Blackout! 32

It’s Everyone’s Favorite Magical Mother-In-Law, Endora from Bewitched!

Bewitched is an American television sitcom fantasy series which was broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964 to March 25, 1972. It was created by Sol Saks under executive director Harry Ackerman, and starred Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York (1964–1969), Agnes Moorehead, and David White. Dick Sargent replaced an ill York for the final three seasons (1969–1972).

The show is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man, and vows to lead the life of a typical suburban housewife. Bewitched enjoyed great popularity, finishing as the number two show in America during its debut season, and becoming the longest-running supernatural-themed sitcom of the 1960s–1970s. The show continues to be seen throughout the world in syndication and on recorded media.  In 2002, Bewitched was ranked #50 on “TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time”.

In 1997, the same magazine ranked the season 2 episode “Divided He Falls” #48 on their list of the “100 Greatest Episodes of All Time”.

Remember the Sassy Witch in the Clip Below

Endora played by Agnes Moorehead, is Darrin’s chief antagonist of the series and Samantha’s mother. Like all witches, she never reveals her surname, indicating to Darrin that he would be unable to pronounce it. Endora loathes mortals and disapproves of Darrin, as do many of Samantha’s relatives. Endora refuses to even use Darrin’s name, alternatively calling him “Derwood”, “What’s-his-name”, “Darwin”, “Dum-Dum”, etc., all much to his annoyance. She refers to him as “Darrin” only eight times during the entire series.

Endora’s ploys to provoke a breakup always fail as Samantha and Darrin’s love overcomes every obstacle. Even though Endora casts countless farcical spells on Darrin, she never attempts to destroy him outright.

During the first season, Endora threatens her warlock husband Maurice that she will not have a human being on her conscience. It was one of not few times when Endora went out of her way to protect Darrin from Maurice (See episode 1×10). Endora once lets Maurice kiss her, but if she finds out that he just kissed her (and disappeared) and she gets a bug (with which she can’t use her powers any more), she gets furious until Maurice surprisingly comes back, gives her an antidote, and takes her to “the place we used to go to on the Milky Way” to have dinner there together.

She also doesn’t get along with Darrin’s mother, Phyllis Stephens (because Endora gets along too well with Phyllis’ husband, Frank), but they are civil to one another in, what Samantha calls “killing one another with kindness”. Endora does dote on her grandchildren, Tabitha and Adam, and to them, she is called “Grandmama”.

Credit: Wikipedia