MovieChat Forums > Bewitched (1964) Discussion > Did this episode actually get Bewitched ...

Did this episode actually get Bewitched cancelled?

posted 3 years ago by OnanTheBarbarian (12068)
29 replies | jump to latest

I'm seeing this claim on many sites.

My only comment here would be that once a sitcom starts taking itself too seriously it needs to die.

"Sisters at Heart" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season, and 213th episode overall, of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) fantasy television sitcom Bewitched. This Christmas episode aired on ABC on December 24, 1970, and again the following December.

The narrative follows Lisa Wilson (Venetta Rogers), an African-American girl, as she visits her friend Tabitha Stephens (Erin Murphy), a white girl. Meanwhile, Tabitha's father Darrin Stephens (Dick Sargent), who works at an advertising agency, fails to land a million-dollar account with toy company owner Mr. Brockway (Parley Baer) because Mr. Brockway is racist and incorrectly believes Darrin to be married to Lisa's mother Dorothy (Janee Michelle). In an attempt to convince Mr. Brockway to overcome his bigotry, Darrin's wife Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery), who is a witch, casts a spell on Mr. Brockway so he sees everyone, including himself, as having black skin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisters_at_Heart

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[–] Jes' Sayin' (6375) 2 years ago

It doesn't seem like. Read more here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bewitched#Cancellation_and_aftermath

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[–] OnanTheBarbarian (12068) 2 years ago

Thanks. I've done some more reading, and there was a rumor that the interracial episode caused the cancellation, but it was false.

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[–] davebuffalo (3469) 2 years ago

Click bait

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[–] OnanTheBarbarian (12068) 2 years ago

Yup.

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[–] Guitar King (4901) 2 years ago

There is a trendy new fad called professional race baiting. It seems to be "all the rage" among the Democrat party.

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[–] OnanTheBarbarian (12068) 2 years ago

I am surprised that in the 60's they had Darren pretend he had a black wife. That would have been controversial back then. They didn't even show married couples sleep in the same bed.

I sympathize with the show's sentiment during the civil rights protest era. However, just keep sitcoms simple and don't try and make grand political statements.

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[–] Guitar King (4901) 2 years ago

If I recall, that episode was tastefully done. If it was made today, Samantha would have said "Every white man is born racist. Black Lives Matter, you capitalist pigs!"

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[–] OnanTheBarbarian (12068) 2 years ago

Yeah, but this has nothing to do with Democrats or BLM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUDpv-MIp4w

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[–] Guitar King (4901) 2 years ago

At least "Very Special Episodes" told us what they were before the episode and dealt with subjects we can all agree are wrong like alcaholism and child abuse. Now every tv show is whatever the Democrat party wants that week. Usually "white people so racist", "mental illness is a good thing now" or "abolish free speech."

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[–] snepts (11123) 2 years ago

I'm sure you understand there are a lot of ugly people here who seize on every opportunity to howl and slander anything that smacks of being progressive.
I can't open a simple Bewitched thread without running into these hateful people, and they always claim that it's everyone else who is being hateful. Very annoying and sad what MC has become.

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[–] OnanTheBarbarian (12068) 2 years ago

I wouldn't say it's just MovieChat and I wouldn't say it's necessarily new. IMDb was famous or infamous for the extreme wild and often unprofessional rhetoric from posters.

Also, I can just imagine what these same types of viewers said when Bewitched first aired this topic. What's funny is they now concede it was "tastefully done". In the 60's the racists would of course never have acknowledged that.

So there is progress.

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[–] Mustang (5432) 2 years ago

It’s ironic how in the ep Tabathas spell makes herself partially black face and her friend white face in an attempt to mix races. In Diff’rent Strokes there is an ep where Kimberly dons black face as a protest against racism.

Early examples of SJW but if done now would be considered racist or at least racially insensitive.

I think the show by season 7 ran its course anyway. I doubt this would had much to do with its decline.

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[–] OnanTheBarbarian (12068) 2 years ago

Hahaha. The blackface is hilarious.

https://i0.wp.com/altchristmas.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/bewitched.sisters-at-heart-e1579445456151.png?resize=600%2C425&ssl=1

Now I'm not sure. Maybe this did contribute to the show's cancellation. Blackface was widely condemned in the 60's as well.

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[–] Mustang (5432) 2 years ago

I think context is everything. In this case it is satire to make a point. I do think the show was in decline before that anyway. Once a show brings in the kid you know it's already on the ropes!

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[–] OnanTheBarbarian (12068) 2 years ago

You're right. The domestication with the baby kills it.

Still funny though that Samantha in blackface would never fly today.

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[–] Galactus03 (4373) 2 years ago

Well no....it ran for another season...

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[–] kwestmo (4385) 2 years ago

As per this image from the episode Tabitha made her friend partially black, not totally white. Where did you get your info?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisters_at_Heart#/media/File:Sisters_at_Heart.jpg

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[–] Mustang (5432) 2 years ago

Do you know which one Tabitha is?

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[–] kwestmo (4385) 2 years ago

Tabitha is the white girl with black spots. Her friend is the black girl with white spots. Did you look at the photo?

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[–] Mustang (5432) 2 years ago

Yes which is why I have no clue what you are on about.

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[–] PaladinNJ (21513) 2 years ago

She did both. Before Tabitha turned them both polka dot, she turned the other girl, Lisa, white, then turned herself black. Then she tried to turn them back and this was the result.

This explains a lot but also reveals the plot.
https://gunaxin.com/merry-bewitched-blackface-christmas

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[–] PaladinNJ (21513) 2 years ago

I had never even heard of this episode. Just saw it on streaming and have to say it was done very tastefully. Thank you.

Parley Baer used to speak out against racism very publicly. This is the second time I've seen him play a racist character; the other was in the movie White Dog with Paul Winfield. I guess he liked to show how bad it was using his desired media.

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[–] Mustang (5432) 2 years ago

They did black face on Kimberly for an ep of Diff'rent Strokes as well. It was done in an anti racist way. Although not involving black face there was an English show called "Love Thy Neighbour" and the Aussie version "Kingswood Country" that includes a lot of PC Incorrect humour (by today's standards anyway), the main characters would often fire off at each other with racial slurs yet still have a drink together at the pub.

People don't really get satire anymore much less tougher forms of humour as often displayed by working class men.

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[–] Popcorngal (4804) 2 years ago

I recall that episode, Kimberly was dating a guy whose sister liked Willis. The brother was very prejudice.

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[–] Mustang (5432) 2 years ago

Yep that's the one. I wonder who the current Woke generation would perceive that ep given it is black face but not done in the way where it is intended to mock POC.

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[–] [email protected] (5900) 2 years ago

Bewitched was not cancelled over a controversial episode. Elizabeth Montgomery wanted to quit. She was tired of the series and wanted to move on to other things. They offered her a fortune to do a ninth season but good for her, she refused. Her heart just wasn't in it.

I saw "Sisters of the Heart" several years ago and it was as tastefully done as I remembered it. For me the problem with the episode was that neither girl could act! The episode came across as if they plucked two anonymous girls off the street and gave them a script to read. And that's what they seemed to be doing, reading it! Yes, not every child actor is brilliant. But you can't expect subpar acting to carry an episode, no matter how deep and thoughtful the subject matter is.

They weren't about to recast Erin Murphy since she played Tabitha since she was a toddler. But as she got older, if they planned to feature her in episodes, they really should have sent her to acting school. Her line readings were more believable when she was three!

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[–] CoriSCapnSkip (2207) 2 years ago

The episode was submitted by some school class and was well done. The only shame was the show ran for another season and the little African-American girl was never seen again.

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[–] jk90us (7281) 9 months ago

Interesting. I thought I saw every episode.

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[–] Satan2016 (25539) 9 months ago

That was broadcast in 1971 and would not have been controversial. All in the Family was though.

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