Bewiched, Bothered,and Belaundered

[mrcleanjeans]

Of course, we all remember Samantha Steven's Frigidaire home,but who remembers in the VERY early episodes of BEWITCHED the Maytag laundry pair,the Kenmore top loading Roto-tray DW with the see thru front square?Also, the remodeled kitchen in the 1969-1970 season along with the 2nd Darrin.This kitchen had a spiral staircase,a Maytag built-in DW,and other changes .And , who can forget the hilarious episode where Endora magically stops the Hoover Dial-a-Matic when beholding "Sam" manually pushing it, and told her"Oh Samantha,it's beneath all witchery for you to go around massaging carpets that way" and , with an impish grin proclaims'"there's a better way to clean a house.With the whoosh of her hand, a gale force wind billows the dust out the swinging back loevered doors, and the furniture stands back up. How funny.By the way , which Darrin was best. I say Dick York, the 1st one, dorkier, funnier, much more acidic and easily flabbergasted than Dick Sargeant who merely tursed his lips, tilted his head and made much less stinging remarks,much duller.Of course,the season he came on ,1969-70, the show dropped out of its near top 10 position, down to 25th, then37th,then to the bottom. I realise there were other factors involved by then,the show's age, the now getting stale scripts, the fact that the 1971-72 season saw it pitted up against All in the Family.But the unannounced Darrin change didn't help.Who knows, maybe it was witchery.

 

[david]

The show got too predictable to remain high in the ratings. Darrin #1 (Dick York) was the better Darrin IMHO. He really had a way of modulating his voice in anger that was so funny and truly the first 2 years were the best for the whole cast. I still love seeing the reruns if you can find them on tv.

 

[drmitch]

See the USA in your Chevrolet!

I enjoyed the show but I was interested in the cars they drove. I remember Daren in the Chevelle convert, and a Camaro convert, and later a Impala SS with the 396eng. Cool cars, and one time seeing Samanthas sister in a black 67 corvette with red stripes and as the camera panned as she walked around it you can see the 427 emblem on the hood scoop. Wow what cars!

 

[rickr]

sponsors

Chevy and Kodak were both sponsor's for Bewitched. Remember when they would announce: ------,brought to you by------
The sponsors had so much more class back then. Today it is just YUK! No wonder the only tv program I watch is 60 Minutes on Sunday.
Rick

 

[Cybrvanr]

I agree with you totally Rickr, the advertisments on not just television, but on radio too these days has really gone down the tubes. It was not that long ago I remember seeing ads for respectable products like automobiles, appliances, food, etc, and of course the places to buy the said common household products. The worse trash you'd see on television was Ronco gadgets, or K-tel records. Even then, these things actually worked, and wern't really a ripoff.

A typical commercial lineup these days on TV or radio seems to be dominated by junk products like diet pills, male/female sexual enhancement products, hair regrowth products, and many other "snake oil" remedies. Along with the junk remedies are trial lawyers, strip joints, and other unrespectable businesses. Are people really patronizing this junk in such volume that these shadey busnesses have capital to spend on more advertising than in the backs of magazines...Or is the problem that TV and radio companies are getting so desparate for an advertising dollar that they have lowered their standards, and pricing to the point that the makers of these junk products can afford the advertising.

Even as high as the price was for superbowl ad time, I still saw the 'snake oil' stuff being pawned off. Give me back good quality advertisments for good, quality products!!!

 

[kenmore1978]

cars on

When Chevrolet was sponsering the show, it was amazing to see how when Darrin would pull out of the driveway, EVERY car on the street parked or moving was a Chevrolet of some type, an Impala, Chevelle, Corvair, Corvette, Chevy II, or Camaro. Easy to stage, since it was shot on a lot.

 

[MikeS]

Now This Word From Our Sponsors

Actually, in the early years of "Bewitched", Chevrolet rotated sponsorship on alternate weeks with the Quaker Oats Company. I clearly remember (and have the evidence) of such Quaker products as Life, Ken L Ration, Puss n'Boots, Quaker Wheat & Rice Puffs and Aunt Jemina pancake mix being promoted. After all who can forget the Ken L Ration jingle of the period? ("My dog's better than your dog/My dog gets Ken L Ration/My dog's better than yours")
I believe in later years, Clairol was a co-sponsor of "Bewitched"; I have a commercial showing Elizabeth Montgomery using Kindness pre-roller spray (which you sprayed before using the heated rollers that were hot in the late 60's and early 70's.)
I don't recall Kodak on "Bewitched", though I recall their commercials on "Ozzie & Harriet" and "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color".

 

[rickr]

Kodak sponsor

I forgot about Quaker Oats. Here is a link to the Kodak audios. They were from 1968. The commericals were much more tolerable back then. Classy and cute they were!

Rick

http://members.tripod.com/~LizAshmont/kodak.html

 

[kenwashesmonday]

How about those Chrysler products on the Beverly Hillbillies.

Miss Hathaway usually drove a convertible muscle car, a way of telling the year of the episode you're watching.

Ken D.