Filmation wanted to do a “Bewitched” cartoon before settling on “Sabrina” - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Arfies · 11-11-2021, 01:35 PM

From Lou Scheimer’s “Creating the Filmation Generation”:

Filmation wanted to do a cartoon based on “Bewitched” and even asked William Asher about it; he said he didn’t have the rights (perhaps Hanna-Barbera did, as they later created “Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family.”) Scheimer was informed that Archie Comics (which they already had the rights to) had a character named Sabrina the Teenage Witch, so they decided to make her the star of her own show (or originally, her own segment).

Even though the character of Sabrina existed in Archie Comics prior to “Bewitched,” she wasn’t made into a prominent character until the success of “Bewitched,” both in the comics and the cartoon- the popularity of which would eventually lead to the sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart (which I got into before “Bewitched,” and really enjoyed before she went to college).

TheLittleFaerie · 11-12-2021, 04:15 AM

Funny, I always thought there was a Bewitched cartoon AND an I Dream Of Jeannie cartoon

Arfies · 11-12-2021, 10:47 AM

Not a full "Bewitched" cartoon series; just the one special, "Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family." I'm glad they used the kids as it's a fun premise, but the circus backdrop is pretty lame. You could've had them solving mysteries a la Scooby Doo, playing in a band like the Archies, doing all this cool witchy stuff, yet they put them in a CIRCUS?!

"Jeannie" was a full cartoon series but didn't have much to do with the sitcom plot-wise.

11-11-2021, 01:35 PM	#1
Arfies Memberific Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: There beneath the blue suburban skies, in summer, meanwhile back.... Posts: 481	Filmation wanted to do a “Bewitched” cartoon before settling on “Sabrina” From Lou Scheimer’s “Creating the Filmation Generation”: Filmation wanted to do a cartoon based on “Bewitched” and even asked William Asher about it; he said he didn’t have the rights (perhaps Hanna-Barbera did, as they later created “Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family.”) Scheimer was informed that Archie Comics (which they already had the rights to) had a character named Sabrina the Teenage Witch, so they decided to make her the star of her own show (or originally, her own segment). Even though the character of Sabrina existed in Archie Comics prior to “Bewitched,” she wasn’t made into a prominent character until the success of “Bewitched,” both in the comics and the cartoon- the popularity of which would eventually lead to the sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart (which I got into before “Bewitched,” and really enjoyed before she went to college). Attached Images

11-12-2021, 04:15 AM	#2
TheLittleFaerie Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 15, 2017 Posts: 1,948	Funny, I always thought there was a Bewitched cartoon AND an I Dream Of Jeannie cartoon

11-12-2021, 10:47 AM	#3
Arfies Memberific Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: There beneath the blue suburban skies, in summer, meanwhile back.... Posts: 481	Not a full "Bewitched" cartoon series; just the one special, "Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family." I'm glad they used the kids as it's a fun premise, but the circus backdrop is pretty lame. You could've had them solving mysteries a la Scooby Doo, playing in a band like the Archies, doing all this cool witchy stuff, yet they put them in a CIRCUS?! "Jeannie" was a full cartoon series but didn't have much to do with the sitcom plot-wise.