Good Witch fans just got some great news, but with a sad twist. The Hallmark series, which is currently in the midst of its fifth season, has gotten renewed for a sixth season before the current batch of episodes have even finished airing. Unfortunately, it will be returning without one of its stars.
Bailee Madison, who plays Grace Russell, is set to exit Good Witch and will not be back as a series regular for Season 6. As fans are already know, Grace is the daughter of Good Witch’s central protagonist, Cassie Nightingale (JAG’s Catherine Bell).
Grace’s exit story is actually already in place in Season 5, according to Deadline. She will graduate high school this year, reportedly paving the way for her to segue out of being a regular presence on the show. Much to do, much to see.
Such a big shift will undoubtedly be an adjustment for Cassie and fans. The character of Grace made her debut as a baby in The Good Witch’s Charm in 2012, with her impending arrival being announced in the previous film of the series.
Like her mom Cassie, who is an enchantress, Grace has gifts, and Bailee Madison has been showing them off since the first season of Good Witch kicked off in 2015. I would think that fans have reason to hold onto hope that Madison will return for a guest star role down the line. She can't leave forever, right?
As for Bailee Madison, she's got a thriving career going. Along with her work on Good Witch, she starred in the 2018 horror sequel The Strangers: Prey at Night in a lead role opposite Good Girls’ Christina Hendricks and Grey’s Anatomy-turned-Harlequin Netflix star Martin Henderson. Her soon-former Good Witch co-star, Catherine Bell, reprised her role as JAG’s Mac for NCIS: Los Angeles, and should be back for more in the new season.
The next episode of Good Witch Season 5 is entitled “The Road Trip,” which will air on Sunday, July 7, on the Hallmark Channel. Here is Hallmark’s official description:
Cassie, Grace, and Abigail embark on a road trip to Cassie's alma mater, Wellingsly College. There, Cassie reconnects with an old friend, who's contemplating her future as a professor.
The friend that Cassie will be reconnecting with will be played by none other than Hocus Pocus star, Kathy Najimy. News of her casting came out all the way back in October of 2018. Fast-forward to July 2019, and Najimy is finally making her on-screen debut!
Is everyone excited? There is no shortage of reasons to be when it comes to Hallmark. The fantastic news regarding its Good Witch renewal is not where the network's “good” tidings end, since it'll be kicking off its Christmas movie selection incredibly early this year. Do witches ride in sleighs?
Good Witch is not the only Hallmark series that will return for a new season. Fan-favorite drama When Calls the Heart got its own renewal for a seventh season. It returned to complete its sixth season in May following some abrupt changes that got made in the aftermath of Lori Loughlin's college admissions scandal.
New episodes Good Witch air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel. The first four seasons of Good Witch are currently streaming on Netflix, along with lots of new content. The Hallmark series return is part of this summer’s premieres.
