Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered
The past few weeks have found me wrapped up in less virtual realms and while I enjoyed my vacation to real life, I am glad to be back. Someday I hope to be able to balance both.
This weekend however, after center of my social life returned to reality 13 hours south, I've found myself moping around the apartment. A bright spot in my weekend was finding one of my favorite television shows, Bewitched, on Hulu.
I love this show, but I'm picky. I prefer the black and white episodes with Dick York as Darrin but I'll watch any episode without protest. The show's concept is delightful, it's I Dream of Jeanie without the "yes master". While Samantha comes off as an obedient housewife, she always resorts to her magic against Darrin's wishes and is thus a strong, capable and independent woman. Aside from the simple story line and moderately strong female lead, the 1960's set, the costumes and the hair are so much fun to look at. Elizabeth Montgomery, as Samantha, and Agnes Moorehead, as Endora, have the most interesting wardrobe and hair. Samantha is always flawless with captivating eyelashes and perfectly coiffed hair while Endora carries off exotic, heavy eye makeup, gravity defying hair and wild outfits.....so much fun.
After recently catching up on my Mad Men and then re watching, for the umpteenth time, the first two seasons of Bewitched, I love the parallels that can be drawn between the two shows. Darrin works at an advertising agency in the city, he is talented and at the top of the company and his boss, Larry Tate, is a would be womanizer if the show weren't so innocent. It is fun to see Darrin's workplace, his office is similar to those at Sterling Cooper as is the business conducted there, right down to the art department. Betty Draper and Samantha Stevens are incredibly similar in appearance, petite blonds sporting similar hairstyles, though very different in personality. It is interesting to watch a show set in the 1960's and one that was filmed in the 1960's, amazing how accurately Mad Men recreated the period.
If you haven't already, I invite you to check out the magic of Bewitched.
94 episodes can currently be found here.
