***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Erin Murphy, who mainly portrayed Tabitha on BW, has been doing a blog (http://starwebsitescomerinmurphy.blogspot.com/) for some time now...she rarely discusses BW but she posted a doozy of a posting today about the show.

Here it is:

"I've received lots of e-mails asking about Bewitched DVD's & their lack of special features. Well Sony heard from you too & they want you to be happy. So, despite the fact that I rarely mention Bewitched on my blog, I figured you'd like to hear the latest news. Sony is going to be releasing Bewitched as a box set & next week we're filming the special features. I will be hosting a tour of the Warner Brothers Ranch where we filmed the exteriors for Bewitched & possibly the studio (now Sunset Gower, used to be Screen Gems). I'll fill you in on all the details after filming."

Hopefully we'll get some confirmation from TVShowsonDVD.com about this!! How exciting!!!

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Bewitched as a box set? That's news? Haven't four seasons come out already? Is she talking about the fifth season? Or all eight seasons together?

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

I think she means the whole series in one set considering we all ready do have the first four seasons....and I know she at least has the first season as she got it a couple weeks before it was on shelves.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Woo Hoo!!! I knew all seasons would make it, and this confirms it. I wonder if the box set will only be released after all seasons come out individually. Doesn't matter to me, as I'm gonna get it either way.

I know it's too much to ask, but maybe the extras will also include the sponsor openings and promos, etc. I'll keep dreaming & hoping, and maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised!!

Thanks for the post, David!

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Wow, that's great! If this is indeed a complete series box set, is there any way to get Sony to correct the problems in S3? I also hope they include the sponsor openings and promos.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Why would they go from Season Sets to the Complete Series all of a sudden? I think Erin Murphy just meant the "box set" for Season Five, and that's all. Is that the first season she was in the show?

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Nope. Sounds like she's talking Series SEt. Tabitha! I just freakin bought season 1, 2 & 3! I thought you were basically a good witch.


Well, mine are still wrapped up in plastic. Should I re-sell them instead of opening?

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

The theory on the boxed set is that Sony is going to bundle the last 3 seasons with Dick Sargent (Seasons 6,7,8) with the last season with Dick York (Season 5) because so many people said they aren't going to buy the Dick Sargent years. This would give them an incentive to buy. At least that's the theory over at Harpies Bizarre (the Bewitched message board). Sony has already released the entire show on dvd in Japan, so this is not impossible to do as it is all ready to go.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

I guess the first thing to confirm is if Erin is referring to future season releases or a complete series box set. If it is specials for a compete series box set, I guess the fans that support the show by buying the individual seasons will be getting slapped in the face again. I'd certainly like to know one way or the other as I already have the first two seasons, and I would like to know if I should stop and wait for the complete series set or not. Speaking of which, would it include seasons one and two in black & white or in color? I can't imagine they'd do a complete series set both ways, seeing as only those two seasons would be affected. My guess would be for a complete series set all in color in which case I'd be alright as the seasons one and two I purchased were the original black & white versions. Hopefully, Sony will provide some more details soon.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Probably Explains why some stores were selling Season 1 for $14.99 this past Xmas.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Agreed! Hopefully she can ``clarify'' what she said and that gets posted or TVShowsOnDVD.com can get an item on this. I've purchased the first four seasons so far and I'd love extras, but I wouldn't be real crazy about buying a series set just to get extras. I'd need to know a lot more.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Erin posted more about the boxset though it doesn't really clarify if it's going to be the remaining seasons all in one, the whole series (which I assume it is) and whether or not there will be other extras such as the sponsor openings, cast commercials and ABC promos. She does however give recollections about the Ranch that are interesting and there is a photo of her standing in the doorway of 1164:

I promised you an update, so here it is. Yesterday we filmed the special features for the DVD box set. The weather forecast was calling for rain, but it was a beautiful day at 1164 Morning Glory Circle. As I drove up to the gate at the WB Ranch, the guard welcomed me home. As much as things in life change, the Ranch is still SO much the same. Of course there are changes to the Bewitched house & the neighboring houses, but everything is still so recognizable! I didn't see any of the bunnies that used to roam the Ranch (that I'd bring carrots for) but the pool I used to swim in on hot days was still there. In a happy twist (to illustrate the power of a little blog) I'd mentioned the other day about "possibly" continuing the tour at Sunset Gower Studios. The morning after my post, I received an e-mail from one of the senior v.p.s of the public relations firm that represents Sunset Gower. He had read my blog & was able to make that portion of the tour happen for us! They were filming the show "House" on Stage 3 yesterday when we visited & we were able to get some great footage on the lot. No word on when the DVD box set comes out (sorry, I asked!). It was a fun day with beautiful weather & a great crew & so nice to take a stroll down memory lane!

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

She uses the term "Bewitched as a DVD box set" so vaguely. I still don't think she means the whole series, or the remaining seasons. I think she just means Season Five. But what do I know?

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

I posted on her blog asking her:

"Do you happen to know if any of the other extras will include the sponsor openings, cast commercials and ABC promos? That would be excellent!"

She replied:

"I have no idea what (if any) other features will be included. I know it was brought up that we couldn't mention certain things due to licensing issues, so I'm sure they have the same problems using commercials. I'll pass on your suggestions to Sony."

She also told another questioner that "They keep calling it a "box set" so I'm assuming it's the entire show."

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Key word: "assuming." All the seasons released so far can be called "box sets," so I'll do some "assuming" myself and assume that this is just Season Five she's talking about.

There's nothing wrong with that. The entire series, or grouping together Seasons Five through Eight, would have made an expensive set, and I doubt Sony would do that until each season is out separately.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Joe, I think you're right. It's 99% certain that the information refers to S5 only. It would be unusual to release the 1st half of BW in individual seasons and then release the remaining series in 1 box set.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

I doubt they would add extras to Season Five after all this time. And they would call it the Season Five boxset to Erin, not just "a Bewitched Boxset." Given the large number of other series put out in boxset form after they complete their individual season releases, I bet Sony is doing a S1-8 boxset, or possibly a boxset of Sargent seasons. Even Paramount is putting all 8 seasons of The Andy Griffith Show out in a boxset now. That seems to be the wave of the future with popular shows.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

I wonder if Sony really thinks that fans of "Bewitched" dislike the Sargent years so much, they won't buy Season Sets of them.

To be honest, I think Dick York overacted at times and once you got used to the change, there was nothing wrong with the other Dick.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

As a kid, I loved Sargent more because he yelled less, and I found him less threatening and more grounded. Now I prefer York. I think he's a great farceur. The Sargent years "seem" to be less popular but that could also be because the quality of the series in general went down during those years (as did the ratings). I'm going to buy all seasons because there's a lot of Sargent episodes which I love.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Speaking of yelling, I'm sure it was Sargent I heard utter a (gasp!) "damn" and/or a "hell" in an episode I saw in local-station reruns about 25-30 years ago. How often did this occur on the show? Only in the seventh and eighth seasons, which overlapped with edgier shows such as All in the Family?

As a kid at the time, I remember being surprised, as I guess I associated Bewitched with other shows of its era that never had much more than an occasional "darn" or other milder epithets.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

It was actually York. Sargent never said anything like that really. In a 4th Season episode, York says, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Also, in a 6th Season episode, Elizabeth Montgomery says, "Hell hath no fury liked a bugged witch!" but that was the extent of what they said. Even the following year, when quoting the famous line from "Macbeth" they had Liz water it down by saying, "Out, out darn spot." (Which was kinda understandable, as she was talking to a child at the time.) Despite the effects of All In The Family on tv shows in general, Bewitched's audience actually got younger as the years went by, so they would never allow even minor epithets in those last couple of years.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Maybe my memory's fuzzy, unless the words have been edited from current TV prints.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

I don't remember Dick Sargent saying Damn or Hell. Not saying it didn't happen -- just don't remember.

I DO remember Samantha saying, Dam -- but not Damn, when she lost her powers in season 4/episode #113, "No Zip in My Zap." She's talking about her powers being built up from non-use, and if she doesn't use her powers the "dam" will burst.

They also used the word, "Jackass" freely in season 5/episode #167, "Daddy Does His Thing." Maurice turns Darrin into a mule, but they called him a jackass throughout.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

I loved Erin's comments about visiting the ranch. I was a tv and movie extra for many years and we often shot by the Bewitched house. I even have a photograph of myself standing in front of it...! She's right about those rabbits...I worked at that ranch off and on from about 1996-2004 and there are no rabbits. Instead, there are dozens and dozens of stray CATS roaming about, and boy, are they mean!

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

I've actually enjoyed both versions of Darren. I think Dick Sargent was less threatening toward Samantha than Dick York was ... I know I'll definately be buying the season sets until they release the final season since I've already purchased the first four season.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Sam did say "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" in one episode, which I believe was during the Sargent era.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

I just think their is a better connection between Dick York and Samantha, than with Sargent. I have mostly seen episodes with York and have only seen a few episodes of Sargant aired on cable. I think that Dick York is going to be truly missed after Season 5 and therefore fans will not want to continue with the rest of the seasons! I sort of feel this way too, I mean the Darrin that I loved will no longer be there, seems so sad. I really want to get this set though because there are so many episodes that I haven't seen and maybe I can develop a liking for Sargant as well. I also missed a lot of the episodes when Sam had her second child and the later seasons. I own seasons 1-4 as well but before even purchasing these sets I have seen most of the shows allready. I have probably only seen 5-6 episodes from the seasons 6-8 and therefore want to get the rest of the seasons to see what I have missed. I read that the later seasons are not as good as the earlier seasons in the show with York as Darrin but I cannot judge being that I have only seen a few episodes. Maybe they are planning on doing season 5 as a box set and then seasons 6-8 as 1 complete set because Dick Sargent is in there and they are afraid that fans will not want to buy it without the additional bonuses. Sort of like Paramount did with I Love Lucy Season 7-9!!! Sony may make Bewitched Season 6-8 1 complete set and make the price lower and add addtional bonuses to increase the sells. I am not sure because there is no telling what they have planned and they maay just release them individually like they have been doing but it is food for though. Anyway I have located Sony's number which is 1-800-860-2878 and you can call and ask questions about this set. I am sure they cannot release a lot of information at this time but they should be able to let us know something.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s it seems like it was the color episodes that were emphasized more on TV. I can't help but like those much better than the B&W for nostalgic reasons alone with nothing to do with York or Sargent. I really like all that color too, much like Gilligan and Lost in Space in color. However, if I had to pick one Dick I'd have to go with York. He fit the role better and had that "easily dominated" feel to him.

It's been a long time for me and this show. I'm happy to have the first 3 seasons on the shelf, as of now still unwrapped. I decided to view the first 2 seasons of Jeannie first. I've quite enjoyed the B&W episodes of Jeannie and I"m glad I didn't go with those freakish looking colorized versions of either show. It'd been weird to see them that way.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

Agreed...I've seen the first two seasons of ``Bewitched'' in black and white, and while I don't remember many of those...it reminded me of why I loved the show so much...don't remember much of the Dick Sargent eps, but I guess in due time, I'll have to see if I preferred Durwood played by York or Sargent. Glad, tho, that I bought the Bewitched seasons in black and white, as they were originally aired and didn't fall at all for that colorized cr*p.

Re: ***HUGE*** Bewitched news from Tabitha!!

I considered those colorized ones for a short time. Like many I was thinking I could just turn down the color on the TV. But I read that doesn't quite work since the coloring process alters many things about the picture.