Bewitched

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

Bewitched
Series title screen
Genre	Sitcom
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	approx. 25 minutes
Production company(s)	Screen Gems Ashmont Productions (1971–72)
Distributor	Columbia Pictures Television (1974-1984), Colex Enterprises (1984-1988), The Program Exchange (1980-1990, 2010-present), Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (1994-2002), 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 (1964–1969), Dick Sargent (1969–1972), 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 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.

Contents [show] 1 Premise and characters 1.1 Plot summary 1.2 Setting 1.3 Characters 1.3.1 Other recurring characters 1.3.2 Historical, fictional, and contemporary characters 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Storylines repeated from I Love Lucy 3.2 Timely topics 3.3 Sets and locations 4 In popular culture 5 Episode availability 5.1 Syndication history 5.2 Internet 5.3 DVD releases 6 Spin-offs and remakes 6.1 Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family 6.2 Tabitha 6.3 Theatrical movie 6.4 International television remakes 7 Similar supernatural television series 7.1 Shows which aired in the same era 7.2 Shows which aired later 8 See also 9 Further reading 10 References 11 External links

[edit] Premise and characters

[edit] 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.

[edit] Setting

The main setting for most scenes is the Stephens' house at 1164 Morning Glory Circle (although in season 4's "How Green Was My Grass", house number 192 is used as a plot device). 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.^[1]

[edit] Characters

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.^[2] 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 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."

Agnes Moorehead as Endora.

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.

Across the street from Darrin and Samantha lives a retired couple, the nosy and tactless Gladys Kravitz (Alice Pearce, then Sandra Gould) and her husband Abner (George Tobias). Gladys's 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 mid-1960s sitcoms in that it portrays Endora and Maurice as an estranged married couple, their separation being implied and subtextual. Endora once introduced Maurice as “my daughter's father,” and another time Endora 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^[3] 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 1972. Serena is the antithesis of Samantha, in most episodes sporting a heart-shaped 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 memorable 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.

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). Rather than recast the role after Lorne's death in 1968, a similar witch, the anxiety-ridden and magically inept housekeeper Esmeralda (Alice Ghostley), is 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 often used as a plot device. Assistance is often sought from the warlock Dr. Bombay (Bernard Fox) who is summoned by the phrase “Dr. Bombay, Dr. Bombay, emergency, come right away.” Dr. Bombay is a womanizer who often has a buxom assistant, and constantly cracks bad jokes. Help for supernatural illnesses is also occasionally sought from the unnamed witches’ apothecary (Bernie Kopell), an amorous old warlock.

[edit] 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. Starting at the end of season 4, Hagatha sometimes appears to babysit Tabitha, and later Adam.
• 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."
• Dave (Gene Blakely), Darrin's "best friend" and a Morning Glory Circle councilman in the first two seasons.
• 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).

[edit] 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).

[edit] 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 aged during the show's production, reveals no unusual pattern.^[4]
Dick York was unable to continue his role as Darrin due to a severe back condition (the result of an accident during the filming of They Came To Cordura in 1959). 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 and the role went to Dick Sargent that same month.^[5]

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. Coincidentally, Lorne and Ghostley had appeared side by side in the hotel scene of Mike Nichols' 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,^[6] 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," due to Erin's mumps.

Alice Ghostley (Esmeralda), 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.

[edit] 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)

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 where 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.

Along with Darrin now being played by Dick Sargent, the sixth season (1969–1970) 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 from Thursdays at 8:30 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 TV's number one show, All in the Family, and finished the year in 72nd place.