Amazon.com video review:
Samantha and her fellow witches are bedeviled by Halloween in these
two black-and-white 25-minute episodes specially packaged for the occasion.
In "The Witches Are Out," Darrin (Dick York in both episodes) is fired after
refusing to use a stereotyped old crone witch in an ad. So Samantha and
friends spook the client with protest signs and tricks until he gladly
calls off his "discriminatory" campaign. In "Trick or Treat," Endora (Agnes
Moorehead) is peeved that Samantha opts to entertain one of Darrin's
clients on Halloween instead of joining her at the sacred volcano. So she turns her daughter's hapless husband into a werewolf during the business get-together
as punishment. Watch for a pre-Brady Bunch Maureen McCormick as the
young Endora. --Kimberly Heinrichs
Amazon.com video review:
A must-have for Bewitched fans, this tape contains two
of the series' most significant episodes: the pilot and Tabatha's
birth. On their wedding night, Samantha confesses to Darrin (Dick
York) that she's a witch. She vows to refrain from using her
talents, but at a dinner party thrown by Darrin's ex-girlfriend, she
can't resist spicing up the evening. In the second episode, Elizabeth
Montgomery does double duty as Samantha and her cousin Serena. But
it's Samantha's mother, Endora (delightfully overplayed by Agnes
Moorehead), who takes center stage, making Tabatha's birth memorable
not just for her parents but for the bewildered Nurse Kelton (guest
star Eve Arden) as well. What's most enchanting about these episodes
now is their evocation of a simpler time, when a sitcom wife's deepest
secret was her ability to transform things with a twitch of her
nose and a new father's biggest worry was that his little girl
would grow up too quickly. --Larisa Lomacky Moore
Amazon.com video review:
The Stephens's busybody neighbor Mrs. Kravitz (Sandra Gould)
predictably makes a bad situation worse (but also funnier) in both
episodes on this tape. In a reversal of the classic frog-prince fairy
tale, veteran character actor John Fiedler hops into Samantha's life
as Fergus, a man who wants to be turned back into a frog so he can be
reunited with his beloved. In the second episode, Endora brings Darrin
down to size--literally--causing him to shrink in retaliation for a
rude remark. While some of the humor is a bit dated (like the
stereotypically drunken Irishman who rescues Darrin by mistaking him for
a leprechaun), these episodes can still charm a chuckle or two out of
even the most jaded viewer. --Larisa Lomacky Moore
Amazon.com Essentials:
Although one of them happens to be a witch, Darrin and
Samantha Stephens are a typically adorable, normal 1960s sitcom
couple--and so while Elizabeth Montgomery may be the star of
Bewitched, it's the supporting players who tend to steal the
shows. Samantha's cousin Serena (played beguilingly by Montgomery)
sneaks into two episodes in this collection, even mischievously taking
Samantha's place on a second honeymoon. The Stephens's nosy neighbor
Gladys Kravitz (Sandra Gould) has perfect comic timing, always showing
up at the worst possible moment. And, of course, what
Bewitched episode would be complete without at least one
derogatory remark from Endora (Agnes Moorehead)? This collection of
six episodes, which includes the pilot, has all the sweet, silly,
innocent mischief that (pardon the pun) bewitched viewers in
the show's original run and have made it a staple of the rerun
circuit. --Larisa Lomacky Moore
Amazon.com video review:
In the first of two holiday episodes, Santa makes an
unexpected pre-Christmas visit to the Stephens household. The jolly
old elf is less jolly when he learns that he's stuck there and may not
make his Christmas deadline. So it's up to Samantha (Elizabeth
Montgomery) to save the holiday. While "Santa Comes to Visit" is
charming and sweet, the second episode, "Sisters at Heart," is full of
embarrassingly dated antiracism platitudes. The daughter of Darrin's
token black coworker spends Christmas Eve with the Stephens, and she
and Tabitha fret that they can't be sisters because they're not the
same color. Meanwhile, a client's misunderstanding and bigotry cause
Darrin (Dick Sargent) to lose a million-dollar account. Of course,
everything is wrapped up nicely on Christmas Day, but not before the
delivery of such wince-inducing dialogue as "We're having integrated
turkey--white meat and dark." --Larisa Lomacky Moore
Amazon.com video review:
Samantha Stephens, the grooviest witch on TV, is up to some good-natured
holiday mischief in these classic Bewitched Christmas episodes.
In "Humbug Not to Be Spoken Here," a grouchy client of Darrin's stops by
to talk business on Christmas Eve and threatens to ruin everyone's fun.
In "A Vision of Sugarplums," Sam and Darrin adopt an orphan for the
holiday--but it just so happens the boy thinks Christmas is "a lot of
bunk." Fortunately Samantha is chummy with Santa Claus, and a couple of
quick trips to the North Pole restore the Christmas spirit to both
nonbelievers. Best of all, Sam's daughter Tabitha gets a one-of-a-kind
Susie Bruisie doll out of the deal! Both episodes are full of good clean
holiday fun--for maximum enjoyment, bake cookies while you watch.
--Claire Campbell
