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At the time, the 1970 Christmas episode of Bewitched, “Sisters at Heart,” was considered a groundbreaking work of television. In fact, it received the Governor’s Award at the following year’s Emmys, reserved for the people and works the board just really liked that year. It’s centered on Darrin Stephens’ boss, who comes to believe for reasons of wacky hijinks that Darrin is married to a Black woman and subsequently passes him over for an important opportunity. At the same time, the Stephens’ daughter, Tabitha, casts a spell on herself and a Black friend, covering their skin in light and dark polka dots, after another kid tells them they could never be “sisters” because of their differing ethnicities. It ends with Samantha bewitching Darrin’s boss to see everyone, including himself, as Black, which convinces him of the error of his ways in a sort of Christmas Carol: Racism Edition.

One of the most widely derided comedies of Will Ferrell's career is getting a new streaming home.

Per Tubi, 2005's Bewitched feature film starring Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman will be making its way onto the platform. This means that fans can catch one of the least-beloved remake movies of all time entirely for free on Valentine's Day.

Related 'Another Big Fun Mystery': It's Only Murders in the Building EP Teases Season 5 Plot, New Guest Stars

Only Murders in the Building fans can look forward to "another big fun mystery" as well as plenty of guest stars in the upcoming fifth season.

The original 1964 Bewitched television series was created by Sol Saks and starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, a suburban housewife married to Dick York (later Dick Sargent) in the role of Darrin Stephens. While the two would like to simply enjoy their idyllic lifestyle together, Darrin's consistently...

TV Legend: A high school class wrote a Bewitched script that was adapted into a classic Christmas episode of the famous TV series.

As you might imagine, in the world of network television, when you have to come up with material for over 20 episodes a season, there is a constant need for content. That's why there are so many famous clichés that pop up in most famous sitcoms. Cliches happen because they pretty much Work, so shows find themselves turning to them to fill out the episode order.

However, there are sometimes much stranger origins for certain episodes of notable TV shows, like "Sisters at Heart," the beloved 1970 Christmas episode of Bewitched.

Bewitched, of course, starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens, a witch who married a mortal named Darrin Stephens. The show was about Samantha trying to hide her magical powers, while also often Using those magical powers for misadventures...

The classic 1960s sitcom Bewitched has remained a beloved staple of American television, with its memorable characters, whimsical plotlines, and groundbreaking portrayal of an independent female lead. The show’s unique twist—a suburban housewife who is secretly a witch—combined humor with fantasy, captivating audiences over eight seasons from 1964 to 1972.

Unfortunately, most of the original cast members have passed away, leaving behind a legacy that still resonates with fans today. Here’s a look at the lives of the Bewitched cast and where they are now.

Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha. | ABC

Elizabeth Montgomery starred as Samantha Stephens, a kind-hearted witch who tries to live a normal suburban life while balancing her magical heritage. Samantha’s character broke stereotypes, showcasing a strong and independent woman in a time when television often depicted women in domestic roles. Montgomery’s portrayal earned her five Primetime Emmy Award...

Sitcom kids aren’t supposed to play favorites, but with all of her TV dads now performing on that big Nick at Nite in the sky, the actress who played Tabitha on Bewitched is finally ready to get real about her comedy paternity.

Erin Murphy, now 60, played half-witch/half-mortal toddler Tabitha Stevens on the 1960s sitcom. Her first TV dad was played by Dick York, who wasn’t any happier with his daughter’s witchcraft than he was with his wife’s.

But York had a painful, degenerative spine condition that forced him to leave Bewitched after its fifth season. For Seasons Six through Eight, Tabitha had a new daddy in Dick Sargent, a man equally fixated on keeping his daughter’s powers at bay.

Who was the better Darrin Stevens — first daddy or second daddy? “My entire life I have been so diplomatic because I loved them both,” Murphy told People.

After 35 years, Teen Witch star Robyn Lively‘s biggest fan might just be her little sister.

Marking the cult teen fantasy comedy’s milestone anniversary, the actress recalled how sister Blake Lively “would fan-girl over me” when Teen Witch premiered in 1989, and she continues to be a “massive” fan of the Dorian Walker-helmed film.

“It’s a family favorite, but not among my immediate family,” Robyn told Jezebel. “My kids love it, but it’s different. For my younger siblings… Blake was — and is — a massive Teen Witch fan. Like, she would fan-girl over me.”

In true stan fashion, Blake and husband Ryan Reynolds even recreated the film’s ‘Final Hour’ dance sequence for their 2012 wedding.

Teen Witch stars Robyn as high school nerd Louise Miller (Zelda Rubinstein), who learns from psychic Madame Serena that she possesses magical abilities, which kick in when she turns 16. With her newfound powers,...

Roseanne famously recast Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner after season 5, briefly replacing her with Sarah Chalke and many viewers still wonder why did Becky leave Roseanne in the first place, especially since Goranson later returned. When Becky's Roseanne recast happened, TV recastings even on major shows weren't rare. One of the most famous examples is the recasting of husband Darrin Stephens in the 1960s sitcom Bewitched, with actor Dick Sargent replacing original cast member Dick York, who was in failing health at the time.

When studios want more of a show, but an actor no longer wants to participate, a recasting is a natural solution. Either that or create a new similar character to fill the void. This is why Lecy Goranson leaving and being briefly replaced by Sarah Chalke as Roseanne's Becky character wasn't too disruptive in the long run for the show, though the show had an interesting...

The end-credit sequence of Agatha All Along references many movies and TV shows, each of them connecting to the spooky nature of the MCU Disney+ series. By the time of Agatha All Along episode 2s ending, the witchy, Halloween vibes of the show become prevalent. From the eerie, spooky depiction of the Witches Road that serves as the shows main setting to the seven witches of Agatha Harkness coven, Agatha All Along is wisely versing itself in a weird, mysterious world and tone.

This tone extends to the shows end-credit sequence. As the names of Agatha All Alongs ensemble cast and talented crew are displayed in gothic writing, references to other movies and TV shows can be spotted in the background. While some of the elements shown in the end-credits sequence relate to the shows in-universe aspects like the MCUs Witches Road location, others are from real-world projects that share...

Bewitched is one of the most popular shows of all time and was even ranked No. 50 on TV Guide‘s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, proving that the love of magic is real. The series, starring Elizabeth Montgomery as the mystical Samantha Stephens, Dick York and later Dick Sargent as her mortal husband Darrin Stephens and Agnes Moorehead as her powerful mother Endora, aired from 1964 until 1972. Of course, since the show began 60 years ago, most of the cast members have since passed away. Let’s find out who is still alive and what they’re up to now. Erin Murphy (60) Tabitha Stephens Everett Collection; Jerod Harris/Getty Images Unsurprisingly, the only surviving cast members are the kids from the show. During the show’s third season, Samantha and Darrin had their first child, a daughter named Tabitha who eventually shows that she inherited the family’s magical powers. At first,...

Classic TV shows are still loved and appreciated by the masses today.

We all have specific go-to favorites we have seen many times over but never seem to get sick of watching.

Certain technological advancements didn't exist when classic TV shows were produced, such as the ability to pause, rewind, or record episodes.

Those advancements have since changed how we can view our favorite classic shows.

While binge-watching is not always great for enjoying modern programs, it is another advancement that can offer new insights into classic shows that are fun to explore.

The Attraction of Classic TV

Whether it's a 1950s show like Lassie or a 1980s show like The Facts of Life, there is something inherently special about a classic TV show.

Watching one is like eating comfort food.

Experts say classic shows are so attractive because humans are social creatures. We want to form connections with other people.

In the "Bewitched" episode "Sisters at Heart", the young Tabitha (Erin Murphy) brings home a new friend named Lisa (Venetta Rogers) to stay for a few days. Tabitha and Lisa have become very close very quickly, and refer to each other as sisters. Like with every episode of "Bewitched," Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and Darrin (Dick Sargent) worry that the new social wrinkle in their lives will expose the fact that Samantha is an ancient, magic-practicing witch and that Tabitha also possesses eerie powers.

The drama of "Sisters at Heart," however, quickly extends past the show's usual shenanigans. A client of Darrin's, a bigoted toy manufacturer named Mr. Brockway (Parley Baer) swings by for a surprise in-home meeting. When he sees Lisa, he is outraged. Lisa is Black and Mr. Brockway, not having met Samantha, assumes that Darrin is married to a Black woman. Because he is evil, Mr. Brockway immediately...

Bewitched was a magical sitcom from 1964 that broke stereotypes with its strong female characters and smart writing. The main cast members like Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York have passed away, but their legacy lives on in TV history. Adam Stephens actor David Mandel-Bloch, one of the few surviving cast members, co-owns a restaurant with his twin brother Greg.

David Mandel-Bloch is one of only three actors from the main Bewitched cast who's still alive. The 1964 Bewitched series kicked off a magical franchise, leading to spin-offs, an animated adaptation, and a theatrical Bewitched movie remake starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. The fantasy sitcom follows a witch named Samantha who marries an ordinary man, Darrin, and tries to lead a normal suburban life. Samantha's family is not a fan of the marriage and frequently interferes with their lives, usually with Darrin the hapless victim of their many spells gone wrong.

Bewitched...

Exclusive: NBC is developing Something Wicked, a multi-camera comedy starring June Diane Raphael and written and executive produced by Raphael and Dickinson creator Alena Smith.

Something Wicked is described as a comedy with a Bewitched-type premise and an homage to TV sitcom classics. It examines the condition of modern adult womanhood and how even with witchcraft, balancing everything is impossible.

Smith and Raphael write and executive produce. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.

This is the latest high-profile multi-camera comedy project at NBC. The network, which has pivoted toward an all-multi-camera comedy slate over the last year and a half, also has a sitcom pilot headlined by Reba McEntire.

Bewitched, which originally aired on ABC from 1964-72, starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stevens, a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man, played by Dick York and later Dick Sargent, and vows to lead the life of a typical suburban housewife.

Elvis Presley starred in a large number of films, often appearing in multiple movies per year during the 1950s and 1960s. These films featured a mix of recognizable actors and unknowns who would later become major names in the industry. Notable actors such as Dick Sargent, Walter Matthau, Donna Douglas, Charles Bronson, Angela Lansbury, and Barbara Stanwyck appeared alongside Elvis in his movies, taking on both major and minor roles. Even actors who had uncredited or minor roles in Elvis Presley films went on to have successful careers. Examples include Jackie Coogan, Lee Majors, Vincent Price, and Kurt Russell, who made his film debut in an Elvis Presley movie and later portrayed Presley himself in a television movie.

Throughout the 31 feature films that Elvis Presley starred in, there were plenty of opportunity for him to share scenes with notable stars. While the movies of Presley can vary in quality and...

For six seasons, Dick York played Darrin Stephens on the hit TV series Bewitched — and then suddenly departed. York would ultimately be replaced by Dick Sargent, who would fill the role of Darrin for Bewitched's final three seasons. Replacing a main character is usually the death knell for a show, so what exactly happened? Did Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) wiggle her nose and trade up for a more handsome husband? Did Endora (Agnes Moorehead) finally snap and do away with him? The real story is just as dramatic and a lot more inspiring.

In its own way, Sol Saks' 1963 sitcom "Bewitched" was a subversive work. Inspired by movies like "I Married a Witch" (1942) and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" (1957), "Bewitched" followed the everyday, quotidian, brightly-lit travails of a typical white suburban couple named Darrin Stephens and Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery). 

The twist was that Samantha was a centuries-old witch, descended from a long line of magic-users. Endora (Agnes Moorehead), Samantha's colorful mother, would occasionally drop in, as would her father Maurice (Maurice Evans from "Planet of the Apes"), and uncle Arthur (legendary comedian Paul Lynde). The witches and warlocks on the show would often attempt to drive a wedge between Samantha and Darrin, but their love would prevail in the end. 

Beginning in the show's third season, the Stephens had their first child, Tabitha (Erin Murphy and Diane Murphy). In the sixth season, they were joined by baby Adam (David Lawrence and Greg Lawrence). 

Sadly,...

Paul Schrader’s Hardcore is one of the writer-director’s most unabashedly autobiographical films. The opening montage of winter in Grand Rapids, Michigan, contains shots of the street where he grew up, his family members, and places he worked. Schrader has also mentioned in interviews that George S. Scott’s Calvinist furniture manufacturer, Jake Van Dorn, is an equivocal portrait of his father.

That entire sequence is shot through with ambivalence. The Van Dorn clan is depicted with warmth and hominess, but there are cracks evident in the facade: the disapproving comments about modern media; the passive-aggressive way in which the emotionally distant Jake talks down to a female employee; and the absence of a presiding maternal figure.

When his daughter, Kristen (Ilah Davis), inexplicably goes missing on a church trip to California, Jake is determined to track her down with the help of Andy Mast (Peter Boyle), a morally...

“Yellowstone” premiered in 2018, and has led to an acclaimed TV franchise, with star Kevin Costner striking gold once again in his career as patriarch John Dutton. Fans were disappointed to learn that Costner has opted to leave “Yellowstone” with the upcoming conclusion of season five; his schedule is currently full as he has been starring in, producing, co-writing and directing “Horizon: An American Saga,” the first of a four-film western saga.

However, this isn’t the first time a star has left a series too early, leaving producers scrambling to find a solution to keep a successful series going. Tour our photo gallery featuring 27 performers who abandoned their programs.

Like Costner, other actors and actresses have left to pursue other projects. Some, like Farrah Fawcett and George Clooney, go on to successful careers in movies or with more TV. Others, like David Caruso and McLean Stevenson, regret leaving a successful show when careers flounder afterwards.

It can be hard for a series to survive losing one of its main characters, at least when it comes to quality. Even if a series is still popular enough to last a few more seasons, viewers might feel that the previous seasons had more quality. Some viewers go so far as to pretend the series ended when important characters left.

Related:10 Sci-Fi Shows That Bombed But Became Cult Classics

Often, when a main character leaves, a new character gets added and takes their place. However, this rarely gives viewers any consolation. All too often, these new characters don't live up to the originals or don't match the series' familiar tone.

Updated on April 26th, 2023 by Mayra García: Often, TV series suffer a big change and take a hit to their popularity. This is a very common occurrence following the exit of a beloved character. We updated this list...

Click here to read the full article.

June Blair, who portrayed the wife of her real-life husband, David Nelson, on the reality-bending ABC family comedy The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, has died. She was 90.

Blair died Monday of natural causes at her home in Sherman Oaks, her daughter-in-law Susan Nelson told The Hollywood Reporter.

Shortly after posing as Playboy‘s Playmate of the Month in January 1957, the redheaded Blair starred as a woman mixed up in a complex theft of narcotics in the film noir Hell Bound (1957), starring John Russell.

Then, in 1959 releases, she portrayed a vulnerable secretary at a construction firm in The Rabbit Trap, starring Ernest Borgnine, and was one of three daughters of a nuclear scientist (future Batman butler Alan Napier) — Venetia Stevenson and Diane Jergens were the others — in Island of Lost Women.

Blair had just come off a turn as a saloonkeeper on the...

Following the success of WandaVision at Disney+, a Bewitched movie reboot is in development at Sony Pictures. Based on the original comedy series that starred Elizabeth Montgomery, the new movie adaptation will apparently ignore the 2005 movie that was widely panned upon its release. Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett, the team behind the TV series MacGyver and 12 Monkeys, will write the screenplay for the new remake with John Davis and John Fox producing via David Entertainment.

The original Bewitched television series followed the married life of a witch named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and her mortal husband, an advertising executive named Darrin Stephens (first played by Dick York and later by Dick Sargent). At the time, the series was a tremendous hit, scoring very high ratings as one of the most popular shows of the era. Ultimately, 254 episodes were produced over the course of eight seasons, with the switch from black-and-white...

Sony Pictures is in early development on a new adaptation of the classic sitcom “Bewitched,” starring Elizabeth Montgomery.

Montgomery starred for eight seasons as Samantha Stephens, a witch married to an ordinary man named Darrin (Dick York and later Dick Sargent) and whose magical powers often cause — yet, sometimes solve — a few wrinkles in her life as a typical suburban housewife.

Created by Sol Saks, under executive producer Harry Ackerman, “Bewitched” ran from 1964 to 1972 on ABC and was a defining example of the genre. Its spinoff, “Tabitha” (focused on Samantha and Darren’s daughter), ran for one season.

The new film comes from producers John Davis and John Fox with a script written by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett. Matalas has an overall deal at CBS and is currently co-running “Star Trek: Picard.” The quartet is also developing the “Witch Mountain” remake for Disney Plus.

Notably, this is not Sony...

Exclusive: Sony Pictures has set a movie based on Bewitched, the classic TV series that starred Elizabeth Montgomery. Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett, who ran the MacGyver and 12 Monkeys series, will write the script. John Davis and John Fox are producing through Davis Entertainment.

Sony tried a romantic comedy movie version in 2005, which Nora Ephron directed and which starred Nicole Kidman as the witch and Will Ferrell as her hapless husband Darrin. This one will be different, I’m told. Its jumping-off point is the series, in which a witch marries an advertising exec and then tries to hide her powers and her crazy relatives who drop in often.

Montgomery starred with Dick York (later replaced by Dick Sargent) in the ABC series that ran from 1964-72. The perfect TV series homemaker facade was used effectively in the recent WandaVision series, and the premise — the wife who has a...

Sony Pictures is twitching its nose as it orders early development of a movie version of the classic Bewitched TV sitcom, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Bewitched ran for eight seasons on ABC, from 1964 to 1972 and starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, a witch who marries Darrin, a mortal (Dick York and later Dick Sargent), and attempts to become a typical suburban housewife.

Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett are conjuring up the script for the movie adaptation. Davis Entertainment is producing via John Davis and John Fox.

Sony, which owns the sitcom’s rights, earlier attempted Bewitched TV series remakes, at CBS in ...

Sony Pictures is twitching its nose as it orders early development of a movie version of the classic Bewitched TV sitcom, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Bewitched ran for eight seasons on ABC, from 1964 to 1972 and starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, a witch who marries Darrin, a mortal (Dick York and later Dick Sargent), and attempts to become a typical suburban housewife.

Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett are conjuring up the script for the movie adaptation. Davis Entertainment is producing via John Davis and John Fox.

Sony, which owns the sitcom’s rights, earlier attempted Bewitched TV series remakes, at CBS in ...

Welcome to Rolling Stone‘s weekly coverage of Disney+’s WandaVision. I reviewed the series yesterday, and have specific, spoiler-filled thoughts on the first two episodes, coming up just as we decide if gum is food…

After that review published, several readers asked how much knowledge they needed of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to follow this show. Knowledge of, and affection for, Nick at Nite, I told them, would probably be way more valuable than remembering which side Wanda and Vision were on in Captain America: Civil War.

Yes, Elizabeth Olsen...

This show has everything going for it, in fact, it has Too much going for it: tragic drama, silly comedy, bland heart-tugs and saucy romance. Everybody’s working across purposes, with ‘stunt’ guest star Bobby Darin preening for awards attention. Angie Dickinson, Tony Curtis and Eddie Albert are terrific but are acting in different movies; and Gregory Peck seems out of his depth altogether. Does it keep our attention? You bet. Does it work? I’m not so sure.

Captain Newman, M.D.

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1963 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 126 min. / Street Date January 5, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis, Angie Dickinson, Bobby Darin, Eddie Albert, Robert Duvall, Bethel Leslie, Dick Sargent, James Gregory, Larry Storch, Jane Withers, Vito Scotti, Gregory Walcott, Ann Doran, Martin West, David Winters.

Cinematography: Russell Metty

Film Editor: Alma Macrorie

Music: Frank Skinner

Written by Richard L. Breen, Phoebe & Henry Ephron from...

We’re kicking off September’s home media releases this week with a great group of titles that include cult classics, indie horror, and a handful of Shudder Originals. Vinegar Syndrome is showing some love this Tuesday to both The Eleventh Commandment and Larry Cohen’s Perfect Strangers, and for those of you who may have missed seeing them on the aforementioned Shudder, now you can catch up with Z, Blood Quantum, and Terrified on both Blu-ray and DVD.

Other home media releases for September 1st include Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest from Scream Factory, Limbo, Widow’s Point, and Beetlejuice in 4K.

Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest

A young family moves to a new apartment in the outskirts of the big city. The nanny they hired to look after their newborn daughter quickly becomes trustworthy. However, the eldest boy notices frightening behavior of the woman, but...

Once again CineSavant becomes intrigued by a minor genre opus normally dismissed in a sentence or two; this Roger Corman production may fall short of his other early efforts because it tried to be too cerebral and then ran afoul of the Hollywood Guilds. David Kramarsky is listed as director but it’s hard to know how many of the credits are accurate — or simply bogus. Monstermaker extraordinaire Paul Blaisdell apparently came to the rescue with 11th-hour special effects to give the ambiguous, invisible alien menace more substance. Scorpion’s release has a new transfer and a commentary by Tim Lucas.

The Beast With a Million Eyes

Blu-ray

Scorpion Releasing

1955 / B&w / 1:37 full frame open aperture / 75 min. / Region A locked / Street Date November, 2019 /available through Ronin Flix (not Amazon) / 29.99

Starring: Paul Birch, Lorna Thayer, Dona Cole, Dick Sargent, Leonard Tarver, Bruce Whitmore, Chester Conklin.

Cinematography: Everett Baker + Floyd Crosby,...

The reboot of “Bewitched” is not moving forward at ABC this pilot season.

Variety has learned that the new version of the classic sitcom has been rolled to off cycle at the broadcaster. The project is said to remain in active development.

Kenya Barris and Yamara Taylor were set to write and executive produce the reboot, which would have focused on an black female witch who falls in love with a white mortal man. John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment are also executive producers on the project, which hails from ABC Studios and Sony Pictures Television.

“I thought it was an incredibly smart rethink and re-telling of that story,” recently anointed ABC president Karey Burke said during her executive session at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. “Kenya is peerless in the television business as far as I’m concerned…[Kenya and I] decided together that the script wasn’t quite there.

This ain't no magic trick. Deadline reports ABC is rebooting the classic TV show Betwitched with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris.

The original sitcom ran on ABC from 1964 to 1972 and starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, a witch trying to live a normal life with her non-magical husband, Darrin. The cast also included Dick York, Dick Sargent, Agnes Moorehead, and David White.

Read More…...

Alec Bojalad Feb 5, 2019

ABC has declined to pick up a pilot for Bewitched reboot featuring an interracial blended family from black-ish creator Kenya Barris.

black-ish creator Kenya Barris meant to leave a little gift for ABC before departing to Netflix. Now ABC has decided not to accept it.

ABC will not be moving forward with Barris' Bewitched reboot this pilot season. The project remains in active development though with Barris at Netflix it now seems like a longshot to be revived.

“I thought it was an incredibly smart rethink and re-telling of that story,” new ABC President Karey Burke said during her appearance at the 2019 Television Critics Association winter press tour. “Kenya is peerless in the television business as far as I’m concerned…(Kenya and I) decided together that the script wasn’t quite there.”

ABC had previously ordered a pilot for a single-camera Bewitched reboot featuring an interracial family,...

ABC has given a pilot production commitment to a reboot of classic sitcom “Bewitched” from Kenya Barris.

The project hails from ABC Studios and Sony Pictures Television. It was in the works prior to Barris’ departure this summer from ABC Studios, where he had been under an overall deal. Earlier this month, Barris signed a three-year agreement with an option for two more additional years at Netflix worth $100 million.

Barris will write and executive produce the project with Yamara Taylor, currently a co-producer on Barris’ ABC comedy series “Black-ish.” John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment will serve as non-writing exec producers.

A half-hour single camera comedy, the new “Bewitched” will be reimagined as a story featuring a bi-racial couple. The original “Bewitched” aired on ABC from 1964 to 1972. It starred Elizabeth Montgomery, a witch with magical powers who marries an ordinary mortal man, Darren, played first by Dick York and later by Dick Sargent.

Kenya Barris is working his magic on a beloved classic. The black-ish creator has sold an updated version of Bewitched to ABC, our sister site Deadline reports, in which Samantha is a hard-working black single mother who marries a white slacker named Darren.

Per the report, this new interracial Samantha and Darren “struggle to navigate their differences as she discovers that even when a black girl is literally magic, she’s still not as powerful as a decently tall white man with a full head of hair in America.” ABC has reportedly given Barris’ Bewitched a pilot production commitment, with...

Tony Curtis grew up idolizing the suave and funny Cary Grant, emulated his romantic moves as an actor and then performed a brilliant impersonation of Grant for Billy Wilder. The next step had to be co-starring with the great man himself. Blake Edwards’ amiable, relaxed submarine movie allows Grant to play with ladies’ under-things, while Curtis wrestles with a pig.

Operation Petticoat

Blu-ray

Olive Signature Edition

1959 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 120 min. / Street Date July 1, 2014 / available through the Olive Films website / 39.95

Starring: Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Joan O’Brien, Dina Merrill, Gene Evans, Dick Sargent, Virginia Gregg, Gavin MacLeod, Madlyn Rhue, Marion Ross, Arthur O’Connell.

Cinematography: Russell Harlan

Original Music: David Rose

Written by Paul King, Joseph Stone, Stanley Shapiro, Maurice Richlin

Produced by Robert Arthur

Directed by Blake Edwards

The latest in Olive Films’ Signature Selection special editions is Operation Petticoat, a light comedy war movie noted for teaming Cary Grant with Tony Curtis.

March 21st is a big day for cult film fans, not to mention all you RoboCop enthusiasts out there, as Tuesday has a variety of horror and sci-fi offerings that you’ll undoubtedly want to add to your home entertainment collections. Scream Factory is releasing a pair of amazing Collector's Edition Blu-rays for RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3, and Kino Lorber is keeping busy with a trio of HD releases, too: Chamber of Horrors, Invisible Ghost, and A Game of Death.

Other notable titles making their way home on March 21st include Wolf Creek: Season One, Eloise, John Waters’ Multiple Maniacs, and Frankenstein Created Bikers.

Chamber of Horrors (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray & DVD)

Newly Mastered in HD! Chamber of Horrors was based on the classic novel, The Door with Seven Locks by Edgar Wallace (King Kong, The Terror) - it was the second Wallace adaptation brought to the States by Monogram Pictures.

We don’t normally do Blu-ray release announcements here on Nerdly, but when one of my favourite 80s teen movies (I mean that sincerely, despite how much the film is derided) is set for feature-packed release, I can’t help but shout it from the rooftops!

What film could possibly get me this excited you might ask? Well probably not if you’ve read the title of this post… I digress… but yes, Teen Witch - that pantheon of 80s chic and the butt of numerous “bad movie” jokes – is set for a Blu-ray release in the Us next year from Kino Lorber/Scorpion Releasing. Just check out that cover art:

From the press release:

Romance is the most powerful spell of all…or so one teenager learns in this fun teen fantasy starring Robyn Lively (Chicago Hope), Zelda Rubinstein (the Poltergeist trilogy), Dan Gauthier (Beverly Hills, 90210) and Dick Sargent...

If you’re coming out and you want the world to know, the flashiest way to do it (short of a show tune soliloquy) is to make a movie. Or, more realistically, a web series.

National Coming Out Day is observed on October 11th, the anniversary of the second March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, often referred to as “The Great March.” It is a celebration of what its founders called the most basic form of activism; standing up and being counted. On this day in 1991, “Bewitched” actor Dick Sargent came out on “The Geraldo Rivera Show.” This year, Kristen Stewart, Aubrey Plaza, Lilly Wachowski, Robin Lord Taylor and Holland Taylor all came out as some iteration of Lgbtq.

Read More: ‘Valentina’: Talking Vagina Short Film Director On How Surrealism Reveals Deeper Truths

Because of the many celebrities and queer people who came out before them, emerging...

The conflicted Paul Schrader works out some hellacious personal issues, in a feverish tale of a Michigan Calvinist searching for his daughter in the porn jungle of L.A.. A disturbingly dark modern-day cross between The Searchers and Masque of the Red Death, it was meant to be even darker. Hardcore Blu-ray Twilight Time 1979 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 108 min. / Street Date August, 2016 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95 Starring George C. Scott, Peter Boyle, Season Hubley, Dick Sargent, Leonard Gaines, David Nichols. Cinematography Michael Chapman Production Designer Paul Sylbert Art Direction Edwin O'Donovan Film Editor Tom Rolf Original Music Jack Nitzsche Produced by Buzz Feitshans, John Milius Written and Directed by Paul Schrader

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

I'm not sure that the word 'controversial' has the same meaning it once had. There has to be a consensus on what is 'normal' in society for some topics to become edgy. These...

'The Beast with a Million Eyes': Hardly truth in advertising as there's no million-eyed beast in Roger Corman's micro-budget sci-fi thriller. 'The Beast with a Million Eyes': Alien invasion movie predates Alfred Hitchcock classic Despite the confusing voice-over introduction, David Kramarsky's[1] The Beast with a Million Eyes a.k.a. The Beast with 1,000,000 Eyes is one of my favorite 1950s alien invasion films. Set in an ugly, desolate landscape – shot “for wide screen in terror-scope” in Indio and California's Coachella Valley – the screenplay by future novelist Tom Filer (who also played Jack Nicholson's sidekick in the 1966 Western Ride in the Whirlwind) focuses on a dysfunctional family whose members become the first victims of a strange force from another galaxy after a spaceship lands nearby emitting sound vibrations that turn domestic animals into aggressive killers. Killer cow First, the lady-of-the-house is pecked by a flock of chickens and,...

Kino Lorber and Scorpion Releasing are looking to cast an ’80s-infused spell on nostalgic viewers with their upcoming Blu-ray release of 1989’s Teen Witch.

According to Blu-ray.com, Teen Witch will be released on Blu-ray sometime this year. While the cover art and special features have yet to be revealed, Scorpion Releasing recently let fans know on their Facebook page that they’ve conducted a video interview with Teen Witch star Robyn Lively, and that fans can expect a lot of bonus features on this release. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more details.

Directed by Dorian Walker, Teen Witch stars Robyn Lively, Dan Gauthier, Caren Kaye, Joshua John Miller, and Dick Sargent.

Synopsis (via MGM): “Romance is the most powerful spell of all… or so one teenager learns in this fun teen fantasy starring Robyn Lively (“Chicago Hope”), Zelda Rubinstein (the Poltergeist trilogy), Dan Gauthier (“Beverly Hills, 90210”) and...

The next in an increasingly common series of “remakes” or “reboots” on television has found a home. Variety reports that NBC has landed the Bewitched sequel TV show that has been shopped around for the last couple of weeks. The proposed series will follow the granddaughter of Darren and Samantha Stevens, who were played in the original series by Dick York (and then Dick Sargent) and Elizabeth Montgomery. The fantasy sitcom ran for eight seasons on NBC from 1964-1972 and spawned a short-lived spinoff Tabitha in 1977 and an ill-conceived feature film remake in 2005 starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. NBC has given a pilot production commitment to the Bewitched sequel series, which hails from writers Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, whose credits include Never Been Kissed and The Vow.

The post NBC Lands Bewitched Sequel Series appeared first on Collider.

Everything that was old is new again! Even the things that were not very old are getting made over for a new generation with a short-attention span and a dislike of anything made before, I dunno, the year 2000. As classic (and not-so-classic) TV shows and films get their second day in the sun, it should come as no surprise that a new version of the TV series Bewitched is in development and starting to be shopped to multiple networks.

Bewitched is not the 2005 movie with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell that made you want to stab your eardrums, by the way. No, it was originally a classic TV show starring Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, a 60s suburban housewife with a secret: she’s actually a witch. This causes comedic mayhem for Samantha and her non-magical husband Darrin (Dick York, later replaced by Dick Sargent), as Samantha’s supernatural family does...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: July 1, 2014

Price: DVD $19.95, Blu-ray $29.95

Studio: Olive Films

Cary Grant and Joan O'Brien hit the deck in Operation Petticoat.

The 1959 comedy Operation Petticoat starring Cary Grant (To Catch a Thief) and Tony Curtis (Sweet Smell of Success) makes it’s Blu-ray debut courtesy of Olive Films.

Operation Petticoat begins as Commander Matt Sherman (Grant) has his toughest assignment yet – to put a broken sardine can of a submarine back in action. Enter supply officer Nick Holden (Curtis), a master scavenger who has some very shady plans to get the Sea Tiger purring again. Said plans become quite apparent after the crew rescues five stranded beautiful nurses and the grey, battle-scarred sub is suddenly painted a blushingly bold pink, thus transforming into a party-ready hot tub sub for all who come aboard.

One of the earlier movies on director Blake Edward’s (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) filmography, Operation Petticoat...

"Scandal" Ep Shonda Rhimes Blasted Deadline Hollywood for putting up a fake story saying Columbus Short had been recast ... only minutes after the story went up. Shots Fired!!!Short -- who recently got the boot from the show and whose character appeared to be dead at the end of last season -- was to be replaced by some guy named Eric West ... according to Deadline.But Rhimes shot down that report right quick, tweeting out,...

If you managed to survive this past weekend’s Halloween party circuit without needing down a costume, I salute you. But we’re only days away from October 31, so time’s wasting before you really have to get something. To help inspire you, here are 31 gay celebs in kickass costumes. Whether you’re going for campy, kooky, sexy, scary, or none of the above, these gents have you covered.

1. Anderson Cooper nails this Phil Donahue costume: a perfect pop culture throwback.

2. RuPaul proves a throwback to an entire era — the big-haired ’80s in this case — can be just as potent.

3. Adam Lambert wards off predators with spikes. Fetish fun for the whole Glam Nation.

(source)

4. “Man in uniform” is always a bankable look. Just ask Dick Sargent.

5. A Mormon uniform works too. See: Andrew Rannells.

6. Nathan Lane reminds us (in this Modern Family pic) that golfers were once wonderful fops.

Doctor Who handles a recasting like no other show - ever since 1966, when William Hartnell gave way to Patrick Troughton, the show's ingenious concept of regeneration has seen it survive and thrive despite multiple recastings of its lead role...

With the BBC sci-fi drama's latest star to be unveiled on Sunday night, this week's Friday Fiver takes a look at some of TV's most notable head-swaps and asks... did it work?

> Friday Fiver - Emmys 2013: The worst snubs

> Friday Fiver - Adam Lambert joins Glee: Five more popstars turned TV stars

Dick Sargent replaces Dick York on Bewitched

Possibly the most famous TV switch - Bewitched swapped one Dick for another, with Sargant stepping in for an ailing York. Viewers didn't seem to mind and the fantasy sitcom continued for three more seasons.

Daphne Maxwell Reid replaces Janet Hubert-Whitten on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Following Janet Hubert-Whitten's well-publicised feud with Big Will,...

We here at ComicMix celebrate all manner of pop culture from today’s obvious hits to the arcane wonders of yesteryear. every now and then we get a notice about something that seems just outside our realm of interest but there’s a thing or two that grabs us. Something like an unaired pilot to the legendary Dr. Kildare series is one of those things. Not only that, but the series gave us Richard Chamberlain as a star (long before he was resurrected for Leverage). The show not only boasted an impressive guest cast, as noted below but it featured some of the best writers working in television including a pre-Star Trek Gene Roddenberry. So, here’s the press release for those who remember and remain interested:

Warner Archive Collection continues to unveil some of the finest series in television history with its release this week of Dr. Kildare: The First Complete Season.

Hold the laugh track!

Modern Family is already a TV classic – but members of its cast are looking to the past and paying homage to iconic shows in a new photo. In this exclusive shot, the ensemble from ABC's Emmy-winning hit comedy takes on the personas (in full hair and makeup) of beloved characters from 60-plus years of classic sitcoms. For fuller-sized images, click through the carousel of photos above.

Who among these was your favorite?

. The Honeymooners: In the early '50s, Jackie Gleason's Brooklyn bus driver Ralph Kramden and his sewer-worker neighbor and pal Ed Norton...

Hold the laugh track! Modern Family is already a TV classic - but members of its cast are looking to the past and paying homage to iconic shows in a new photo. In this exclusive shot, the ensemble from ABC's Emmy-winning hit comedy takes on the personas (in full hair and makeup) of beloved characters from 60-plus years of classic sitcoms. Who among these was your favorite? • The Honeymooners: In the early '50s, Jackie Gleason's Brooklyn bus driver Ralph Kramden and his sewer-worker neighbor and pal Ed Norton (Art Carney) were the fateful Everymen under the thumbs of their spouses.