Bewitched: The Complete First Season

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 hugely successful show in its original network run and evolved into a bona fide cultural phenomenon over decades of repeats in syndication. The show didn't begin with a fully fleshed-out backstory, as most sitcoms do, but took at least half the first season to introduce the entire supporting cast and establish relationships. The pilot, “I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha,” finds advertising executive Darrin Stephens (Dick York) marrying a beautiful young woman named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery). 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--and they meet the neighbors, Gladys and Abner Kravitz (Alice Pearce and George Tobias), who will figure prominently. Darrin and Endora finally come face-to-face in “Mother Meets What's His Name,” which sports the first of their innumerable (and frequently hilarious) clashes. The debut 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 initial 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 magic-driven. By the way, in watching the first 36 episodes compiled here, you'll spot lots of future stars in small roles, including Raquel Welch, Adam West, and Maureen McCormick. Boasting an excellent transfer, DVD extras on this set include a featurette and outtakes. Recommended. (E. Hulse)