Bewitched

This article is about the American television sitcom. For other uses, see Bewitched (disambiguation).

Bewitched
Series title screen
Genre	Sitcom, Fantasy
Created by	Sol Saks
Starring	Elizabeth Montgomery Dick York Dick Sargent Agnes Moorehead David White
Theme music composer	Howard Greenfield Jack Keller
Composer(s)	Warren Barker
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	254 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Harry Ackerman
Producer(s)	Danny Arnold Jerry Davis William Froug William Asher
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	25 minutes
Production company(s)	Screen Gems Ashmont Productions (1971–72)
Distributor	Sony Pictures Television (2002–present)
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Picture format	Black-and-white (1964–66) Color (1966–72)
Audio format	Monaural
Original run	September 17, 1964 (1964-09-17) – July 1, 1972 (1972-07-01)
Chronology
Followed by	Tabitha

Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York (1964–69) and Dick Sargent (1969–72), Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban housewife. Bewitched enjoyed great popularity, finishing as the number two show in America during its debut season. The show continues to be seen throughout the world in syndication and on DVD and was the longest-running supernatural-themed sitcom of the 1960s–1970s era.

In 2002, Bewitched was ranked #50 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.^[1] In 1997, the same magazine ranked the episode "Divided He Falls" #48 on their list of the 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.^[2]

Premise and characters

See also: List of Bewitched episodes

Plot summary

A young-looking witch named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) meets and marries a mortal named Darrin Stephens (originally Dick York, later Dick Sargent). While Samantha pledges to forsake her powers and become a typical suburban housewife, her magical family disapproves of the mixed marriage and frequently interferes in the couple's lives. Episodes often begin with Darrin becoming the victim of a spell, the effects of which wreak havoc with mortals such as his boss, clients, parents, and neighbors. By the epilogue, however, Darrin and Samantha most often embrace and confound the devious elements that failed to separate them.

Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York as Samantha and Darrin Stephens, from a 1967 promo.

Most female witches have names ending with the soft "-a" sound. Their male counterparts are known as "warlocks." The witches and warlocks are very long-lived; while Samantha appears to be in her twenties, many episodes suggest she is actually hundreds of years old. To keep their society secret, witches avoid showing their powers in front of mortals other than Darrin. Nevertheless, the perplexing inexplicable effects of their spells and Samantha's attempts to hide their supernatural origin from mortals drive the plot of most episodes. Witches and warlocks usually use physical gestures along with their magical spells, and sometimes spoken incantations. Most notably, Samantha often twitches her nose to perform a spell. Modest but effective special visual effects are accompanied by music to highlight the magic.

Setting

The main setting for most scenes is the Stephens' house at 1164 Morning Glory Circle. Many scenes also take place at the Madison Avenue advertising agency "McMann and Tate" for which Darrin works. The Stephens' home is located in a nearby upper-middle-class suburban neighborhood, either in Westport, Connecticut or within New York State, as indicated by conflicting information presented throughout the series.

Characters

Agnes Moorehead as Endora.

Samantha's mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead), is the chief antagonist. Like all witches, she never reveals her surname, indicating to Darrin that he would be unable to pronounce it. Endora loathes mortals, and disapproves of Darrin, as do many of Samantha's relatives. Endora refuses to even use Darrin's name, alternatively calling him "Durwood", "What's-his-name", "Darwin", "Dum-Dum", etc., all much to his annoyance. She refers to him as "Darrin" only eight times during the entire series.^{[3][unreliable source?]} Many stories revolve around Endora, or another of Darrin's in-laws, using magic to undermine the union. Endora casts countless farcical spells on Darrin, but never attempts to outright destroy him. Endora's ploys to provoke a breakup always fail as Samantha's and Darrin's love overcomes every obstacle. When High Priestess Hephzibah expresses surprise that Darrin has withstood years of harassment from his mother-in-law, Endora can only shrug and admit, "He loves my daughter."

Darrin works as an executive at the McMann and Tate advertising agency. His profit-obsessed boss Larry Tate (David White) is a regular character, but Tate's partner, Mr. McMann, appears only twice during the series. Tate's opinions turn on a dime to appease a client in an attempt to land a deal. Many episodes culminate in a dinner party with clients at the Stephens' home that is humorously affected by magic. Samantha usually figures out a clever way to save the day and the account. Louise Tate (Irene Vernon, Kasey Rogers), Larry's wife, eventually becomes Samantha's closest mortal friend and, like Samantha, sometimes plays hostess to clients.

Darrin (Dick York) and Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) in a 1968 episode.

Across the street from Darrin and Samantha lives a retired couple, the nosy and tactless Gladys Kravitz (Alice Pearce, Sandra Gould) and her husband Abner (George Tobias). Gladys' snooping often results in her witnessing witchcraft or its strange side effects. She frequently tries to prove Samantha is a witch, only to fail and be branded delusional by Abner.

Samantha's father, Maurice (Maurice Evans), is an urbane thespian much like Elizabeth Montgomery's father, Robert Montgomery. Maurice often embellishes his entrances and exits with strained Shakespearean verse. Bewitched is unique for pre-1970s sitcoms in that it portrays Endora and Maurice in, as Maurice describes, "an informal marriage". Endora once introduces Maurice as "my daughter's father", and another time threatens to "move in" with Maurice. In the episode "Samantha's Good News", Endora threatens to file for an "ectoplasmic interlocutory" (i.e. divorce), only to wrangle Maurice's affection. Maurice also refers to Darrin with incorrect names, including "Duncan" and "Dustbin", with Endora going so far as to "correct" him, saying "That's Durwood."

Darrin's parents, the straight-laced Phyllis and laid-back Frank Stephens, visit occasionally but never learn of Samantha's supernatural powers. Phyllis (Mabel Albertson) makes inopportune surprise visits, and often complains of "a sick headache" after accidentally witnessing a spell in motion.

On Samantha's father's side of the family^[4] is her far-out, egocentric lookalike cousin Serena. Also played by Elizabeth Montgomery, she is credited as "Pandora Spocks" (a spin on the phrase "Pandora's box") from 1969 to 1971. Serena is the antithesis of Samantha, in most episodes sporting a beauty mark on her cheek, raven-black cropped hair, and mod mini-skirts. Ever mischievous, Serena often chases after Darrin and Larry Tate (calling the white-haired Tate "Cotton-Top"), just for sport. More progressive than typical witches or warlocks, who generally abhor mortals, Samantha's counter-culture cousin occasionally dates some (including characters played by Jack Cassidy and Peter Lawford). Despite her wild behavior and frequent co-plotting with Endora, Serena ultimately supports Samantha and Darrin, even though she finds them both a bit "square."

Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde), Endora's prank-loving brother, makes several appearances. Despite many practical jokes at Darrin's expense, Uncle Arthur seems to like him. In one episode, both Serena and Uncle Arthur go head-to-head with the Witches Council to support the Stephens' union, only to have their own powers suspended.

When one of Aunt Clara's spells backfires, Samantha plays hostess to two space aliens.

The only one of Samantha's relatives for whom Darrin regularly shows affection is the bumbling, absent-minded-but-lovable Aunt Clara (Marion Lorne). Though well-intentioned, Clara's spells usually backfire, and her entrances and exits are often a grand fumble, such as entering via a chimney or colliding with a wall. She has a collection of over a thousand doorknobs (inspired by Lorne's real-life collection).^[5] Rather than recast the role after Lorne's death in 1968, a similar witch, the anxiety-ridden and magically inept housekeeper Esmeralda (Alice Ghostley), was introduced in 1969.

In the second season, Samantha gives birth to a daughter, Tabitha (spelled Tabatha in production credits until season 5) and later in the series has a son, Adam. Both eventually prove to have supernatural powers. The Tates' son Jonathon is born several months before Tabitha.

A strange occurrence or condition caused by a supernatural illness is occasionally used as a plot device, and assistance is often sought from the warlock Dr. Bombay (Bernard Fox), a womanizer who is often accompanied by a buxom assistant, and who constantly cracks bad jokes. He could be summoned by the phrase, "Dr. Bombay, calling Dr. Bombay. Emergency, come right away." Help for supernatural illnesses is also occasionally sought from the unnamed witches’ apothecary (Bernie Kopell), an amorous old warlock.

Other recurring characters

• Aunt Enchantra and Aunt Hagatha, Samantha's aunts. They occasionally ride in an antique car called "Macbeth" (sometimes driven by chauffeur Rasputin, other times operating sans driver) which enters the Stephens home through the wall. Enchantra was played by three different actresses, while Hagatha was played by five, including Reta Shaw and Ysabel MacCloskey. Hagatha sometimes is called to babysit the children.
• The "drunk guy" (Dick Wilson) shows up in various bars, jail cells and sidewalks to witness acts of witchcraft.
• Betty, the secretary at McMann and Tate, played by various actresses.
• Sheila Sommers (Nancy Kovack), Darrin's wealthy ex-fiancée and nemesis for Samantha. Twice in the series (the premiere episode, "I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha" and "Snob in the Grass") she brazenly tries to seduce Darrin, only to be stopped by Samantha and her powers. The character also appears in the 1968 episode "If They Never Met."
• Howard McMann, Larry Tate's business partner, played by Roland Winters in "Man of the Year" (139) and Leon Ames in "What Makes Darrin Run" (191).
• Miss Peabody, Tabitha's 2nd grade teacher (Maudie Prickett), appears in two episodes of season 8, "Tabitha's First Day of School" (248) and "School Days, School Daze" (251).

Historical, fictional, and contemporary characters

Thanks to witchcraft, a number of interesting characters were seen, including Benjamin Franklin, Franklin Pierce, George and Martha Washington, Paul Revere, Sigmund Freud, Julius Caesar, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleon, King Henry VIII, Cleopatra, Santa Claus, Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk, Mother Goose, The Artful Dodger, Hansel and Gretel, The Tooth Fairy, the Loch Ness Monster, a Leprechaun, Prince Charming, Sleeping Beauty, Willie Mays (playing himself), and Boyce and Hart (playing themselves).

Cast

Cast of Characters

Character	Actor(s)	No. of episodes
Main Characters
Samantha Stephens	Elizabeth Montgomery	254
Darrin Stephens	Dick York (1964–1969) Dick Sargent (1969–1972)	156 (York) 84 (Sargent)
Endora	Agnes Moorehead	147
Larry Tate	David White	166
Recurring Characters
Tabitha Stephens	Cynthia Black (1966) Heidi and Laura Gentry (1966) Tamar and Julie Young (1966) Diane Murphy (1966–1968) Erin Murphy (1966–1972)	116
Gladys Kravitz	Alice Pearce (1964–1966) Sandra Gould (1966–1971)	57
Abner Kravitz	George Tobias (1964–1971)	55
Louise Tate	Irene Vernon (1964–1966) Kasey Rogers (1966–1972)	46
Aunt Clara	Marion Lorne (1964–1968)	28
Serena	Elizabeth Montgomery (1966–1972) (as "Pandora Spocks")	24
Adam Stephens	unknown (1969–1970) Greg and David Lawrence (1970–1972)	24
Phyllis Stephens	Mabel Albertson (1964–1971)	19
Dr. Bombay	Bernard Fox (1967–1972)	18
Esmeralda	Alice Ghostley (1969–1972)	15
Frank Stephens	Robert F. Simon (1964–67, 1971) Roy Roberts (1967–1970)	13
Maurice	Maurice Evans	12
Uncle Arthur	Paul Lynde (1965–1971)	10

The series is noted for having a number of major cast changes, often due to illness or death of the actors. Most notably, the actor playing Darrin was quietly replaced mid-series. The only surviving members of the regular cast are Bernard Fox and the actors who played the Stephens children. The various changes during the series and untimely deaths of several of the regular actors in the decades following its cancellation produced a mythology that the series was cursed. However, a study of the average age of death of the actors, many of whom were already past middle age during the show's production, reveals no unusual pattern.^[6]

Dick York was unable to continue his role as Darrin because of a severe back condition (the result of an accident during the filming of They Came To Cordura in 1959). Starting with the third season, York's disability caused ongoing shooting delays and script rewrites. After collapsing on the set and being rushed to the hospital in January 1969, York left the show. Dick Sargent, who would go on to play Darrin in the sixth through eighth seasons, was cast for the role that same month.^[7]

Ghostley and Lorne together in The Graduate.

Marion Lorne appeared in 28 episodes as Aunt Clara and won a posthumous Emmy Award in 1968. Essentially replacing this character was the similarly magic-disabled Esmeralda (Alice Ghostley) in season 6. Lorne and Ghostley had appeared side by side in the hotel scene of Mike Nichols's film version of The Graduate in 1967.

Also winning a posthumous Emmy award in 1966 for her role, Alice Pearce was the first to play the character of Gladys Kravitz. After Pearce's death from ovarian cancer, Mary Grace Canfield played Harriet Kravitz, Abner's sister, in four episodes during the spring of 1966, and is said to be keeping house while Gladys is out of town. Sandra Gould assumed the role of Gladys Kravitz beginning in season 3.

Louise Tate was played by Irene Vernon during the first two seasons and then replaced by Kasey Rogers, who wore a short black wig to appear similar to Vernon. According to Rogers,^[8] Bill Asher noticed her tugging at the wig and asked why she was wearing it. She laughed and said, "Because you told me to." He replied, "Why don't you take it off!" and she played Louise with red hair for the remainder of the series.

Tabitha Stephens's birth in the season 2 episode "And Then There Were Three" featured infant Cynthia Black in the role. For the remainder of the season, Tabitha was played by twins Heidi and Laura Gentry, followed by twins Tamar and Julie Young. Fraternal twin toddlers Diane and Erin Murphy were cast for the role at the beginning of season 3. In time, they began to look less alike, so Diane was dropped during season 4. Diane made several guest appearances in other roles, and filled in as Tabitha one last time in season 5's "Samantha Fights City Hall", because Erin had mumps.

Alice Ghostley (Esmerelda), Paul Lynde (Uncle Arthur), and Bernard Fox (Dr. Bombay) all had guest roles during the first two seasons as mortal characters before being cast as magical regulars.

Production

Ratings

Season	Rank (rating)
1) 1964–65	# 2 (31.0)
2) 1965–66	# 7 (25.9)
3) 1966–67	# 8 (23.4)
4) 1967–68	# 11 (23.5)
5) 1968–69	# 12 (23.3)
6) 1969–70	# 25 (20.6)
7) 1970–71	# 34 (15.0)
8) 1971–72	# 72 (10.0)

According to Harpies Bizarre,^{[9][unreliable source?]} creator Sol Saks' inspirations for this series in which many similarities can be seen were the 1942 film I Married a Witch (from Thorne Smith's unfinished novel The Passionate Witch and Me), and the John Van Druten Broadway play Bell, Book and Candle that was adapted into a 1958 movie.

Sol Saks, who received credit as the creator of the show, wrote the pilot of Bewitched, although he was not involved with the show after the pilot. Initially, Danny Arnold, who helped develop the style and tone of the series as well as some of the supporting characters who did not appear in the pilot, like Larry Tate and the Kravitzes, produced and headed writing of the series. Arnold, who wrote on McHale's Navy and other shows, thought of Bewitched essentially as a romantic comedy about a mixed marriage; his episodes kept the magic element to a minimum. One or two magical acts drove the plot, but Samantha often solved problems without magic. Many of the first season's episodes were allegorical, using supernatural situations as metaphors for the problems any young couple would face. Arnold stated that the two main themes of the series were the conflict between a powerful woman and a husband who cannot deal with that power, and the anger of a bride's mother at seeing her daughter marry beneath her. Though the show was a hit right from the beginning, finishing its first year as the number 2 show in the United States, ABC wanted more magic and more farcical plots, causing battles between Arnold and the network.

Arnold left the show after the first season, leaving producing duties to his friend Jerry Davis, who had already produced some of the first season's episodes (though Arnold was still supervising the writing). The second season was produced by Davis and with Bernard Slade as head writer, with mistaken identity and farce becoming a more prevalent element, but still included a number of more low-key episodes in which the magic element was not front and center.

With the third season and the switch to color, Davis left the show, and was replaced as producer by William Froug. Slade also left after the second season. According to William Froug's autobiography, William Asher (who had directed many episodes) wanted to take over as producer when Jerry Davis left, but the production company was not yet ready to approve the idea. Froug, a former producer of Gilligan's Island, was brought in as a compromise. By his own admission, Froug was not very familiar with Bewitched and found himself in the uncomfortable position of being the official producer even though Asher was making most of the creative decisions. After a year, Froug left the show, and Asher took over as full-time producer of the series for the rest of its run.

The first three seasons had aired Thursdays at 9:00, and the time was moved to 8:30 starting with the fourth season (1967-1968). During the sixth season (1969-1970), along with Darrin now being played by Dick Sargent, the show also saw a significant decline in ratings. Viewership continued to dwindle in the seventh season. The show used fewer recurring characters in later episodes, the Kravitzes, Darrin's parents, and Uncle Arthur not appearing in the final (eighth) season at all. Scripts from old episodes were also recycled more frequently, the final season having eight remade episodes. The last season began with ABC moving Bewitched's air time to Wednesdays at 8:00. The schedule change did not help ratings as the show was now pitted against CBS's popular The Carol Burnett Show. Filming for the season ended in December 1971, and in January 1972 the show was finally moved to Saturday night at 8:00, opposite television's number one show, All in the Family, and finished the year in 72nd place.

Storylines repeated from I Love Lucy

In the episode "Samantha's Power Failure", Serena's and Uncle Arthur's powers are removed by the Witches' Council. The impotent duo get jobs in a confectionery factory, with both tossing and hiding an onslaught of bananas from a conveyor belt which are to be dipped in chocolate and nuts, then packaged. This episode mimics the famous chocolate assembly-line episode of I Love Lucy ("Job Switching"), which was directed by Bewitched producer/director William Asher. Serena's and Arthur's jokes and physical antics are taken from Lucy's (Lucille Ball) and Ethel's (Vivian Vance) playbook.

In the episode "Samantha's Supermaid" Samantha interviews a maid, and the scene is almost identical to one in Lucy. Season 8 featured a European vacation, but was filmed in Hollywood using stock footage, like the "European" episodes of Lucy. Similar to Endora's refusal to pronounce Darrin's name correctly, Lucy's mother always referred to son-in-law Ricky with an incorrect name ("Mickey").

Timely topics

Some episodes take a backdoor approach to such topics as racism, as seen in the first season episode, "The Witches Are Out", in which Samantha objects to Darrin's demeaning ad portrayal of witches as ugly and deformed. Such stereotypical imagery often causes Endora and other witches to flee the country until November. "Sisters at Heart" (season 7), whose story was submitted by a tenth-grade English class,^[10] involved Tabitha altering the skin tone of herself and a black friend with coordinating polka-dots, so that people would treat them alike.

In the 1969 episode, "Tabitha's Weekend", when offered homemade cookies by Darrin's mother, Endora asks, "They're not by chance from an Alice B. Toklas recipe?" Phyllis replies, "They're my recipe", to which Endora retorts, "Then I'll pass." Toklas had been known for her recipes being laced with marijuana.

Sets and locations

The 1959 Columbia Pictures Gidget movie was filmed on location at a real home in Santa Monica (at 267 18th Street). The blueprint design of this home was later reversed and replicated as a house facade attached to an existing garage on the backlot of Columbia's Ranch. This was the house seen on Bewitched. The patio and living room sets seen in Columbia's Gidget Goes to Rome (1963) were soon adapted for the permanent Bewitched set for 1964. The interior of the Stevens' house can be seen, substantially unaltered, in the 1969 Jerry Lewis film Hook, Line & Sinker.

In June 1970, Bewitched filmed on location in Salem, Magnolia and Gloucester, Massachusetts. These location shoots marked the only time the show would film away from its Hollywood studio set, which was being rebuilt due to a fire. The eight so-called "Salem Saga" episodes helped the show's ratings.^[11] On June 15, 2005, TV Land unveiled a Samantha statue in Salem Massachusetts, to mark the show's 40th anniversary. On hand were stars Bernard Fox, Erin Murphy and Kasey Rogers.

On the Columbia studio backlot, the Kravitzes' house was actually down the street from the Stephens' house exterior. Both homes' exterior doors opened to an unfinished eighteen-by-fifteen foot entry, as the interiors were shot elsewhere. The exterior of the Kravitzes' house later became the home of The Partridge Family.

In popular culture

The magical powers of the characters on the show and the sudden switch of actors playing Darrin at the start of the 1969 season without explanation have both been sources of many popular culture references to the show.

In an episode of the 1960s sitcom My Favorite Martian, Martin's hands are tied so he is unable to utilize his martian powers with his finger. He instead tries twitching his nose, and when successful states that he had seen that technique on an Earth television program.

In the episode "Having His Baby", of The Nanny, Mr. Sheffield asks Fran, "Since when did you want to have a baby?" and she replies, "Ever since Samantha had Tabitha on Bewitched."

In the episode "Trouble with the Rubbles" of Roseanne, new neighbors move in and Jackie asks Roseanne if she knows anything about them. Roseanne jokingly replies, "Well, okay, the husband, Darrin, he's in advertising, and they have this cute little daughter named Tabitha. But the wife, I don't know, something's wrong with her. I think she's a witch." In the episode "Homecoming", daughter Becky is recast with a new actress. Becky returns home after moving away and Roseanne comments that it's been so long, she barely recognizes her. During the epilogue, the Connors are watching Bewitched on television and discuss the two actors playing Darrin. Becky muses, "well, I like the second Darrin much better".^[12] In another episode, Roseanne states sarcastically that she tried "twitching [her] nose" to clean up the kitchen, but it didn't work.

In the supernatural child sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, the principal of the title characters' prep school is named Mr. Laritate, a reference to David White's character, Larry Tate.

In the Charmed fourth season episode, "Lost and Bound", Phoebe worries about her ability to be a good wife and notes the only married witch she can think of as a model is Samantha Stephens. Subsequently, Cole gives her a ring which causes Phoebe to start behaving like Samantha, wearing her hairdo, spending all her time in the kitchen, while alternating between color and black and white.

In the Simpsons episode "Duffless", the advertising agency the feminists are protesting is called "McMahon and Tate Advertising". In a story in a Halloween episode, Marge Simpson portrays a witch in old Salem who is living as a mortal with her husband, Homer. When she is discovered and returns to her sister witches, one states, "So, you finally left Durwood."

In the Family Guy episode, "The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire", Stewie puts on an episode of Bewitched that has Darrin throwing holy water on Endora as payback for all the spells she's cast on him. Cleveland, angered at Quagmire for sleeping with Loretta, shouts "I hate Bewitched!" and flips the couch over with Stewie on it in a fit of rage.

Spin-offs, crossovers, and remakes

The Flintstones episode, "Samantha" (1965), features Dick York & Elizabeth Montgomery as Darrin and Samantha Stephens^[13]

Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family

An animated cartoon made in 1972 by Hanna-Barbera Productions for The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie, this featured teenage versions of Tabitha and Adam visiting their aunt and her family who travel with a circus.

See Also List of Animated Spinoffs from Prime Time Shows

Tabitha

Main article: Tabitha (TV series)

In 1977, a short-lived spin-off entitled Tabitha aired on ABC. Lisa Hartman plays Tabitha, now an adult working with her brother Adam at television station KXLA. There were several continuity differences with the original series. Adam and Tabitha had both aged far more than the intervening five years between the two series would have allowed. Adam also had become Tabitha's older mortal brother, rather than her younger warlock brother, as he was in Bewitched. Supporting character Aunt Minerva (Karen Morrow) is said to be "like a mother" to Tabitha, though she had never been mentioned once in the original series. Tabitha's parents are mentioned but never appear. However Bernard Fox, Sandra Gould, George Tobias and Dick Wilson reprised their roles as Dr. Bombay, Gladys Kravitz, Abner Kravitz and the "drunk guy", respectively.

Passions

Bernard Fox appeared as Dr. Bombay in two episodes of the supernatural-themed daytime soap opera Passions. This show also featured a character named Tabitha, a middle-aged witch whose parents were Samantha and a mortal, Darrin, and who names her own child "Endora."^[14]

Theatrical movie

Main article: Bewitched (film)

Bewitched inspired a 2005 film starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. Rather than a remake, in this deconstruction of the sitcom, a failing Hollywood actor, Jack Wyatt (Ferrell), is offered the chance of a career comeback playing Darrin in a remake of Bewitched. All he has to do is find the perfect girl to play Samantha, which he does in Isabel Bigelow (Kidman), who really is a witch. The film, which was written, directed, and produced by Nora Ephron, was poorly received by most critics and was a financial disappointment, earning $22 million less than the production cost domestically. However it earned an additional $68 million internationally. The New York Times called the film "an unmitigated disaster."^[15]

International television remakes

• Argentina — A remake called Hechizada, produced by Telefé, aired in early 2007. It starred Florencia Peña as Samantha, Gustavo Garzón as her husband, Eduardo, and Georgina Barbarrosa as Endora. This show adapted original scripts to an Argentinian context, with local humor and a contemporary setting. The show was cancelled due to low ratings after a few weeks.
• Japan — TBS, a flagship station of Japan News Network, produced a remake called Okusama wa majo (奥さまは魔女), also known as Bewitched in Tokyo.^[16] Eleven episodes were broadcast on JNN stations Fridays at 10 p.m., from January 16 to March 26, 2004, and a special on December 21, 2004. The main character, Arisa Matsui, was portrayed by Ryōko Yonekura. Okusama wa majo is also the Japanese title for the original American series.
• India — In 2002, Sony Entertainment Television began airing Meri Biwi Wonderful a local adaptation of Bewitched.
• Russia — In 2009, TV3 broadcast a remake entitled "Моя любимая ведьма" ("My Favorite Witch"), starring Anna Zdor as Nadia (Samantha), Ivan Grishanov, as Ivan (Darrin) and Marina Esepenko as Nadia's mother. The series is very similar to the original, with most episodes based on those from the original series. American comedy writer/producer Norm Gunzenhauser oversaw the writing and directing of the series.
• United Kingdom — In 2008, the BBC made a pilot episode of a British version, with Sheridan Smith as Samantha, Tom Price as Darrin, and veteran actress Frances de la Tour as Endora.

Proposed Remake by CBS

A rebooted Bewitched may be created by CBS. The network has ordered a script to be written by Marc Lawrence who would also serve as executive producer.^[17]

Episode availability

Syndication history

After completing its original run, ABC Daytime and ABC Saturday Morning continued to show the series until 1973. Bewitched has since been syndicated on many local US broadcast stations. Cable television channel WTBS carried the show throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The first two seasons, which were available only in black and white at the time, were rarely seen in reruns from the late 1970s to the late 1980s, until Nick at Nite began syndication of the series in the 1990s. These seasons were later colorized for syndication and DVD sales. The Hallmark Channel aired the show from 2001 to 2003; TV Land then aired the show from 2003 to 2006, and it returned in March 2010.^[18] In October 2008, the show began to air in the US on WGN America and now broadcasts episodes in high definition. Channel 9 Australia airs the series on its digital channel GO! The Russian channel Domashny aired the show from 2008 to 2010.

The show has been distributed by Columbia Pictures Television (1974–1984, 1988-1996), Colex Enterprises (1984–1988), The Program Exchange (1980–1990, 2010–present), Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (1996–2002), and Sony Pictures Television (2002–present).

Internet

Selected episodes may be viewed on iTunes, YouTube, Internet Movie Database, Hulu, The Minisode Network, and Crackle.

DVD releases

Main article: Bewitched DVD releases

Beginning in 2005, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released all eight seasons of Bewitched. In regions 1 and 4, seasons 1 and 2 were each released in two versions—one as originally broadcast in black-and-white, and one colorized. Only the colorized editions were released in regions 2 and 4.

Further reading

• Alachi, Peter (2006). Salem's Summer of Sam: On the Trail of "Bewitched" in Salem, 1970. palachi.com. ISBN 978-0977675128. 
• Metz, Walter (2007-01-30). Bewitched. TV Milestones. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814332313. 
• Meyers, Gina (2004-06-20). The Magic of Bewitched Trivia and More. iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 978-0595315574. 
• Pilato, Herbie (2004-10). Bewitched Forever: 40th Anniversary Edition (2nd ed.). Tapestry Press. ISBN 978-1930819405. 
• Piro, Rita (2006-03-24). Elizabeth Montgomery: A Bewitching Life (5th ed.). Great Feats Press. ISBN 978-0970626127. 
• Tranberg, Charles (2007-08-31). I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead (2nd ed.). BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1593930950. 
• Rogers, Kasey (1995-11-01). The Official Bewitched Cookbook: Magic in the Kitchen. Kensington Books. ISBN 978-1575660950. 
• York, Dick (2004-06). The Seesaw Girl and Me: A Memoir. New Path Press. ISBN 978-0974544649. 

References

1. ^ TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows
2. ^ "Special Collector's Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time". TV Guide (June 28-July 4). 1997. 
3. ^ "Nicknames". Bewitched @ Harpies Bizarre. http://www.harpiesbizarre.com/nickname.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-25. 
4. ^ Episode 5.20, "Mrs. Stephens, Where Are You?" Aired 1969-02-13.
5. ^ IMDb bio of Marion Lorne Retrieved 2011-08-10
6. ^ Mikkelson, Barbara (2007-11-05). "'Bewitched' Curse". Snopes.com. http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/bewitched.asp. Retrieved 2009-05-25. 
7. ^ "Sargent Replaces Bewitched Costar". Los Angeles Times: p. G14. 1969-01-31. 
8. ^ Interview with Kasey Rogers and Mark Wood - Bewitched @ Harpies Bizarre
9. ^ Sol Saks: Creator of Bewitched from harpiesbizarre.com
10. ^ Pilato, Herbie J. (2004-10). Bewitched Forever: 40th Anniversary Edition (2nd ed.). Tapestry Press. ISBN 978-1930819405. 
11. ^ Alachi, Peter. "The Salem Saga, 1970". Bewitched @ Harpies Bizarre. http://www.harpiesbizarre.com/salemsaga.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-25. 
12. ^ "Homecoming Plot Synopsis". imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0688807/plotsummary. 
13. ^ "Samantha". Barbera, Joseph R. (Executive Producer/Writer), Montgomery, Elizabeth (Samantha Stephens), York, Dick (Darrin Stephens), Corden, Henry (Fred Flintstone), Vander Pyl, Jean (Wilma Flintstone), Blanc, Mel (Barney Rubble), and Johnson, Gerry (Betty Rubble). The Flintstones. ABC. 1965-10-22. No. 6, season 6.
14. ^ "Tabitha Lenox". TV Acres. http://www.tvacres.com/horror_witches_lenox.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-12. 
15. ^ Barnes, Brooks (2009-07-31). "Full Stomachs, and Full Marriages Too". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/movies/02barn.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1. Retrieved 2009-10-03. 
16. ^ "奥さまは魔女 – Bewitched in Tokyo". Tokyo Broadcasting System. http://www.tbs.co.jp/okumajo/. Retrieved 2009-09-12. 
17. ^ Fletcher, Alex (August 10, 2011). "'Bewitched' to be remade by CBS". http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a334299/bewitched-to-be-remade-by-cbs.html. Retrieved August 10, 2011. 
18. ^ "TV Land March 2010 Has Return of Bewitched; Hope For Haiti Now Telethon Airs Friday Night". sitcomsonline.com. 2010-01-20. http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2010/01/tv-land-march-2010-has-return-of.html. 

External links

• Bewitched at the Internet Movie Database
• Bewitched at TV.com
• Encyclopedia of Television
• Bewitched @ Harpies Bizarre
• Bewitched ratings
• Mischa's Bewitched
• 1164.com: A site devoted to the Bewitched set and the house
• Bewitched.net
• Sculpture of Samantha at night — Salem, MA