Artifact Analysis: Bewitched

11 min readNov 14, 2016

The 1950’s and 60’s were a brilliant time for television. These decades saw the introduction of sitcoms, a new medium of television with very original plots and vivid characters. Sitcoms are a special mode of television even today, as they are appropriate enough to be enjoyed by families, but they also have interesting plots and humorous innuendos that make them popular with adults too. Therefore, it is a medium of television that reaches an extremely wide audience. The man deemed responsible for “creating” sitcoms was William Asher. (Klaminsky 2006) He directed one of the first sitcoms, Our Miss Brook, as well as the timeless television programs I Love Lucy in the 1950’s, and Bewitched in the 1960’s. (Klaminsky 2006) Asher went on to direct many other classic television programs, but Bewitched was always one of his most well-known projects. It is no surprise, as Bewitched enjoyed major popularity at the time, and ran for 8 seasons.

Bewitched tells the story of Samantha Stephens, a witch turned housewife, who promises her human husband, Darrin, that she will not perform witchcraft and live life as a “normal suburban housewife” (Saks 1964). Her mother, Endora, is unhappy that her daughter has married a human, and even angrier that she refuses to use her powers and wastes her time completing mundane tasks to please her husband. No matter how hard Samantha tries to act normal, she tends to use magic quite a lot. In order to become the housewife Darrin wants she must use magic, something he is very against. In the first few episodes it is clear that Samantha is struggling between being the conventional wife her husband desires, and the free spirited witch her mother wants her to be.

2. The character of Samantha dressed as a stereotypical witch.

Witchcraft is a common theme in literature, films, and television. It has been depicted in many different genres for centuries. Typically, witches are described as heinous women wearing pointy hats and riding broomsticks. This image is extremely prevalent in our culture, and in fact has become a universal symbol for the word. Sometimes witches are portrayed in a positive light, such as Samantha in Bewitched or Hermione Grainger in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series. These witches are unconventional, and therefore make them interesting to an audience. No matter how witches are depicted, it is still hard to believe that this supernatural theme that is so popular in TV and films actually has a very deep and dark religious and historical background. Therefore, even a show as seemingly lighthearted as Bewitched has religion deeply rooted in it.

The definitions of the relationships between popular culture and religion in the book Religion and Popular Culture in America by Bruce David Forbes and Jeffrey H. Mahan make the connections between pop culture and religion in a simple sitcom like Bewitched very clear. Focusing on Samantha and her relationship with her mother and husband, the television show comes to represent religion in pop culture with the theme of witchcraft, and religion and popular culture in dialogue with the theme of the American Dream. These examples in relation to the relationships of the major characters in Bewitched will be explored in this analysis. The close reading that will be studied is the opening scene of the entire series. After watching as many Bewitched episodes as my schedule would allow me (and probably even more than I had time for), I felt that the first scene of Episode 1 Season 1 truly did lay out how the relationships between Samantha and her husband and mother would stand for the rest series. The dialogue in this scene has many lines regarding general stereotypes of witchcraft, and the common view of both witchcraft and women at the time, both significantly connected to religion.

Bruce David Forbes and Jeffrey H. Mahan have four categories for understanding the relationship between religion and popular culture in their book Religion and Popular Culture in America. (Klassen 22) One of the relationships is religion IN popular culture, which is simply when religious themes appear in popular culture product. (Klassen 22) Bewitched demonstrates religion in popular culture through the theme of witchcraft. The Oxford Dictionary defines witchcraft in the religious sense as the “religious practice involving ritual, spells, and nature worship, usually within a pagan tradition.” (Oxford University Press 2016) In modern society witchcraft has come to mean make belief spooky spells and black magic, which actually originates from its religious context which has had influence on society for centuries and centuries. Since ancient times witches have been the symbol of evil. (Guiley 1989) The term witchcraft dates back to biblical times. The old testament has excerpts about it such as Exodus 22:18 which says “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”; and Deuteronomy 18:10–12 “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, of a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD.” (Klassen 68) Witches became a symbol of evil in Christianity, and an example is the chilling witch hunts which led to massacre of many people in Britain, Europe, and American colonies in the 17th century. (Guiley 1989) The most well-known being in America in Salem, Massachusetts. The creators of Bewitched poke fun at this history, and a statue of Samantha riding a broomstick was actually erected in the main square of Salem (Weir 2012) It was meant to be playful but made many people angry, saying the statue was insensitive to the dark history. (McCabe 2005) Although the modern idea of a witch, including that in Bewitched, is generally no longer a religious symbol, the concept is so prominent in Christian history and therefore in society itself, that the subject of witchcraft represents religion in popular culture.

In the 1960’s Christianity was the most prominent religion, with 91% of Americans in 1963 identifying as Christian. (Newport 2009) As Bewitched was filmed and took place in the 60s, it reflected this Christian society. The fear of witchcraft has been present in some Christian’s throughout time, and this is shown in the show through the character of Darrin and how he treats his wife, a witch. He is disgusted by her powers, even though she can perform spells that are really quite enviable, like making any object appear out of nowhere or teleporting to any country she wishes. He wants her to completely give up her powers and assume the role of an average housewife. Even though her powers make her special and could even be beneficial for both of them, witchcraft is too big of a taboo and Darrin forbids it. Darrin therefore is representing the Christian values of society at the time. Not to say that Christians in 1964 were directly terrified of witchcraft, but the fear of Satanism and the occult (so therefore witchcraft) is still something that is deep-rooted. Christians throughout history associated witches with Satanism and the occult, and have identified them for centuries as “servants of the Devil”. (Guiley 1989) Christian’s hatred came from a deep fear of the supernatural as well as the desire to purge social outcasts, particularly the women who were seen as outsiders. (Guiley 1989) Social outcasts were not widely accepted in middle class society of the 60s, and Samantha would be considered a social outcast being a witch. With the character of Darrin, who is a white middle class suburban patriarch, they are showing that the status quo is that the occult should not be normalized. Darrin and his treatment of Samantha is an example of another definition by Forbes and Mahan, which is religion and popular culture in dialogue, as it is not directly references religion but can bring up many questions regarding ethics in religion and pop culture. (Klassen 22) Samantha and her mother’s relationship also represent this. Endora is the opposite of Darrin, she is eccentric and very unconventional. She encourages Samantha to use her powers and disapproves of her marriage. She seems to represents the 1960’s counter culture, the people who are more progressive and are part of the “New Age” of spirituality. (Klassen 38) In fact, she could have been made to represent an actual follower of the religion of witchcraft. Witchcraft as its own religion was founded in WWII and was based on pagan religions, grew in popularity in the 1960’s. (Guyen 1989) The religion of witchcraft was said to offer “independence, autonomy, a connection to Nature and direct contact with the Divine.” (Guyen 1989) Endora speaks of something that sounds just like that ideal when speaking about life as a witch in Season One Episode Two. “We are quicksilver, a fleeting shadow, a distant sound. Our home has no boundaries by which we cannot pass. We live in music, in a flash of colour, we live in the wind, and in the sparkle of a star. And you want to trade it all for a quarter of an acre of crab grass.” (Alvedon 1964)

Another example of religion and popular culture in dialogue for Bewitched actually has nothing to do with witchcraft, but rather to do with how the show represented white Christian society in America. The family values in Bewitched are that the man should be the breadwinner and the wife should stay at home and be domestic. Samantha and Darrin are essentially living the American Dream, as Darrin is a successful businessman with a housewife and a home in the suburbs. Darrin does not want Samantha’s witchcraft to get in the way of their conventional life, and tells her repeatedly to be a good housewife.

4. Cartoon depiction of Darrin and Samantha in the opening credits.

In and article The Religious Origins of the American Dream by Frederick Sontag he states that America has always been influenced by religion, and that the first “American Dream”, which dates back to the pilgrims, was simply to live a proper protestant life. (Sontag 1981) Although the American Dream that boomed in the 1950’s could be attained by anyone regardless of their religion, it’s values are the same of the earliest American protestants. This sort of indirect relationship between societal values and religious values represents lived religion, a theory Robert Orsi and Meredith McGuire. (Klassen 16) You can learn a lot about religious studies by looking at everyday lives, and sitcoms try to reflect normal life. Without even directly mentioning anything about Christianity, the show is still representing religion with the relationship between Samantha and Darrin.

The close reading I chose is Episode 1 Season 1, written by Sol Saks and directed by William Asher. It is called “I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha”. This is a perfect example of religion in popular culture and religion and popular culture in dialogue in Bewitched. In this episode, Samantha is visited by her mother, Endora, on her honeymoon. Samantha plans to tell her mortal husband that she is a witch, and Endora says, “You’re still very young and inexperienced, you don’t know what prejudice you’ll run into. They all think that witches work only one day a year, on Halloween. And we all wear those big ugly hats and ride around on brooms. What if he finds out you’re a witch?”(Saks 1964) The word prejudice seems very harsh, a little too harsh for something as trivial as stereotypes of looks. She could be referring to the darker history for witches, such as the witch trials in the 17th century. Although, as Endora and Samantha were meant to be hundreds of years old they would have lived through it. Salem is actually referenced in the series with episode titles such as “The Salem Saga”. Therefore, she would have lived through these prejudices. That means Endora was probably referring to how Samantha’s own husband would react to the secret, as Samantha is “young” and has never been married before. She turns out to be right, as Darrin is petrified when he learns Samantha is a witch. Before even thinking it through he bans her from using witchcraft. He tells Samantha “You’re going to have to learn to be a suburban housewife,”(Saks 1964) and “We’ll have a nice happy life together, and no more witchcraft.” (Saks 1964) This reaction is hasty, so the discomfort with anything supernatural or unconventional is clearly engrained in Darrin. Samantha being a witch turns her from a beautiful and innocent bride to an evil almost Eve-like character. The conflict between needing to be normal for Darrin and a free spirit for her mother in this episode sets the tone for the remainder of the season.

5. A constant theme of the show is Samantha being torn between her mother and husband.

Bewitched truly was a television show of its time, which is what made it so popular at the time. That being said, it is still widely enjoyed nowadays for its witty banter, silly plotlines, and stunning performance by Elizabeth Montgomery, who played Samantha. Samantha is a loveable character, as everyone can relate to her struggle to fit to society’s standards. She wants to impress her mother and her husband, and she often makes mistakes. Being a witch, she would normally be deemed social outcast, but she is very endearing and beautiful which makes her adored by her audience. Her relationship with her husband and her mother are what make the show so successful, and are a perfect example of religion in popular culture.

Work Cited:

· Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft, and Wicca, Third Edition. New York: Visionary Learning, Inc., 1989.

· Kaminsky, Ethan. “Palm Springs Celebrities | William Asher | Hollywood | History | Palm Springs Life.” Palm Springs Life. January 06, 2006. Accessed November 12, 2016. http://www.palmspringslife.com/The-Man-Who-Invented-the-Sitcom/.

· Klassen, Kris. Religion and Popular Culture. Don Mills: Oxford University Press Canada, 2014.

• McCabe, Kathy. “Bewitched statue plan bothers, bewilders, but Salem touts it as tourism booster” The Boston Globe. April 28, 200. Accessed November 12, 2016. http://archive.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/04/28/bewitched_statue_plan_bothers_bewilders/

· Newport, Frank. “This Christmas, 78% of Americans Identify as Christian.” Gallup. December 24, 2009. Accessed November 12, 2016. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124793/This-Christmas-78-Americans-Identify-Christian.aspx.

· Sontag, Frederick. “The Religious Origins of the American Dream”. American Journal of Theology & Philosophy Vol.2, №2 (May 1981): 67–78. Accessed November 12, 2016. http://www.jstor.org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/stable/27943591?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=ti:(the&searchText=religious&searchText=origins&searchText=of&searchText=the&searchText=american&searchText=dream)&searchText=OR&searchText=tb:(the&searchText=religious&searchText=origins&searchText=of&searchText=the&searchText=american&searchText=dream)&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoAdvancedSearch%3Facc%3Don%26amp%3Bf4%3Dall%26amp%3Bc2%3DAND%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3Bf6%3Dall%26amp%3Bq0%3Dthe%2Breligious%2Borigins%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bamerican%2Bdream%2B%26amp%3Bq6%3D%26amp%3Bpt%3D%26amp%3Bc3%3DAND%26amp%3Bq1%3D%26amp%3Bq4%3D%26amp%3Bf5%3Dall%26amp%3Bq5%3D%26amp%3Bc1%3DAND%26amp%3Bc6%3DAND%26amp%3Bed%3D%26amp%3Bf3%3Dall%26amp%3Bf0%3Dti%26amp%3Bla%3D%26amp%3Bq2%3D%26amp%3Bc5%3DAND%26amp%3Bisbn%3D%26amp%3Bq3%3D%26amp%3Bc4%3DAND%26amp%3Bsd%3D%26amp%3Bf2%3Dall%26amp%3Bf1%3Dall&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents

· Wier, Robert E. “Bewitched and Bewildered: Salem Witches, Empty Factories, and Tourist Dollars”. Historical Journal of Massachusetts, Vol. 40 (1/2), (Summer 2012): 178–211. Accessed November 12, 2016. http://www.westfield.ma.edu/mhj/pdfs/bewitched%20and%20bewildered.pdf

· Bewitched. “I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha.” Directed by William Asher. Written by Sol Saks. ABC, September 17, 1964.

· Bewitched. “Be It Ever So Mortgaged.” Directed by William Asher. Written by Barbara Avedon. ABC, Septeber 24, 1964.

· Oxford Dictionaries, s.v. “witchcraft,” accessed November 12, 2016. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/witchcraft

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Artifact Analysis: Bewitched

Written by Mary Catherwood