'Bewitched' Series News: NBC Gives the Greenlight for Reboot, Show to Focus on Samantha's Granddaughter
More than 40 years after the original "Bewitched' series ended on ABC, the beloved sitcom is about to make its comeback to television as NBC has just given the nod for a pilot production commitment for a reboot of the show.
According to Deadline, the plans for a "Bewitched" sequel was pitched by Sony Television a week ago and has garnered a lot of interest from several networks before getting snapped up by NBC. The project, which will be written by "The Vow" writers Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, will reportedly center on Samantha's granddaughter Daphne, a single woman in her twenties who finds out that she can conjure anything she wants with her magic -- except love.
The original "Bewitched" series about a witch married to a mortal man delighted viewers during its eight-season run from 1964 to 1972. The show starred Elizabeth Montgomery as the beautiful witch Samantha, and her husband, Darrin Stephens, was played by Dick York from 1964 to 1969, and then by Dick Sargent from 1969 to 1972. Other characters, such as Agnes Moorehead's Endora, also gave audiences a lot of reasons to laugh out loud.
Previous attempts to recapture the magic of "Bewitched" failed to charm audiences. In 1977, ABC's series 'Tabitha—which centered on Samantha's daughter—only lasted for one season. And in 2005, the film version starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell was panned by critics and failed to do well in the box office.
However, there are high hopes for the NBC pilot as the sequel will contain original material, and there are rumors that some of the cast members from the original series could guest star in certain episodes. As for the role of Daphne, TVLine initiated a "let's play casting director" initiative which let fans give their say on who can play the role. Actresses such as Dreama Walker, Dianna Agron, Aimee Teegarden, Anna Camp, and Julie Marie Berman are clear favorites as of the moment.
