Tabitha (TV series)
 |
This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Discussion about the problems with the sole source used may be found on the talk page. (June 2010) |
| Tabitha | |
|---|---|
 Opening title sequence for Tabitha |
|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Jerry Mayer |
| Directed by | Charles S. Dubin William Asher Charles Rondeau Murray Golden Herb Wallerstein George Tyne Bruce Bilson |
| Starring | Lisa Hartman David Ankrum Robert Urich Mel Stewart Karen Morrow |
| Theme music composer | Jeff Barry |
| Opening theme | "It Could Be Magic" performed by Lisa Hartman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jerry Mayer |
| Producer(s) | Robert Stambler William Asher George Yanok |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Columbia Pictures Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | April 24, 1976 – January 14, 1978 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Bewitched |
Tabitha is an American fantasy sitcom that aired during the 1977-1978 season on ABC. It is a spin-off of Bewitched, which had ended its run several years earlier.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
The series stars Lisa Hartman as Tabitha Stephens, the daughter of Samantha and Darrin, now a young witch working in television in Los Angeles. Working with her is her now-older and mortal brother Adam (David Ankrum) who admonishes her use of witchcraft. Her previously-unmentioned Aunt Minerva (Karen Morrow) pops in frequently to encourage her to use her witchcraft. Robert Urich is Tabitha's boss and romantic interest.
There were two pilot films produced for the series. The first, which was broadcast by ABC on April 24, 1976 (and used the variant spelling Tabatha for the title) starred Liberty Williams in the title role, with Bruce Kimmel as Adam.[1] The major difference between the pilot and the series was that Adam was a full-fledged and mischievous warlock in the pilot, but was made a mortal for the series (thus making him the disapproving figure as Darrin had been).
In the first pilot, Tabatha was an editorial assistant for the fictional Trend magazine, lived in San Francisco, and had a boyfriend named Cliff (Archie Hahn), and also contended with the supernatural antics of Adam.
In situations that were very similar to the original debut of Bewitched, Tabatha tells Cliff that she is a witch, who at first doesn't believe her, but later discovers that she was telling the truth. Also, much like her mother did when she used her powers to deflect the unwanted affections of Sheila Sommers, her father's former fiancee, Tabatha deflects rival Dinah Nichols (Barbara Rhoades) from seducing Cliff.
The first pilot (directed by Bewitched producer/director William Asher) sold the series, but ABC changed the sitcom's setting from San Francisco to Los Angeles, recast the main roles, and ordered a second pilot with Hartman and Ankrum. This version also gave Tabitha an "Aunt Minerva", who fulfilled a similar role as Endora had in Bewitched.
The revised Tabitha pilot aired on ABC on May 7, 1977 and the series debuted on September 10 of that year. The next episode aired November 12, then continued to air regularly, but failed to garner sufficient ratings to be renewed for a full season. The final episode aired on January 14, 1978 for a total of 13 episodes produced and broadcast, including the two pilots.
[edit] Bewitched crossovers and discontinuities
Four actors from the original series appeared in separate episodes. Bernard Fox reprised his role of the warlock Dr. Bombay twice, while George Tobias and Sandra Gould made a guest appearance as Abner and Gladys Kravitz. Dick Wilson twice reprised his role as the "drunk guy".
The series takes place in the "present day" (late 1970s) yet does not reconcile how Tabitha and Adam could be in their early-to-mid 20s when they had been young children at the time Bewitched ended only five years earlier, nor why Adam is now the older sibling, nor why Adam was now mortal rather than a warlock. As a pre-teen, Erin Murphy, who had played Tabitha on Bewitched, was far too young to play an adult Tabitha. In the final episode of Tabitha, Samantha and Darrin's 25th wedding anniversary is being celebrated, even though their marriage in the 1964 premiere episode of Bewitched had been only 14 years earlier.
[edit] Characters
- Tabitha Stephens (Lisa Hartman) was the main character. She is the daughter of Samantha and Darrin Stephens. She twitches her nose, much like her mother does, to invoke her magic spells.
- Adam Stephens (David Ankrum) was Tabitha's older brother. He is the son of Samantha and Darrin Stephens. He is against Tabitha using witchcraft (much like Darrin, their father, was) and persuades Tabitha not to use her magic. Despite that, though, he does love his sister.
- Aunt Minerva (Karen Morrow) was Adam and Tabitha's aunt. She is a meddlesome, but well-meaning busy-body and encourages Tabitha to use her magic. She is the mother figure for Tabitha, in lieu of Samantha and Endora.
- Paul Thurston (Robert Urich) was the egotistical, somewhat obnoxious host of The Paul Thurston Show on the fictional TV station KXLA, where Tabitha worked as a Production Assistant. Paul was a love interest for Tabitha, but that didn't stop him from being a womanizer.
- Marvin Decker (Mel Stewart) was producer of The Paul Thurston Show and Tabitha's cranky but lovable boss at KXLA.
[edit] Episodes
| № | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | "Tabatha" (Pilot #1) | April 24, 1976 |
| 1 | "Tabitha" (Pilot #2) | May 7, 1977 |
| 2 | "Tabitha's Weighty Problem" | September 10, 1977 |
| 3 | "Halloween Show" | November 12, 1977 |
| 4 | "A Star Is Born" | November 19, 1977 |
| 5 | "Minerva Goes Straight" | November 26, 1977 |
| 6 | "Mr. Nice Guy" | December 10, 1977 |
| 7 | "The Arrival of Nancy" | December 17, 1977 |
| 8 | "Tabitha's Triangle" | December 24, 1977 |
| 9 | "That New Black Magic" | December 31, 1977 |
| 10 | "What's Wrong with Mister Right?" | December 31, 1977 |
| 11 | "Paul Goes to New York" | January 7, 1978 |
| 12 | "Tabitha's Party" | January 14, 1978 |
[edit] Production notes
Tabitha was filmed at The Burbank Studios in Burbank, California, and was produced by Sony Pictures Television (previously known as Screen Gems, who had produced the parent sitcom Bewitched). It was filmed with a single camera with an added laugh track, same as Bewitched.
[edit] DVD release
In 2005, to coincide with the release of the first season of Bewitched on DVD (and the release of the Bewitched feature film), Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the entire run of Tabitha on DVD. The original Liberty Williams pilot is included as a special feature.
[edit] References
- ^ "Tabatha". brucekimmel.com. http://www.brucekimmel.com/TabathaTVSeriesInformationPage.htm.
[edit] External links
- Tabitha at the Internet Movie Database
- Tabitha at TV.com
- Tabitha at epguides.com
- Bruce Kimmel reminisces about the first pilot
|
||||||||
- 1976 television series debuts
- 1978 television series endings
- 1970s American television series
- American Broadcasting Company network shows
- American television sitcoms
- Bewitched
- Fantasy television series
- Witches in film and television
- Television series by Sony Pictures Television
- Television spin-offs
- Television shows set in Los Angeles, California
- Television series about television
