The dismal last season - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Novarro · 08-06-2003, 12:02 AM

Can group members recall which of the regular supporting cast didn't even appear in the last season of "Bewitched". I know Mr. and Mrs. Stephens Snr didn't as didn't the Cravitze's and I believe Uncle Arthur as well. I think it was a sure sign that basically the show was running down to a weak ending.

Brian · 08-06-2003, 12:11 AM

I think it was good that they ended it when they did. When a show gets to the point where they have a lot of episodes and start re-using earlier story plots in episodes then that is a sure sign that it is running out of steam.

Novarro · 08-06-2003, 01:08 AM

Yes I agree totally. There were alot of recycled episodes done in the last year that were vastly inferior to the episodes they were based on from earlier in the series.
I feel even Elizabeth Montgomery was looking bored in alot of the episodes as well and I dont think the Samantha character was half as appealing and lovely as she was earlier as well. "Bewitched" should have ended at the conclusion of season seven I think ..I did like most of the Salem episodes

hawaii five-o · 08-06-2003, 11:40 AM

It didn't help things when they moved it to Saturday nights, opposite "All in the Family".

barwars · 08-06-2003, 01:15 PM

I think shows should end in there prime, but the last season of Bewitched started to loose the show's prime.

Still a great series.

marvin g · 08-06-2003, 10:34 PM

I enjoed the Salem episodes too. Surprising that didn't do those earlier. If I remember correctly they only had one Halloween episode which seems strange when you think aboout it. They've had more Christmas episode than Halloween since Halloween is more associated with witchcraft.

donaldshelton · 08-06-2003, 10:43 PM

I got tired of the Salem and old England episodes. They seemed to deviate from the show's plot--mortal man marries a witch and nobody knows it.

And the last season when the group goes to Europe--yuck! Esmeralda straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Arfies · 08-06-2003, 11:15 PM

The Halloween episodes were "The Witches are Out", "Trick or Treat", "Twitch or Treat","The Safe and Sane Halloween", and "To Trick or Not to Trick or Treat."

Novarro · 08-06-2003, 11:31 PM

Yes Donald, the trip to Europe was a big misfire I think.....totally unfunny when there should have been real potential in those storylines and I just hate Elizabeth's 1970's groovy outfits and worse still those long white socks! Yuck, give me her teased hair and stunning outfits circa 1966-67 any day!
At least when they went to Salem they actually "went there" and filmed on location. I love the Paul Revere episode which I thought recaptured alot of the old charm of "Bewitched". The chemistry between Elizabeth and the handsome actor playing Paul Revere has often been commented on.
Simon

TVgen62 · 08-07-2003, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Novarro
I love the Paul Revere episode which I thought recaptured alot of the old charm of "Bewitched". The chemistry between Elizabeth and the handsome actor playing Paul Revere has often been commented on.
Simon

If I remember that episode correctly, Paul Revere was portrayed by Bert Convy. He (Bert, not Paul

) seemed to be everywhere, game shows in particular, in the early 70s.

Janice · 08-08-2003, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TVgen62
If I remember that episode correctly, Paul Revere was portrayed by Bert Convy. He (Bert, not Paul ) seemed to be everywhere, game shows in particular, in the early 70s.

I see Bert Convy on the old Match Game from the mid-70s. He used to be a professional athlete, and died young from a brain tumor in the early 90s.

donaldshelton · 08-08-2003, 01:03 PM

Bert also was the host of the last Password game in the 80's.

Don

ps Sorry about deviating from the board's theme ie Bewitched

Just Popped In · 08-08-2003, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian
I think it was good that they ended it when they did. When a show gets to the point where they have a lot of episodes and start re-using earlier story plots in episodes then that is a sure sign that it is running out of steam.

True, but I personally think that the show should have ended when Dick York was dismissed. Sure, it was a great show, but the number of seasons a show lasts does not denote its quality (for example, Gidget only lasted for 2 seasons, but still continues to endure in the hearts of its fans and new generations to come).

benjamoon · 08-08-2003, 03:22 PM

"Bewitched" is one of the shows that stayed past its welcome. The show should have ended in 1969, when Dick York left. It was never the same after that. Dick Sargent and Elizabeth Montgomery didn't have the same chemistry, the plots were re-used and tired, the show relied on the gimmick and not on quality scripts.

If you watch a "Bewitched" episode from 1964-1966, and then one from 1969-1972, you can easily tell the difference. It just became a boring "magic" show during the Dick Sargent years

That didn't take away, however, from the tremendous quality of the first 5 years of the show

rml83 · 08-09-2003, 07:48 AM

I loved the Salem episodes, almost all of them, my favorite being "Samantha's Old Salem Trip." But the trip to Europe paled in comparison. I do more groaning than laughing in those episodes. I think season 7 is the best of the last three seasons. Season eight was terrible (if it weren't for Aggie and Sargent holding up pretty much any episode, it would be too boring to speak of), and season six was understandably awkward, but season seven wasn't bad.

I kind of agree with those who say that the show should have just ended after Dick York left because it was never the same, but then again, it is my favorite show. So, even the worst episode of Bewitched is still great television in my opinion. I can also appreciate the weird and out there plots of the later seasons that we wouldn't seen in earlier seasons. Even if they weren't as good.

08-06-2003, 12:02 AM	#1
Novarro Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 02, 2002 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 191	The dismal last season Can group members recall which of the regular supporting cast didn't even appear in the last season of "Bewitched". I know Mr. and Mrs. Stephens Snr didn't as didn't the Cravitze's and I believe Uncle Arthur as well. I think it was a sure sign that basically the show was running down to a weak ending.

08-06-2003, 10:43 PM	#7
donaldshelton Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 08, 2003 Location: Tacoma WA Posts: 52	I got tired of the Salem and old England episodes. They seemed to deviate from the show's plot--mortal man marries a witch and nobody knows it. And the last season when the group goes to Europe--yuck! Esmeralda straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
	__________________ Remember: Jesus loves you!!

08-08-2003, 03:22 PM	#14
benjamoon Bewitched Senior Member Join Date: Jun 15, 2000 Location: New York Posts: 1,450	"Bewitched" is one of the shows that stayed past its welcome. The show should have ended in 1969, when Dick York left. It was never the same after that. Dick Sargent and Elizabeth Montgomery didn't have the same chemistry, the plots were re-used and tired, the show relied on the gimmick and not on quality scripts. If you watch a "Bewitched" episode from 1964-1966, and then one from 1969-1972, you can easily tell the difference. It just became a boring "magic" show during the Dick Sargent years That didn't take away, however, from the tremendous quality of the first 5 years of the show
	__________________ My Blog: http://benjamonsterstv.blogspot.com/ My Site: peaktvdatabase.weebly.com My favorite TV shows: Bewitched, I Love Lucy, American Dreams, Mary Tyler Moore, The Office, Happy Days, The West Wing, Modern Family, Friday Night Lights, Friends, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation, and Parenthood

08-09-2003, 07:48 AM	#15
rml83 we <3 you, john. Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 05, 2003 Location: New York Posts: 41	I loved the Salem episodes, almost all of them, my favorite being "Samantha's Old Salem Trip." But the trip to Europe paled in comparison. I do more groaning than laughing in those episodes. I think season 7 is the best of the last three seasons. Season eight was terrible (if it weren't for Aggie and Sargent holding up pretty much any episode, it would be too boring to speak of), and season six was understandably awkward, but season seven wasn't bad. I kind of agree with those who say that the show should have just ended after Dick York left because it was never the same, but then again, it is my favorite show. So, even the worst episode of Bewitched is still great television in my opinion. I can also appreciate the weird and out there plots of the later seasons that we wouldn't seen in earlier seasons. Even if they weren't as good.
	__________________ Randie "in paris, people eat better. and in paris, people make love -- well, perhaps not better, but certainly more often."-- love in the afternoon

08-06-2003, 12:11 AM	#2
Brian Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Jun 23, 2001 Posts: 20,451	I think it was good that they ended it when they did. When a show gets to the point where they have a lot of episodes and start re-using earlier story plots in episodes then that is a sure sign that it is running out of steam.

08-06-2003, 01:08 AM	#3
Novarro Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 02, 2002 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 191	Yes I agree totally. There were alot of recycled episodes done in the last year that were vastly inferior to the episodes they were based on from earlier in the series. I feel even Elizabeth Montgomery was looking bored in alot of the episodes as well and I dont think the Samantha character was half as appealing and lovely as she was earlier as well. "Bewitched" should have ended at the conclusion of season seven I think ..I did like most of the Salem episodes

08-06-2003, 11:40 AM	#4
hawaii five-o Book 'Em, Dano Senior Member Join Date: Jun 27, 2003 Location: At home, eating cereal straight out of the box Posts: 1,406	It didn't help things when they moved it to Saturday nights, opposite "All in the Family".

08-06-2003, 01:15 PM	#5
barwars .. Forum Star Join Date: May 04, 2002 Posts: 13,273	I think shows should end in there prime, but the last season of Bewitched started to loose the show's prime. Still a great series.

08-06-2003, 10:34 PM	#6
marvin g Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 30, 2003 Location: Chicago,IL Posts: 1,217	I enjoed the Salem episodes too. Surprising that didn't do those earlier. If I remember correctly they only had one Halloween episode which seems strange when you think aboout it. They've had more Christmas episode than Halloween since Halloween is more associated with witchcraft.

08-06-2003, 11:15 PM	#8
Arfies Memberific Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: There beneath the blue suburban skies, in summer, meanwhile back.... Posts: 481	The Halloween episodes were "The Witches are Out", "Trick or Treat", "Twitch or Treat","The Safe and Sane Halloween", and "To Trick or Not to Trick or Treat."

08-06-2003, 11:31 PM	#9
Novarro Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 02, 2002 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 191	Yes Donald, the trip to Europe was a big misfire I think.....totally unfunny when there should have been real potential in those storylines and I just hate Elizabeth's 1970's groovy outfits and worse still those long white socks! Yuck, give me her teased hair and stunning outfits circa 1966-67 any day! At least when they went to Salem they actually "went there" and filmed on location. I love the Paul Revere episode which I thought recaptured alot of the old charm of "Bewitched". The chemistry between Elizabeth and the handsome actor playing Paul Revere has often been commented on. Simon

08-08-2003, 01:03 PM	#12
donaldshelton Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 08, 2003 Location: Tacoma WA Posts: 52	Bert also was the host of the last Password game in the 80's. Don ps Sorry about deviating from the board's theme ie Bewitched