About This Quiz
Sorry, "Twilight" fans ..."Bewitched" did it first. Sure, readers may have gone crazy for the steamy relationship between the mortal Bella and her vampire boyfriend Edward in the '00s, but Stephenie Meyer's bestselling series was far from the first successful example of a human falling for someone supernatural. You just have to go back to the '60s and "Bewitched," which focused on the challenges of a marriage between a normal human male and an ageless witch named Samantha. Sure, there weren't any wolves — sorry, Team Jacob — but "Bewitched" had enough magic and cross-species drama for any TV fan of the era.
In fact, this show that seems so light and innocent when watched through the lens of 21st-century reruns was surprisingly revolutionary when it first aired. Keep in mind that "Bewitched" hit the air just a couple of years after "Leave It to Beaver" and "The Donna Reed Show" had ended, so TV viewers were accustomed to seeing sitcom moms as supporting characters who spent most of their time taking care of the home and kids. Then came "Bewitched," where watching only a single episode was all it took to understand that Samantha was so much more than a wife and mother. She had a whole separate identity thanks to her magical talents, which totally put a new spin on the sitcom housewife tropes of the time.Â
Consider yourself a true fan of this magical series? Test your "Bewitched" IQ with this quiz!
A simple twitch of the nose was all it took for Samantha Stephens to make magic happen. There wasn't an episode of "Bewitched" that went by without a rabbit-like wiggle of Sam's nose, often resulting in trouble for her mortal hubby.
The Stephens produced two magical offspring. There was a witch named Tabitha, introduced in season two, and a handsome young warlock named Adam, who was born during season six. Interestingly enough, the actress who played Sam got to pick the name for her onscreen "daughter," but producers misspelled it as "Tabatha" for a few seasons until Montgomery was able to straighten things out.
Samantha's mother Endora was a powerful witch in her own right. Unfortunately, she was not a big fan of her son-in-law, often referring to him by made-up names like Dum-Dum and Darwin.
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The hapless Darrin Stephens got much more than he bargained for when he married a witch in the pilot episode of "Bewitched." His bride never struggled with his name, but her mom sure did, referring to him as Darrin only a handful of times throughout the show's entire run.
Darrin Stephens was one of the original Mad Men, creating ads on Madison Avenue. While the show never specified exactly where the family lived, Darrin's employer McMann and Tate had an office in Manhattan.
When "Bewitched" premiered, Dick York starred as Samantha's husband Darrin. After resigning from the cast in season five due to a serious back injury, York was replaced by Dick Sargent.
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One of the top recurring characters on "Bewitched" was Samantha's cousin Serena. The total opposite of her blonde cousin in appearance and behavior, she was played by the same actress under the stage name Pandora Spocks.
As an employee of McMann and Tate, Darrin and Samantha Stephens were close friends with Larry Tate himself. While Larry is quick to abandon any sense of pride in the name of business, he does stand up for his employees and his family when push comes to shove.
Sandra Gould plays stereotypical nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz on "Bewitched." She often spots Samantha behaving oddly and is determined to catch her in the act of spell casting and prove to her hubby Abner that Sam is a witch.
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While Sam's mom is a witch like her daughter, Darrin's mother Phyllis Stephens in a mere mortal like her son. Throughout the series run, she is unaware that Samantha has special powers, but often claims to have a "sick headache" when she spots something mysterious going on.
Before landing the leading role on "Bewitched," Elizabeth Montgomery appeared in hundreds of television guest spots. After "Bewitched" ended its run, she tackled the role of Lizzie Borden in a movie and made countless appearances on the game show "Password."
The Stephens had a magical maid named Esmeralda whose spell-casting skills left something to be desired. She tended to make crazy things happened when she sneezed, and anytime she got too nervous, she would begin to disappear.
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If you watched enough "Bewitched," you would definitely hear someone utter the phrase, "Calling Dr. Bombay, Calling Dr. Bombay, Emergency, Come right away!" Saying these words aloud summoned a witch doctor, who would appear out of nowhere to save the day, often with the help of a beautiful female nurse.
Aunt Clara was a bit of a disaster in terms of witchcraft, but she was one of the only members of Samantha's family who was actually nice to Darrin. The character collected doorknobs, which was inspired by the real doorknob collection owned by the actress who played her.
It was no secret that Samantha's mother Endora wasn't much of a fan of her son-in-law, but her husband Maurice liked him even less. In fact, upon first meeting Sam's hubby, Maurice quickly cast a spell that disintegrated Darrin until Endora forced the warlock to reassemble him.
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Samantha's Uncle Arthur showed up often throughout the run of the series, often with a prank or practical joke in his pocket. Paul Lynde, who played Uncle Arthur, first appeared in a season one episode as a random driving instructor before he landed his recurring role.
Almost every episode in the early seasons of "Bewitched" featured an appearance by neighbor Gladys Kravitz, who was determined to prove that Samantha was a witch. Her opportunity came near the end of season one, when she finally caught Sam using magic to open her garage door.
Charlies Leach was a private investigator hired by a client of Darrin's firm McMann and Tate. Leach eventually discovers Samantha's secret and tries to use the information to blackmail her to make a profit.
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Samantha's cousin Serena was a major recurring character on "Bewitched." She first shows up at the hospital where Samantha is giving birth to Tabatha in season two. When Darrin spots his wife's near doppelganger at the hospital, he's so confused that he wonders if Serena could actually be his newborn daughter, but all grown up thanks to her magical heritage.
To deal with a broke lamp, Aunt Clara brings Ben Franklin back from the dead, where he ends up on trial for stealing a firetruck. The part was played by actor Fred Wayne, an actor who made an entire career out of playing Franklin on stage and screen.
Just like mom, Tabatha could unleash her magic with a simple twitch of her nose. She memorably uses her powers by accident in season five when she turns a preschool classmate into a butterfly.
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Just like the Ministry of Magic kept order in the Harry Potter series in the 21st century, the Witches Council kept things running smoothly on "Bewitched" in the '60s. This group of eight witches and warlocks made sure Samantha followed all the rules and even threatened to take away her magic when she married a mortal.
On "Bewitched," Samantha often had to run down and see Mr. Apothecary, played by Bernie Kopell, when she needed a potion or some kind of magical ingredient. The most devoted fans might know that his simple shop was officially called Postlethwaite's Potent Potions.
Talk about keeping secrets! On "Bewitched," Samantha doesn't reveal to Darrin that she's a little supernatural until their wedding night. Despite his shock, Darrin loves his new wife so much that he's willing to stick it out as long as Sam promises to start living like a mortal.
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Samantha and Serena sure look a lot alike, which makes sense, considering they were played by the same actress. To tell them apart, viewers often had to check for the beauty mark under Serena's left eye. It changed with every episode, sometimes taking the shape of a heart, music note, peace sign or anchor.
Mary the Good Fairy serves in the role of Tooth Fairy in the "Bewitched" universe. In one season seven appearance, she drinks a little too much brandy, forcing Samantha to take on her tooth collecting duties for the evening.
Darrin was dating Sheila Summers but broke up with her when he met Sam. Sheila shows up several times throughout the series, trying to win Darrin back and forcing Samantha to use her magic to keep her man.
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When she learns she will soon have a sibling, Tabatha runs away to enter the world of "Jack and the Beanstalk," leaving Jack to taker her place on Earth. Sam uses her magic to enter the story and switch the kids back.
The Stephens' maid accidentally brings George Washington back to life in a two-episode story arc in season eight. The former President is arrested for public speaking and ends up going to try to protect his constitutional right to free speech.
A tangle with an evil witch at the Tower of London gets Samantha sent back to jolly old England, where she nearly ends up betrothed to Henry VIII. It's up to Darrin to travel into the past to save his bride before she loses her head.
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Season seven found the Stephens family relocating from the NYC suburbs to Salem, Massachusetts. While there, Samantha attends a witches meeting and is told she can no longer be seen in public with her human husband. The council changes their mind after a trial and Samantha is free to return to her life back home.
Samantha is chased around Salem, MA for several episodes during season seven by an antique bed warmer. Turns out, her cousin Serena turned a warlock into the bed warmer centuries earlier, and the trapped warlock was more than ready to return to human form.
Dick Wilson, who starred as Mr. Whipple on a series of commercials for Charmin toilet paper in the '60s, '70s and '80s, had a recurring minor role on "Bewitched." He showed up more than a dozen times on the series playing a random drunk or vagrant!
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Look closely at Samantha's neck during any of the first 100 or so episodes of "Bewitched" and you'll likely spot a pave diamond heart necklace. The piece was a gift to actress Elizabeth Montgomery from her husband, and it became a trademark piece on Samantha Stephens during the run of the show.
"Bewitched" was entertaining viewers on ABC for eight seasons from 1964 through 1972. While the network offered another season, producers declined, largely due to tension between star Elizabeth Montgomery and her husband, director Will Asher. The pair divorced soon after the show ended.