Bewitched: Season 5

This review will be prefaced by the fact that I watched every second of all eight seasons and 254 episodes.Progressive yet traditional, timeless yet timely, a romantic tale and social commentary masquerading as a comedy, and led by the irrepressible charm of Elizabeth Montgomery, Bewitched is an all-time American television classic. At its core, Bewitched is a love story between a man and woman from completely different backgrounds whose relationship survives despite facing almost insurmountable odds on a regular basis. The series was a not-so-subtle allegory of mixed marriages whether it is of a racial, ethnic, and/or socioeconomic background. In its early seasons, it seems as if the focus is on mixed marriages of a racial and/or ethnic type, but in later seasons the socioeconomic angle is more evident. Another not-so-subtle allegory in the series was for those seeking to keep a social deviance, such as sexual identity, hidden from the outside world. In the case of Bewitched, the social deviance was witchcraft. It is difficult to judge Bewitched on 21st century values because the world it inhabits is so different than from today's environment. For example, many of the characters, including Samantha, would be considered alcoholics, or at least heavy drinkers, by today's standards. But, for those who were part of the corporate world in the post-WWII era, socializing, which included heavy alcohol consumption, was deemed necessary for deal-making in that particular business climate. In terms of the business climate for the time period, the series gives valuable insight into the post-WWII era corporate culture and lifestyle. A man who worked in the corporate world was expected to have a wife who stayed at home and was readily available to assist him in his business dealings that required some type of schmoozing. Although it would seem in the 21st century that the life of a corporate housewife, like Samantha Stephens, would be a tedious and monotonous existence, the socialization angle of being married to a corporate executive would be an attractive lifestyle for many women of that time period. Bewitched should be viewed through the prism of two main themes: A husband trying to deal with a more powerful wife in an era when that was exceedingly rare and parents, especially a mother, who strongly disapprove of their daughter's choice in a spouse because they viewed it as unnecessarily marrying down in social class when better options for a husband were readily available for their child.Bewitched can be thought of as having three phases to the series: Dick York Seasons 1 and 2, Dick York seasons 3, 4, 5, and the Dick Sargent era of seasons 6-8.The first two seasons was often edgy comedy for its time and had many laugh out loud moments but the series became much more mainstream for its time in season 3. Elizabeth Montgomery, in a dual role as the lead character and witch Samantha and her beguiling cousin Serena, put on a master class in film acting. For those studying film acting, Elizabeth Montgomery's performance in Bewitched should be a model for anyone who is interested in becoming or is currently an actor. Samantha Stephens is portrayed as the ideal wife for her era, submissive and almost always willing to do anything to please her husband. Darrin Stephens, Samantha's mortal husband who is a talented Madison Avenue advertising executive, a military veteran, and a former two-sport (golf and basketball) athlete at Missouri State, is an interesting character and another example in the series of not being able to judge that era by 21st century values. Darrin is often short-tempered, impatient, rude, and acts stupidly towards Samantha's family, especially given the fact they are witches who frequently hold him accountable in other-worldly type ways for his impertinence. Only a mortal who is a complete fool would consistently challenge those with supernatural powers on a regular basis for often very petty grievances even after being repeatedly warned that he would pay a price for his insolence. Darrin also often acts hypocritically when it comes to Samantha and her family using witchcraft. When it doesn't directly benefit him, such as Samantha using spells to assist her in completing mundane household chores, Darrin vehemently opposes his wife and her family using witchcraft. But, when witchcraft directly benefits Darrin, he more often than not agrees to its use. Today, Darrin would not be worth marrying for many women due to his numerous quirks and faults, but he was largely representative of a man of his time and would have been attractive to more women than not of that era due to his positive qualities. Since two actors portrayed Darrin Stephens, it is easy to compare the performances of the two Dicks who played that character. Dick York, who was forced to retire after season 5 due to health reasons, gave the superior performance. He was much more believable in how a mortal would react to being married to a witch. But, when compared to the other Dick, his overacting at times in the series was more noticeable. Dick Sargent underacted at times and was not as funny as the other Dick. By his third season, which was the last one of the series, Sargent's performance had found its groove and the other Dick was not really missed even though he was the better actor for that role.Bewitched is one of the greatest series in television history, but not without its imperfections. Due to these shortcomings, my rating for the series is an 8/10 instead of a 10/10. These defects in the series included recycled plots starting fairly early in the series. Many of the characters (Endora, Maurice, Aunt Clara, Esmeralda, the Kravitzes, Uncle Arthur, the Tates, every single police officer among others) were one-dimensional and lacked any type of depth. For example, the dialogue for Larry Tate, Darrin's boss, became very predictable as the series progressed. Larry was superficial, shallow, and money-hungry. The reactions of David White, who played Larry Tate, to all of the zaniness which frequently occurred around him improved each season and made him a much more likable character despite his many faults. An additional negative was that Erin Murphy, who played the Stephens' daughter Tabitha, was a terrible child actor. Her poor acting ability was even more noticeable when other children appeared on the show. But, for whatever reason, Erin's acting dramatically improved during season 8. Due to the number of actors what were replaced (characters such as Louise Tate, Gladys Kravitz, Betty the Secretary, among others) for a myriad of reasons during the course of the series, Erin should have been dismissed fairly early due to her very apparent inferior acting skills. I realize Erin was just a child at the time but there would have likely been scores of more talented young girls that could and should have replaced her. A final negative were the number of actors that were recycled throughout the series in different roles. For example, Sara Seegar played ten different characters in ten different episodes. The recycling of actors becomes so discernible, especially those with very distinguishable physical traits and looks, that it becomes distracting to the viewer. Although a negative by today's standards, the special effects in Bewitched were very primitive but advanced for that time period.Aside from the negatives, here are some other thoughts on Bewitched. Contrary to popular opinion, Elizabeth Montgomery did not twitch her nose to use witchcraft. Instead, she moved her lips which caused her nose to move. The show was at its best when something happened to Darrin, especially Dick York, and at its worst when historical figures were sent to the present and/or when the Stephens and/or others went to the past. The series really showed how far film technology advanced from the early 1960s to the early 1970s. It might have the time period when film technology made its greatest advancements. An issue of debate about the series has been the residence of the state where the Stephens lived, but in several episodes New York license plates can be clearly seen on their vehicles. The opening credit sequence is so simple yet nearly perfect and the show's theme song is magical. Any viewer should really be drawn in by the magic of the opening credit sequence. Most television series do not end on a perfect note or anything bordering on perfection, but Bewitched really did have a perfect ending to the series. Any true fan of the show should love the way Bewitched ended. Even though the Stephens and their family, friends, associates, and neighbors are the product of a by-gone era, I will miss the magical time I spent with them.Here are my three favorite episodes in no particular order:Going ApeCharlie Harper, WinnerDivided He Falls

This fifth season of Bewitched was the last good one before the show began to run out of ideas (evident by the recycling of earlier episode plots in the sixth season onward). Here's the list of the episodes you'll be getting plus a brief description:1. Samantha's Wedding PresentFirst aired: 9/26/1968Endora tries to make peace with Darrin, but ends up shrinking him down to size . . . gradually. Samantha tries to get her mother to return Darrin to his regular size, but not before a drunk finds the diminutive Darrin in a mayonnaise jar in the trash.2. Samantha Goes South for a SpellFirst aired: 10/3/1968Because of Serena's foolishness, Samantha is sent back in time by a jealous witch named Brunhilda, who happened to be Serena's boyfriend's wife. In 1868 New Orleans, Samantha is taken in by a maid named Aunt Jenny, and her owner, Rance Butler, falls for her. Now it is up to Darrin to get her back from the Southern gentleman.3. Samantha on the KeyboardFirst aired: 10/10/1968Endora gets Tabitha to play beautifully on the piano, and Darrin dares Samantha to learn how to play the mortal way. The Piano teacher hears Tabitha play and invites a famous conductor to see her play. Without magic, Tabitha does a poor job and the conductor is stunned. Samantha then finds a real prodigy for the conductor, and wins the bet with Darrin.4. Darrin, Gone and ForgottenFirst aired: 10/17/1968Once upon a time, Endora made a deal with another witch Carlotta that Samantha will marry her son Juke, but Samantha hasn't lived up to her part of the deal. Now Carlotta and Juke are back and Carlotta will stop at nothing to give Juke what he wants. She makes Darrin disappear and never brings him back until Samantha agrees to marry Juke. Samantha tells Juke to finally stand up to his mother and tell her off.5. It's So Nice to Have a Spouse Around the HouseFirst aired: 10/24/1968Serena is involved again. This time, Darrin takes her to the honeymoon spot where he and Samantha went. Samantha is at a Witches Council meeting and doesn't know what is going on. Darrin gets intimate with Serena, thinking that she is Samantha, and she tells him to back off. Then Tabitha is called to solve the puzzle.6. Mirror, Mirror on the WallFirst aired: 11/7/1968Endora turns Darrin into the most self-centered, conceited person on earth. He thinks that this will make him lose an account with a new client, but Samantha saves the day when she tells the client that they should zero in on the youth market.7. Samantha's French PastryFirst aired: 11/14/1968Uncle Arthur is supposed to make napoleons for dessert, but ends up bringing in Napoleon Bonaparte instead! Arthur cannot remember how to send him back and Larry wants to use Napoleon to advertise detergent. Unknowingly, Samantha says the right words and he disappears back to his own time.8. Is it Magic or Imagination?First aired: 11/21/1968Mrs. Stephens drops in unexpectedly, and insists Samantha enter a slogan contest to win a trip to Tahiti. And she wins! Of course, Larry Tate's none to happy as it turns out to be one of their biggest clients. The typical Stephens fight occurs. Darrin's furious! He thinks Samantha used witchcraft. Darrin heads to the neighborhood bar, gets drunk, and tells the he's married to a witch. Darrin comes around when Samantha's slogan is rejected after all.9. Samantha Fights City HallFirst aired: 11/28/1968Samantha gets involved in a fight against tearing down a neighborhood park for a supermarket. The bad news is that the park is owned by Darrin's new client, Mr. Mossler, and because of her involvement, Darrin ends up losing his job. Samantha saves the day when she brings one of the statues in the park to life to convince Mossler to stop with the construction.10. Samantha Loses Her VoiceFirst aired: 12/5/1968As a joke, Uncle Arthur switches Samantha and Darrin's voices, and they try to keep a depressed Louise and Larry from finding out.11. I Don't Want to Be a Toad, I Want to Be a ButterflyFirst aired: 12/12/1968Tabitha goes to pre-school for the first time and meets Amy, a classmate. When the teacher groups the children in animal groups, Amy gets chosen to be a toad in the toad group, but she wants to be in a butterfly group. Tabitha misunderstands her request and actually turns her into a butterfly! Samantha, who has been watching the whole thing through the window, chases Amy the butterfly all around the city and catches her so Tabitha can change her back.12. Weep No More My WillowFirst aired: 12/19/1968Samantha wants to keep a willow tree in her yard and decides to treat it. She calls Dr. Bombay to make her tree weep, but Samantha gets caught in the spell and each time the wind blows, she starts crying. When Larry hears her cry, he thinks that she and Darrin are having a fight and comes over to comfort her, but not before Dr. Bombay comes by to give her an antidote to make her laugh. When Larry comes by, Samantha starts laughing and laughing, and Larry starts laughing too. Then Darrin comes in to find Samantha and Larry laughing for no apparent reason. Then Dr. Bombay comes by with another antidote to make everything and everyone normal again.13. Instant CourtesyFirst aired: 12/26/1968Darrin is turned into the most nicest person in the world by Endora and gets a tough client named Mrs. Sebastian to sign with McMann and Tate. When Mrs. Sebastian suspects that something is up, she then takes back her account, but Samantha changes her mind and she accepts Darrin.14. Samantha's Super MaidFirst aired: 1/2/1969Phyllis hires a maid for Samantha and Darrin, and a good-hearted maid named Amelia is chosen. The Stephens have to let her go because of the witchcraft in Samantha's family. Phyllis' friend, Mrs. Otis, decides to use Amelia.15. Serena Strikes Again (1)First aired: 1/9/1969A sexy client named Clio Vanita tries to get with Darrin, but not if Serena can help it. Taking up for her cousin, Serena decides to turn Clio into a monkey! Darrin tries to get Serena to change her back, but she doesn't and Clio the monkey hangs around......16. Serena Strikes Again (2)First aired: 1/16/1969The minute Clio flies the coop, Serena comes back. The Stephens and Serena find the monkey Clio in the hands of a little boy, an organgrinder, and the police! Serena changes Clio back and Samantha comes up with a stellar idea for the Clio Vanita wine account when Larry meets the organgrinder who kept Clio company as a monkey.17. One Touch of MidasFirst aired: 1/23/1969Endora creates a toy called the Fuzz, a toy that has the power to charm people. Darrin presents this idea to Larry and the Fuzz charms Darrin to the tune of a million dollars. Samantha is worried about Darrin when he tells her that he will finally give her and Tabitha everything they could possibly want. Endora removes the spell and Samantha tells Darrin that as long as she and Tabitha love Darrin, that is worth a lot more than money.18. Samantha the BardFirst aired: 1/30/1969Samantha is speaking in rhymes, which turns out to be a bad thing when Darrin is entertaining a client who has been using jingles for years and is tired of them. Larry gets tired of Samantha rhyming and wants her to quit it. Dr. Bombay comes by and gets Samantha to stop rhyming. She then explains to the client that she spoke in rhymes to prove how annoying they can be.19. Samantha the SculptressFirst aired: 2/6/1969Endora causes trouble when she zaps two living statues of Larry and Darrin in Morning Glory Circle.20. Mrs. Stephens, Where are You?First aired: 2/13/1969Phyllis breaks bad on Samantha's family, and Serena shuts her up by turning her into a cat! Miss Parsons finds Phyllis as a cat and decides to keep her. Meanwhile, Frank is looking for Phyllis and Samantha finds her at Miss Parsons' house with a whole bunch of other cats she has collected! She then finds cat Phyllis and gets Serena to change her back to a human.21. Marriage, Witches' StyleFirst aired: 2/20/1969Serena decides to do the same thing that Samantha did and tries to find a mortal to date. She finds Franklin Blodgett through a computer dating service, but like all TV Land computer dating agencies, the matches always turn out to be bad. This proves this fact when Franklin insults Serena's magic when they are about to be engaged.22. Going ApeFirst aired: 2/27/1969Tabitha changes an ape into a handsome man named Harry who is instantly discovered as model potential. Harry gets bored of the whole situation, and Samantha tells him to act like himself, a mad ape.23. Tabitha's WeekendFirst aired: 3/6/1969Phyllis wants Tabitha to spend a weekend with her and Frank, but doesn't count on Samantha and Endora to be there also. They all start fighting and arguing until Tabitha turns herself into a cookie. Samantha convinces her daughter that she is not the cause of all of their arguments and wants her to turn back into a human.24. The Battle of Burning OakFirst aired: 3/13/1969Darrin is invited to join the Burning Oak Country Club, a very exclusive club. To get the right attitude, Endora changes him into a snob of all snobs.25. Samantha's Power FailureFirst aired: 3/20/1969The Witches Council takes away Samantha's powers when she refuses to break up with Darrin. Uncle Arthur and Serena help out Samantha and, as a result, loses their powers as well. After a terribly frustrating day in the mortal working world, Serena and Uncle Arthur decide that they are better off with their powers. Samantha goes to the Witches Council and tells them they are in the wrong for their ignorance. Then Samantha, Serena, and Uncle Arthur get their powers back.26. Samantha Twitches for UNICEFFirst aired: 3/27/1969Samantha gets through to a greedy miser Mr. Haskell when he doesn't contribute to the UNICEF fund. Samantha and Endora mess up Haskell's love life when they hex Lila to admit that she is in an affair with another man!27. Daddy Does His ThingFirst aired: 4/3/1969Maurice gives Darrin a magic lighter, which Darrin doesn't accept. Maurice turns Darrin into a donkey because of his ingratitude. Samantha tries to find her father and finds him in Paris. She returns to see that Darrin the donkey has been taken to an animal shelter. Darrin is released and Maurice back tracks everything that he did to turn Darrin back to a human.28. Samantha's Good NewsFirst aired: 4/10/1969Endora and Maurice get into an argument about Maurice's new secretary and Endora makes him jealous by going out with a warlock who good in speaking Shakespeare. Then Maurice and the warlock duke it out with soliloquies and Maurice wins out. Then Samantha announces that she is to have another baby!29. Samantha's Shopping SpreeFirst aired 4/17/1969Samantha, Endora, Tabitha and their warlock cousin Henry spend a day in a department store. Henry is offended by a salesman, and he turns the salesman into a mannequin and refuses to change him back. Samantha and Endora try everything, but Tabitha remembers the spell and restores the salesman.30. Samantha and Darrin in Mexico CityFirst aired: 4/24/1969Samantha and Darrin are in Mexico City where Darrin is working on a new account for McMann and Tate. Endora puts a spell on him that makes him disappear when he speaks Spanish. Samantha gets her mother back who has the nerve to reverse the spell, this time, making Darrin disappear when he speaks English! Samantha helps him out when he delivers an excellent speech to Spanish and American patrons.Let's hope they give us some extras on this one; haven't seen too much of that since the release of the first season and there are some terrific documentaries on the cast and the show itself that could and should be issued at some stage. Enjoy!

This 4 disc DVD set of the fifth season of Bewitched contains my all time favourite episode of Bewitched "Samantha Goes South for a Spell" Elizabeth Montgomery is delightful and lovely as Samantha, Serena and also as a southern belle sent back to New Orleans in 1868 by a jealous witch named Brunhilda who thinks Samantha is Serena. Darrin has to also go back in time to rescue Samantha with a kiss to bring her back to the present. The problem is that Samantha doesn't remember who he is. The costumes and sets are wonderful. Many other excellent episodes are also included. Had to add this to my DVD collection. :)

The colour and richness of the video made the show look like it was just produced. I'm so happy that these videos were restored to vibrant picture and audio. These shows are timeless as they are still enjoyable to watch today. The cast of Bewitched were awesome. Especially Elizabeth Montgomery. What a sweetie she was. Fun for the entire family!

I enjoy this season and treasure it as it is the last season featuring Dick York, unarguably the better of the 2 Darrins. He is as comical as ever but sadly he looks drawn and he's not in a good handful of episodes.I wish the Endora character could have been in more episodes than she is but I love the ones she is in especially when she faces off with Darrin.

I am very pleased with the service I have received from Amazon. I have ordered all the Bewitched series and everyone of them has been excellent. I have never had poor service and anything I had to return. Again, thank you Amazon, for your excellence in service. I am very pleased with the DVDs I ordered as well as the books. Everything was in great condition and I never had a bit of trouble with anything. Never had to return anything, except once when I double ordered. Amazon let me know they had credited my credit card for that purchase.

Came about 10 days late, but still going into my collection! Binge watching my favourite TV show!