Danny Arnold & Season 1

[frankenmyrrh]

A blogger has a bunch of posts arguing that the first season was the best because of the writer-producer Danny Arnold, who left after the first season. (The second season was run by two people who had worked on the first season -- producer Jerry Davis and writer Bernard Slade -- and they both left after the second season, so by the time the show went to color all the original writers were gone.) Arnold went on to create "Barney Miller," and he wanted "Bewitched" to be less about magic and more about the romance of Sam and Darrin. Here's what he said:

Danny Arnold sees more profound implications than just entertainment in Bewitched. "With this show," he says, "I saw a great opportunity to accomplish something. Fantasy can always be a jumping-off place for more sophisticated work. We can make it identifiable with people and relate to problems that are everyday. What we do in this series doesn't happen to witches; it happens to people. But the messages are funnier when they happen to a witch - and therefore less offensive."

What sort of messages?

"Well, take the Halloween show. It pointed the finger at bigotry. Samantha's husband was prejudiced about witches - who are definitely a minority group. He thought they were all ugly old crones, and his wife had to break down this prejudice. It is a direct parallel to some of our social problems of today. But through fantasy, we can get a more vivid portrayal. Humor can then come out of touchy subjects."

And also from the blog a quote about Danny Arnold:

The only comment I ever heard Danny Arnold make about "Bewitched" is that his time on the show was a losing battle. He wanted to downplay the magic angle as much as possible, while ABC, from the beginning, was pushing hard for more magic. His feeling was that the magic would be more effective if it was used sparingly. I believe the strong foundation he established for "Bewitched" was largely responsible for the show's long run, even though, by the end, the series had become much more repitious and childlike than what Danny invented, with, it seemed like, every third episode involving Endora casting some sort of spell on or around Darrin.

The site also has a quote from Bernard Slade (who wrote 16 episodes in the first two seasons) talking about how much more sophisticated the show was early on:

I think some of the earlier Bewitched episodes – the ones in black & white – were quite sophisticated. When Danny Arnold was on the show, which was during the first year, he was difficult for a lot of writers to deal with, but he cast incredibly well and he would fight for people. He was the one that set that show up.

It would have been interesting to see what the show would have been like if it had continued down that path instead of going crazier. The third season has one episode (the one with Charlie Harper) that's like a first season episode, but most of the series after that is just wall-to-wall magic.

[comedyfreak]

Originally Posted by frankenmyrrh

The third season has one episode (the one with Charlie Harper) that's like a first season episode, but most of the series after that is just wall-to-wall magic.

Nothing wrong with that, it's what I liked about the show. It would have been interesting to see how the show would have been like if he never left the series. I really liked the 1st and 2nd season, Sam And Darrin were the perfect couple.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

the early episodes of "THAT GIRL"--the ones produced by Danny Arnold--and you'll see what "BEWITCHED" might have been (in spirit, tempo, and characterization) in later seasons.

To me, it was a progression....Jerry Davis thought the same way Danny did in "unfolding" the show: using the "magical gimmicks" sparingly and stressing more characterization and plot {"What Every Young Man Should Know" is a VERY good example}. When Willam Froug (formerly of "TWILIGHT ZONE" and "GILLIGAN'S ISLAND") took over in the fall of 1966, he thought a bit more "magic" should be added to each plot...and the series began to shift just a bit.

And when William Asher took over as producer in 1967.....he had directed "I LOVE LUCY" and virually all of the American-International "Beach Party" movies...well, "anything goes". If it's funny AND outrageous, let's try it!
Let's move Endora's battles with Darrin up a notch.....let's see some more of Uncle Arthur (lord knows how many times Bill tried to sell a Paul Lynde series to the networks!) and Serena.....and how about Tabitha being the center of attention once in a while.....?

See what I mean?

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

Nothing wrong with that, it's what I liked about the show. It would have been interesting to see how the show would have been like if he never left the series. I really liked the 1st and 2nd season, Sam And Darrin were the perfect couple.

There really is a quality about the first season that set it apart from the rest. Danny Arnold really was a talented and multifaceted writer - he did a brilliant job with the fantasy and romance of Bewitched, and then went onto greater fame with the dry, hysterical police comedy of Barney Miller!! His contributions to the show are often forgotten.