Bewitched (1964)

Watchseries; The 1960's was a great time for TV comedy-we had The Munsters, The Addams Family, I Dream of Jeannie and my personal favourite-Bewitched.

The late Elizabeth Montgomery played modern day witch Samantha Stevens who was married to Darrin Stephens. The episodes were very formulaic-Darrin would mess something up and through a sequence of events Samantha would put it right with a twitch of her nose whilst trying not to arouse the suspicion of the neighbours/friends etc.

The funniest thing about this show was how true to life it was. I think it's safe to admit that us males usually need a woman to sort out any problems we have. Okay, she may not literally do it with the twitch of a nose but a woman is always good at sorting a problem out. That was the crux of Bewitched. Darrin was always making mistakes and getting into a predicament but he could always depend on his wife Samantha to sort things out. In fact, he would have been lost without her.

All in all, a great comedy show with some truly hilarious episodes particularly any featuring Agnes Moorehead as Endora.

The 1960's was a great time for TV comedy-we had The Munsters, The Addams Family, I Dream of Jeannie and my personal favourite-Bewitched.

The late Elizabeth Montgomery played modern day witch Samantha Stevens who was married to Darrin Stephens. The episodes were very formulaic-Darrin would mess something up and through a sequence of events Samantha would put it right with a twitch of her nose whilst trying not to arouse the suspicion of the neighbours/friends etc.

The funniest thing about this show was how true to life it was. I think it's safe to admit that us males usually need a woman to sort out any problems we have. Okay, she may not literally do it with the twitch of a nose but a woman is always good at sorting a problem out. That was the crux of Bewitched. Darrin was always making mistakes and getting into a predicament but he could always depend on his wife Samantha to sort things out. In fact, he would have been lost without her.

All in all, a great comedy show with some truly hilarious episodes particularly any featuring Agnes Moorehead as Endora.

Bewitched watchseries. As I said, it's a crime that they stopped airing reruns (at least where I live). I remember being a kid and every night I would watch a double-bill of two wonderful magical (literally) programs on Nickelodeon- I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched. I always liked Bewitched a bit more for reasons I can't explain. Bewitched never quite got laughs out of me the way Seinfeld and Friends do but it is still a very cute television show that I will always love. Elizabeth Montgomery (who unfortunately passed away at a rather young age in 1995) plays the part of Samantha (and she plays it very well, as all the actors on this show, who unfortunately also all died before the millenium- besides the Tabitha and Adam twins), a witch married to a mortal husband in the advertising biz. Her husband, Darrin hates her mother, Endora who hates him just as much- but has an advantage, if he p****s her off she can always turn him into a frog or a doormat or send him off to Iraq. The characters also include a nosy neighbor who is sure of Samantha's powers but no one will believe her (not even her husband), Darrin's advertising boss, Larry Tate (who fires and re-hires Darrin quite oftenly), Samantha's evil twin sister (also played by Montgomery) and Samantha's very clumsy aunt who couldn't turn a man into a frog if he were green and lived in a pond. All in all Bewitched is a very delightful show and I miss it so much!

Despite being a younger viewer of 'Bewitched', with the show being aired well before my time, one doesn't need to have been born in the 1960s or before to feel that the 60s was a great decade for television, 'The Munsters', 'The Addams Family', 'Doctor Who' and 'Bewitched' being just a few very good to classic shows.

'Bewitched' may not be a perfect or completely magical show, but at its best (with the early seasons being better than the later ones) it was utterly bewitching viewing that puts a spell on fans and doesn't make the mistake of trying to put too much into the cauldron. A mistake that the frustrating missed opportunity that was the 2005 film based on the show committed.

The later seasons did have some overripe acting (Alice Ghostley for example) and some of the story lines lack the freshness of those of the early seasons, some being lacking in variety and feeling a little stale.

However, 'Bewitched' has production values that were clearly made with love and affection and the slick photography complements them well. For the 60s, the show does still look pretty good. The effects are not always special (particularly early on) and there could have been more of them but most of the time they are hardly slapdash, make interesting use of film techniques and have a good deal of charm, putting some effects seen on television these days, and in the past 30 years or so, to shame.

When it comes to the music, 'Bewitched' is unique especially in, as has been picked up upon in its critical reception, the synthesised sound of nose twitching. The theme tune is memorable. The writing is very funny, touchingly charming, very snappy, provokes thought and is very true to life. The early episodes narration delivered by an uncredited Jose Ferrer gave a lot of sociological insight into a witch adapting to life in middle class suburbia and her role in society.

Most of the story lines have a real magical charm and have a huge amount of humour and truth. That they do these so well more than makes up for the formulaic nature of them that one is willing to overlook. The sociological insight is fascinating, though nowadays viewers may find what is said and the sociological insights very of the time.

Particularly successful are the large assortment of likable characters and the large cast clearly having the time of their lives. A large part of 'Bewitched's' charm is the peerless acting of lovely Elizabeth Montgomery. Likewise with Agnes Moorehead, one cannot imagine anybody else as Endora (certainly not equalling her if tried let alone outshining, Moorehead was one of a kind).

Her chemistry with a splendidly neurotic Dick York is one of the best in the history of television, though York and Montgomery aren't that far behind either. Dick Sargeant does a valiant effort filling big shoes replacing York and does a good job, though he lacks York's spark. In secondary roles, the hilarious turns from Bernard Fox and especially Paul Lynde stand out.

In summary, utterly bewitching. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Jeannie and Bewitched have to be two of the most formulaic and predictable shows ever aired on TV. Every episode of Bewitched had ,in different orders and combinations, the same formula of Endora zaps something to muck up Darrin, and it pays off in Darrin's favour; witchcraft of some sort interferes with Darrin's work and he gets fired, then re-hired, when the witchcraft again pays off, or is foiled. While in the meantime, Gladys Kravitz, Mrs Stavens, or some unsuspecting extra is baffled by it all, and theres always some unbelievable explanation at the end of it all which the long suffering cast members swallow. With that in mind, its bizarre that it still rates in re - runs, and its bizarre that I've taped about 7 blank tapes worth of the show from TV that I watch again and again. I can't get enough of it. So. obviously the show has a lot of appeal which allows viewers to look beyond, or perhaps enjoy the formula. I think the appeal lies in alot of things. First, the magic is a huge and fascinating drawcard. Wouldn't we all love to be able to make things appear and disappear with a twitched, and wouldn't we all love Barbara Eden as our Genie who's madly in love with us? We all would (males, anyway RE Barbara Eden), and thats what draws us to the shows. Its also brilliant and magical itself to see the special effects being done nearly forty years ago without computers or complex editing machines. That really put a smile on my face. The characters were all so far - out an exotic, all kind of like British aristocrats who had lost all air of conservatism, and lived carefree lives zapping from the Riviera to lunch in Shanghai. They were so funny, fantastic and appealing. I loved the conflict too; Endora and Darrin, Darrin and Larry; Darrin and Serena etc. And the actors of course were all brilliant, and having a tremendous time playing their roles, and fun roles they were. The chemistry on set between York and Montgomery was so believable and real, the flamboyance and gestures of Endora and Dr Bombay was loads of fun, and the comic timing of York was always perfect. Yes, Betwitched and Jeannie have to be my two favourite TV shows of all time, because they're just unpretentious, lightweight and appealing entertainment, and thats why they've lasted so long, because who would take a show about witches seriously anyway. And thats its charm.

A sweet premise, About a sweet witch(Elizabeth Montgomery) who marries a mortal(Dick York-Dick Sargent)much of the dismay of her witching mother(Agness Morehead). I love watching this show in reruns. It's a fun magic show. It also had meomerable characters like Uncle Arthur(The very funny Paul Lynde) Dr. Bombay(played very we'll by Bernard Fox). But when Dick York had to leave the show do to a serious back injury, and was replaced by Dick Sargent. It was not has funny anymore. The show's comic appeal was lost. Dick York was a comic genius. He had great comic timing. His comic reactions made the show. Besides Samantha's magic. I do not totally dislike Dick Sargent, I mean he was'nt that bad, he just was'nt has funny has Dick York. The only funny episode with Dick Sargent, is the Catch Phrase episode. But the show's appeal was'nt slowly falling only due to Dick York's departure. The show was wearing itself out. Maybe it should have quit while it was ahead.

As a kid, I liked the magic, as an adult I like the sophistication of the writing. The latter seasons devolved into silly stuff, Endora constantly screwing with Darrin, Dr. Bombay, and my least favorite character, Esmerelda. However, watch the first season and it's smartly written. The look of the show is beautiful,too. If you're a fan of early to mid 1960's American style, you'll love it. I'm constantly blown away by how elegant and swanky Samaantha and Darrin were. There's even a bit of drama thrown into the mix(like when Darrin's dad dated Endora-yes, it happened) All in all, the cast and the writing were top notch and remain enjoyable to watch.