In a delightful tale of holiday magic, Beth Broderick and Caroline Rhea, once co-stars on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, continue to share a special connection. Their shared holiday highlight from the series, American pop singer Johnny Mathis guest starring in the season 2 episode “Sabrina Claus,” remains a cherished memory. Rhea, who played Aunt Hilda, recalls it as “such a privilege” to have Mathis sing Christmas songs to her, Broderick, and Melissa Joan Hart. “In between takes he sang for us,” she shares. “And you know, it’s Johnny Mathis.” Broderick, who played Aunt Zelda, echoes this admiration, stating, “It just doesn’t get better than that in my book. We were both just dying, we were just swooning, and he was just a legend and was a legend to my mom and my dad... It was just a really moving thing for us to have him there.”

Reuniting for Holiday Mismatch

At 65, Broderick and 60-year-old Rhea recently reunited for their new Hallmark Channel movie Holiday Mismatch. In this charming film, they play two moms who accidentally set up their adult children on a dating app. As the official synopsis states, “Determined to stop the romance, the two mothers team up, only to realize they have more in common than they thought. As their kids’ love blossoms, so does an unexpected friendship between their meddling moms.” Broderick, who has done 11 Christmas films including this month’s The Merry Gentlemen on Netflix, describes filming a holiday movie as a “joyful experience” and emphasizes that it’s “impossible for anyone to be unhappy shooting a Christmas movie.” During the filming of Holiday Mismatch, she recalls laughing with Rhea every day, noting their comedic chemistry in a scene where they make turkey sandwiches. “We both made each other laugh repeatedly while filming that scene with both of us kind of improvising and doing what we do together,” she says.

Caroline Rhea's Love for Christmas Movies

Rhea has similar fuzzy feelings about making Christmas movies. She says her favorite part of the genre is “the outcome.” “I like happy endings. I do. I like movies that you can watch with your whole family,” she explains. “I think that was the best part of Sabrina. You could leave your kid in front of the television to watch the show and nothing was happening on that show that was scary, it was just sort of joyful.” She continues, “The biggest gift of Sabrina is that it’s like generational entertainment because we’re now on our fourth generation of kids watching that show.”

Beth Broderick's Perspective on Holiday Movies

Broderick also cherishes the experience of making holiday movies. With 11 Christmas films under her belt, including this month’s The Merry Gentlemen on Netflix, she finds shooting a holiday movie to be a truly special time. She emphasizes the joy and warmth that these films bring. “It’s a time to come together, to share stories, and to create memories,” she says. “Each holiday movie is a unique opportunity to bring a little bit of magic into the world.”

Halloween Memories on Sabrina

While Rhea has a “gazillion favorite” moments from the long-running series, she recalls Halloween episodes being equally festive for the cast. One fateful episode in season 2 called “A River of Candy Corn Runs Through It” holds a special place in her heart. “I swear to you, I did not eat candy corn for like 15 years,” she shares. “Because if I wrote a show business book I always said I would call it I Ate All My Prop Food.” This episode showcases the fun and spooky side of the show during the Halloween season.