Bewitched

Bewitched

Overview of Bewitched

It was one of the most imitated and beloved sitcoms in the television history which was aired on ABD from 1964 to 1972. It became an immediate hit and received the highest ratings in its first season and was in the Top 12 of Nielsen for five of its seasons. It is set in Westport, Conn and is about the misadventures of Darrin Stephen and Samantha who is a young couple married which were portrayed by Dick York and Elizabeth Montgomery. They are an ordinary suburban couple and Samantha is a charming and attractive housewife and Darrin is considered to be one of the mad men who is an ad executive at Madison Avenue. The highlighting point is that Samantha is a witch who is the successor of throne of shining jewel and the Witch Queen. She had agreed to not use her supernatural powers at the request of Darrin. The comedy of Bewitched is due to this central tension.

The conflict is more due to Samantha's mother who completely disapproves her daughter's marriage to a mortal and the denial of her daughter for her exceptional abilities and heritage. The magic permeates that the Stephens live as an extended family of Samantha and the witch community. The children of the couple are also gifted supernaturally. This show responded to the political tensions and turbulence of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The pilot episode of the show started production President Kennedy was assassinated and it was premiered after one year. The time in which the show was being aired, Rev. Luther King and Sen. Kennedy were also assassinated. The public and the press confronted and argued regarding the dynamic of shifting powers between the sexes, racially motivated violence, women's rights, civil right and gay movements and the war in Vietnam. At the time of this painful reality, it offered a fantastical vision of a close knit, peaceful and cooperative community which had powerful matriarchs and flamboyant men. It also offered a wonderful and strange misfit, a mixed marriage between an ordinary man and an exceptional woman. The message portrayed by the show was respect and tolerance for oneself and others along with loyalty which is portrayed through a healthy dose of humor and humility.

The show still continues to enchant the audiences through their cleverness, high production values and the message about American culture, tolerance and diversity. Samantha is a ...