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In 1964, producer-director William Asher was already an old hand at the sitcom game, and he brought every iota of his considerable talent and experience to Bewitched, which became a huge success in its original network run and evolved into a cultural phenomenon over decades of syndicated repeats. The show didn't begin with a fully fleshed-out back-story, as most sitcoms do; Asher and his writers took at least half the first season to introduce the entire supporting cast and establish the relationships. The pilot, "I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha," introduces us to advertising executive Darrin Stephens (Dick York), who marries a beautiful young woman named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) shortly after meeting her. What he doesn't know, initially, is that she's a witch with magical powers. While on their honeymoon, Samantha is visited by her mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead), who scolds her for marrying a mortal and predicts no good will come of it. In the second episode, "Be It Ever So Mortgaged," Darrin and Samantha buy a home, which she fixes up with magic. This show introduces the Stephens' neighbors, Gladys and Abner Kravitz (Alice Pearce and George Tobias), who will figure prominently throughout the show's run. Darrin and Endora finally meet in "Mother, Meet What's His Name," which sports the first of their innumerable (and frequently hilarious) clashes. The first season's Halloween show, "The Witches Are Out," turns the spotlight on Samantha's lovable old Aunt Clara (Marion Lorne), and "Just One Happy Family" marks the first appearance of Maurice Evans as Sam's mischievous father. Judged by today's sitcoms, Bewitched might seem silly and bland, but it won viewers' hearts back in the '60s, and not just because they liked the cute way Montgomery wiggled her nose: the episodes were ingenious in their own fashion, and the plots were essentially character-driven, not just reliant on sudden appearances, disappearances, or transmutations. By the way, in watching Season 1 you'll spot lots of future stars in small roles, including Raquel Welch, Adam West, and future "Marcia Brady" Maureen McCormick. Ed Hulse

Product Details

• UPC: 043396110366
• Source: SONY PICTURES
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Language: English, Espaņol, Portugais
• Subtitles: Espaņol, Portugais, Thai
• Time: 15:17:00
• Sales Rank: 3,210

This set contains DVDs which may be available separately:

• Bewitched: I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha
• Bewitched: Be It Ever So Mortgaged
• Bewitched: It Shouldn't Happen To a Dog
• Bewitched: Mother, Meet What's His Name
• Bewitched: Help, Help, Don't Save Me
• Bewitched: Little Pitchers Have Big Ears
• Bewitched: The Witches Are Out
• Bewitched: The Girl Reporter
• Bewitched: Witch or Wife
• Bewitched: Just One Happy Family
• Bewitched: It Takes One to No One
• Bewitched: ...and Something Makes Three
• Bewitched: Love Is Blind
• Bewitched: Samantha Meets the Folks
• Bewitched: A Vision of Sugar Plums
• Bewitched: It's Magic
• Bewitched: A Is For Aardvark
• Bewitched: The Cat's Meow
• Bewitched: A Nice Little Dinner Party
• Bewitched: Your Witch is Showing
• Bewitched: Ling-Ling
• Bewitched: Eye of the Beholder
• Bewitched: Red Light, Green Light
• Bewitched: Which Witch is Which?
• Bewitched: Pleasure O'Reilly
• Bewitched: Driving Is the Only Way to Fly
• Bewitched: There's No Witch Like An Old Witch
• Bewitched: Open the Door, Witchcraft
• Bewitched: Abner Kadabra
• Bewitched: George the Warlock
• Bewitched: That Was My Wife
• Bewitched: Illegal Separation
• Bewitched: A Change of Face
• Bewitched: Remember the Main
• Bewitched: Eat At Mario's
• Bewitched: Cousin Edgar

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