Bewitched

Samantha Stephens is a seemingly normal suburban housewife who also happens to be a genuine witch, with all the requisite magical powers. Her husband Darrin insists that Samantha keep her witchcraft under wraps, but situations invariably require her to indulge her powers while keeping her bothersome mother Endora at bay.

Bewitched (1964-1972) is an American network sitcom created by Sol Saks for ABC, a classic eight-season family comedy built on a supernatural premise. Elizabeth Montgomery plays Samantha Stephens, a witch who sets out to live as a normal suburban housewife, while Dick York and later Dick Sargent play her husband Darrin, an advertising executive who insists she keep her powers hidden. Agnes Moorehead is Endora, Samantha's bothersome mother, whose meddling keeps the household in constant disorder, and Sandra Gould plays nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz. Each episode is a self-contained case of the week in which a magical slip threatens the couple's ordinary life and Samantha must improvise with a twitch of her nose to set things right. The series runs across roughly 250 episodes and spans its full run without a continuing plot, so viewers can dip in anywhere. Its tone is breezy, gentle and cozy, with slapstick timing and warm domestic comedy resting on the marriage at its center. Set in a 1960s American suburb, it captures the look and manners of the era while playing with a fantasy premise. Fans of I Dream of Jeannie, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Sabrina the Teenage Witch will find resonance in its blend of household magic and playful sitcom charm.

Audiences broadly regard Bewitched as a charming, warmly funny family sitcom whose magic-themed premise and Elizabeth Montgomery's performance have aged well.

• I Dream of Jeannie (1965)shared family sitcom warmth, suburban domestic fantasy, magical disruption of ordinary life
• The Dick Van Dyke Showshared 1960s suburban sitcom tone, domestic comedy built on a husband and wife dynamic
• Sabrina the Teenage Witchshared supernatural household comedy and magical powers hidden from a spouse

Created by

Sol Saks

Release Date

1964-09-17

Episode runtime

25 min

Rating

7.6 / 10 (769)

What is Bewitched about?

A witch secretly tries to live an ordinary suburban housewife's life while her husband insists she keep her magic hidden.

What is Bewitched like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bewitched as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Bewitched violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Bewitched.

What did critics think of Bewitched?

Audiences broadly regard Bewitched as a charming, warmly funny family sitcom whose magic-themed premise and Elizabeth Montgomery's performance have aged well.

Which shows are like Bewitched?

Shows with a similar feel include I Dream of Jeannie (1965), The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

How long is Bewitched?

Bewitched: 8 seasons, 254 episodes.

Is Bewitched still running?

No, Bewitched has ended.

Where can I watch Bewitched?

In United States, Bewitched streams on Hulu, Philo, REELZ+ Amazon Channel.