I used too get a kick out of Gladys seeing Samantha do magic and call for her husband too come quick. Why were Gladys and Abner written off of the show? Did they run out of material or they felt the joke had gone on long enough? I always thought it would be funny if Abner actually had caught wind and it was his wife's turn too think he was crazy.
share I never really thought about it! It's been years since I have seen the last few seasons of Bewitched. I don't think Abner would have noticed the strange goings on at the Stephens house. He minded his business. And if he DID see something, Gladys would have been ecstatic to learn that he finally agreed with her. Or at least he didn't think she was cuckoo!!
I looked up Sandra Gould's appearances on Bewitched and her last one was in a season seven episode, Laugh.Clown, Laugh. The last episode listed for George Tobias was also in season seven, Darrin Goes Ape.
Perhaps the writers felt that they had gone as far as they could with a wacky neighbor "seeing things" all the time! What else could Gladys do to convince her husband? Or maybe the Kravitzes moved.
Season eight opened with the Stephens family in Europe. There are seven European episodes which would have no need for Gladys Kravitz snooping, unless by some wild coincidence she vacationed in Europe at the same time!
A lot of the other season eight episodes focused on Tabitha. It would be just plain weird for Gladys to be spying on a child.
I think the whole gag of the snooping neighbor had run its course.
The reason is simple: Montgomery and Asher, who owned 50 percent of the show, formed Ashmont productions just
before season eight. As a cost-cutting measure, they dropped Mabel Albertson, Roy Roberts and Robert F. Simon,
Sandra Gould and George Tobias. BW's glory days were long gone, and Liz and Asher were all about getting
through that final, painful season (which Liz didn't even want to do), and saving as much production dollars as possible.
Even though BW was contractually bound for season nine, and Liz said "forget it" in the spring of '72 (Erin Murphy
thought they were coming back), I highly doubt the Asher's had any intention of going for season nine even at
the outset of season eight.
That makes total sense, follow the money! Yes!
As I posted, I don't remember much about season eight, forgot that Darrin's parents did not appear in any episodes. Uncle Arthur did not appear in any season eight eps either, did he? I think the last time Paul Lynde appeared was in the season seven episode "The House that Uncle Arthur Built."
It seems that they did try to film the last season as cheaply as possible.
I do remember reading that Elizabeth Montgomery could not be tempted to do a ninth season despite all the money they offered. I don't blame her. She was bored and wanted to move on.
Some of those last few seasons had too many episodes which were remakes of earlier episodes. For example, 'Laugh,Clown, Laugh' was a remake of Samantha's weeping willow tree episode.
I think there were many stories which they could have done if they brought in new writers with fresh ideas. But the show had run its course.
Hmn, despite similarities, I don't see "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" as a remake of "Weep No More my Willow."
"The Corsican Cousins" (a fan fave, but one I see as the turning point for the true downward spiral in
season seven) copies "Weep" for a few moments, when Sam gets Larry on a laughing trip.
Yes, Paul Lynde was also a cost-cutter. Some fans have suggested that he wasn't available because he
was preparing his series "The Paul Lynde Show" (playing a STRAIGHT husband and father; uh, okay).
But the pilot wasn't shot until early '72...just as BW was finishing production.
I'm surprised they'd drop Lynde. He and Montgomery were close, from what I understand.
shareI think Liz enjoyed Lynde, and Bill liked him, but I don't think they were super close. From what I've read
anyway, Liz was not particularly close to anyone except Bill (oddly, even after divorce), her mother, her
kids, and actor Liz Sheridan (who played "Seinfeld's" mom). Liz was known to sort of "chapterize"
people in her life, and when a certain era of her life was over, she cut ties. The late actor Dominick
Dunne was quoted as saying such, and he was fairly bitter towards Liz, whom he once considered a very
close friend in the late '50's. According to Dunne, Liz didn't even acknowledge him when passing him
in a studio hallway during the "Bewitched" years, or decades later.
Oh my! You know, I'm organizing a class reunion, and I'm seeing that in some people....that part of life is over. Close the book.
shareWhoops! I mean Dominick Dunne, the WRITER!
shareI just finished rewatching the whole series, and you can definitely tell that season 8 was done on the cheap, or at least on the cheaper. In some episodes, there were noticeably fewer shot changes, instead having the camera just zoom in to follow the action. And of course, there was the lack of regulars as you already mentioned. It's strange, since there are those publicity photos taken during season 8 that show both Paul Lynde and Robert F. Simon. There's a space in the photos next to Simon, so perhaps they were going to insert in Mabel Albertson later. Going back to the low budget of season 8, there were a lot of remakes of previous episodes of course, which would have saved them a lot of time in the writing. I suspect that by season 6, when they renewed the show for four years, they thought that eventually only the color episodes would be syndicated, so they remade a lot of the season 1 and 2 episodes during seasons 6-8. The one that makes the least sense is "A Good Turn Never Goes Unpunished," which is a remake of the very early "Help, Help, Don't Save Me." Why would Darrin still not trust Sam after all these years? I don't think season 8 is dreadful, but it always feels so different from the other seasons. I do love some of Endora's final moments in the finale, when she says she doesn't have to be angry to be difficult, but it doesn't hurt. It felt like a throwback to the more playful Endora of season 1.
shareI didn't know that about Liz. I heard she fell in love with one of the directors by the end of the show. Also why they switched Darrins. She may have been a private person.
Costs and a joke going on to long could factor in.
They switched Darrins bc Dick York had medical issues and could not continue in the role.
share Yeah, gbennett, I guess "remake" is the wrong word for those episodes. But it's the same theme. The stories are re-used, i.e., inappropriate laughing and crying because of witchcraft. But when you mentioned "The Corsican Cousins" that reminded me of another remake with Serena.
In the first season there was "Which Witch is Which". Sam has two appointments so Endora fills in for her at a dress fitting. A man flirts with Endora (as Sam) and they start dating. Turns out the man is an old friend of Darrin's and when he meets Samantha, confusion! They convince him that they are identical twins.
They use the same plot in the season six episode, "A Chance on Love", only this time Serena fills in for Sam. She starts dating a man (played by Jack Cassidy) who is a client of McMann and Tate. Talk about your coincidences! In a big city like New York, Sam's double always runs into someone who knows Darrin? ha!
Season six also reuses the classic "A is for Aardvark" story. Maurice gives Darrin a magic talisman so now he has powers. The original episode, in my opinion, packed more of an emotional punch. Samantha loved Darrin for who he was, not for what he could give her if he had magic powers too.
I suppose there were only so many themes to explore. I enjoyed a lot of the last few season episodes and I would've been heartbroken if the series had been cancelled after season five. But the writers were clearly running out of fresh ideas. A lot of the later episodes just don't hold up as well. They don't have the charm of the early seasons shows.
Yes, the others are retreads, and the series "revisited" themes a lot. But other than the brief laughing bit
I don't see "Weep No More My Willow" as ever totally remade. It's not a totally successful episode, but
a unique one and, in my opinion, among the best Sandra Gould offerings. I think she's hysterical here.
GLADYS: (GASP!) He disappeared - right before my eyes. Poof!!
ABNER: I'd give a fortune to find out how he did it.
Where remakes are concerned - the SEVEN YEAR WITCH in season 8 is (to me) a lot more fun than the season 1 episode it was modeled on.
shareAgree one hundred percent. It's my very fave offering from season eight. Liz is so ultra-cool here,
and I love her interactions with both Aggie and guest star Julie Newmar.
The one from season one had a terrible actress playing "Sarah Baker", a witch Endora sicks on
Darrin. The effects are bad, and the episode simply falls flat.
Yep .... I thought it was interesting though that Endora told Sarah Baker to back off in that episode though! .... I do enjoy, as you said, the interactions in SEVEN YEAR WITCH :)
shareProbably a combination of money and (judging by Sam's miniskirt/minidress pants!! wardrobe in later seasons) they were trying to cater to a hipper viewing audience. Women wearing pants in public was still considered 'new' in the early 1970's
Having 'hysterical nosy neighbors' always tattling on you is not fun or 'hip'. They had played out the prior plot device as far as they reasonably could and were trying for a new perspective...who would be 'open' to more things
Plus re-watching the later episodes, it looks like they were trying to move the series in a new direction anyways, With interracial marriage (the earlier plot) actually legal everywhere by early 1970's---the next direction now seemed to be promoting employment non-discrimination.
Samantha and all of the things she can do are precisely THE reason why Darren and the company is a success. So she should become a part of the firm even being what she is!!
Several episodes increasingly show Larry doesn't really care what happens as long as the client is happy with end results. Larry is only concerned with the company making lots of money and having lots of clients....so Larry accepting witches and people who are married to them would be the next logical step.
If I could redo the VERY badly done bewitched big screen movie, I would expand on that with Darren and Samantha telling Larry and Louise.
Perhaps having to rescue them from something which accidentally happened....Larry ends with "Stevens...this was a lot of fun...when can we do it again".....and the Stevens looking pleasantly surprised. Darren gets a BIG promotion and Samatha is asked to join the firm.