Bewitched: The Complete Second Season

Having established the formula and the principal characters in season one, Bewitched upped the ante somewhat in its 1965-66 second year by introducing baby Tabitha, the daughter that inherits the powers of her mother Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) much to the chagrin of father Darrin (Dick York). The addition of an infant made Sam more domestic and slightly less glamorous, but it also made her exhibitions of witchcraft even more surprising. The 38 episodes of season two include several other landmarks, including the final appearance of Alice Pearce as suspicious neighbor Gladys Kravitz and the initial appearance of Paul Lynde as Sam's mischievous Uncle Arthur. Agnes Moorehead's Endora assumes a larger role, while guest stars include venerable character actor Charlie Ruggles and young, future Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss. While still reasonably inventive and entertaining—largely due to the Montgomery-York byplay and chemistry—Bewitched begins to show signs of fatigue before this season draws to a close, as the writers found it increasingly difficult to come up with novel situations. DVD extras on the set—available in separate original black-and-white (preferred) or colorized versions—include a blooper reel. Recommended. (E. Hulse)