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Binging on Bewitched

I have been discovering and rediscovering this show. It's so subversive and the closet metaphor is hysterical. The gayest television show of all time. Which seasons and episodes are known as the best?

by Anonymousreply 59November 27, 2019 8:32 PM

Bump

by Anonymousreply 1February 27, 2017 11:01 PM

1964-1969 are the best seasons before Dick York left.

by Anonymousreply 2February 27, 2017 11:08 PM

Nancy Mehta as Sheila was a vicious delight.

by Anonymousreply 3February 27, 2017 11:13 PM

The first two seasons are the best.

by Anonymousreply 4February 27, 2017 11:14 PM

The episode where Uncle Arthur and Cousin Serena (or is it sister? Can't remember) lose their powers and get jobs is pretty funny and campy.

by Anonymousreply 5February 27, 2017 11:16 PM

Her star name was Nancy Kovak, R3, but I agree, she was great as Darrin's ex. She was also Medea in "Jason and the Argonauts."

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by Anonymousreply 6February 28, 2017 1:23 AM

BINGEING on Bewitched, OP.

Unless you're Chandler Binging on Bewitched.

by Anonymousreply 7February 28, 2017 2:22 AM

She married Zubin Mehta. They knew my parents.

by Anonymousreply 8February 28, 2017 8:15 PM

I like almost all of it, except for the last season, which is boring. I like the Dick Sargeant seasons too, but just in a different way. The first two seasons are good but don't have the same zaniness that the color episodes have, They have zany moments, just not like later on.

by Anonymousreply 9February 28, 2017 11:27 PM

I googled it R7 for the correct spelling. Binging as correct popped up first. Evidently both could be right. Oh well

by Anonymousreply 10March 1, 2017 9:54 PM

The black and white episodes are the best. It looses some of its appeal after that. Sheila was TV's first cunt. My favorite episode is when Sam is busy so Endora turns into Sam for the dress fitting to do her a favor. Elizabeth was awesome playing Endora being Sam. Then Endora has a fling with a mortal while pretending to be Sam. The fling happens to be a longtime friend of Darrin's. Hilarity ensues when he comes for supper and thinks Sam is Edora being Sam. Of course Endora is there for dinner too. It's funny watching her explain. Though tame by today's standards it was a bit risque for the time. The best part of the episode was when Endora as Sam ran into Gladys.

by Anonymousreply 11March 1, 2017 10:11 PM

I've always been tempted to buy some of these on eBay.

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by Anonymousreply 12March 1, 2017 10:13 PM

I would agree that the black and white seasons are the best. Sam is stunningly beautiful in those. I liked the first Mrs Kravitz better. There is something more, I don't know, classic about them.

That said, the fabulous parade of wonderful characters actors playing Sam's relatives never stops. I would agree that the show begins to loose steam with the introduction of the second Darrin, however. I understand they actually recycled a few off the York scripts and refilmed them with Sargent. When you start doing that, it's time to pack it in.

by Anonymousreply 13March 1, 2017 10:22 PM

The only fake Darrin episode I liked was with Esmeralda in Italy when she fixes the leaning tower of Pisa. Or I should say the only episode with him being written in prominently. Where he had an actual part. I think everybody got it that he really didn't work. So most of part in the show was getting angry at some witchcraft in the beginning of the show then saying "I'm going to play golf". In the fake Darrin years I think Tabitha carried more of the show than he did.

by Anonymousreply 14March 1, 2017 10:40 PM

As with most shows from that era the best episodes are the black and white one. But even at that still watchable. The show totally jumped the shark when Darrin 2 began.

Best random episodes were those with Uncle Arthur.

by Anonymousreply 15March 1, 2017 10:43 PM

I lied Uncle Arthur before he was Uncle Arthur and had to teach Samantha how to drive.

by Anonymousreply 16March 1, 2017 10:46 PM

Is it on Netflix /hulu etc or did you buy it?

by Anonymousreply 17March 1, 2017 10:48 PM

R11 and R13.

Please learn some basic fucking spelling or get the fuck off DL.

People who spell "lose" as "loose" are too fucking stupid to live.

by Anonymousreply 18March 1, 2017 10:49 PM

Man R18 is loosing her mind.

by Anonymousreply 19March 1, 2017 10:51 PM

"I like the black and white ones 'cause I'm old...When does 'I Married Joan' come on?"

by Anonymousreply 20March 1, 2017 11:03 PM

The B&W episodes--better scripts and they include all the classic characters--Maurice, Uncle Arthur, Aunt Clara, the original Mrs Kravitz.

by Anonymousreply 21March 1, 2017 11:12 PM

This ring tone app. has the Bewitched theme song and I use the Sam nose twitch tinkle sound for my notifications.

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by Anonymousreply 22March 1, 2017 11:17 PM

That is the gayest thing I've read on this site this week 😁

by Anonymousreply 23March 2, 2017 6:20 AM

IMO, it was a series that should have ended after 4 seasons; after that it became painful to watch. I prefer the earlier years with DICK YORK and ALICE PEARCE.

My favorite episode is from 1965 and is entitled 'Speak The Truth'. The same storyline was reused for an episode around 1971.

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by Anonymousreply 24March 2, 2017 6:29 AM

Andy Griffith was another one that shit the bed when it went to colored.

by Anonymousreply 25March 2, 2017 10:26 PM

R5 , that episode is one of my favorites too. They lose their powers and have to work at a something like a Tasty Freeze.

by Anonymousreply 26March 2, 2017 10:36 PM

Is that the episode where they work at an ice cream frozen treat factory and tgere is a conveyer belt ala I Love Lucy? That was pretty funny.

by Anonymousreply 27March 2, 2017 11:08 PM

Montgomery wanted to end the sries sevearl times, but ABC kept throwing money at her, huge amounts. Didn't husband Asher have something to do with I Love Lucy?

by Anonymousreply 28March 2, 2017 11:19 PM

Why would she want to end the series and stop the gravy train?

by Anonymousreply 29March 2, 2017 11:43 PM

The set design for this show was great, I especially like the artwork used on the walls. On their honeymoon, in the hotel room, they had Picasso's 'Boy with a Pipe' hung behind them.

I have read that Elizabeth Montgomery was remarkably artistic and drew all of the drawing for the ads that Darren made for presentations.

by Anonymousreply 30March 2, 2017 11:45 PM

Her best friend was Bette Davis.

by Anonymousreply 31March 3, 2017 1:01 AM

From the wonderful When Pigs Fly......

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by Anonymousreply 32March 3, 2017 1:06 AM

I LOVE the Italian restaurant episode. When Sam and Endora to the guys advertising.

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by Anonymousreply 33March 3, 2017 1:13 AM

She wanted to do other stuff, and she felt the series had run its course. She made a fortune on this show. Had 2 sons and a dtr.; the dtr. works behind the scenes on TV, maybe she worked on Raising Hope? Always seemed kinda butch. Bewitched did have a great extended cast and sets. Someone in SoCal built an exact replica of the house. Online you can buy the Rembrandt print that hung in the hall. The very first eps...including the great Nancy Kovaks--seem a bit darker and more adult than future eps. Aunt Clara and Mrs. Kravitz were gold. Paul Lynde too. I met him once in a gay bar with his Hispanic bf. Low key and funny. I called him Uncle Arthur and got a laugh.

by Anonymousreply 34March 3, 2017 1:47 AM

[quote] Someone in SoCal built an exact replica of the house.

As a model or full size to actually live in? If the latter, that is the gayest thing ever.

by Anonymousreply 35March 3, 2017 2:13 AM

I just watched the pilot for Tabitha on YouTube. It has some other actress instead of Lisa Hartman.

by Anonymousreply 36March 3, 2017 2:46 AM

R35 it is a house to ive in. I forget where I saw it online, but shouldn't be too hard to find. A few differences inside but it closely resembled the house used.

by Anonymousreply 37March 3, 2017 1:46 PM

I loved all the seasons. What I enjoy best is Sam's wardrobe. Many of her dresses are timeless and would look amazing today. Montgomery was a classic beauty.

by Anonymousreply 38March 3, 2017 2:19 PM

r26

That was a direct copy of "I Love Lucy"

by Anonymousreply 39March 3, 2017 3:33 PM

The show totally shitted when Sam parted her hair in the middle and started wearing mod clothes

by Anonymousreply 40March 3, 2017 3:34 PM

There was also the episode where Darrin went off to work on the railroads and she sat around discussing going Lesbian with the other housewives.

by Anonymousreply 41March 27, 2017 9:22 AM

I also loved the first Gladys. She was such a yenta and so homely. And Aunt Clara is my idol to this day.

by Anonymousreply 42March 27, 2017 9:34 AM

Sorry, but isn't it the same silly plot over and over again? The comedy is mostly slapstick. I had a roommate who loved it, but I can't watch more than a couple of episodes before it just becomes annoying.

by Anonymousreply 43March 27, 2017 10:04 AM

I like the first 3 seasons but my favorite was the first. I loved Alice Pearce as Gladys Kravitz. She was fantastic. She was loved on the set and it was really sad because she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer soon after filming started. The second Gladys had none of the sweetness that the first one had.

by Anonymousreply 44March 27, 2017 10:22 AM

Great pie fight.

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by Anonymousreply 45March 27, 2017 10:36 AM

Yeah, when I was younger I noticed that York left, but I was too young to fully understand how that affected the show and didn't appreciate the difference. Watching it now? Dick Sargent is HORRIBLE.

And now that I know he was gay, I picture him with a Black cock in his mouth every time I watch it.

Is that weird?

by Anonymousreply 46March 27, 2017 11:28 AM

I watch mainly for Elizabeth's TIMELESS WARDROBE. I would love to wear most of her clothes and jewelry today.

by Anonymousreply 47March 27, 2017 1:16 PM

The first year the show was more adult and darker...very interesting, almost Fritz Lang-ish, well, a ittle. It had a superb original cast. As time went on, it became sillier, more colorful, good, not great. Sargent was just miscast, the first Darren was a little wacky and whiney, not asattractive as Sam; however, in a few shirtess scenes early on, he was pretty hot. Loved their house!

by Anonymousreply 48March 27, 2017 2:56 PM

Oddly enough, Dick Sargent was the actor that they first asked to play Darren Stevens when Bewitched was being put together, but he had other commitments so he had to turn the offer down. Then when Dick York left the show after 5 years, they asked Dick Sargent to replace him and he gladly stepped in.

by Anonymousreply 49March 27, 2017 3:43 PM

A little guitar. A little atmosphere. And it wails like this...

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by Anonymousreply 50March 27, 2017 4:31 PM

[quote]Andy Griffith was another one that shit the bed when it went to colored.

Oh, yes. yes it did. Mayberry certainly went to pot when they let in the coloreds. Ooooh, I always said Governor Wallace was right, yes. That's what I always said. Yes, sir.

by Anonymousreply 51March 27, 2017 4:54 PM

As soon as Bewitched went to color it sucked. You could tell that Elizabeth hated doing the show because she looked so irritated the last 28 seasons.

by Anonymousreply 52March 27, 2017 10:37 PM

[quote]The first year the show was more adult and darker...very interesting, almost Fritz Lang-ish, well, a little

Right. I’ve only recently seen the b&w episodes. Each character seemed distant and cold comparatively. Samantha was kinda’ scary...almost sinister. It was a completely different show and honestly, a little hard to watch.

by Anonymousreply 53March 30, 2017 10:13 AM

Aunt Clara was also on Mr Peepers with Wally Cox.

by Anonymousreply 54March 30, 2017 11:56 AM

Sheila was TV's first cunt.

by Anonymousreply 55March 30, 2017 12:17 PM
by Anonymousreply 56November 27, 2019 6:57 PM

Did Samantha have look-alike aunts named Bertha and Hagatha?

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by Anonymousreply 57November 27, 2019 7:11 PM

The Dick York episodes are generally better, but the early Sargent years are probably better than the final York season (at least the second half of that season). I think due to his injury and having to stop filming they had to improvise in a lot of the episodes and it shows. The show started reusing scenes and reusing plots fairly early on, but it was particularly bad the last season, where the final episode was actual a complete reuse of a script where people had to tell the truth due to something enchanted (statue in the first episode - unicorn pin in the second - that might have been the only difference). As a kid I did like the Henry the VIII episodes from that season though. I must have liked the time traveling episodes as a kid, because I liked when she went to old Salem a season or two prior to that.

I liked Tabitha as a kid, but I kind of wish they could have gone another season or two without a child. It did seem the show got a bit more gimmicky and relied too much on the magic once they hit the colored episodes and made Tabitha a witch and more prominent (although the third season is still pretty good and fourth not bad). Although it might have gone in that direction anyway, and Montgomery already shot around one pregnancy and probably did not want to do that again. She must have pregnant with one kid at the beginning of the show and pregnant with the second one by the end of the first season.

The first Gladys was much more endearing. She could still have moments of shrewishness, but could also be child like and in general seemed to like the Stephens. She was more three dimensional and not just shrieking and being suspicious and had a bigger place in the show.

Samantha was a bit more impish and other-worldly in the first few episodes, down to how she had her fake eye lashes. I saw the episode where Endora is impersonating her a couple of years ago. As a kid I had never noticed how they subtly captured Endora's style in her version of Samantha in how her hair was swooped and some of her make-up (black and white episodes Endora did not just hang around in caftans). Montgomery also did a good job adding a hint of Moorhead's vocal inflections in her delivery.

by Anonymousreply 58November 27, 2019 8:02 PM

There have already been several threads on this OP. Would it have killed you to have done a search first before you posted this? I mean really? What’s wrong with having a little consideration for others and doing a search first? Would it really have been that hard? Would it? Are you going to be able to give us an honest answer to this? Are you?

by Anonymousreply 59November 27, 2019 8:32 PM
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