Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Europe here we come!!, May 8, 2009
Hey Bewitched Fans get ready for the Eighth and Final Season of Bewitched coming out this July. This may be the last season of Bewitched, but you sure do not want to miss this extra ordinary last season. This season has 26 more magical episodes including the 7 story arch of Darrin and Sam in Europe, Tabitha entering the second grade and other adventures involving the Stephens family. The season kicks off when Darrin and Samantha arrive in London, England and Sam is sent back to the 16th century for setting free a warlock who was imprisoned in a painting. While there, Darrin and Endora must rescue Samantha before she gets beheaded by King Henry VIII. Also they travel to Italy, France and Scotland. Sam learns that the legendary Loch Ness Monster is none other than a warlock named Bruce who ages ago transformed the monster into the creature for bothering Serena. Next stop is Italy, where we learn Esmeralda was the one who made the Tower of Pisa lean and then we must do as the Romans do in "Bewitched, Bothered, and Baldoni" where Endora zaps statues into real life. Paris is quite fun when Maurice sends Darrin atop the Eiffel Tower. The final stop in the European Business trip is the spooky Halloween Episode called "The Ghost who made a Spectre of himself". This episode will have you rolling on the floor laughing as Louise, Larry, Samantha and Darrin all get heckled by a Ghost!
In "TV or Not TV", Tabitha gets infuriated when she sees the Punch and Judy show and condemns Punch for hitting the puppet Judy. She pops in on the show and the producers want to keep her as a guest, but Darrin and Samantha do not want their daughter at such a young age on the show. In another episode, Maurice and Samantha come down with a plague. Moving on, Darrin chases Hansel and Gretel around in episode 238. The last few episodes of 1971 will have viewers laughing until they cry especially in "The Warlock in the Gray Flannel Suit", because the lines between Larry and Alfonzo are hysterical. In "Adam, Warlock or Washout" we see a test on Adam similar to an earlier episode back in Season 3 where the high witches test Adam's powers. So if you want to find out if he is a warlock you must purchase this great season.
The episodes get more funny when the 1972 episodes appear. Esmeralda gets in a bit of trouble when she sits for some children who think she has cracked her mind in "Samantha's Magic Sitter". Another episode that viewers really like is the one where Sam develops a condition that makes her weigh over 500 lbs., so we bring in the one and only Dr. Bombay who cures her to no avail only causing her to be the opposite light as air. But, don't fret because cousin Serena returns in this Season to bring more laughter especially in "Serena's Richcraft" where she falls for a rich man and then again in "Serena's Youth Pill" where she gives Larry Tate a pill that restores his youth, but without some side-effects. In "Samantha on Thin Ice", Darrin challenges both Tabitha and Samantha to learn to skate the mortal way. Little does Darrin know that Endora makes Tabitha a prodigy and Canadian Olympic figure skater Robert Paul guest stars in this episode. (This was when the Winter and Summer Olympics were in the same year). The last historical figure we see in the series is George Washington. He and Martha make appearances in a two part episode where Esmeralda is helping Tabitha on her homework and accidentally sneezes up our forefather. The authorities also find out Tabitha is not attending school and Mrs. Peabody, a busybody, gets the pleasure or burden of being Tabitha's second grade teacher in a few episodes. The last episode is "The Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me, Sam" in which Endora up to her clever tricks puts a hex on Darrin's gift for Sam which makes every mortal tell the truth while around it. This, however, proves to be more good than harm. He not only wins the clients account, but shows once again that his love for Samantha is for real, forever and they live happily ever after. What's a meddling mother-in-law to do?
This may be the last season of Bewitched, but the show will go down in history as being the longest and funniest of the supernatural themed comedies of the 1960's and 1970's. ABC had planned a 9th season for Bewitched, but Elizabeth Montgomery decided after 8 long years to leave the show while it was still popular. The only thing viewers will miss this season is that Darrin's parents are not present, Mr. and Mrs. Kravitz are no where to be seen, however, they are spoken of, and a few other characters like Uncle Arthur are not present as well.
So Bewitched Fans get ready, get set, and GO get Bewitched: The complete 8th and Final Season coming this July!! You won't want to miss out on the last season to put in your collection!
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The End of Bewitched", May 17, 2009
"Bewitched" aired its final season in 1971-1972. The show was suppose to air for one more season but Elizabeth Montgomery wanted off the show for various reasons; she felt it was time to move on to more gratifying projects, but the big reason was her and William Asher, who produced the series, were splitting up. Elizabeth had moved in with Richard Michaels, one of the show's directors. Asher would go on to produce two more series for ABC in the following season, both of which failed, and Liz would go on to TV movies, the most famous being "A Case of Rape" for NBC, where she played a victim who is raped twice by her attacker. The film still holds the record as being one of the highest rated TV movies ever.
The final year of "Bewitched" was a sad one: scripts were repetitive, and the writers ran out of ideas, so they rewrote scripts from the first two seasons. The actors, most notably Liz, were running through their scenes. In the last several episodes you can tell that Elizabeth was not enjoying herself anymore, and it makes it very difficult to watch. Supporting characters like Uncle Arthur and Gladys and Abner Kravitz were nowhere to be found in the last year, and the series just didn't jell. ABC didn't help matters with the airing of "Bewitched" as they programmed the show opposite the #1 rated series in the country, "All In The Family", on Saturday nights, signalling "Bewitched's" demise. "Bewitched" ended its final year at #72 with a 10.4 rating. If your a true "Bewitched" fan like me pick up this season to complete your collection. If your looking for the best of "Bewitched" pick up the first five seasons worth of boxsets, as they were the best years of the show. Also, don't buy the terrible movie based on the series starring Nicole Kidman as it is a complete rip-off of the series. There is also a great book written on "Bewitched" entitled "The Bewitched Book" by Hirbo J. Pilato. It was re-titled "Bewitched Forever" a few years later, and is now unfortunately out of print, so try a good used bookstore or Ebay. These books offer some great info on the program, including cast and crew interviews, a complete synopsis of all 242 episodes including air dates, and much more.
This final boxset of "Bewitched" arrives in stores July 14th, 2009, and there is talk that a complete series boxset will be coming out at the end of the year or in early 2010. I am hoping there will be a ton of bonuses, including interviews with those who worked on the series, as well as having the rare/lost episodes of "Bewitched". There were approximately three shows of the series that were never put into syndication after they were produced.
On March 25th, 1972 the best television supernatural comedy ended its ABC run with little fanfaire, but thank God for syndication and cable TV, as well as DVD, as "Bewitched" will always live on.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Season 8 Completes Bewitched!, May 16, 2009
The fall of 1971 began the 8th and final season for "Bewitched". This last season begins with Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and husband Darrin Stephens (Dick Sargent) going to Europe on a business trip for McMann and Tate, Darrin's advertising job. There is lots of wonderful and witchy trouble waiting for Sam and Darrin in England, Scotland, Italy and France. This 8th season also features Esmerelda zapping up George Washington for a school project she is helping Tabitha (Sam and Darrin's daughter) with. Tabitha starts school and gets into trouble with her natural witchcraft abilities with her Hansel and Gretel book and also by zapping herself into a children's television show. With her grandmother Endora's help- Tabitha becomes a champion skating star and a genius on a school intelligence test. Sam also has her moments in this last season, when her face becomes striped after having a Heavenly Himalaya Drink at a Chinese restaurant.
"Bewitched" was originally based on the 1942 movie "I Married a Witch" and the 1958 film "Bell, Book and Candle." There were always plenty of situations to write about when looking into the comedic romance between a mortal husband and his wife who's a real life witch. "Bewitched" stands as the longest running Supernatural sitcom of the sixties and seventies. Before Season 8, ABC had offered Elizabeth Montgomery and her "Bewitched" Director husband William Asher large pay raises plus part ownership to do another 3 seasons of "Bewitched". By this time however, neighbors Abner and Gladys Kravitz, Uncle Arthur and Darrin's parents were no longer written in the scripts. The story ideas were running dry and the series was now opposite the mega hit show "All in the Family" on Saturday nights in 1972. "Bewitched" finished number 72 in the 1972 Television Seasons Ratings. It was no longer the top hit that it once was in the sixties seasons. Even with all these reasons to end the show, the show actually ended when Elizabeth Montgomery fell in love with the new director for "Bewitched"- Richard Michaels. Elizabeth left her husband William Asher and moved in with Richard Michaels, never to return to "Bewitched" for another season. It's really wonderful that we finally have all 8 Seasons of "Bewitched" on dvd, so we can watch the talented Elizabeth Montgomery and the many fantastic "Bewitched" cast members whenever we want!
These are the final 26 episodes in Season 8:
Episode 1: (9-15-1971) How Not to Lose Your Head to Henry VIII:Part 1
Episode 2: (9-22-1971) How Not to Lose Your Head to Henry VIII:Part 2
Episode 3: (9-29-1971) Samantha and the Loch Ness Monster
Episode 4: (10-6-1971) Samantha's Not So Leaning Tower of Pisa
Episode 5: (10-13-1971) Bewitched, Bothered and Baldoni
Episode 6: (10-20-1971) Paris, Witches Style
Episode 7: (10-27-1971) The Ghost Who Made a Spectre of Himself
Episode 8: (11-3-1971) TV or Not TV
Episode 9: (11-10-1971) A Plague on Maurice and Samantha
Episode 10: (11-17-1971) Hansel and Gretel in Samanthaland
Episode 11: (12-1-1971) The Warlock in the Gray Flannel Suit
Episode 12: (12-8-1971) The Eight Year Itch Witch
Episode 13: (12-15-1971) Three Men and a Witch on a Horse
Episode 14: (12-29-1971) Adam, Warlock or Washout
Episode 15: (1-5-1972) Samantha's Magic Sitter
Episode 16: (1-15-1972) Samantha Is Earthbound
Episode 17: (1-22-1972) Serena's Richcraft
Episode 18: (1-29-1972) Samantha on Thin Ice
Episode 19: (2-5-1972) Serena's Youth Pill
Episode 20: (2-12-1972) Tabitha's First Day at School
Episode 21: (2-19-1972) George Washington Zapped Here: Part 1
Episode 22: (2-26-1972) George Washington Zapped Here: Part 2
Episode 23: (3-4-1972) School Days, School Daze
Episode 24: (3-11-1972) A Good Turn Never Goes Unpunished
Episode 25: (3-18-1972) Sam's Witchcraft Blows a Fuse
Episode 26: (3-25-1972) The Truth, Nothing But the Truth, So Help Me, Sam
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