end with Mildred becoming Head Girl and Ethel reconciles with Mildred.
** Given the fact the 2017 series has [[ScrewedByTheNetwork not been renewed for a fifth season]] really shows that there are no more stories to be told at Cackle's Academy and that every character, including Mildred Hubble of course, got their happy ending they wanted.

* HappilyEverAfter: The 2017 series ends with Mildred becoming Head Girl and everyone cheers for her and even a narrator says this word for word as the last line.

** Played straight for Ethel in the 2017 series in the fourth and final series. The finale ends with one last scene of Mildred and Ethel outside the school, after Mildred's promotion to Head Girl at assembly. Mildred thanks Ethel for her help, while the former apologizes to Mildred for being so hard on her and admitted that Mildred will do great as Head Girl. It ends with Mildred offering Ethel a role as her adviser and the latter accepts it. As Mildred leaves to join the celebration of her promotion, Ethel smiles in relief now that her conflict with Mildred is over.

* ImportantHaircut: See GirlishPigtails above. Lampshaded by Cass in the second episode, "do you really think cutting your hair is going to fix everything?"

* {{Invisibility}}: Invisibility potions are used several times in the books, which gradually wear off, causing the drinker to reappear slowly from the head down.

** This would also appear to be the case for Miss Cackle herself in the 2017 series.

* AdaptationExpansion: The series has gone through this several times over. The TV movie padded itself with sequences including a "scaring contest" and an early sequence with Punk Charlotte Rae, and the '98 series would pad the same adaptation by using the "Ethel's a pig" sequence as the basis for an entire episode (introducing a whole new character in Mr. Blossom's nephew Charlie), while adding in a climactic chase through the school grounds. It's otherwise managed to incorporate adaptations of the next three books pretty much as-is (although ''The Worst Witch Strikes Again'' was made into two separate episodes).

** Seen again in the 2017 adaptation. Building on stories from the books with input from Jill Murphy, the characters get new names (in some cases) and motivations, while the plots are expanded from their original material.

** 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.

** Maud Moonshine; Fenella Feverfew; Clarice Crow; Gary Grailquest; Bryony Besomsworth; Gabrielle Gribble; Lynne Lamplighter.

* BookEnds: The Season 3 premiere of the '98 series opens and ends with the girls dancing to the same song. In the opening, they unsuccessfully try to get Miss Drill to join in. At the end, she does.

* ShipsThatPassInTheNight: Subverted, since friendship is the case. While Mildred and Ethel are enemies, Bella Ramsey and Jenny Richardson are indeed best friends in real life. It is taken UpToEleven when [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bellaramsey_jennyrichardson__b6jhefzhwtf.jpg Jenny visits Bella after she left the series after the show's third season]]. Heck, there's even a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwBnG0uMqas behind-the-scenes featurette featuring the dynamic duo]]. Now, all fans that need, to bring The Worst Witch back in a certain way, is for Netflix to sweeten the deal with CBBC for Bella and Jenny to have their own sitcom.

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

** Both the movie and the '98 TV series add padding to the first story, with the TV series turning Ethel's little adventure into a separate episode, while the somewhat anticlimactic end to the original story instead gets turned into a large chase scene. The movie simply has to pad out several of its sequences, notably making Ethel's taunting a result of her cheating at a game of "Scare Tag" (in the book the teasing follows Mildred's lack of success with Tabby) and adding in the music video below. The second story (a HalfwayPlotSwitch) was simply adapted into two separate episodes, while the third and fourth became two-parters. Also, Madame Spellbinder, Miss Drill and Miss Swoop are unique to the adaptations.

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

[[AC: The first television series's two {{Spin Off}}s are:]]
* ''Weirdsister College: The Further Adventures of the Worst Witch'': Set at college in Cambridge, featuring Mildred settling into college life with Ethel for a roommate.
* ''The New Worst Witch'': Chronicles the adventures of Mildred's cousin Henrietta 'Hettie' Hubble and her friends; Mona Hallow, who happens to be Ethel's youngest sister, and Crescentmoon 'Cressie' Winterchild, all of whom are tormented by evil witch Belladonna Bindweed.

* CloseOnTitle: How the GrandFinale on the Netflix version of the 2017 series ends before the end credits roll one last time.

* RapunzelHair:
** Miss Hardbroom keeps her hair tied up in a really tight bun 24/7 except for the Halloween celebrations and at night, when the girls are amazed that it goes right down to her waist. Mildred remarks in the 1998 series that she doesn't look half as frightening when her hair is down. Mildred herself is no slouch in the hair department either; hers is at least hip length, though usually tied up in pigtails.
** In ''The New Worst Witch'', Belladonna Bindweed's distinguishing physical feature is her waist-length hair.
** In the 2017 series, several of the girls have this, along with Miss Hardbroom.

** The 2017 series has the teachers accidentally drugged by one, with hijinks ensuing.

* SchoolPlay: There's two... nearly. One episode featured the girls rehearsing for a production of ''The Selfish Giant'', only for Enid to drop the scenery on Ethel. The production is never mentioned in after that episode though other episodes imply Miss Drill does them regularly. The ChristmasSpecial the following year featured the characters in a pantomime of ''Cinderella''.

* SheCleansUpNicely: Mildred in her Cinderella ball gown in the school pantomime. Completely averted with Charlie in the prince costume - it was meant for Drucilla, after all. The rest of the girls also get to wear ballgowns for that scene.