10 US Sitcoms Aussie Kids Grew Up With In The 80s

3. Bewitched

17 September 1964 €“ 25 March 1972. 8 seasons. 254 episodes Like I Dream Of Jeannie, Bewitched also had as its basis the idea of something extraordinary in a very ordinary setting. This time the wife in the cosy family home is a witch. A beautiful witch who wiggles her nose to cast spells and never rides a broomstick, admittedly, but a witch nonetheless. For eight years Samantha Stevens and her wretched mortal husband Darrin do their best to contain the effects of her witchery, in-between regular appearances by Samantha's mortal-loathing mother Endora, Darrin's boss Larry Tate and various other witches and warlocks from Samantha's extended family. The Stevens family also grows over time, with daughter Tabitha arriving in season two and son Adam in season five. Both share their mother's supernatural ability and learn the craft from her. Running gags were the order of the day on Bewitched: Endora's endless list of alternative names for Darrin; old Aunt Clara's knack for forgetting how to reverse especially unfortunate spells; and curtain-twitching neighbour Gladys Kravitz, whose husband always joins her at the window at exactly the moment when whatever she claims she saw can no longer be seen. Bewitched was so widely recognised that it was remade in numerous countries, inspired several TV crossovers, lead to the late-70s spin-off comedy Tabitha plus numerous animated series and, in 2005, it was 're-imagined' for worldwide cinematic release. It's a sad footnote to the series that by 1995 all five main players had died, with York, Sargent and Montgomery dying within three years of each other.