From the outside, the Russo family looks normal. Theresa and Jerry live in an apartment above their Manhattan sub shop along with their three precocious children. What the Russos' customers, friends and neighbors don't know is that for the time being all of the kids brandish magical powers. Destiny will eventually decide which child gets to remain charmed, while the other sibs will have to make their way in the world like the rest of us (a fate that has befallen their father). It all comes off as equal parts Hannah Montana, Harry Potter and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

The trio's foibles drive the sitcom's plot. Middle child Alex (Selena Gomez) plays the rebel. She often relies on magic and manipulation to get what she wants, such as when she duplicates herself so that she can be in magic class and go shopping. The more studious Justin hones his skills in hopes of attending Wizard Tech, whereas little brother Max just enjoys a good sandwich. When they're not building the perfect hoagie or negotiating a perilous teen romance, these kids learn from their father how to teleport and rewind time.

Fortunately, Dad is just as eager to teach his brood discipline. That means resisting the temptation to use spells as shortcuts to complete common tasks and household chores. Meanwhile, breaking rules (Alex's forte) yields consequences, and most episodes aren't afraid to take a moral stand against deception, cheating or shirking responsibility. If only Dad's hypocrisy—commonly played for laughs—didn't undermine his authority. For example, he disciplines Alex for duplicating herself, then enlists the girl to help him deceive his wife with exactly the same stunt.

Wizards' unsavory potion uses other ingredients families aren't used to seeing in Disney's tween shows. An episode about Justin's first kiss shows him practicing passionately with a soccer ball. When Alex animates a giant zit on Justin's face, the pronounced pimple makes suggestive comments to girls at the prom ("I loves to watch you shake that junk"). Theresa often shows cleavage, and girls wear outfits with creeping hemlines.