Tony Maietta: 0:45

Hey, Brad, before we go any further, I'm going to sing, and you know what?

Brad Shreve: 0:50

You can't stop me this time, except for my voice. Okay, you got me nervous, you ready.

Tony Maietta: 0:57

Sure. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear.

Brad Shreve: 1:05

Bewitched.

Tony Maietta: 1:06

Happy birthday to you. Yes, and you can't stop me because it's in the public domain. Well, you can stop me yes, it is. For my voice. You can stop me, but you can't stop me from that.

Brad Shreve: 1:16

That just happened a few years ago and I stumbled on Bewitched. I said something like but anyway, they'll understand you.

Tony Maietta: 1:23

That's fine. People get the idea Because happy birthday, bewitched 60 years. One of the few things around that's older than me 60 years. Yesterday, september 17th 1964, bewitched debuted on ABC. How about that?

Brad Shreve: 1:41

Well, is it my turn to sing? Go ahead, yeah, absolutely, I'm going to break the rule because I tell you you can't sing and I'm going to sing. I know what you're going to sing Bewitched, bewitched. You've got me in your spell. Bewitched, bewitched. You know your craft so well. Before I knew what you were doing, I looked in your eyes. That brand of woo that you've been brewing took me by surprise. There we go. That's enough, wow.

Tony Maietta: 2:09

Sorry for those that had to bear that. No, you sounded good, Unlike you. I won't degrade your singing voice. You sounded good, Boy. You had it going too. You sound a little bit like Steve Lawrence. Did you ever hear his version of it Be which?

Brad Shreve: 2:18

Be which no.

Tony Maietta: 2:19

Yeah, it's quite the earworm.

Brad Shreve: 2:23

And before we start on trivia, did you know that they wanted that? And because they ran out of time. That's why they did not have the music or the lyrics in the theme song.

Tony Maietta: 2:33

Yeah, they didn't have lyrics in time, which I'm glad. I'm glad I like it's instrumental. I think if it was someone singing you'd say who's that? Is that? Darren? Yeah, who's singing that song? Larry Tate, who's singing that song? Unless it was Peggy Lee, then you'd be like doesn't sound like Elizabeth Montgomery. Anyway, it's a long way around going to say that we are doing a special, ultra special, supersized episode of Bewitched, actually two episodes on Bewitched.

Tony Maietta: 2:59

Now, listener, brad is always against me doing two-parters. He doesn't like us to do two-part episodes. But I said to him look, we have to do two parts for this for several reasons. First of all, it's really to me two different series Because, when I mean I can, the only series I can think of in which 40% of the original cast changed during the run of the show changed during the run of the show. So you have not just, of course, the most famous, the Darrens, but you have two different Louise Tates, two different Gladys Kravitzes. Frank Stevens started out as one actor, changed to another actor and then came back to the original actor for the last season. So it's like two different shows, don't you think?

Brad Shreve: 3:47

Yes, I do, and actually you left out Marion Lorne, who was Well, but her character didn't change. No, her character didn't change, but she was my favorite. Next on quality, she's everybody's favorite, and then she unfortunately passed away. And then they brought Was it? Two seasons later they brought Esmeralda in.

Tony Maietta: 4:05

Yes, actually, we're getting into our tidbits here. But yes, actually, alice Ghostly. They approached Alice Ghostly to replace the irreplaceable Alice Pierce. As Gladys Kravitz and Alice Ghostly, to her everlasting credit, said no, she was a friend of mine, she's irreplaceable, and so that's how we got the. I't really talk about sandra gould right now. But that's how? But yes, then esmeralda. They created the character of esmeralda, who was a absent-minded witch, but she wasn't an clara. They made a very clear point we cannot replace marion lauren yeah, and that was a smart move.

Brad Shreve: 4:43

Well, elizabeth, uh. Montgomery said no, yes, she did, she was adamant, she was very close, she was very close.

Tony Maietta: 4:47

She was very close with Marion Lauren. She actually accepted Marion Lauren's posthumous Emmy Award when Marion Lauren won Best Supporting Actress the year that she died. The fourth season of the year.

Brad Shreve: 4:57

Okay, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Tony Maietta: 4:58

We're getting way ahead of ourselves, way ahead of ourselves.

Brad Shreve: 5:01

Let's talk about 1164 Morning Glory Circle. Let's do it.

Tony Maietta: 5:04

I wanted to ask you what this show, what Bewitched, has meant to you as a person, as a gay man, what's the significance in your life?

Brad Shreve: 5:27

I remember watching this. I think it was every day in reruns with my mom. It was always a big deal. One of my mom's consistent lines was when I wanted something and I didn't want to wait, she would say I'm not, samantha, I absolutely adored it. I got to tell you watching it again. I'm like God there's so much to nitpick about this show and who gives a damn? It's fun as hell. So won't even go there, at least not right away. But I adored Uncle Arthur. I don't know if it was because of his flamboyant, which you know he was gay despite he. He never admitted it that I know of, or I just loved that he was a jokester. But god, I, I. He was only like 10 episodes and he had such an impact I might guarantee if you interviewed people they would say I think he was probably on 30 episodes yeah, yeah, well, the sign of a true impactful actor.

Tony Maietta: 6:09

You know, like, like Cloris Leachman on Mary Tyler Moore, people can't believe that she was only in like two or three episodes a season and you're like, but she was the impact. I mean he was a hugely impactful. Same with Dr Bombay. I always loved Dr Bombay. I love the way Dr Bombay disappeared. I loved he would just do that hand motion. It was so elegant, it was just and he was gone. He didn't do the arms like Agnes Moorhead, he just went. It was great, or Samantha's.

Brad Shreve: 6:33

I also love that he always showed up when he was in the middle of doing something kinky most of the time, always doing something bizarre and half the time it's kinky with his nurses.

Tony Maietta: 6:44

With his nurses. Like you, I mean, I remember very well reruns. This is just you know, this colors my childhood, this is in the fabric of my childhood, this show, watching it after school and just watching. I tell you what was really amazing for me was because they didn't show the Screen Gems, did not show the black and white episodes in syndication when Bewitched first syndicated because they figured no one would watch them. They were really hard to come by.

Tony Maietta: 7:12

And then I believe it was probably Nick at Night that first showed the black and white ones. And I was my mind, my life was. My mind was blown when I saw the black and white ones. They were so different was my mind was blown when I saw the black and white ones. They were so different. And just experiencing Alice Pierce, after years and years of the annoying, aggravating, insufferable Sandra Gould, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. So I became obsessed with the black and white ones, so much so that during there was an actor strike in the 80s, early 80s, and I wrote a letter to ABC and I said would you please you know you don't have any programming why not show the original black and white episode, the black and white episodes of Bewitched, because you can never see them anywhere. And I think I kind of created Nick at Night. I gotta tell you right now, they never answered me, but hello. So when you're watching TV, land right here. It's me, my idea. You're welcome, you're welcome world.

Brad Shreve: 8:13

As a fan of TV Land, I'll say thank you and I'm going to go back to Sandra Gold for a minute. Gladys Kravitz.

Tony Maietta: 8:20

If we must.

Brad Shreve: 8:21

Because you said that they didn't show the black and white. She's. The only one I knew was Gladys Kravitz. Yeah, that's all I knew, and I loved her and hated her at the same time. She was very annoying. So when the first time that I saw Alice Pierce, I'm like who is, what is this Gladys Kravitz? And I absolutely hated her because it just rubbed me wrong. It was like this isn't right. Watching it again, I'm like, wow, she's really good.

Tony Maietta: 8:50

She's brilliant, yeah, brilliant. She was a brilliant, brilliant actress. She's very Carol Burnett, like you know. If Carol Burnett's career had gone a different way, if Carol Burnett didn't have that incredible singing voice I think that you know, took her to Broadway and led her to Variety, she would have been fantastic. Mrs Kravitz, oh, she would have been, because, I mean, she's a little too young, especially for George Tobias, to be George Tobias' wife. But then again there's Vivian Vance and Bill Frawley. So you never know.

Tony Maietta: 9:23

But yeah, to me, alice Pierce has such humor, has such charm, has such nuance. Sandra Gould has no nuance. Sandra Gould has no charm. Sandra Gould is just annoying. But anyway, yes, we're getting way ahead of ourselves, way ahead of ourselves. What we're going to do today, dear listener, is we're going to kind of take the template of our Mary Tyler Moore episode and expand it, because we've decided to do two separate episodes On this episode. Today we're going to discuss the first five seasons of Bewitched, aka the Dick York years, and then in part two next week stay tuned for next week's episode we will talk about the Dick Sargent episodes. So basically the three seasons that Dick Sargent played Darren. But today it's Dick York land, dick York time and I'm so happy about that.

Brad Shreve: 10:20

And you mentioned, I don't like two parters. When you first said to me, I kind of shuddered for a second. I thought, no, this one we have to. To me, I kind of shuddered for a second. I thought, no, this one we have to. I got to tell you, though, this was the most painful, the most excruciating assignment that you've given me.

Brad Shreve: 10:35

Oh God, why I had such a how, out of 254 episodes, do I pick my favorite? I mean, I have my choice, but I'm like all these others. I want to talk about them all. We need a whole. Well, that's why we could do a bewitched podcast.

Tony Maietta: 10:49

Well, that's why we should actually, but that's why I said it has to be two episodes, Cause there was no way as hard as it was on Mary Tyler Moore. This was such a challenge and I don't know, and even even splitting it into two parts, I still had a hell of a time picking four episodes for the Dick York years. I just it was so difficult because I love them almost all of them so very much, so, very much.

Brad Shreve: 11:16

I'm the same way. I'm like I have all these other episodes I'd love to talk about, but I had to break it down. I'm like, okay, these are the best. They really reflect the show Hopefully both.

Tony Maietta: 11:26

Maybe when people listen to this they will email us, text us, their suggestions for their favorite episodes and, who knows, we can have a Bewitched 61st anniversary. I'd love that.

Brad Shreve: 11:38

Please do so.

Tony Maietta: 11:39

I would love that too. I'd love it at 60 years on September 17th 1964. And I think the reason we're here, the reason we're all here celebrating Bewitched, comes down to two words, and those two words are Elizabeth Montgomery. Has there ever been a more charming, more beautiful, more luminous television star than Elizabeth Montgomery? I really don't think so. I mean, you know I love Mary Tyler Moore, God knows I love Lucy. Elizabeth Montgomery is up there with them in the Pantheon. She is the most charming, lovable, just effervescent TV star I think there ever was.

Brad Shreve: 12:19

And if you're used to Samantha, as you usually saw her as a really good playing housewife, watch the first episode where she is so Samantha's so uncomfortable because Darren takes her to the society meeting and Samantha dresses up inappropriately and Darren's ex-fiance is there. She plays that so well and after seeing her play the housewife for so long and then seeing her in this incident where she's so unsure of herself, I like wow, she really is a good actress she was a wonderful actress.

Tony Maietta: 12:51

Well, all I have to do is watch her post bewitched work. I mean, it's all on youtube the legend of lizzie borden chilling uh, a case of rape chilling. She did those edna buchanan mysteries before she died. Incredible work, incredible work. Here's the thing about. The thing about.

Tony Maietta: 13:06

Elizabeth Montgomery was nominated for nine Emmys and four Golden Globes. She was nominated for Bewitched five times and I just want to get this out there in the beginning. Okay, she was nominated. She never won an Emmy for Bewitched. Now, as I said before, we all know how much I love Lucy. Okay, as I said before, we all know how much I love Lucy.

Tony Maietta: 13:32

But in 1967 and 1968, lucille Ball won back-to-back Emmys for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy. Now, the first one in 67 is really touching. She hadn't won an Emmy in a long time. She was totally surprised. Her speech is very touching. And then she won again. So I'm just going to put this out there. Let's please take back one of those, the 68, the repeat, because she didn't care. She was kind of sarcastic in her speech and she really didn't care. She was like, oh, I'm winning again. I think she had a piece of cheese in her mouth. Give it to Elizabeth Montgomery. How can you not give this woman an Emmy for this performance? I don't understand it. It's one of the biggest travesties in Emmy history, in awards history, as far as I'm concerned.

Brad Shreve: 14:14

I agree 100%. When I saw that, I was absolutely amazed that it wasn't more.

Tony Maietta: 14:19

It's shocking, isn't it? It's shocking, yes, it really was.

Brad Shreve: 14:22

Especially when you consider how popular the show was, I mean there were seasons that was above beverly, hillbillies.

Tony Maietta: 14:35

Oh, it was the. It was the number one rated tv sitcom. In its first season it was number two. It was behind bonanza, but as far as comedies go it was the number one comedy on television. It was abc's first biggest hit ever. It was ab ABC's big, an entire network's biggest hit ever. It was huge and it you know, it was in the top 10 for its first three seasons and then it fell to like 11, the final two. And then the unfortunate occurrence happened and we got I mean, we'll talk about Dick Sargent, but there was, there was an immediate drop in the ratings once Dick York left and it went to 24 and then it just bottomed out. In its last year I think it was 72, which I think is unfortunate. And we'll get to this in our next episode, because there are some episodes from the final season I actually really like. But we'll get to that. We'll get to that later.

Brad Shreve: 15:23

I agree and tell me. Well, I know for a fact that ABC, when it comes to between CBS and NBC, abc, is much younger, much Still been around a while, but it's much younger. And so you're telling me that for the decade and a half I'm going to guess maybe two decades that it was on actually probably a decade and a half it never really had a hit.

Tony Maietta: 15:44

It had a couple of hits, but it didn't have this kind of gargantuan. It didn't have Lucy, it didn't have the Honeymooners, it didn't have George Burns and Gracie Allen. These were all CBS, nbc. So when they bought this little series about a witch who marries a mortal from Screen Gems, they had no idea. They had no idea what was going to happen. In fact, there was some resistance to it because they thought that it would not be accepted in the South. The idea of a witch was a little too conservative for the South. So they were a little worried. And then Chevrolet, the sponsor, came on board and they said let's do it, and it became their biggest hit ever, their biggest hit ever. So I think it's amazing.

Brad Shreve: 16:21

And the last thing before we get into I want to say about Elizabeth Montgomery she should have won more awards, but at least it made her very rich.

Tony Maietta: 16:30

Oh yeah, Well, you know she had a piece of it, she got a piece of it in the sixth season and then a bigger piece of it in the last season. So God bless her. Well, I'm going to talk a little bit more about Elizabeth Montgomery and then we'll go into which, because I think it's important to put it in context For people who don't know. For her formative years, elizabeth Montgomery was basically known as Robert Montgomery's daughter, because she was the daughter of Robert Montgomery, who was a very, very big movie star in the early talkies, I mean right up until the late forties. He, he, he became a director in the late forties.

Tony Maietta: 17:00

He played Philip Marlowe in Lady and the Lake. He was in Night Must Fall. He got an Academy Award nomination. He was also for. He was also instrumental in the formation of the Screen Actors Guild. So he was quite a guy, robert Montgomery. He was a big, big star in the early. He was with them all. He was with Garbo, he was with Crawford, he was with Shearer, because MGM was top-heavy with actresses. They didn't have enough really strong actors until Clark Gable came along, until Spencer Tracy came along, so Robert Montgomery stepped in. So the point of that being, robert Montgomery was a big movie star.

Tony Maietta: 17:33

He was married to a Broadway actress, elizabeth Allen, and they had a daughter in 1933, and her name is Elizabeth Montgomery. She was born on April 15, 1933, and she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. She was a Beverly Hills kid. She grew up in privilege, she was surrounded by luxury, she had a lot of celebrity friends, but that was the way it was back then. They were all like it was an industry town. She even said that I didn't think I was anything special.

Tony Maietta: 18:01

My father went to work every day and came home and my mother was there and we had this house and I rode my bike and I went to school and that's the way it was. So it wasn't until later on she realized her lineage and the tradition, when she wanted to become an actress. And she became an actress and began her career in 1951 on her father's TV show Her father had in the early fifties. Another amazing thing about Robert Montgomery was he switched. He realized the potential in television. Not a lot of people did. Most people in the movies stayed far away from television. He realized the potential and he produced a show called Robert Montgomery Presents and it was a big show in the 50s and Elizabeth Montgomery made her acting debut on his show in 1951. And that's how she got started.

Brad Shreve: 18:45

And I didn't know that stuff. Usually you don't catch me by surprise too much, because I do a little bit of delving, not nearly as much as you do but I had no idea that was her father.

Tony Maietta: 18:54

Yeah, yeah, no, he's a great guy. It's funny because he was very conservative, but 50s conservative, not batshit crazy conservative like we think he was. He was basically a democrat, is what you're trying to say he was.

Tony Maietta: 19:11

He was very conservative and his daughter, elizabeth, was very liberal, so they had a lot of battles um in that way. But here's a conservative who was instrumental in creating the screen actors guild. So hello, that tells you something. Right, there he was. He was. He had a lot of integrity, robert montgomery. But one of his co-stars was also one of Elizabeth Montgomery's mentors and later best friends, bette Davis. Now Bette Davis and Robert Montgomery did not like each other.

Tony Maietta: 19:37

They made a film together called June Bride, in which it's amazing, they got through it because they didn't kill each other each other. But when Elizabeth Montgomery was in New York as an actress trying to make her way, she ran into Bette Davis at a party and of course they knew the family and Bette Davis became a mentor to Elizabeth Montgomery, which is really kind of sweet. And I'll just tell one quick funny story and then we'll get into Bewitched history. So Elizabeth Montgomery was hanging out at Bette Davis's house one day and they were talking and Betty Davis was the only person that Elizabeth Montgomery let call her Betty. Nobody else could call her Betty.

Tony Maietta: 20:16

She was Elizabeth, later she was Lizzie, but never Betty. But she let Betty Davis do it. She let Betty Davis do it. So they're having a discussion at Betty Davis's house one day and they got into a disagreement and they got into an argument and Elizabeth Montgomery said that Betty Davis got up and walked out, stormed out of the room and then turned around and said Betty, when they make a movie of my life you should play me, and I don't think that's necessarily a compliment. And then she turned and walked out.

Brad Shreve: 20:51

Oh, I love that.

Tony Maietta: 20:53

So Elizabeth Montgomery had some fire in her. I'll tell you. I'll tell you anyway.

Brad Shreve: 20:59

Tony, you and I get excited when we get messages and emails and texts from listeners that tell us how much they enjoy the show.

Tony Maietta: 21:06

We do.

Brad Shreve: 21:07

But you know, I think we should push it a little bit and ask them to go a little bit further.

Tony Maietta: 21:11

Ooh, a challenge.

Brad Shreve: 21:12

If you enjoy this show, let others know. Five stars are great, whatever you want to give, except one star. If you have one star, say you know, this show is not for me and move on.

Tony Maietta: 21:21

We accept that. Yeah, Say you know this show is not for me and move on. We accept that, yeah, you don't need to. Don't give us one star. Just say no, not for me, Just skip it. Or tell your friends. That's the best way too, right? Tell your friends, hey, I have this great fun podcast with these two kooky guys who talk about movies and TV. We run the gamut. We have everything.

Brad Shreve: 21:44

Yeah, we're all over. The place is a better way to put it, but in a good way.

Tony Maietta: 21:46

So do it right now, before you forget. So Elizabeth Montgomery was a very busy actress in the 50s. She was working on her father's show, she was doing a lot of TV. She was nominated for an Emmy for an episode of the Untouchables, actually, and she was in a movie called Johnny Cool. And when she was on this movie, on the set of Johnny Cool, she met her director, and her director was a guy named William Asher. Now, for anybody who doesn't know, william Asher is kind of another one of these legendary directors from TV's golden age. He worked on a little TV show called I Love Lucy. So, if you like, I Love Lucy, his very first episode was actually job switching, the Candy Factory episode. So you know, william Asher had some cred. I mean, when Lucy O'Ball likes you, yeah, you got some cred. So William Asher was a very famous TV director that he was branching out into films and he met Elizabeth Montgomery on the set of Johnny Cool. They fell in love.

Tony Maietta: 22:42

William Asher and Elizabeth Montgomery got married. They wanted to find a project in which they could work together and they went to a company called Screen Gems with an idea they had for a TV show called the Fun Couple, and it was a story that was centered around a millionaires who marries a mechanic and they face all these problems due to opposition from his family, and they brought it to the company Screen Gems. Now, screen Gems was pretty well known in the industry for creating really family-oriented sitcoms. They did Father Knows Best, leave it to Beaver this kind of stuff. And Screen Gems was headed by this guy named Harry Ackerman who used to be president of CBS, and then he took over Screen Gems. And do you remember, brad, when we talked about Tootsie? And I said to you that it's a lot more common than you think when two projects kind of are being created independently of each other, without the other one's knowledge, and they kind of come together to create another project.

Brad Shreve: 23:48

Yes, yeah, we had that whole discussion. I don't know where you're going with this. This has my interest.

Tony Maietta: 23:53

Well, this is exactly what happened in this case, because while Elizabeth Montgomery was with Bill Asher and they were talking about this show called the Fun Couple, there was a project being developed at Screen Gems by a writer-producer named Saul Sachs I Married a Witch and the film Belle Book and Candle I Married a Witch was from the 40s with Fredrick March and Veronica Lake, and Belle Book and Candle had Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak and they're both about witches. Kim Novak and Veronica Lake both play witches, so Solstice developed this series about a witch who marries a mortal and just as it was being developed, bill Asher brought this idea about called the fun couple to Screen Gems and the two came together at this time to develop Bewitched Now, the show Bewitched. The original idea that Screen Gems was developing was originally offered to the actress, tammy Grimes. Remember we talked about her and the boys in the band yes, but she decided she didn't want it. She, we talked about her and the boys in the band yes, but she decided she didn't want it. She didn't want to play the role.

Tony Maietta: 25:06

So they were looking for an actress and it was exactly the same time that Elizabeth Montgomery and William Asher brought them the idea for this show called the Fun Couple, and they went. Wait a minute, let's bring these together. Here's our witch, right here it's Elizabeth Montgomery. And that's how that project first began.

Brad Shreve: 25:21

Well, I didn't know that. I knew that it was based on the two movies I don't think I've ever seen I Married a Witch, but Bell Book and Candle. If you haven't seen it. But you know Bewitched watch it and you're like oh, this is where Bewitched came from.

Tony Maietta: 25:34

Yeah, it is pretty good. And Kim Novak's wonderful. It's wonderful, isn't it? So yeah, so that's how that happened. Now, the character in the original premise for Bewitched was not called Samantha. Do you know what she was called?

Brad Shreve: 25:47

I heard it a long time ago, so no, I don't remember.

Tony Maietta: 25:49

The character was called Cassandra. Ah yes, when it was offered to Tammy Grimes her name was Cassandra. But Elizabeth Montgomery nixed that. She said no, no, no, no. She said I don't like that name because of all of its Greek mythological implications. You know, cassandra, it's gloom and doom. And then they said to her well, why don't we call her Elizabeth? And she hated that even more. She thought no, that is so egotistical, I can't even do that. So she kind of she's growing a little shade to the Lucys and the Marys out there when their characters are named after them. But anyway, she said I couldn't imagine having a TV character named after me. No, no, no, no, no, I like the name Samantha. So she came up with the name Samantha, so the character was named Samantha. Now they had to find a husband and when Tammy Grimes was involved they approached the actor, richard Crenna, and he declined. And then they offered it to a second actor, a very familiar name, and you know what his name was Brad.

Brad Shreve: 26:44

Let me think Is it Dick Sargent?

Tony Maietta: 26:46

It was Dick Sargent. Oh, I didn't stop you, you got that one.

Brad Shreve: 26:50

No, I knew that one.

Tony Maietta: 26:51

Good for you, you got that one. Yes, darren was offered to Dick Sargent first. So all you anti-Dick Sargent people out there, of which I am one, so I got to eat this crow too. Dick Sargent was actually offered the part of Darren first, but he was already committed to another series. So they went with their third choice, which was an actor named Dick York.

Tony Maietta: 27:17

Dick York was a gifted comedic actor who had been in films and TV. He won praise for his role in the movie Inherit the Wind opposite Gene Kelly and Spencer Tracy. He in films and TV. He won praise for his role in the movie Inherit the Wind opposite Gene Kelly and Spencer Tracy. He's a wonderful actor. He was a wonderful actor. He was also in the TV production just before this, the TV version of the film Going my Way, also with Gene Kelly. So he auditioned with Elizabeth Montgomery and, according to Dick York, their chemistry was immediate. And I don't know about you, but I mean for me personally. I would totally agree with that. I think their chemistry is so wonderful. I think they have such a romantic, loving chemistry between them that it's immediate. It makes sense. They seem like they're a couple. They seem like they're a young couple in love.

Brad Shreve: 27:57

Yes, most definitely.

Tony Maietta: 27:58

And you can see why she would put up with his request that she deny her heritage and who she is because she wants to please him so much. I totally buy that. I think their chemistry is absolutely wonderful. I think he's a wonderful comedic actor. So they had their darren and they had their samantha. Now they needed the third major character of samantha's, and do you know how that came about?

Brad Shreve: 28:25

Well, I know that she was called, I think just mother Right Agnes Moorhead called her Andorra and the actress yes. Yes, agnes Moorhead is the one that gave her a name, which is a great name, and I got to say this about Andorra. She is the country's first well-known bitchy drag queen. That's true.

Tony Maietta: 28:49

That's true. Yes, and Agnes Moorhead came up with the name Endora. It's based on the Witch of Endor from the Hebrew Bible and she was an entity who could summon the dead, basically in the Hebrew Bible and if you know anything about it, agnes Moorhead's really fascinating. She was the daughter of a minister. She was almost what we would call fundamentalist Christian. Agnes Moorhead was which seems kind of antithetical that she would then play a witch.

Brad Shreve: 29:16

I always thought that I did know that about her and the fact that she played a witch and the fact that she was working with Elizabeth Montgomery, who fact that she played a witch, and the fact that she was working with Elizabeth Montgomery, who we know is very liberal. But I'm going to jump ahead. I'm also thinking that may be one of the reasons why she didn't like Dick Sargent as well. We'll get to that later next episode.

Tony Maietta: 29:32

Yes we'll get to that later, because that was a big thing too that I was like, oh really, this is interesting. So the story goes and this is according to Elizabeth Montgomery told this story that they didn't know who they were going to get to play this larger than life, crazy mother. And Elizabeth Montgomery was in New York shopping in a department store one day and she said she heard this extraordinary voice behind her talking to the salesperson and she said she turned around and she saw this woman with huge head of red hair, orange like hair, wrapped up in pink tool, and she approached the woman. She said excuse me, are you? And the woman said immediately agnes moorhead.

Tony Maietta: 30:07

Yes, and she said, oh, I'm, I'm elizabeth montgomery. And she was oh, how are you blah blah? Because she knew everyone knew her father. And she said, um, have you ever thought about doing a tv series? And agnes moor had said, no, no, no, well, maybe it was that fast. So obviously something happened in the conversation, because agus moore had wasn't just some, you know, out of work actress shopping in the department store. I mean, this woman had already had a very, very illustrious career. She was in what is arguably the most famous film of all time, or the greatest film of all time, citizen kane. And I argue that you argue the greatest film of all time, citizen Kane, and I argue that you argue, the greatest film of all time.

Brad Shreve: 30:47

Yes, I will argue that We'll have to go into the Citizen Kane one day.

Tony Maietta: 30:50

Oh yeah, I do too. I don't think so.

Brad Shreve: 30:51

I think people will remember her from two roles that are a little later. First of all, definitely they'll remember her from the Twilight Zone yes, what is continuously rated one of the many people rated as the best twilight zone ever uh, it is the episode where she is a mute woman, and it was 1961, just before this show started, and it was the one called the invaders, where the tiny ship was attacking the earth woman.

Brad Shreve: 31:22

Air quotes the earth woman yes uh, and it's, it's a brilliant episode. She doesn't say a word and she's so good in it. The other thing that I also remember in it's a very short role for her is in how the west was one. Yes, he played the. I can't remember what her role was, but I remember she was on a raft and she drowned.

Tony Maietta: 31:40

Yes, yes, well, you know, one of her lifelong friends was Debbie Reynolds, they were very close. She was also in the Singing Nun with Debbie Reynolds, and this is going to be off tangent, but I'm going to tell it because it's a Carrie Fisher story. So anyway, you know, paul Lynn, when he had a couple of drinks with him, not only became very obnoxious, so they say, but he would say things about people, and he's the one who really started the rumor that Agnes Moorhead was a lesbian.

Tony Maietta: 32:08

Now I'm sure there's people out there who've heard this that Agnes Moorhead was a lesbian, because Bewitched is basically the gayest show ever. And this is what's funny because. And so Carrie Fisher talked about this and she said you know, my mother, debbie Reynolds, was very close with Agnes Moorhead. They were in the Singing Nun together. They were in how the West Was Won together. She'd probably consider her almost her daughter. They were that close. And she said her mother would get very offended that people would say Agnes Moorhead was a lesbian because she was just a very strict Christian woman. It wasn't. There really wasn't anything about sexuality about her. I mean, she would come to the set with her script in one hand and a Bible in the other. This is who Agnes Morehead was, isn't that funny? So anyway, but Debbie Reynolds also had rumors that she was a lesbian. Someone brought that up to Carrie Fisher, mostly begun by her former husband, eddie Fisher, and Carrie Fisher always said no, my mother was not a lesbian, my mother was just a very, very bad heterosexual.

Brad Shreve: 33:12

Oh, that sounds so Carrie.

Tony Maietta: 33:14

Anyway, we're way, I'm way. I'm sorry I'm way, way off off the subject there.

Brad Shreve: 33:18

So I just we have a. We have a lot more to do. We have a lot of episodes to cover. We do.

Tony Maietta: 33:21

So we're let's let's get into the, let's get into the production of this. We're going to talk about the production and the pilot. Do you want to talk a little bit about the pilot of Bewitched, the first episode? I, darren, take you Samantha.

Brad Shreve: 33:34

I guess I love this episode and it's one of the things I'm kind of disappointed in Bewitched, because this episode it is so sexy. It's the beginning when Darren and Samantha just a touch on when they met very quickly, but then it's after they got married and Samantha is trying to explain to Darren that she is a witch. He, of course, doesn't believe her, so she has to do some spells. But there is this chemistry between the two. You believe this is a couple that are madly in love. And the other thing is Darren's a man about town. He talks about with his ex-fiance about cruises, they went on and these fancy trips, and he and Samantha go to her house for a party and it's with all these hoity-toity people. People and I. What I wish is that we had that sexiness as a young hip couple for like the first season and then transfer them over into Morning Glory Circle.

Tony Maietta: 34:33

Yes.

Brad Shreve: 34:33

I really love that. We had that the first episode. But then the second episode they moved to the suburbs. So I hate to complain because I loved them in Morning Glory Circle.

Brad Shreve: 34:42

So I hate to complain because I loved them in Morning Glory Circle, I think the fact that they had so many outdoor shoots is one of the reasons why this show was so successful, because it felt real. They walked across the street to their neighbors, they had a yard, they had trees, they worked outside and indoors. I mean, everyone loved the house, but they felt like a real couple, except one happened to be a witch, with family members that are kooky. Yes yes, we all have family members that are kooky.

Tony Maietta: 35:08

There's the fun couple for you, elizabeth Montgomery and Bill Asher's pilot. It leaks in there. Well, you know. I think, though, that's the thing about. The pilot is the pilot. First of all, the pilot. They began filming the pilot on here's a day, on November 22, 1963. So quite an auspicious date to start working on a TV series. But despite the fact they were shaken, bill Asher said they were determined to keep the schedule and plow through. And Bill Asher was a personal friend of John F Kennedy's. He produced the Happy Birthday, mr President.

Brad Shreve: 35:41

Famous Marilyn Monroeroe segment and I do want to stop you for our younger folks that day. What we're talking about, oh, is the day john f kennedy was assassinated do you really think anybody listening to this podcast is so young?

Tony Maietta: 35:55

yes okay, not everybody's good with dates. Okay, yes, the date the president kennedy was assassinated was. They began, but they managed to uh, to plot on through Elizabeth Montgomery. By the way, ps was three months pregnant during the filming of the pilot. I don't know if you could notice that Her outfits were pretty blousey and she's a negligee for part of it too.

Brad Shreve: 36:16

Yeah, I had known that before and I forgot. And I'm like oh my goodness, Look at her, she is pregnant and I remember.

Tony Maietta: 36:23

Yeah, yeah, you can kind of tell she was, she was. Yeah, she, you can tell, especially when the show picked up a year later, almost when they began filming the series. It was like a year between the pilot and then she had her baby and then she recovered.

Brad Shreve: 36:35

And she looked fabulous, but you know what I?

Tony Maietta: 36:36

love about. What I love about the pilot is did you notice in the pilot they mention when she confesses to Darren, I'm a cauldron stirring, broom riding witch. He talks about his aunt who thinks she's a lighthouse, and she stands up on the roof, you know, to warn the ships when it's raining. And that came back. I love that, that little act, because when his parents meet Aunt Clara later on, elizabeth Montgomery says to him you have an aunt who thinks she's a lighthouse. I love that consistency.

Tony Maietta: 37:04

That was so they planted that scene. Of course, it all went to shit after that. It all fell in the toilet and there were two different Darrens and two different Louise, but you know what I'm saying. They started it out with real integrity, which I love about the early part of this series.

Brad Shreve: 37:17

But even with the cast changes, most of the show was pretty good at continuity.

Tony Maietta: 37:21

There were some errors?

Brad Shreve: 37:22

Well, please, how many? Much better than the other shows. In the 60s, a lot of shows just didn't even care about continuity. I think they did a pretty good job.

Tony Maietta: 37:30

I got to disagree with you. There are actors and actresses who play Darren's clients. The same actor over and over, and you're like, oh my.

Brad Shreve: 37:39

God her again him again. How many times has this guy been on this show as a different client? It was annoying, and he also had a different secretary.

Tony Maietta: 37:46

it seemed like every week yeah, there was no continuity in the secretaries. Yeah At all.

Brad Shreve: 37:49

But I'm just talking about continuity in the story.

Tony Maietta: 37:51

So I love that. You know what else I love about this episode, the first few episodes, is it's like a two-part episode, because you have the first part where he finds out she's a witch, and you think that would be the entire series, entire episode. It wasn't, it was only the first part. And then there's a second act and it's Sheila. Yes, I love Sheila. It's Sheila Darren's ex, played by the wonderful Nancy Kovacs. I love that. I love it. Sheila. Tell us about Sheila.

Brad Shreve: 38:20

Well, Sheila, I fortunately get to. We aren't going to talk about her too much during the pilot because I get to talk about an episode later when she comes back, which I'm very excited they brought her back. I think it was three years later.

Tony Maietta: 38:32

Yes, twice, but she is this Two episodes in a row.

Brad Shreve: 38:35

She is this royal royal rich bitch. Yes, yes, bitch, yes, yes who was engaged to darren, and she does everything she could to humiliate samantha and that's why I said samantha wears the wrong clothes. She told samantha that the party that her and darren were going to was casual. So samantha wears this casual outfit and asked darren, are you sure? And he goes. Oh yes, and of course everybody's dressed to the nines.

Tony Maietta: 39:01

When samantha shows up and she's very condescending to Samantha and let's just say she's such a bitch that when Samantha gets even with her, it's rich, it's rich, it's so rich they had to do it again in color, the second time for your episode, which we'll talk more about, the wonderful Sheila. And the second thing I love about this episode is Dave. Do you know who Dave is? Dave? Dave, no, darren's drinking buddy.

Brad Shreve: 39:34

Oh my God, Dave Wilson.

Tony Maietta: 39:35

Dave, the mythic Dave. I love Dave. He only appears in the bar drinking with Darren. That's the only time we ever see Dave is when Darren goes to the bar. Actually, no Wait. Oh you're going to stump me, uh-oh.

Brad Shreve: 39:50

Yes, because I was shocked. I'm going to jump way ahead, because one of the episodes we're going to talk about in the next episode with the Dick Sargent series was an episode called the Salem Saga, and they are in Salem Massachusetts, for a reason we'll get into later. And he is. It's the same Dick Wilson who's been in the drunk at the bar and you guys may know him as Mr Whipple in all the Charmin commercials.

Tony Maietta: 40:18

The drunk no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You're thinking of a totally different character, brad. You're thinking of a totally different character. Dave is not the alcoholic that, yes, I know exactly who you're talking about.

Brad Shreve: 40:30

Oh, I know who you're talking about the guy that was always complaining about his wife.

Tony Maietta: 40:33

Yes, yes, yes, dave is Darren's drinking buddy. That's all he ever did. Yes, he was played by an actor named gene blakely. Okay, and yes, that's all he ever did. All he ever did was meet darren. Whenever would darren would be upset? Suddenly darren would be in a bar and he would be drinking with him. He only appeared in eight episodes of, and mostly in the first year. His final appearance was um in the fourth season and it was the episode as If we Never Met, which is kind of fitting because he's remembering they were figuring out what it'd be like if they never met. So naturally, dave is there. But I love Dave. Dave never listens to a word Darren is saying. He just answers him. He talks. Darren talks, he talks. Darren says my wife is a witch. They're all witches, I know it. It's so funny. He's totally oblivious and then he drinks his drink and leaves. So I love Dave. I think Dave is such a great character.

Brad Shreve: 41:30

Yeah, yeah, the man I went on tangent about is Dick Wilson, and we'll talk about him later.

Tony Maietta: 41:34

Yes, yes, the infamous Mr Whipple. Yes, absolutely yes, all the pilot was filmed and the first episodes were filmed almost a year later. And when Bewitched premiered, it got mostly positive reviews, particularly for the actors, and they realized that they had a hit on your hands because by the end of the first season, as we said, it was the second highest rated show on television.

Tony Maietta: 42:01

Now, before we go into episodes, I have a couple questions for you and I want to see if you know, this All right, and Dora called Darren by his correct name Eight times during the whole series, three times in just one episode, because she had a charm, she was under the spell of a charm, so she called him Darren. But what were some of the other names that Endora called Darren?

Brad Shreve: 42:29

The one I always remember the most is Darwood.

Tony Maietta: 42:31

Durwood, durwood's the most famous one, durwood.

Brad Shreve: 42:34

Durwood, darwood, devon.

Tony Maietta: 42:37

Dobbin Delmore.

Brad Shreve: 42:39

Dobbin Delmore, dustin Dirty. It's a running joke that never got old.

Tony Maietta: 42:44

It's hysterical, it's hysterical, I love it, I love it, I love it. And okay, here's another tidbit for you Elizabeth Montgomery didn't really twitch her nose. What was it? She was actually twitching.

Brad Shreve: 42:55

That I knew.

Tony Maietta: 42:56

Her upper lip Correct, because it was a nervous habit she had that she wasn't even aware of until Bill Asher mentioned it to her. And.

Brad Shreve: 43:06

I learned that when they made that horrible bewitched movie.

Tony Maietta: 43:09

Yes.

Brad Shreve: 43:10

And I can't remember who the actress was that played Samantha.

Tony Maietta: 43:13

Nicole Kidman.

Brad Shreve: 43:15

Okay, nicole Kidman played Samantha and she talked about how she had to learn how to do that twitch of her upper lip, whereas it came naturally with Elizabeth Montgomery.

Tony Maietta: 43:25

That's the only reason I know it was a nervous habit, A nervous habit that she wasn't even aware of. And then she did it right before they started filming and Bill Asher said that's it what you just did. That's it. But Elizabeth Montgomery said if she ever had like a glass of wine or she was tired, she couldn't do it, so she had to be very diligent. That she couldn't, that she wouldn't do it, all right, so should we dive into these episodes? Wow, we're already way in and we're just hitting our first episode.

Tony Maietta: 43:48

Yeah, this could be a long one. This is so strap in everybody. This is going to be fun. So my first episode is not much further after this episode. My first episode is from season one. It's episode four and it's called Mother Meets What's-His-Name, from October 8th 1964, written by Danny Arnold and directed by Bill Asher and, just like we said, many of these early episodes, it's really two episodes in one. There's a story for act one and there's a story for act two. Now, this was the third episode shot, but it was actually the fourth one to air, and the easy way to tell that is because it's the last one with the narration, and the narration in the pilot once upon a time there was a normal american girl is actually by jose ferrer. So I guess they figured yeah, isn't amazing. So I guess they figured it was a little too expensive to pay this oscar-winning to narrate our series. We're going to stop the narration. So this is the last one. I just love this episode so much for these two great acts. The act one is when the welcome wagon appears and it's our introduction. Well, it's not our introduction, but it's our first long-term exposure to the brilliance of Alice Pierce as Gladys Kravitz. Oh, she's so funny in this episode. She's so funny.

Tony Maietta: 45:06

What happens in part one is that the neighbors come over to welcome Samantha to the neighborhood. It's these three women it's Alice Pierce, gladys Kravitz and June and Shirley who appear in another episode later on I think the witches are out and then disappeared, which is unfortunate, because they're fun too and they're snooping and they're trying to figure out, you know, and Elizabeth Montgomery doesn't have anything unpacked. And so they're being real nosy neighbors and they go into the kitchen to have this cake that they brought, and there's no china, there's no cups, there's no silverware, but of course there's no cups, there's no silverware. But of course, magically, bone china, there's sterling silver, and this goes over their heads. They're totally oblivious to it. But the best part of the episode is that their telephone hasn't been hooked up yet.

Tony Maietta: 45:50

So while the other ladies are in the other room dealing with the children who have been tied up, three children, two children get tied up and one doesn't. Who tied up the third child? Gladys keeps saying that, but nobody's listening to her. So she runs into the kitchen to call Abner. She calls him on the phone and he doesn't understand it either and she's like don't you understand? Two kids tied up and one not tied up is normal. How did the third kid get tied up? So she hangs up and, as she's about to leave, the doorbell rings and she goes to the door and it's the telephone repairman there to set up the telephone. And so she lets him in and she goes to leave and she turns to Samantha and says oh, I let in the telephone repairman to hook up your telephone. And she leaves and she walks away and she stops and she does a take and she looks right at the camera and says to hook up your telephone it is such a brilliant take.

Tony Maietta: 46:46

I love Alice Pierce. I love Alice Pierce.

Brad Shreve: 46:50

What do you think of that? Let's talk about George Tobias for one second. Sure, he was so dry.

Tony Maietta: 46:54

Oh, he was.

Brad Shreve: 46:54

He was perfect and he stayed that way through the whole series.

Tony Maietta: 46:58

He did, even when he was with the annoying Sandra Gould. He was perfect. He was perfect and he stayed that way through the whole series. He did even when he was with the annoying Sandra Gould. He was the same character, yes, but she is so wonderful, the takes she does, they're so big, but they're so funny and they're so believable and you have such sympathy for her.

Tony Maietta: 47:14

I have no sympathy for Sandra Gould at all. She's just annoying. I wish she would go away. I wish someone would turn her into a toad or an artichoke and she'd be. She is so larger than life, I mean, she's just so imposing. And this is something I think that was lost as the series went on was this sense of suspense and this sense of drama. You really get Agnes Moorhead's dramatic chops here. I mean, the woman was nominated for four Oscars, for God's sake. You get the strength of Indora and the intimidation of Indora, and when she first meets Darren and you think they're going to get along, and he wants to call her by her last name and she goes, you'll never be able to pronounce it.

Brad Shreve: 48:12

Just call me.

Tony Maietta: 48:12

Indora and you think they might get along. And then it turns because Samantha doesn't do her witchcraft and Endora wants to know why she's not and she says why do you prevent my daughter from being herself young man? And uh, so that's how it starts. So it ends horribly because because Endora gets very furious and stands up and says young man, and Samantha saves Darren and says mother, don't. And she goes. Very well, she goes young man, consider yourself very lucky that you are not at this moment an artichoke. And then she does the most dramatic exit ever. I mean smoke and fire and boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And she's gone and we lost that as a series went on. I guess you couldn't do it every week, but I love that drama, I love that suspense, I love that intimidation of Agnes Moorhead.

Brad Shreve: 49:03

Yeah, they really played up in the earlier years that she was a very powerful witch and it did come up in the later episodes, but not nearly as much.

Tony Maietta: 49:12

Well, you really get the sense from Agnes Moorhead that she is a powerful witch. I mean just in her demeanor, in her composure. You know the way she carries herself. I mean the way she looks. You don't have to be told it, you get it. She could turn into an artichoke very quickly. But I love that episode. I love the fact that it sets up the relationship between Endora and what's-his-name, and mostly I just love the fact that alice pierce has just a wonderful, wonderful moment.

Brad Shreve: 49:41

It's probably the one episode where she and darren got along well until things fell apart. Later seasons they had to kind of unite together to do things to save samantha. But that was the one episode where they they got along until samantha dropped the bomb interesting.

Tony Maietta: 49:56

You say they got along because we're going to go on to my second episode. But before we do, I want to ask you did you ever notice that in the first six seasons Elizabeth Montgomery wears this really beautiful heart necklace in every single scene of every single episode? Did you ever notice that?

Brad Shreve: 50:16

No, but I'm going to take a guess that it was from her husband and because they split up at the end she wasn't wearing it anymore, that's right, it's very interesting.

Tony Maietta: 50:24

Yes, it was a gift. It was a white gold diamond pave heart that Bill Asher gave her as a love present and she wore it throughout the first five seasons of Bewitched up until sometime in the sixth season it disappears. I'm not sure exactly which episode. There was also more than one. She got a replacement for it and then in the final season it's replaced by a necklace with the letter S on it, unless she's wearing a choker, because she was very Maude by then. She was very that girl by then.

Tony Maietta: 50:57

She had the long hair and the boots. So some people might say that kind of was a harbinger of the fact that their marriage was falling apart, that she stopped wearing that beautiful heart necklace. All right, so my second episode choice is also from the first season. It's called A is for Aardvark and it's from January 14th 1965. It is written by Earl Barrett and directed by and here's one of the reasons I love it the wonderful, great, fantastic Ida Lupino.

Tony Maietta: 51:25

Now if anybody doesn't know who Ida Lupino was. Ida Lupino was a pioneer. She was the only female director working in the studio system in the 50s and the 60s. She was a pioneering producer of her own films. She did social films. She was the first woman to direct a film noir. She was also an actress. She began as an actress at Warner Brothers in the 40s. She had quite a career. She was in High Sierra with Humphrey Bogart, so she was very accomplished by this time. She transitioned to almost entirely directing. She would make occasional acting appearances and she directed this. And she knew Agnes Moorhead. They had been together in Hollywood in the 40s and I'm not saying there were problems, but the air was a little tense. According to Elizabeth Montgomery, agnes Moorhead liked to give people a hard time. She really tested people. She was one of those broads, like Bette Davis, who liked to push the limits.

Tony Maietta: 52:18

So I love this episode because people call it a template episode, because it really is what the show is about. Because in the episode Darren sprains his ankle and Samantha's waiting on him hand and foot and she's exhausted. So she suggests that she cast a spell to make the house cooperate with him and, as you can imagine, the power goes to his head and Endora says I told you so, so that's why I chose it. It's really the crux of the whole series. As Endora says, it's Adam and the proverbial apple all over again. And this is the first episode in which Andorra calls Darren by his correct name. She calls him Darren as soon as he says to Samantha I've been wrong making you forego witchcraft all these years. So suddenly she likes Darren very much, so she calls him Darren.

Tony Maietta: 53:13

But I particularly love this episode because of course it devolves and Darren becomes greedier and greedier. And then suddenly he has a realization when Elizabeth Montgomery decides she has to go all full bore with him to make him see how ridiculous he's being. And she does, and in the end he comes to the realization that this isn't the life he wants. And it happens because a necklace arrives that he had purchased for Samantha before this whole thing happened and Samantha starts to cry and she says to him I want you to believe that this necklace and you mean more to me than anything in the world. It's the most moving and touching scene and this is what I love about this show and this is what I love about Elizabeth Montgomery. It's so moving. She's such a good actress. She's crying, it's heartwarming and to me it's kind of what the series lost as it went on. It lost this wonderful heart, in this wonderful warmth, because it really is a love story and it's highlighted so well in this episode oh, I agree, I agree, I, I, you know what I?

Brad Shreve: 54:15

I didn't remember this one. And then I looked up after you said, uh, you're, you were going to do it. And I was like, wow, I love this one.

Tony Maietta: 54:23

Yeah, and so Samantha. So at the end Darren says is there any way you can make this all go away? So Samantha basically turns back the clock. They didn't do that a lot of Bewitched, but they did it in this episode and it, it. It's just a wonderful ending to this, to this sweet, warm, just beautiful, beautiful episode. So that's my second episode, you're up.

Brad Shreve: 54:46

So I'm going to move us to the second season and the reason why I chose my episode is because it's the first episode with Uncle Arthur and starring the incredible Paul Lynn, who just he was my favorite in the series, kind of mixed with Aunt Clara I'd have a tough time balancing the two. And you know he's the whole reason to watch Hollywood Squares. You go online and watch episodes of Hollywood Squares and you'll just laugh for hours. This episode probably. I forgot how funny this episode was. This is the one episode I think I watched with the whole family and we laughed and laughed and laughed. I mean this is probably the funniest that Darren ever was in the series that I can recall.

Tony Maietta: 55:27

And that's a tall order, because Dick York was a very funny actor. He's very Jack Lemmon-like.

Brad Shreve: 55:31

Yes. So the way the story goes is that Indora is visiting Sam and Darren and all of a sudden things start being silly around the house and they did they realize it's uncle arthur. So pauline makes his first appearance as uncle arthur and he meets darren, and darren is really mad at indora and arthur sees the antagonism that darren has and he pulls Darren aside and said let's get even with her Now. Arthur is Andorra's brother.

Tony Maietta: 56:05

So strange.

Brad Shreve: 56:08

They've never gotten along. It's implied. So you kind of think, oh, arthur is going to, he wants to get even with Andorra, so it makes it believable. So he decides he's going to tell Darren that he's going to give him powers and he's going to teach him a incandescent so that he can do something to Endora, he can put a spell on her. And what's so funny, darren at first is reluctant and then Arthur convinces him. And I don't remember if it's because Arthur was so persuasive, I think it was because Endra made him even madder and he just wanted to get even with Andorra.

Tony Maietta: 56:42

And he's an asshole. Basically, yes, yes.

Brad Shreve: 56:46

So Arthur decides to teach Darren how to do a spell, and what Darren has to do is ring a bell, blow into kazoo and do this absolutely ridiculous incantation. I don't remember it other than he says Yaga-zoo.

Tony Maietta: 57:06

Yaga-zoozy, yaga-zoozy, yaga-zoozy-zoo. Yes, I don't know.

Brad Shreve: 57:13

The second part yeah, that's the best part anyway. So they go through this whole thing. Darren goes out to the living room and looks at indora and sam and basically says, indora, I'm gonna teach you a lesson. And he rings his bell, blows his the uh, kazoo, the kazoo, thank you. I was gonna say tuba. And I knew that one right. He rings the bell, blows the kazoo, thank you. I was going to say tuba. And I knew that one right. He rings the bell, blows the kazoo and starts doing the ya-ga-zoosie, ya-ga-zoosie. And Dora and Samantha are just looking at him like what the hell are you doing?

Tony Maietta: 57:50

It's so funny.

Brad Shreve: 57:51

Because they don't even really understand that he's trying to do a spell. He's just acting insane.

Tony Maietta: 58:04

And he keeps doing it over and over again.

Brad Shreve: 58:05

Oh, it's so funny it's so funny, dick york. Oh, darren finally realizes that uncle arthur has made a fool of him and pulled a prank. So then, because they all want to get even with Arthur, especially Indora and Darren, they decide to play a trick on Arthur. And so they make this plan. And so Arthur comes back and Darren starts doing the yagazoozy, ringing the bell and doing the kazoo, and Samantha turns Indora into a parrot, which sends Arthur into a panic because his sister is now a parrot. And of course, darren doesn't know how to turn him back and, as we know from what has been established in this show, they broke it a couple times, or a few times, but one way actually more than a few times.

Brad Shreve: 58:56

But one witch is not supposed to be able to undo the spell of another witch.

Tony Maietta: 59:01

Yeah, there was always. That was pretty murky. Sometimes you could, sometimes you couldn't.

Brad Shreve: 59:04

It was the rules.

Tony Maietta: 59:05

Yeah, the witch's book of rules is very, very convoluted, yeah.

Brad Shreve: 59:11

It kind of depended on what they needed for the script.

Tony Maietta: 59:13

Right, right.

Brad Shreve: 59:14

So of course, Arthur panics, and in the end they bring Indora back and Arthur swears his prank days are over, which we know how well that went.

Tony Maietta: 59:27

How long that lasted. I just love the idea of Agnes Moorhead and Paul Lynn being brother and sister.

Brad Shreve: 59:36

I think it is the most hysterical idea.

Tony Maietta: 59:40

What the hell kind of family is this Actually? Where does Aunt Clara fit in? Is Aunt Clara in Dora? They're never clear. Is Aunt Clara in Dora's sister, Her sister-in-law? Who's Hagatha? Who's Enchantress? I mean, it's so funny. You're not really sure how these people are related, yet they're all related in some way or another.

Brad Shreve: 59:58

Actually, Clara is established as Endora's sister.

Tony Maietta: 1:00:02

She is.

Brad Shreve: 1:00:03

In one episode, and it may be one that you mentioned. It's the one where they want to take Clara's magic away from her.

Tony Maietta: 1:00:09

Right right, the trial and error of Aunt Clara yes.

Brad Shreve: 1:00:11

She basically, she basically is on trial, and it's actually one that I considered doing.

Tony Maietta: 1:00:18

I love that episode.

Brad Shreve: 1:00:19

And it is brought up. It's mentioned that Indora is her sister in that episode. The reason I didn't want to do that episode is because that is probably the one episode where Indora is the most evil like uncomfortably evil, I know.

Tony Maietta: 1:00:33

Why is she so mean to Clara? I don't understand that. I don't get it which Clara has slight revenge on the episode I'm going to talk about after your next one, so we'll get to that. But I never understand why she's so mean to Clara. But I love when Clara gets her little cracks at her. There's one episode where where clara says something about long samantha, I know she's your mother, but she can be quite trying sometimes.

Brad Shreve: 1:01:01

That's funny oh my god, now we're gonna move yeah, I love that episode.

Tony Maietta: 1:01:05

I love the joker is a card.

Brad Shreve: 1:01:06

What a great episode yes, yes, and the joker is a card. It was from season two, episode five, in October of 1965. I should have said that earlier. So now we're going to move almost just over a year later. This is going to be season three, episode nine, in November of 1966. And this one is called short happy circuit and I chose this one, similar to the reason why I chose the other one with pauline, because I adore aunt clara. Yeah, just love her. Who would not want aunt clara as their grandmother? I know she is so sweet and so kind and she tries so hard. You know it's heartbreaking that she can't do the magic like she used to. She, it bothers her, but she doesn't get upset about it because she's Clara. But you know, she just, she's just fumbling because she, she's an older witch and she, you know, she's losing her magic. And in this one it's one another time when Samantha and Darren have Aunt Clara babysit.

Tony Maietta: 1:02:11

You wonder why they? They always do that because you know she's going to do something.

Brad Shreve: 1:02:15

You just know she is. Well, it's the same thing with Esmeralda.

Tony Maietta: 1:02:17

Yeah, well, that's true.

Brad Shreve: 1:02:18

Yeah, that's true, and Darren always says I think this is a bad idea, and Samantha's like oh don't worry, nothing's going to go wrong.

Tony Maietta: 1:02:26

Since you mentioned Esmeralda, I just want to quickly ask you a quick question. This is a little quiz for you, because we talked about Aunt Clara, marion Lorne, alice Ghostly, esmeralda. What seminal 60s film did Marion Lorne and Alice Ghostly appear in together right before Marion Lorne died?

Brad Shreve: 1:02:47

Oh, do you know? Oh, I thought you were going to ask me a designing women question. No, I do love her. A designing women question.

Tony Maietta: 1:02:52

No, I do love her in designing women, but no.

Brad Shreve: 1:02:55

Yeah, she's awesome.

Tony Maietta: 1:02:56

I don't know 1960s film, a little movie you might have heard of called the Graduate. Oh, are you serious? There is a party scene in which Marion Lorne and Alice Ghostly play guests at this party together, and they're little cameos.

Brad Shreve: 1:03:09

But isn't that crazy. That is.

Tony Maietta: 1:03:13

Aunt party together and their little cameos. But isn't that crazy. That is aunt clara and esmeralda together. It's like alternate universes colliding in. And then there's dustin hoffman and anne bancroft. You're like where the fuck am I? What world is this?

Brad Shreve: 1:03:23

and anne bancroft would make a great witch she would have been a wonderful andora robinson. Oh yeah, mr robinson would have been a great andora but I interrupted you, so go.

Tony Maietta: 1:03:31

So go back to the trial. The short happy circuit of Aunt Clara.

Brad Shreve: 1:03:34

Okay, so Aunt Clara shows up. I pretty much am sure that she shows up in their fireplace, which she's done quite often. You never know where Aunt Clara is going to show up. She either shows up in a closet or I used to slip down straight through.

Tony Maietta: 1:03:50

Right Whoosh, I used to slip down straight through.

Brad Shreve: 1:03:54

Whoosh and Aunt Clara. When she shows up she's a little bit distraught because her longtime beau, aki, has left her for a younger witch, so she's a little disheartened. But she's going to babysit Tabitha, and so Sam and Darren go to the Tate's house again to meet one of the obnoxious clients that they always have. Who's going to make a pitch for McElroy's shoes? That's what he owns. And Darren agrees that Van Clara does not use her witchcraft in front of Tabitha. But Clara being Clara, she can't resist. And what she does in the spell is she blows a fuse and blocks out the electricity in the entire eastern seaboard she causes a blackout on the entire eastern seaboard, which you know was inspired by the real life blackout.

Tony Maietta: 1:04:54

Yes, I'm certain you know it was caused by. Okay, so everybody history books, it was caused by Aunt Clara on Morning Glory Circle.

Brad Shreve: 1:05:04

If you ever saw the movie, when Were you and the Lights Went Out, it was all caused by Aunt Clara.

Tony Maietta: 1:05:08

All caused by Aunt Clara.

Brad Shreve: 1:05:11

So anyway. So Darren is trying to do this presentation at the Tate House and this client is just a jerk, he just doesn't even want to pay attention. I don't know why he hired them to do this presentation because he doesn't care. So Darren is trying to do it in the dark and it's just not going well. They're trying to do it by candlelight and flashlight and as Clara tries to fix the electrical problem, she calls Aki for help and his powers are also starting to wane and, as such, he is only able to bring on the electricity at the Stevens' home, which, of course Gladys Kravitz, looking out her window, is yelling to Abner that there's lights on at the Stevens' home, abner. So, hearing that there is electricity at the Stevens' home, they all decide to leave the Tate's house. Now it's funny that the lights are off in the whole East Coast, but they don't seem to question that much why there is light on at the Stevens' home. Gladys Kravitz seems the only one that seems to think that's like really odd.

Tony Maietta: 1:06:14

They question it Again, again, again. Nobody listens to Gladys.

Brad Shreve: 1:06:20

Especially Abner, especially Abner. So, anyway, they show up at the house and Darren is able to do his presentation, and the way it ends is that Augie has to hide into a closet because they all show up.

Tony Maietta: 1:06:38

He has to keep his arms up. Every time he puts his arms down.

Brad Shreve: 1:06:42

Yes, he has to keep his arms up to keep the light on. I forgot about that. That was hysterical. If he puts his hands down, the lights go off, so he has to keep his arms up.

Tony Maietta: 1:06:50

And he's an old man.

Brad Shreve: 1:06:51

He's an old man, yes, so he has to keep his arms up and he's an old man. He's an old, yes. Yes, I felt so sorry for him. I wonder how long he had to do that. During the takes, I kept thinking about that.

Brad Shreve: 1:06:59

Well, during this time, gladys kravitz looks in the window and sees the man with his arms up in the air and when he takes him down, the lights go off and then they go up. So the tates and the client and the stevens are at the house. They're trying to do this presentation. It is not going well at all because we know from their show Darren's ad campaigns are absolutely horrible. I don't know how McManan and Tate stayed in business, even when Samantha came up with the campaigns for him. It's like, is she really a witch? Because that campaign sucked. Anyway, the guy doesn't buy into it.

Brad Shreve: 1:07:35

So Gladys Kravitz shows up, she sneaks into the house and she goes because the lights come back on and she hides in the closet. Well, augie is in there. So she screams and comes out. So they're like she's trying to explain that there's somebody there. And you know there's chaos as usual when Gladys Kravitz is around. And now he decides to leave. He has to leave because they open the door and he's not there. But when they open up, he walks out the front door, but all of him is invisible, except for his shoes, except for his shoes. So, mr McElroy, with McElroy's shoes is convinced this was part of the campaign.

Brad Shreve: 1:08:14

And that ends the day. They get the client.

Tony Maietta: 1:08:17

Once again, witchcraft got him into this mess and witchcraft got him out of it. And how fortunate and how coincidental that it's a client for shoes that sells shoes. Isn't that just interesting? I love that episode. She's so.

Brad Shreve: 1:08:32

Yes, marion Lorne. Marion Lorne episode, she's so.

Tony Maietta: 1:08:34

Marion Lorne. Marion Lorne, there was no one like Marion Lorne.

Tony Maietta: 1:08:37

I just I feel like you know the character in the, I think. But this woman waited until she was in her eighties until she finally got. She finally hit. Now. Marion Lorne worked her entire life. She's on Broadway, she was in theater. She was gorgeous, she was very, very, she was a very beautiful woman. She was on she's. She has a great role in strangers on a train, the hedgecock film. She was in mr peepers, which is a tv show nobody knows from the 50s, starring wallace cox, for years. But this, this was the overnight success of marion lauren. Finally, she found and she won the emmy, but she unfortunately, as we said, it was posthumously given to her because she died the following year. She died the year, uh, the fourth season of bewitched, which is, has the episode that I want to talk about I want to say one more thing before you move on.

Brad Shreve: 1:09:23

I know you're going to talk about her too. Yeah, I told you, my mom and I used to watch this show, and there are two characters that my mom talked about all the time. First of all, we loved Aunt Clara and the fact that she had a doorknob collection which Mary and Lauren apparently had in real life.

Tony Maietta: 1:09:37

She really did. Yes, yes, yes.

Brad Shreve: 1:09:39

She had a doorknob and I'm like to my mom, I thought that's ridiculous. My mom's like no, she really in real life she has a doorknob collection.

Tony Maietta: 1:09:52

And we both adored Clara. My mom talked about a lot was Mrs Stevens Darren's.

Brad Shreve: 1:09:54

Ah, the fabulous Mabel Albertson yes, played by Mabel Albertson and her Frank. I have a sick headache and my mom didn't find the least bit funny. She was so sympathetic towards Mrs Stevens, like she's like. Why don't they that poor woman thinks she's crazy? Please tell her. I love poor Mabel Albertson, I love.

Tony Maietta: 1:10:15

Mabel Albertson. She annoys me a little bit in this series sometimes because she's just so. How can you not love Elizabeth Montgomery? How can you be so antagonistic towards Samantha? She's so beautiful and charming and lovely. But you know, it's funny, elizabeth. I said a little bit about how Agnes Moore had a tendency to test people. She didn't test Mabel Albertson.

Brad Shreve: 1:10:37

Mabel Albertson would not put up with her shit. That doesn't surprise me.

Tony Maietta: 1:10:39

According to Elizabeth Montgomery, she said because Mabel wouldn't have any of it. So I love that about Mabel Albertson. She's like oh no, you don't, aggie. Not with me, you don't girl, I love that.

Brad Shreve: 1:10:54

So on to your next one.

Tony Maietta: 1:10:56

So my next one is from the fourth season. As I said, this has got to be. I have so many, it's so hard to say, but it really really is near, near, near the very top of my all-time favorite episodes. It's season four, episode 11, 118 in the series and it's called Allergic to Macedonian Dodo Birds and it's from November 16th 1967. And this is written by Richard Baer and directed by Richard Kinnan. Now, there are lots of reasons why I like this episode. What happens in this episode is Andorra loses her powers due to exposure to an ancient Macedonian dodo bird. So apparently she's allergic, as the title says, to this ancient Macedonian dodo bird, but she doesn't remember when it happened, because dodo birds have been extinct for centuries. So it's a real problem.

Tony Maietta: 1:11:48

And Endora is basically earthbound and has to live with darren and samantha, which as you can imagine you have never seen her so pitiful oh well, that's number one why I love this, why I love this episode. Agnes moorhead is hysterical. She is so pathetic when she loses her powers, her voice even changes that powerful voice she has. It's come this little weak thing and she goes. I've lost me powers and she goes. Darewood, help me.

Brad Shreve: 1:12:25

What was it? She was trying to pick up A coffee pot.

Tony Maietta: 1:12:27

Coffee, oh, it's heavy. She goes, she stays the night, she spends the night. She comes down in the morning and she still doesn't have her powers. And samantha says mother, would you, would you pour the coffee? And she can't do it by witchcraft. So she stands up and she goes to pick up the coffee pot and she almost falls over. She goes, it's heavy. So that's it.

Tony Maietta: 1:12:51

She's so funny, she's still. She's still calling him durwood, though, and she's asking him for help. And he says to her you know, if you're going to ask me for help, at least you can call me by my correct name. And she goes, I'll try, what is it? And he says darren, and she goes, I'll try, and a few moments pass. And she says Darren and she goes I'll try, and a few moments pass and she says Dennis. So she's also playing with him. That's what I also love about it, because there's this look in her eye like, yes, she's feeling helpless and she doesn't have anybody, but she's still given the screws to Durwood, which I think is so funny. So I love this episode for that reason.

Tony Maietta: 1:13:33

I love this episode because it also has Aunt Clara, because what happens when Endora loses her powers? Well, dr Bombay, which is number three why I love this episode, because of the wonderful Dr Bombay is in. It says that she's having an allergic reaction to a Macedonian dodo bird. And what happens when she hasn't lost her powers? They're out in the atmosphere and Dora goes. They're just hanging out in the atmosphere and he says no, unless a witch, who is a relative whose own powers are beginning to weaken, should come in contact with them. And what do you suppose happens at that exact moment? Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, smoke fire. There's aunt clara in a fetching new hat, in a wonderful little outfit, fully powered and extremely powerful extremely powerful.

Tony Maietta: 1:14:26

And of course, it's so funny because she doesn't know why. She's just like I. I got the zip back in my zing. She's cocky. I love how cocky she is, she's so, but still sweet, still sweet, aunt Clara. But she is. She's feeling her oats because now she can do things. She makes this sumptuous meal and she's going to go off and have dinner somewhere else. And so they realize that Aunt Clara probably has Andorra's powers. And she comes back, and this is my favorite line, I think, ever in Bewitched Aunt Clara says to Samantha I know, you think I stole Andorra's powers.

Tony Maietta: 1:15:01

I didn't steal Andorra's powers, I had no idea what's happening. She says and this is because I'm a swinger and I like to swing. Can you imagine Just think about Mary and Lauren saying I'm a swinger and I like to swing. Oh, it's so funny. So of course, yes.

Tony Maietta: 1:15:26

What happens is they find out eventually, because Endora keeps saying where's Tabitha? She's been up in her room all day. I want to see Tabitha in this really annoying whining voice. Well, it turns out that Tabitha from one of her picture books has materialized an ancient Macedonian dodo bird, which is this ridiculous massive puppet that comes down the stairs behind Tabitha. It's very funny. So they're actually able to pluck. Part of the antidote is plucking the tail of the dodo bird putting in Dr Bombay's drink and Dora drinks it and of course her powers are completely back.

Tony Maietta: 1:15:57

She's in Dora again and just at that moment you're a commotion on the roof. And who is it? It's Aunt Clara who's been waylaid. She was at the yacht races and suddenly she's on the roof and she can't get down. So things are back to normal. It is such a funny, funny, funny episode. I think it's also the reason. As I said, this was Marianne Lauren's last season. She won a posthumous Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy so well-deserved. It wasn't her final episode, but it was one of the final episodes.

Brad Shreve: 1:16:31

And you missed the part that I thought was the funniest in the episode. What's that is? When she said she's gonna go yachting and boom, the neighborhood isn't is an ocean and she's on a boat. And when gladys kravitz looks out the window. I mean she's seen many things and looking out that window, but she looks out and sees the water. And you see Clara there with her little sitting in her dinghy.

Tony Maietta: 1:16:58

And then immediately, samantha immediately changes it back. Though how could she do that?

Brad Shreve: 1:17:01

Because it's another witch's spell. Yeah, that's another one where they broke the rule.

Tony Maietta: 1:17:05

There you go, the murky waters of witchdom on Bewitched. I love Bernard Fox, dr Bombay, as I said before. He had actually been a guest star the second season playing a witch hunter and, like Paul Lynn, he made such an impression that they brought him back as a witch character and I just think Dr Bombay is a scream. Everybody is working it throughout. Most Dick York is so funny in this episode. Agnes Moorhead, as I said, brilliantly funny.

Tony Maietta: 1:17:32

Marion Lawrence steals my heart every time because she's a swinger and she likes to swing, so that's allergic to Macedonian dodo birds. Now, what's your last episode of this? What's your last choice for this episode, brad?

Brad Shreve: 1:17:46

My last choice for this episode and I chose it because we didn't do the pilot, and this is almost like a replay of the pilot, but it doesn't feel like it. It fits. Yeah, it's very, very, very similar. It's called Snob in the Grass and this brings back Darren's ex-fiancee.

Tony Maietta: 1:18:02

Sheila, the divine Sheila.

Brad Shreve: 1:18:04

Played by Nancy Kovac, who's just wonderful because she is such a snotty bitch and she's hysterical.

Tony Maietta: 1:18:12

I love her.

Brad Shreve: 1:18:13

Slapstick funny at the same time. Yeah, when the fly or the bee lands on her nose and she's looking cross-eyed at it. She's so elegant and all of a sudden she's like this cartoon clown and I'm like laughing hysterically.

Tony Maietta: 1:18:26

So anyway, do you know that Nancy Kovacs was originally going to be a recurring character who was going to be a foil for Samantha, but it didn't work out. So yeah, I'm sorry but I interrupted you, go back.

Brad Shreve: 1:18:36

That would have been interesting. So, darren, again there's a client that they're trying to impress, and it happens to be Sheila's father. So, Larry. Tate says Darren, you got to get a hold of Sheila and Sharon's, like no, no, no, no, no. Well, as Larry usually does, I don't know if he tried to fire Darren, as he does 10,000 times, or whatever- Every time.

Brad Shreve: 1:19:00

Whatever it is, they're best friends. But he's always ready to fire Darren. Yeah, he wants Darren to swoo Sheila so that they can win the Summers account, which is the company owned by Sheila's father. So Darren does meet up with Sheila in a bar. Well, actually, he and Larry go to the bar to meet Sheila and her father. Sheila alone shows up and Larry, being the asshole that Larry can be, excuses himself and leaves, leaving Darren with Sheila, who is being very seductive, trying to get him back.

Brad Shreve: 1:19:35

As she did in the pilot Like she did in the pilot. Yes, it's basically the same, just like she did in the pilot.

Tony Maietta: 1:19:39

It's the pilot in color. Exactly, pilot in color.

Brad Shreve: 1:19:41

She doesn't want to let Darren go, she wants him to dump his little housewife. And Indora, at this time, has already been talking to Samantha that she thinks Darren is cheating. Darren says of course not so, as he and Sheila are sitting at a table and Sheila has her hands all over Darren, and Dora shows up as a waitress and throws the tray of food into Darren. That's such a funny moment. She turns around, they're trying to order and she turns around wearing this ridiculous waitress outfit and it's Indora. The look, the look.

Tony Maietta: 1:20:19

It's Indora and she throws the plate right in his lap, and then she just looks at him and smiles.

Brad Shreve: 1:20:23

Yes. Before that, the look on Darren's face yes, like oh shit, yes, so Samantha will not talk to darren and they reconcile. She finally believes darren that this was something going on, and darren says we have to go to this party that sheila is holding. And uh, so in the first episode she told samantha that was going to be a casual affair. And so samantha shows up wearing casual clothing and of course it's a formal affair. So this time Sheila says it's a casual affair, we're just doing like a little picnic. Well, it's a very wealthy little picnic and Samantha says I'm not going to fall for it again this time.

Tony Maietta: 1:21:07

Yes.

Brad Shreve: 1:21:08

And Samantha dresses up very formally and Darren has on a tux. I guess she convinced Darren to wear the tux. Sheila opens up the door and once again she fooled Samantha. It is indeed a casual affair.

Tony Maietta: 1:21:21

Yeah.

Brad Shreve: 1:21:21

And very quickly, though Darren says we have another affair we have to go to after this one, yeah, he saves it Very good.

Brad Shreve: 1:21:28

Yeah, that did save it. So she's not humiliated in that way. But the rest of the time she is talking down samantha. She's talking about they're going to go on this uh trip and she's invited all her friends to go on this trip. I can't remember where it was, but this very expensive trip. And she says to samantha what are you doing this summer? Why don't you come with us? And samantha's like we're, we're replacing our plumbing. So then there's a bee flying around sheila's head or a mosquito, I don't be or a fly, we don't really ever find out. And so samantha has it land on sheila's nose and sheila's like freaking out, looking cross-eyed at her nose, just looking ridiculous, the butler. She tells the butler to do something about it. It gets in her hair and he smacks her head, knocking her wig off.

Tony Maietta: 1:22:22

She's a blonde, which happened?

Brad Shreve: 1:22:22

in the first episode. Yes, she is a blonde and she's a blonde. Yes, it happened in the first episode. She's a brunette, but nope, she's really a blonde. Her wig comes off. Then the dog happens to be next to the hose and Samantha turns on the hose and has the dog pick it up in its mouth. Well then the dog very quickly gets muddy.

Tony Maietta: 1:22:43

Yes.

Brad Shreve: 1:22:44

And the dog runs over and jumps on Sheila, covering her with mud, and Sheila jumps up. She's absolutely humiliated and that's Samantha's revenge.

Tony Maietta: 1:22:55

And, of course, at the end, you miss the part where where Samantha twitches Sheila's the Sheila's sweater.

Brad Shreve: 1:23:02

Yes.

Tony Maietta: 1:23:02

And she makes the loops go around the dog's collar and the dog runs off and Sheila's Sheila's shirt becomes undone and her dresses yeah.

Brad Shreve: 1:23:12

It stops right at her bra. About halfway up her bra it stopped further up than I thought they would stop.

Tony Maietta: 1:23:17

Totally unwinds, totally unwinds. That is when Sheila loses it. Sheila loses it.

Brad Shreve: 1:23:22

She runs to her father just absolutely devastated. And what's great is Darren, they get the account, or did they? They may have lost it. Darren, they get the account, or did they? They may have lost it, but when they get home, samantha apologizes and this happens a few times. Darren says it's okay, she deserved it.

Tony Maietta: 1:23:42

She did Well. How about she can never remember Samantha? How hard is that? Samsara, Samatar, Samovar, it's like Samantha.

Brad Shreve: 1:23:51

How hard is that to remember dora with darren?

Tony Maietta: 1:23:53

it is.

Tony Maietta: 1:23:54

She does it on purpose part of her being condescending to samantha, and she even makes fun of the name you know what I love about this episode other than you know the wonderful nancy kovacs and it's just such a fun episode is that, yes, it is basically a remake of act two, of the pilot in color, but unlike when they remade episodes later and later seasons of bewitched, it was. It had its own bones, it had its own structure. It wasn't just an out and out remake of an old episode no, it served a purpose.

Tony Maietta: 1:24:23

it served a purpose, it had its own premise and, yes, it was very similar, but it was fun to see it in color, as, as opposed to black and white, and the different things samantha did to sheila this time as opposed to the first time, and she deserved every one of them.

Brad Shreve: 1:24:36

And I liked that it added continuity to the story. They actually brought Nancy Kovac back because I didn't remember that. I'm like, okay, is it going to be Nancy Kovac? And I was so happy it was so it did add continuity to the story that this is something that happened three years before. And here we go again. They reunited and we had the same chaos as before. I just loved this episode.

Tony Maietta: 1:24:57

It made me laugh this is a fun episode. Well, those are our episodes for the dick york era. Wow, that was. That was quite a chunk that we went through, um, but it was a lot of fun. You know there are, as we said at the beginning, there are so many, many, many, many more episodes. There's a wonderful episode called Accidental Twins where Aunt Clara mistakenly turns the Tate's son into twins. It's hysterically funny using the twin actors who played them. There's a bunch of wonderful episodes. We never got to, but these ones were definitely fun, fun, fun, fun.

Tony Maietta: 1:25:30

Tony's going to have some excellent trivia as well there is more trivia to come in part two of our Bewitched, of our Happy Birthday Bewitched episodes, when we tackle the Dick Sargent years and we talk a little bit about what exactly happened with Dick York, what the atmosphere was like when that was happening, how the whole Dick Sargent switch came about, its aftermath and some episodes from that era. I also want to talk a little bit about a little show which is kind of like the air quotes genie in the room, A little episode you might know, a little show you might know, called I Dream of Genie and just what Elizabeth Montgomery really thought about I Dream of Genie. But you'll have to stay tuned for our next episode on Bewitched to find out.

Brad Shreve: 1:26:16

And I'm looking forward to it.

Tony Maietta: 1:26:18

Good, so, without further ado. This has been a long one, brad. This has been quite a chunk, but still, yes, let's not say goodbye, let's just say au revoir.

Brad Shreve: 1:26:29

No, let's say goodbye.

Tony Maietta: 1:26:33

Goodbye.