Original Air Date: March 21, 1997
Starring: Melissa Joan Hart, Nick Bakay, Caroline Rhea
Also Starring: Salem
Directed by: David Grossman
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this episode!
Synopsis: Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) and Salem (voiced by Nick Bakay) are both short on money and enter a cat show only to find out the judge is being blackmailed.
Cinema Cat: Salem was a major co-star in the Sabrina series and although much of the time the black cat character was played by a puppet there are numerous scenes in this particular episode in which cat actor Salem (played by a team of black cats) appeared.
The real Salem is seen several times being held by actress Melissa Joan Hart. It is also revealed in this episode that Salem’s last name is Saberhagen.
Cat Cattle Call: Because the action takes place at a cat show we are treated to lot of cat appearances by the other cat actors employed with Performing Animal Troupe.
Highlights include Beth Howland as a competing owner with a beautiful Burmese.
A bald man with a scar and white Angora cat mimics the villain Blofeld from the James Bond films (and anticipates the spoof in Austin Powers to come later that year).
At one point in the episode Sabrina changes herself into an adorable ginger tabby.
In the end Salem almost wins the competition but is aced out by Sabrina, although she later points out that he is still the best cat.
Final Mewsings: All cats are winners!
Relevant Links:
To discuss this film and other cats in movies and on television, join us on
Facebook and Twitter.