"BEWITCHED"...Socially and Racially ahead of it's time!

I've always been fond of "Bewitched" for so many reasons. Superb actors, fine writing that was more character driven, pretty remarkable special effects for it's time, and a sensability that was quite humanistic.
Elizabeth Montgomery was easy to fall in love with as she played her character with a remarkable realism, despite the show being a supernatural comedy. Her character was in love with and the victim of someone who demanded that she not be who she was and required her to be "closeted". A gay theme....maybe but a theme that turns up in much literature.
But the reason I was propelled to post this is because of an episode I just watched...and only vaguely had remembered for it's shocking openness and defiance of racism. And as openly as it addressed racisim...it handled the issue in a very poignant way.

The episode..."Sisters at Heart" has Tabitha turning a friend white, then turning herself black...and then mixing the two girls in only the way a little girl would. The racism comes in with a client of McMann and Tate...Darrin's company...who is clearly racist.
This episode left me with such a lovely feeling and a true appreciation of this wonderful series which was ahead of it's time...in more ways than one.

Here are the links to the episode in order...I hope you enjoy it as I did. John

Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibAf7CYk3EY

Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgitF...eature=related

Part Three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QTb0...eature=related

I wouldn't say it was ahead of its time. There were other shows that dealt
with racism before Bewitched. A few example, Star Trek, Julia, & Twilight Zone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swiKTHeDNH8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URlR8-iRVBo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo5Zkq1Wd14&feature=related

Midnight, I remember that Bewitched episode, but never really thought about how, the show, in general, addressed the racial issue, or any issue, in that way. Kind of like "I Love Lucy" did with the Cuban angle.

Can you tell me which season that episode with Tabitha switching skin colors was on?

^ The title is provided in the link "Sisters at Heart"

Season 7 , Episode 13, Show #213 Christmas episode, said to be one of Elizabeth Montgomery's favorites., written by 10th grade English class at Thomas Jefferson High School in L.A.

There was a neat episode on the Brady Bunch also. A white family adopted a white boy and then added an African-American and oriental boys because they were the white boys best friends when he was in the orphanage. There was a stir-up in the neighborhood when there were some neighbors that were not happy campers.

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Originally Posted by Paula Goldston

There was a neat episode on the Brady Bunch also. A white family adopted a white boy and then added an African-American and oriental boys because they were the white boys best friends when he was in the orphanage. There was a stir-up in the neighborhood when there were some neighbors that were not happy campers.

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I'll never forget that episode. They even did an unsuccessful spinoff show about it. As a kid, and a devoted fan of the Brady Bunch, even I thought it was a radical departure from their usual fare. About the only other times the Brady's got topical was when they did an episode about smoking, mumps, and womens lib in their five year run. They still never got as close to the topical issues their other Friday night siblings got, like Room 222 and Partridge Family.

Bewitched is just a great show period, and Liz Montgomery was such a hottie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by mickeymac

Bewitched is just a great show period, and Liz Montgomery was such a hottie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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mickeymac...she sure was.....

soulster...I think the show was aired first in 1970.

Bewitched was inspired by the films I Married a Witch [[1942) with Veronica Lake and Fredric March and Bell Book and Candle[[1958) with Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart. Both movies were comedies about a man who falls in love with a beautiful witch. Bewitched took the concept to suburbia.

The series with Elizabeth Montgomery is CLASSIC...the movie with Nicole Kidman is NOT!!

Best,

Mark

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Originally Posted by soulster

I'll never forget that episode. They even did an unsuccessful spinoff show about it. As a kid, and a devoted fan of the Brady Bunch, even I thought it was a radical departure from their usual fare. About the only other times the Brady's got topical was when they did an episode about smoking, mumps, and womens lib in their five year run. They still never got as close to the topical issues their other Friday night siblings got, like Room 222 and Partridge Family.

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Partridge Family had that one episode with Richard Pryor & Lou Gossett [[with hair). I had a childhood crush on Laurie back then. But anyways there was some booking mixup where Pryor & Gossett were expecting the Temptations but instead they get the Partridge. Here's the full episode
http://www.hulu.com/watch/6787/the-partridge-family-soul-club
Heres a little interesting trivia about that episode

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This was the pilot for a proposed series which would have starred 'Louis Gossett Jr' and Richard Pryor as the Simon brothers.

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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0670191/

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Originally Posted by mark speck

The series with Elizabeth Montgomery is CLASSIC...the movie with Nicole Kidman is NOT!!

Best,

Mark

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Exactly, Mark....I don't know what those studio people were smoking when they came up with that Kidman concept.

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Originally Posted by pshark

Partridge Family had that one episode with Richard Pryor & Lou Gossett [[with hair). I had a childhood crush on Laurie back then. But anyways there was some booking mixup where Pryor & Gossett were expecting the Temptations but instead they get the Partridge. Here's the full episode
http://www.hulu.com/watch/6787/the-partridge-family-soul-club
Heres a little interesting trivia about that episode
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0670191/

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I liiked the song in this episode "Bandala", especially the way it was described as "sort of an Afro thing", plus Shirley Jones had some really pointy boobs in that light blue longsleeve top.....

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Originally Posted by marxthespot

, plus Shirley Jones had some really pointy boobs in that light blue longsleeve top.....

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Now I gotta watch it! :)

Cute Partridge Fam episode. Enjoyed it!

Oh my. I forgot about this thread. Good comment Paula Goldston.

What a great episode. I don't remember seeing this one before butthey were really bold to take such a stand during those times.

All through the 60s and early 70s, television confronted many social issues that affected us. Interestingly, it wasn't until "The Smothers Brothers" and "All In The Family" that TV dealt specifically with Viet Nam. In the 60s, it was amazing how TV avoided it as if nothing was going on. "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." may have dropped a hint or two, but never directly mentioned it. Amazing for a show that was about the military in the 60s! If there were any shows in the 60s that dealt with Vietnam, let me know. Now that I think of it, there was one or two hints dropped in "The Twilight Zone", but I can't recall which episode. "Dragnet", too.