Bewitched is a show
from the sixties which is definitely a lot more conservative than most
television shows today. The show cast its two main characters in very
traditional roles. Darren was the breadwinner and worked at a very
stereotypical job for that time period. Darren’s job was in the
advertizing business. Now a day’s the advertizing profession may not be
as highly viewed as it once was. Samantha although far from average
still represented the typical housewife. She didn’t have a job of her
own and was dependent upon Darren for financial security. Samantha was
simply expected to take care of the house, cook the meals, and look
pretty. She herself stated in episode five after having upset her
husband because he assumed that she had used witchcraft to come up with
great ideas for his latest ad campaign; Samantha vowed to clean the home
from top to bottom, have dinner prepared, and wear her most attractive
dress. All of this was done in the form of a peace offering in order to
apologize for upsetting Darren earlier in the episode regardless of the
fact that she had not used magic and had absolutely no reason to make
amends. The Samantha character for the most part comes off a submissive
and more than willing to do what was expected of her rather than defend
the fact that she had not done anything wrong. Treatment like that
wouldn’t even be tolerated today, yet Samantha is very much a “Stepford
Wife”.
It is a breath of
fresh air however to hear people speak as though they had been properly
educated. The vernacular used was pleasant, direct, and formal. Not
once did I notice the use of slang or shortened word structure such as
“can’t” being substituted for the phrase cannot. The show has a very
clean cut presentation and always features well groomed and well dressed
actors. Darren goes to work every day wearing a three piece
suit. Samantha and the other women on the show are always featured in
dresses or gowns depending on the occasion. House dresses although
casual in comparison to the other clothing worn by the actors are
usually up to the collar bone and do not extend below, and the hems of
the dresses were no shorter than knee length. Not once during the five
episodes viewed did I notice any of the adults wearing a tee shirt or
cotton dress.
Bewitched
definitely emphasized a formal attitude and points out the general
values of middle upper class America. The husband was in a professional
and successful position who also gained the admiration of not only his
wife but his peers as well. The wife wasn’t expected to do more than
take care of her husband and the home. A task she seems very pleased
and content with.
Charmed was a series from the 90s which featured three sisters who become “do gooders” once their dormant powers are released. The show is more openly spiritual than Bewitched was. Bewitched was merely a show about a “magical” housewife. The first episode of Charmed opens with a woman at an altar preparing for a ceremony. Bewitched never made any reference to witchcraft or any religious practices. Charmed also works to relieve the stigmas and negative connotations most have about witches and witchcraft.
Episode two deals with Piper adjust to life as a witch and how she over comes the phobia that all witches are bad. She eventually overcomes this by stepping foot in a church. The show makes an effort to break down barriers and remind everyone that people are people regardless of their religious beliefs. Episode one of Bewitched brings up the topic of prejudice when Samantha tells Darren that she is a witch, but Charmed actually makes an effort to dispel the misconceptions and teach the general masses about the Wiccan belief system.
Both Bewitched and Charmed carry strong family values. Samantha played the part of the obedient and adoring wife who strove to work things out with her husband Darren. The three Hallowell sisters also share a strong family bond and look out for the well being of one another. They also had some slight differences that needed to be worked out at first
Charmed may not be as conservative as Bewitched was; granted Samantha was always well dressed and hardly work skin barring clothing. The Hallowell sisters often prance about in spaghetti strap shirts or midriff baring shirts. At times the skirts they wear have slits reaching to their upper thighs. Charmed definitely does have a lot more sex appeal as far as how the women are dressed, but at times there are segments with shirtless men as well. The show also isn’t as prudish as Bewitched either. Episode two of charmed also makes reference to Pru having sex on the first date with an old boyfriend. Although she is skittish on the topic her behavior in generally nonchalant on the topic. Those types of topics may not have been as commonplace on television in the 60s.
Charmed also features the Hallowell sisters as independent women who hold their own jobs as a means of financial security. All three women are within their early to mid twenties and already hold professional careers. Pru, the eldest work at an auction house, Piper is a chef running a restaurant, Phoebe who has recently moved back home is the only sister without a job, but has been searching for one. Regardless of the fact that one sister is jobless; all three are dependent upon themselves for their own financial well being. Unfortunately, Samantha Steven’s was perfectly happy staying home all day and tolerating her husband telling her what to do.
The major writing differences between the two shows is that Bewitched was always a simple straightforward plot which was neatly and easily wrapped up during the course of one episode, whereas Charmed employed the use of subplots and two part episodes sometimes in the form of a cliffhanger. Charmed's characters were far more developed as individuals and it was entirely believable that three women such as the Hallowell sisters could exist as they were presented as easily relatable.
View Log
11/9/12 Bewitched 2:38 P.M. Season One Episode One: I Darrin Take This Witch, Samantha 25 minutes viewed. First 1 ½ minutes narrated and emphasizes how typical Darrin and Samantha both are. After intro Endora, the over protective mother in law is introduced. Also touches on prejudice between witches and mortals. Dinner party segment shows Darrin’s jealous ex girlfriend trying to shame Samantha. Everyone speaks in a very structured and formal vernacular.
11/9/12 Bewitched 3:08 P.M. Season One Episode Two: Be It Ever So Mortgaged. 25 minutes viewed. The episode opens with a narration segment. Shows Samantha struggling to make breakfast as the narrator talks about “average, normal, suburban housewives” and how efficient they are. Endora makes a second appearance and Samantha suggests they meet. Endora sneaks around the house and appears in odd places ie. On a stair banister or on top a book shelf as she spies on Darren and Samantha. Darren suggests buying a house. Sam and Endora make a trip make a trip to check the place out. Episode 2 introduces nosy neighbor Gladys and her indifferent husband Abner. Gladys snoops as Sam and Endora do some light landscaping and house decorating. Continues the running gag with Endora refusing to cal Darren by the correct name.
11/9/12 Bewitched 3:38 P.M. Season One Episode Three: Mother Meets What’s His Name. 25 minutes viewed. Narrator opens with the time and patience needed in growing a garden. Cuts to Samantha reviving her dead flowers. Follows a welcoming committee and as dinner invitation for Samantha’s mother to finally meet Darrin. He still struggles with the idea of having a witch for a mother in law. One scene shows that Abner and Gladys sleep in separate beds. This is revealed as Gladys is spying into the Steven’s home using a pair of binoculars.
11/9/12 Bewitched 3:38 P.M. Season One Episode Four: It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dog. 25 minutes. Episode does not have a narrator to introduce beginning of show. Samantha is hosting a dinner party for one of Darren’s clients; Mr. Barker, who won’t stop bothering Samantha so she turns him into a dog. When Darren finds out what happened- he shows more interest in having Mr. Barker turned back into a man rather than showing concern for his wife who had been disrespected. Decency and morality are emphasized during a scene in which Samantha is out at night in her robe looking for the dog. Two officers encourage her to go home and they will get back to her once the dog is found. Samantha easily forgives Darren after punching Mr. Barker for hitting on his wife.
11/9/12 Bewitched 4:36 P.M. Season One Episode Five: Help, Help, Don’t Save Me. 25 minutes. Darrin scolds Samantha for trying to help him with his latest ad campaign and stubbornly refuses to use any of her ideas when he clearly saw that he was loosing the account. Constantly demanded of her during that evening for refusing to believe she cleaned the house and made dinner without the use of her magic. The argument causes her to leave him. They eventually make peace and she winds up coming up with a campaign that is purchased by the client.
11/9/12 Charmed 7:58 P.M. Season One Episode One: Something Wicca This Way Comes. 40 minutes. Episode opens with a woman conducting a ceremony and being murdered. Features a scene with two sisters playing with a spirit board before the board takes control of itself and spelling attic. One of the sisters finds a book of shadows and recites an incantation. The sisters soon begin exhibiting dormant powers.
11/9/12 Charmed 11:23 P.M. Season One Episode Two: I’ve Got You Under My Skin. 41:52 minutes. Further exploring the sister’s phobias on adjusting to their new lives. Features a demonic creature who steals youth. Also follows Pru on her job search. The show also addresses the struggles against the old connotation that all witches are evil. It also touches on the fact that their abilities cannot be used for personal gain.
11/10/12 Charmed 12:07 A.M. Season One Episode Three: Thank You For Not Morphing. 44:28 minutes. Follows the return of their father and a mysterious figure who keeps showing up at the house in various forms and attempting to take the sisters spell book.
11/10/12 Charmed 12:52 A.M. Season One Episode Four: Dead Man Dating. 44 minutes. Opens with a young man who is murdered on his birthday. He eventually finds Phoebe who is working at a hotel as a psychic. He needs help getting a proper burial before a gatekeeper can take his soul to hell.
1/10/12 Charmed 1:36 A.M. Season One Episode Five: Dream Sorcerer. 42 minutes. Guy invades the dreams of women who reject him. He uses this process to kill them. This man has developed a fixation on Pru and is determined to punish her for turning him down.
