Editing Melissa Joan Hart (section)

=== 1996–2003: ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' ===
After the television series ended, Hart attended [[New York University]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Jacobs |first=A.J |url=https://ew.com/article/1996/10/25/behind-scenes-sabrina/ |title=Behind the scenes of ''Sabrina'' – Nickelodeon alum Melissa Joan Hart casts a spell on prime time |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 25, 1996 |access-date=February 22, 2011 |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020230915/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,294744,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> However, she dropped out after she earned the title role for the 1996 television film ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (film)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]'', which was followed by the [[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series)|television series of the same name]], which lasted seven seasons on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (four seasons) and [[The WB]] (three seasons).<ref>{{cite news|last=Marriott |first=Michel |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/162875/Sabrina-the-Teenage-Witch/overview |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016214604/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/162875/Sabrina-the-Teenage-Witch/overview |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 16, 2007 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2007 |title=Sabrina the Teenage Witch – Trailer – Cast – Showtimes|access-date=June 23, 2010}}</ref><ref name="pqasb.pqarchiver.com">{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/22721836.html?dids=22721836:22721836&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+13%2C+1996&author=HELEN+A.S.+POPKIN&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&desc=Melissa+explains+it+all+Series%3A+Xpress&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201100017/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/22721836.html?dids=22721836:22721836&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+13,+1996&author=HELEN+A.S.+POPKIN&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&desc=Melissa+explains+it+all+Series:+Xpress&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 1, 2013 |title=Melissa explains it all Series: Xpress |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=May 13, 1996 |access-date=June 23, 2010 |first=Helen A.S. |last=Popkin }}</ref> She later collaborated on an [[Sabrina: The Animated Series|animated version]] that featured Hart voicing the two aunts Hilda and Zelda with Hart's younger sister Emily starring in the title role. She also guest-starred on the series ''[[Touched by an Angel]]'' and starred in several television films. She guest starred on the ''[[Boy Meets World]]'' episode "Witches of Pennbrook" as her character Sabrina Spellman; the episode also guest starred Hart's closest friend [[Candace Cameron Bure]] as a witch named Millie.

[[File:Joey Lawrence, Taylor Spreitler and Melissa Joan Hart March of Dimes 483 (5673905264) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Hart participates in a [[March of Dimes]] event with her ''Melissa & Joey'' co-stars Joey Lawrence and [[Taylor Spreitler]].]]
In 1998, Hart had a small role in the film ''[[Can't Hardly Wait]]''; shortly afterwards Hart began working on a theatrical film project titled ''Next to You'', in which she acted alongside [[Adrian Grenier]].<ref name="reelviews.net Can't Hardly Wait">{{cite web|url=http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/c/cant_wait.html |title=Review: Can't Hardly Wait |website=Reelviews.net |first=James |last=Berardinelli |date=June 12, 1998 |access-date=October 23, 2010}}</ref><ref name="foxmovies.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.foxmovies.com/drivemecrazy/ |title=Drive Me Crazy |publisher=Foxmovies.com |date=August 31, 1999 |access-date=June 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027215340/http://www.foxmovies.com/drivemecrazy/ |archive-date=October 27, 2009 }}</ref> [[Britney Spears]] released a [[remix]] of her song "[[(You Drive Me) Crazy]]" to promote the film's soundtrack. To capitalize on the song's success as a [[Billboard Hot 100|top-ten hit]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=britney spears|chart=all}} |title=Britney Spears Album & Song Chart History |magazine=Billboard.com |access-date=June 23, 2010}}</ref> the name of the film was changed to ''[[Drive Me Crazy]]''. To promote the film, both Hart and Grenier appeared in the song's music video.<ref>{{cite web|last=Vena |first=Jocelyn |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1626386/20091116/spears_britney.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091120062542/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1626386/20091116/spears_britney.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 20, 2009 |title=Britney Spears Wanted '(You Drive Me) Crazy' Video To Take Her 'To The Next Level' – News Story &#124; Music, Celebrity, Artist News &#124; MTV News |publisher=Mtv.com |date=November 16, 2009 |access-date=June 23, 2010}}</ref> Around the same time, Spears made a guest appearance as herself on ''Sabrina'', in the season four episode "No Place Like Home".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/photos/photos-britney-spears-years-4701996/image-18548718|title=Britney Spears appeared on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" alongside Melissa Joan Hart from Britney Spears Gives a Wave in London|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=September 19, 2018}}</ref>

Coinciding with the release of ''Drive Me Crazy'', Hart appeared wearing lingerie on the cover of [[Maxim magazine|''Maxim'' magazine]]'s October 1999 issue, as well as in a photo shoot and an accompanying article, which resulted in an attempt by the publisher of the [[Sabrina the Teenage Witch|''Sabrina'' comic book series]] to sue her for breach of contract.<ref name="maxim.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.maxim.com/girls/girls-of-maxim/44718/melissa-joan-hart.html |title=Melissa Joan Hart Pictures – 1 of 4 – Maxim Girls Photo Gallery |publisher=Maxim.com |access-date=June 23, 2010 |archive-date=October 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101024161539/http://www.maxim.com/girls/girls-of-maxim/44718/melissa-joan-hart.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2019/03/29/sabrina-star-melissa-joan-hart-shocked-netflix-show-sex-scenes/3313943002/ |title=Melissa Joan Hart reflects on her nude photo scandal, calls new 'Sabrina' sex scenes shocking |first=Carly |last=Mallenbaum |date=March 29, 2019 |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=September 7, 2021}}</ref> Hart continued her acting career, starring in the film ''Rent Control'', which aired in 2005 on the [[Freeform (TV channel)|ABC Family]] [[cable television|cable network]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://videoeta.com/movie/51969 |title=Rent Control (2002) – Melissa Joan Hart, Carmen Electra, Ryan Browning |publisher=Videoeta.com |access-date=June 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722010854/http://videoeta.com/movie/51969 |archive-date=July 22, 2011 }}</ref> Hart also continued to star on ''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'' until 2003. Hart was also a primary voice-actress on ''Sabrina: The Animated Series'', which ran for 65 episodes in 1999 on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[UPN]].

In 1999, Hart made her directorial debut in an episode of [[Disney Channel]]'s ''[[So Weird]]'' called "Snapshot" which guest-starred her sister Emily. Hart directed an episode of Nickelodeon's ''[[Taina (TV series)|Taina]]'' in 2001. In 2001 and 2002, she directed six episodes of ''Sabrina''.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}