Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Comedy
    Comedy TV Shows - 1960s TV Shows - 1970s 4 Mins Read

    Bewitched

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 6 4 – 1 9 7 2 (USA)
    254 x 30 minute episodes

    Bewitched lasted eight seasons and sparked a trend for supernatural sitcoms in the 1960s. Produced and directed by William Asher, the director of various beach party movies (and husband of the show’s star, Elizabeth Montgomery) it was the story of a pretty young white witch who decided she’d rather be an average housewife in Connecticut suburbia.

    Samantha Stephens (Montgomery) tried her hardest to keep her powers under wraps, but frequent appearances by her mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead) and other relatives meant she was always trying to get out of some mess.

    Samantha’s husband, Darrin – an accountant at New York advertising agency, McMann & Tate – also tried to keep the witchcraft under control, but with one wiggle of her nose, Samantha invariably made all the best-laid plans go awry.

    Each episode ran basically the same premise: Sam – or one of her relatives – would get Darrin (or another mortal) into trouble and then have 30 minutes to restore normality and sanity.

    There were no end of excuses for the neighbours, boss and in-laws for the weird events.

    Samantha’s relatives included her mother Endora (who disapproved of Darrin and called him, variously, Donald, Darwin, Durwood or something equally wrong), her father Maurice, practical-joking Uncle Arthur, forgetful Aunt Clara (who always forgot how to undo her spells) and Serena, Sam’s mischievous look-alike but badder-than-bad cousin (also played by Elizabeth Montgomery).

    Esmeralda the housekeeper was also a witch, albeit a timid soul with diminishing powers.

    Other characters included Tabitha and Adam (The Stephens’ children), nosy neighbours Gladys and Abner Kravitz, Larry Tate (Darrin’s long-suffering boss at the New York advertising agency of McMann & Tate) and Larry’s wife, Louise.

    In March 1966, Alice Pearce who played Gladys Kravitz died of cancer. The role was taken over by Sandra Gould until the show’s demise in 1972.

    Many visitors popped into the Stephens’ Westport household including Julius Caesar, George Washington and Henry VIII.

    An unseen star of the show was special effects man Dick Albain, who invented Samantha’s “magic” self-operating vacuum cleaner (it was remote controlled) and suitcases that packed and unpacked themselves (via invisible wires).

    Other effects were slightly less high-tech: For example, when objects had to disappear from Samantha’s hand, Elizabeth Montgomery would freeze and Albain would remove the object from her hand. The footage of Albain was then edited out later.

    bewitched4Similarly, Sam’s magical cleaning of the kitchen via witchcraft would be achieved by Samantha saying “swoosh”, raising her arms and standing absolutely still while the crew quickly swept and dusted the set to make the kitchen immaculate before the next shot was filmed!

    The young witch, Tabitha, received her own TV show in 1977 – 1978 (although played by a different actress).

    Dick York left Bewitched due to a drug addiction to painkillers. Bad investments left Dick broke, his teeth rotted out (a common problem for drug abusers), and he and his wife were reduced to cleaning houses for a living.

    In 1980 Dick got his life together, had his teeth fixed and went back to work, guesting on shows like Fantasy Island and Simon and Simon. His comeback was short-lived and he devoted the rest of his life to helping the homeless. He died in 1992.

    TRIVIA 
    It’s a little known fact that the theme from Bewitched (written by Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield) actually has lyrics. Don’t believe us? Check the lyrics out here!

    The first TV couple to share a bed – not counting Fred and Wilma Flintstone (who weren’t real) – were Darrin and Samantha Stevens in Bewitched. Producers felt they could get away with it because Sam wasn’t human, she was a witch.

    Samantha Stephens 
    Elizabeth Montgomery
    Serena 

    Elizabeth Montgomery
    Darrin Stephens 

    Dick York (1)
    Dick Sargent (2)
    Endora 

    Agnes Moorehead
    Maurice 

    Maurice Evans
    Larry Tate 

    David White
    Louise Tate 

    Irene Vernon (1)
    Kasey Rogers (2)
    Tabitha Stephens 

    Erin Murphy
    Diane Murphy
    Heidi Gentry
    Laura Gentry
    Adam Stephens 

    David Lawrence
    Greg Lawrence
    Abner Kravitz 

    George Tobias
    Gladys Kravitz 

    Alice Pearce (1)
    Sandra Gould (2)
    Aunt Clara 

    Marion Lorne
    Uncle Arthur 

    Paul Lynde
    Esmeralda 

    Alice Ghostley
    Dr Bombay 

    Bernard Fox

    Audio

    Related Posts

    • Life with Elizabeth
      Life with Elizabeth
      1 9 5 2 - 1 9 5 5 (USA) 39 x 30 minute episodes Life With Elizabeth starred Betty White…
    • Teen Angel
      Teen Angel
      1 9 9 7 - 1 9 9 8 (USA) 17 x 30 minute episodes The teen of the title of…
    • Jumbleland
      Jumbleland
      1 9 7 0 - 1 9 7 1 (UK) 24 x 10/15 minute episodes "Tumble in my Jumbleland Candy-coloured wonderland"…
    • Adventures of Aggie, The
      Adventures of Aggie, The
      1 9 5 6 - 1 9 5 7 (UK) 26 x 30 minute episodes This early British-made sitcom starred…
    • My Husband and I
      My Husband and I
      1 9 8 7 - 1 9 8 8 (UK) 15 x 30 minute episodes Nora Powers (Mollie Sugden), the high-powered…
    • Patty Duke Show, The
      Patty Duke Show, The
      1 9 6 3 - 1 9 6 5 (USA) 104 x 30 minute episodes Being the misadventures of a young…
    • Family Holvak, The
      Family Holvak, The
      1 9 7 5 (USA) 13 x 60 minute episodes Reverend Tom Holvak (Glenn Ford) and his family - wife Elizabeth…
    • Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
      Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
      1 9 7 1 - 1 9 7 4 (USA) 61 x 30 minute episodes A spin-off from The Archie Show,…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleBeverly Hills Buntz
    Next Article Bewitched Theme

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Smokey & The Bandit (1977)
      By the mid-1970s it seemed like Burt Reynolds could do no wrong […]
    • Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)
      Director Terence Fisher’s swansong (and Hammer […]
    • Sharon O’Neill
      Pint-sized Sharon O’Neill was one of many musicians from […]
    • Barriers
      1 9 8 1 (UK) 20 x 30 minute episodes This exciting Sunday […]
    • Naked Civil Servant, The
      1 9 7 5 (UK) 1 x 85 minute episode John Hurt won a BAFTA best […]
    • Barry Blue
      Barry Blue was born Barry Ian Green in December 1950 in London. […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.