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Bewitched Complete Series Box set?

post #1 of 84
9/29/09 at 1:11am
Thread Starter 
 I thought it would be more appropriate to discuss the Complete Bewitched Series Box set in it's own thread since it may be coming out soon...I haven't heard any thing solid but it's just expected since the last season was released in July and various areas around the world are seeing the set up for sale like the UK which has this trailer for the upcoming set that is going to be released on November 2, 2009:



It is available for preorder at amazon.co.uk. It is interesting to note that the cover art at the end of the video seems to be a reworking of the First Season set whereas what is listed on Amazon looks like a reworking of the Japanese Complete Set.

The French are going to be receiving their BW boxset next week on October 7, 2009 and it is available at amazon.fr. Here is the cover art for that:



Japan got their Complete Series set in December '07. It not only included all 254 episodes, but the entire "Tabitha" series as well as the Nicole Kidman movie.

Sony Japan even had a site dedicated for the release.



It's been rumored that the US release would be in December, and if that is to happen an announcement should come from Sony within the next couple weeks.

It's too bad a company like Image Entertainment isn't putting the set together so that we'd know we'd get all the sponsor openings/closings, EM introductions, cast commercials and everything else the set should include.
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post #2 of 84
10/2/09 at 4:07pm
Thread Starter 
 So possible bad news for the US set...Mark Simpson, the Bewitched Collector, posted on his website that the word on the street is that because the IDOJ Complete DVD set "tanked" so bad we might not get a BW set! I think that reasoning is totally bogus! Why base how well one show that has a similar premise on if the other show should be produced? It's ridiculous and I hope it's just simply a rumor.

You should check out the Bewitched Collector's revamped site...lots of cool footage and photos!
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post #3 of 84
10/2/09 at 7:21pm
But it sold well enough for BW to get box sets in Great Britain and France??  Weird.  And the IDOJ set was HORRIBLE.  Ugly, poorly designed, no episode guide to tell you which eps were on which discs, etc.  And did I say "Ugly'??  It deserved to tank.

It makes no difference to me either way, since they're not offering anything new to make it worth my while after buying all the season sets.
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post #4 of 84
10/11/09 at 7:23pm
I agree with you, John.  If I have already spent roughly $300 on the eight individual season sets, why would I give Sony more of my money for the same stuff?  If the extras on their season 1 set are an indication of the quality of bonus material on their whole-series box set, I will pass.  The whole concept of a whole-series box set, after having released indivual seasons, is a shameless cash grab.  I am not taking the bait.
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post #5 of 84
10/11/09 at 11:53pm
I'm not really a fan, but why would you guys care about a complete set? I'm sure it wouldn't really offer anything the individual seasons don't have, and probably would go with colorized versions of the early seasons which I can't imagine goes over very well with the diehard fans.

Doesn't seem like it's the way to go except for the casual fan that likes Bewitched enough where they'd be willing to splurge and buy it all in one go on a whim after not buying indiviudal sets up to now, or people that like the show but weren't big enough fans to be buying it all along in season releases with the expectation that if they wait they can get it all cheaper.

Just be glad they didn't withold any cool bonuses in the hopes they could get some people to double dip and rebuy stuff that they should've been including all along for their loyal fans, such as how they handled M*A*S*H before releasing the bonus content later on in a standalone rlease to capture any remaining sales after the diehard M*A*S*H fans had already bought the complete collection to get that stuff.
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post #6 of 84
10/12/09 at 1:16am
Thread Starter 
I only care about a Complete Set only if there is additional material not seen on the individual seasons releases. If it does turn out to be just a repackage then I won't be buying it, of course.

I asked about the US Complete Set on TSOD Facebook page, particularly the rumor I mentioned above about Sony basing their decision on the sales of IDOJ and this is what Dave Lambert said:


Quote:
 
We don't know where your rumors come from, but the Bewitched Complete Series set is NOT off the table; Sony just hasn't scheduled it yet. When it is, we'll post news at the main site.

I haven't personally seen the IDOJ set you refer to, but Sony has boasted that it actually received some acclaim from the trade, due to the packaging design. So I don't think that's any kind of deterrent for them! :)

DAVE

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post #7 of 84
10/12/09 at 9:48am
It didn't make sense to me that they would release a box in Great Britain and one in France, but withhold the US one.  But of course, anything is possible in this business.

I'm sure the set (if it comes) will include the new featurette with Erin Murphy touring the old Columbia lot and the Warner Ranch where the house facade is located.  But that alone isn't enough for me to rebuy, particularly because I've been to both places multiple times.  But even if I hadn't, it would take more than that...
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post #8 of 84
10/16/09 at 4:38pm
<strong>Hi Guys<br>
<br>
Any word on the box set?&nbsp;&nbsp;I&nbsp;thought it may be out before Christmas, but like David said Sony gives a 10 week period.&nbsp; So if we hear Monday the 19th it may be out by the end of December if not I&nbsp;guess we will get it in early Twenty&nbsp;Ten!&nbsp; I&nbsp;am going to buy the box set... however, I&nbsp;hope they release it with black and white for season 1 and 2 then the rest colour.&nbsp; David do you think they will do that or will it all be in colour?&nbsp;&nbsp;Even Erin Murphy said the USA&nbsp;will have a box set because she filmed some stuff at the ranch back in 2007.&nbsp; Alice Ghostley, Bernard Fox and Kasey Rogers all did some interviews... I&nbsp;hope they include lots of Extras too... How many of you guys are going to buy it?<br>
</strong><br>
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post #9 of 84
11/3/09 at 12:36am
Thread Starter 
 Today the UK's Complete Set was released. I know of some people that bought it, so once I hear their reviews of it, I'll let you all know.

I seriously thought we would hear about the US release today. This means there isn't any way that we will be getting it next month:(
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post #10 of 84
11/9/09 at 2:02pm
David are we going to get the Ultimate Box Set of Bewitched soon?  It didn't take that long for IDOJ.  I hope we get it in January.  And I hope that seasons 1 and 2 are in B&W since I have them in Colour.  I also hope they fix those episodes like Benjamin Franklin and Cousin Serena Strikes Again... David is it true that there are some lost episodes that were filmed for Season 9? I really doubt it, but some people have said three episodes were filmed for Season 9.  Thanks
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post #11 of 84
11/11/09 at 4:21am


Quote:
Originally Posted by Jdcrackers View Post

David are we going to get the Ultimate Box Set of Bewitched soon?  It didn't take that long for IDOJ.  I hope we get it in January.  And I hope that seasons 1 and 2 are in B&W since I have them in Colour.  I also hope they fix those episodes like Benjamin Franklin and Cousin Serena Strikes Again... David is it true that there are some lost episodes that were filmed for Season 9? I really doubt it, but some people have said three episodes were filmed for Season 9.  Thanks
Absolutely untrue! Even if there were 3 episodes that didn't air, they'd have added them to the syndication package 40 years ago.

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post #12 of 84
11/13/09 at 1:10pm
I can not wait until this box set comes out.  I wonder if it will be like the one in the UK?  Has anyone received it yet? Are seasons 1 and 2 in B and W or colour?  Oh by the way Christina Applegate will be playing Liz in an upcoming biopic film.  I just hope they do it well.  Her mother was in a few Bewitched episodes.  She was a flight attendant and she also played the role of pretty Esmeralda in Sam's Magic Mirror.  This will be great.  Hope it's release in Twenty Ten :)
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post #13 of 84
11/16/09 at 3:53pm
I saw the box set on the UK version of Amazon.  It is done very nice... thing is it does not say if seasons 1 and 2 are in B&W or colour.  By the way over there they call the season a series... pretty neat isn't it?  Hopefully we will hear about it soon here as I am sure Sony will release it in the states.  My guess is that it will be out in January or February at the latest!  Can't wait to see all those extras.
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post #14 of 84
11/16/09 at 6:07pm


Quote:
Originally Posted by Jdcrackers View Post

I saw the box set on the UK version of Amazon.  It is done very nice... thing is it does not say if seasons 1 and 2 are in B&W or colour.  By the way over there they call the season a series... pretty neat isn't it?  Hopefully we will hear about it soon here as I am sure Sony will release it in the states.  My guess is that it will be out in January or February at the latest!  Can't wait to see all those extras.
 

All what extras?  The total running time of the one bonus disc is 25 minutes (approx.).  So each of those "Guest Star" featurettes must be about a minute long.  They're probably just a short collection of scenes from their episodes.

And they didn't even include the featurette with Erin Murphy at the studio that they filmed last year.  Weird. 
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post #15 of 84
11/17/09 at 3:41pm
Really?? They didn't include that where Erin visited the Ranch? I hope the US Version does it... that's why I think it will be out in the US soon... Erin did that before Season 5 was released I think in early 2007.  Also they are supposed to include some interviews with Kasey and Alice before they passed away as well as Mr. Fox.  I hope Sony doesn't mess it up and includes a lot of goodies... Bloopers, gag reels, the making of Bewitched, Maybe the tale of two Darrins, and some rare interviews with Lynde and Liz.  William Asher is still alive too maybe they could include an interview with him as well.  
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post #16 of 84
11/17/09 at 9:05pm
While I own all eight individual season sets, I might be interested if there were something special or unique about the set. However, I'm up in the air about it. I just noticed the images of the set design for Japan and France and I'm not impressed by the artwork for the exterior DVD case that houses the DVD's, and I'm not referring to the interior cases either. I'm just not impressed. The artwork for the box isn't that impressive.

I think that the artwork should include, at the very least, the entire main cast, as well as supporting cast members.
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post #17 of 84
12/9/09 at 1:29pm
Any word on the Complete Series yet?
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post #18 of 84
12/10/09 at 12:24pm
Nope. Not yet. Check out:

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com

When the studio announces it, Dave and Gary will announce it on their website. ;)
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post #19 of 84
12/10/09 at 5:36pm
Well darn, I was hoping it would be out soon... I guess I am going to order it from the UK!  I just love this show... Too bad today's shows aren't like they used to be!  I read that Jane Connell, and the guy who played the druggist, and Bernard Fox and then the kids are the only ones still living from the show... anyone else that anyone knows of?
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post #20 of 84
12/10/09 at 6:16pm
I debated posting this, but figured why not, perhaps someone might enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJPdu4HmOMQ

It's a upload from a 1965 Halloween special of The King Family Show, with them singing the theme song to Bewitched.

Thought maybe someone here would get a kick out of seeing this show getting some attention from another show back in the day.
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post #21 of 84
12/11/09 at 8:47am


Quote:
Originally Posted by Jdcrackers View Post

Well darn, I was hoping it would be out soon... I guess I am going to order it from the UK!  I just love this show... Too bad today's shows aren't like they used to be!  I read that Jane Connell, and the guy who played the druggist, and Bernard Fox and then the kids are the only ones still living from the show... anyone else that anyone knows of?
 

Yes, in addition to Jane Connell, Bernie Kopell and Bernard Fox, others who made multiple appearances who are still alive are Steve Franken, Nancy Kovack, Ron Masak, Paul Smith, Art Metrano, Larry D. Mann, Billy Mumy, Fredd Wayne, Danny Bonaduce, Pat Priest and Mary Grace Canfield.

As far as people who made single appearances, I'm not going to even try and count up those, although I know the following are still alive: Raquel Welch (Stewardess), Tom Bosley (Ferdie), Richard Dreyfus (Rodney), Johnny Whittaker (Jack), Francine York (Venus), Billie Hayes (Fairy Tale Witch), Ted Foulkes (Little Larry Tate), Deacon Jones (Castle Guard) and Don Marshall (Keith from "Sisters at Heart").  There are others no doubt. 
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post #22 of 84
12/11/09 at 3:32pm
Thanks for the info... yea I forgot about all those too... I love Jane Connell though... did she just wear makeup in those episodes? Because she looked much older in some of the episodes she did like Martha and Mother Goose...she would have been in her early 40s then...  I hate that most of the cast is dead... I would have loved it if they had gotten to do a reunion for BW... it was such a classic...  I still wonder what season 9 would have been like if Liz decided to come back... And I wonder who the new character would have been because I read that they were going to introduce a new character if season 9 went into production... I think it would have been great to see Adam and Tabitha's powers progress and see what kind of mischief they would have gotten into... I do, however, think Larry Tate was onto Sam's witchcraft by the end of season 7 especially when Dr. Bombay was present and when he saw Esmeralda and Ferdie disappear... What do you guys think?
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post #23 of 84
12/11/09 at 4:11pm

I ADORE Jane Connell.  She's a fabulous actress.  I was lucky enough to see her on Broadway in "Crazy for You."  Loved her in the movie Mame as well.  I think my fave BW performance of hers is Hepzibah.

It still angers me that the Museum of Broadcasting (as it was known in the old days) did not consider BW "important" enough to have one their annual William S. Paley Festival renuions back when most of the major cast members were still alive. Now they do it for every old and new show, and are REPEATING some shows (they just did their SECOND "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" tribute last year).  What a lost opportunity.

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post #24 of 84
12/11/09 at 5:18pm
Did any of you watch the soap Passions? JE Reilly played homage to BW a lot in this soap that ran from 1999-2008... DR. Bombay played a few episodes as well as Esmeralda.... also they had a witch named Tabitha who gave birth to a daughter named Endora and Tabitha's the witch on Passions parents were a mortal named Darrin and a witch named Samantha... they also at one time had a nosy nurse named Nurse Kravitz... lol  The show did a lot of BW tidbits and it was just a hoot to watch.  Jame Reilly also played homage to Psycho by having an ax crazed Norma Bates which was a take on Norman Bates.  I am guessing Mr. Reilly was a big fan of BW too...
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post #25 of 84
12/12/09 at 3:22am
Not to get way off track but on Passions, when they first intro'd the Norma Bates character with the knife,  they used some background music from the original DARK SHADOWS series.

BACK TO BEWITCHED:  While I have always liked Endora, I wish they had used Maurice more than they did.  Talk about two sides of a coin!!

Was it ever stated whether Serena was a cousin form Maurice's or Endora's side of the family????

Also, picked up the TABITHA set for $3 a while back.  Easy to see why it never made it past season one!!!
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post #26 of 84
12/12/09 at 9:22am


Quote:
Originally Posted by Jdcrackers View Post

Did any of you watch the soap Passions? JE Reilly played homage to BW a lot in this soap that ran from 1999-2008... DR. Bombay played a few episodes as well as Esmeralda.... also they had a witch named Tabitha who gave birth to a daughter named Endora and Tabitha's the witch on Passions parents were a mortal named Darrin and a witch named Samantha... they also at one time had a nosy nurse named Nurse Kravitz... lol  The show did a lot of BW tidbits and it was just a hoot to watch.  Jame Reilly also played homage to Psycho by having an ax crazed Norma Bates which was a take on Norman Bates.  I am guessing Mr. Reilly was a big fan of BW too...
 



In Season's 5 #161 "Mrs.Stephens Where are you" after being asked my Mrs.Stephen's as to which side of Samantha's family she came from, Serena stated she was on Maurice's side of the family. Larry Tate :)
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post #27 of 84
12/12/09 at 2:48pm
Yes thats true as I always thought she was Uncle Arthur's daughter, but we found out Cousin Henry was Arthur's son right?  I often wondered if they meant to use Paul Lynde for that episode, but he may have been unavailable so they use Steve Franken instead... it would have been nice if they would have used him as a regular because he has hilarious.  Especially when he played the part of the banker and the pink elephant LOL...  They just don't make shows like that anymore... My friends poke fun at me because I just love older sitcoms and movies... I am glued to AMC... I watch all the great classics from the 20s-80s and they just love todays movies and sitcoms...lol


By the way which side of the family was Aunt Clara on? I am assuming she was a great aunt... You know it would have been nice if  they introduced a character like Endora's mother was on the show and she actually liked Darrin that would cause a rift between Endora and her mother... lol
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post #28 of 84
12/13/09 at 8:55am
I love Samantha's Shopping Spree the Season 5 episode you are referring too with Cousin Henry.

I have never heard of it being confirmed as such but i think so as well that it was written for

Paul Lynde who was simply unavailable so they created Cousin Henry in his stead.


At no time was it stated in that or any other episode that Cousin Henry was the son of
Uncle Arthur, so one is left to have to surmise matters on ones own.

Myself i think he was Uncle Arthur's Nephew as i don't believe Uncle Arthur had ever married.

Same thing re Aunt Clara, i think she was an Aunt only but we never know if she was on Endora's or Maurice's side of the family, could have been either one as Maurice was always very fond of her.

My best guess is that she was sister to both Aunt Hagatha & Enchantra as well as Endora.

I know Endora referred to herself as an only child before Uncle Arthur was born but she could have been referring to after her much older sister Aunt Clara had moved out, it is just never clarified.

Steve Franken was a semi-regular in many different roles on Bewitched such as the company executive in #66 & 67 the Follow the Witch two parter, if he had become a semi-regular in one role we would have missed out on many of his great performances in other characters but gained as well in the expanded use of a singular character by him, he was outstanding i thought & one of my favorite re occurring guest stars.

Larry Tate :)

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post #29 of 84
12/13/09 at 11:46am
Wouldn't it be nice if Endora had a mother on the show that was in favour of Darrin? LOL that would cause a lot of chaos... In Herbie J Pilato's book they stated that cousin Helen was Darrin's only relative other than his parents, but in Season 8 we met another Cousin in Sam and the Loch Ness Monster... :)  I just love this show...I could watch it all week!!
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post #30 of 84
12/13/09 at 11:47am
Thanks Larry Tate for all your info... I love the info you are providing that makes me want to learn more too!
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