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(More customer reviews)At a time when interracial marriage was still making many Americans anxious, this sitcom helped to diffuse that real-life tension through a suburban fantasy. This show thus focuses less on the supernatural and more on issues of family, community, and idenity.
Thirty six episodes make up this 1964-1965 season. A 1963-filmed pilot episode is included in this season for good measure.
Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) is a witch who fell in love with and then married the mortal Darrin Stephens (who, for the first couple of seasons, is played by Dick York). Darrin accepts her `heritage' only on the condition that she now refrain from using witchcraft and `settle down' to be a normal American middle-class housewife.
To the horror of her mother Endora (Agnes Moorehead), Samantha has agreed to the request. But, Endora ultimately worried over nothing. Samantha herself soon discovers that giving up witchcraft was an impossible promise. Conflict between her promise and an often-more complicated reality drive this series' storylines.
Tensions immediately flare in the first season when an old flame of Darrin's (Nancy Kovak) invites them to a dinner party. Because Shelia Sommers is so obnoxious, Samantha breaks her promise in order to avoid being shown up in front of her husband. Beginning with this episode, Darrin recognizes that he cannot control when Samantha does/does not use her magic, and can only make suggestions. Whether this advice is taken then rests entirely with Samantha.
In "Be it ever so mortgaged" we meet Gladys and Abner Kravitz (Alice Pearce and George Tobias) who are the Steven's next door neighbors. Ever the busybody, Mrs. Kravitz begins a series-long tirade about `something weird going on over there'. Less concerned, her husband is a largely-silent type.
"It shouldn't happen to a dog" introduces us to Darrin's boss Larry Tate (David White) and his wife Louise (at this point being played by Irene Vernon). It also previews the many problems Darrin will have working at the McMahon & Tate advertising company.
"The witches are out" finds Samantha protesting the negative pop culture images of witches traditionally associated with American Halloweens. With the help of her beloved Aunt Clara (Marion Lorne) Samantha convinces an advertising client of Darrin's that using a pretty witch for their candy sales would be a better strategy through changing that executive's appearance: If he did not like being an ugly witch, neither did they! Aunt Clara has the distinction of being Samantha's only female relative who genuinely appears to like Darrin
Samantha meets her in-laws, Phyllis (Mabel Albertson) and Frank Stephens (Robert F. Simon) during "Samantha meets the folks". Aunt Clara's unexpected return and helping out upsets Darrin who had wanted his parents to believe that Samantha did all the housework by herself. Because she had wanted to find some fault with this housework (regardless of who actually did it), Phyllis was honestly disappointed by how perfect everything looked. Darrin's mother is later relieved to learn that her daughter in law is not actually a good housekeeper, and Darrin then makes up with Aunt Clara.
Aunt Clara makes another great appearance in "There's no witch like an old witch". Aunt Clara is a great babysitter until she accidentally tells the kids that she is a witch. Because witches supposedly do not exist, she is barred from babysitting. Although a judge (who had every reason to doubt her statement of being a witch) is instead impressed with Aunt Clara, the Stephens decide to send her to Miami for a convenient get away vacation with her friends. This will provide time for people to forget what they were told in this episode.
Forty years later, these episodes hold up great. Some sitcoms which cannot age well obviously depend on extras in the DVD sets in order to gain market appeal with `today's audience'. Bewitched is one of the rare titles which has always remained watch-able and really does not need the special features included in this release.
Even the 'black and white' filming of this season is not annoying. Bewitched was head and shoulders above many other sitcoms of the era to begin with.
The price for this product is really affordable considering the production quality AND all of the DVD extras. Exclusive DVD featurettes include bloopers, a feature how the 'magic' was performed, and a theatrical trailer for the upcoming Bewitched movie with Nicole Kidman.
I am only saddened that Montgomery and both `Darrins' are no longer around to participate in the DVD release for this series.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Bewitched - The Complete First Season (Black and White) (1964)
Elizabeth Montgomery stars as Samantha Stephens, a pretty, typical American housewife who just happens to be a witch in this beloved comedy classic. Included in this magical DVD collection is the Emmy (r) Award-winning series’ entire first season- 36 episodes that introduce one of the funniest ensemble casts in TV history. Dick York as Samantha’s mortal husband Darrin, Agnes Moorehead as his witch-of- a-mother-in-law Endora. Alice Pearce as nosey neighbor Gladys Kravitz, George Tobias as her oblivious husband Abner and Marion Lorne as dotty Aunt Clara. Join them and a who’s who of ‘60s pop icon guest stars- Adam West, Raquel Welch, Peggy Lipton and Arte Johnson- in this enchanting, charming, and hysterically funny look at the suburban lifestyles of the witch and famous.
Click here for more information about Bewitched - The Complete First Season (Black and White) (1964)
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