The script and the storyline for the “Bewitched” episode entitled “Sisters at Heart” was actually written by a group of African American high school students. These students were in Marcella Saunders’ class in Central LA at a school called Jefferson High School.
This episode was aired on Christmas Eve and was meant to be an eye-opening moment while telling the tale of a wonderful story; however, this episode would never air today. It is absolutely politically incorrect due to the fact that several cast members appear in blackface at some point during the episode.
All Good Things Come to an End
“Bewitched” was a classic. It ran for eight seasons! However, some fans feel like it should have ended after season 7 and it went on just one season too long.
The ratings started to drop after Dick York left the show, and Elizabeth Montgomery wanted out after season five but stuck around because the money was so good. She had checked out, and it showed. There were also more sitcoms coming out, and that provided more competition for the series. The writing staff also started to leave and left the final season pretty dull. It would have been nice to end the series on a high note, but the show still lives on as a classic!
Alice Pearce: Cursed With Terminal Cancer
The role of Gladys on “Bewitched” was played by actress Alice Pearce. In 1966, Alice completely disappeared from the show. Sadly, this was because she had passed away from ovarian cancer. She got diagnosed with this deadly disease just four months before she got cast as Gladys on “Bewitched.”
She had surgery, but the doctors let her know that the cancer was indeed terminal. She chose not to share this information with the cast and crew of “Bewitched.” It was a complete shock to fans and the cast alike when she passed away.
Home Is Where The Magic Is
If the set of “Bewitched” looks a little familiar to you, you are not alone. The “bewitched” set was actually a reversed copy of the house that was in the movie “Gidget” in 1959! If you watch the two side by side, you will see that the living room and patios were duplicated from the movie.
It was not just the interiors that were duplicates, the exterior of the “Bewitched” home was also pretty well-known. The exterior was also used in TV shows such as “Dennis the Menace” and even “I Dream of Jeannie.”
Critics Hated It
Nobody responded well to the movie. Critics and viewers alike both felt like it was a major flop. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 75% negative rating. It was said to have a lack of direction, and it was said not to be very funny at all.
This film had a budget of 85 million dollars, but it did not gross nearly that. It earned 63 million dollars in the United States and a little bit more worldwide. It totaled 131 million dollars which, despite sounding like a lot, was quite a disappointment. The creators anticipated that the film was going to be a huge success because it already had such a large following; unfortunately, they were not able to deliver.