Bewitched: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Bewitched: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 1, 2025

Like countless other iconic TV shows (think I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, The X-Files, and Star Trek), Bewitched has withstood the test of time and entered into the pantheon of pop culture sensation. Maybe it's not quite at the level of these others, but who can forget that twinkling nose, that iconic theme music, and that unforgettable premise? The popular show ran a long time, even by TV standards then or now: a full eight seasons and 254 episodes, airing from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972, a welcome and much-needed primetime distraction from the horrors of Vietnam playing out on the other side of the world.

At its core, Bewitched is really a love story. The show focuses in on the relationship between Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and Darrin (Dick York and Dick Sargent). Throughout the show, the couple navigates the normal issues any newlywed couple faces, but within the prism and through the context of the surprise issue of Samantha being a powerful witch. This is the baseline premise for the love, the comedy, and the drama alike, and with a heathy influx of support characters, including Samantha's mother Endora (Agnes Moorehead) and Darrin's boss Larry (David White), Bewitched makes oftentimes very good (and only rarely lame) use of its premise to build a complex relationship out of a very abnormal circumstance.

Bewitched upsets the usual “power dynamic” — especially for a show in this TV era — with Samantha having more “power” than Darrin due to her magical abilities, but she often wants to live without using those powers (well, at least most of the time). Of course, the show’s humor and its many hi-jinx are a result of her using her powers to fix issues caused by others' use of powers, which are often used for sheer comedic effect but can, at times, be used for other purposes as well. Sure, the visual effects are very crude (and the HD definition only make wires and other practical trickery all the more obvious), but the show’s charm comes from its ability to use Samantha’s powers in often funny, usually creative, and plot-specific ways. It's also unafraid, as were others of its era (think the aforementioned Star Trek), to point a critical lens towards the society in which it was airing. The show cleverly (and usually subtly, but not always), was at the forefront of critiquing social injustice, women's roles, race, and other hot-button issues of its time.

While Bewitched is certainly best known for its premise, its success is certainly as much a product of the acting as it is the core story and writing. Montgomery, much like Lucille Ball, became, and remains, synonymous with her character. This is a career defining and culturally iconic role, and her acting skill was vital to the show’s success. The way the eyes capture the light, the smile, the twinkle of the nose — she bathes every shot she’s in with a captivating light that sells the magic and laughs every time. York and Sargent, although not identical in their shared role as Darrin, both brought depth and humor to the exasperated spouse and are constantly on top of their games in supporting the laughs and going along with the mischief that so frequently floods Darrin's married life. Agnes Moorehead’s role as Samantha’s mother Endora proves critical from the series’ opening moments forward. Her own shenanigans and the ensuing chaos provide much of the humor and she often serves as a springboard for some of the best laughs in the show, especially in that relational dynamic with her daughter and son-in-law.

Bewitched: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bewitched is celebrating its 60th anniversary with this new 22-disc compete series set. The MPEG-4 encoded 1080p Blu-ray presentation is presented at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio rather than the original broadcast aspect ratio of 4x3 (1.33:1). This is going to be the most controversial aspect of this release. I never felt that the show looked hopelessly mis-framed at 1.78:1; so that's a positive, at least, in that column. Many fans will be disappointed with the absence of the original presentation as an option or the only option (and rightly so!), and some fans might just stop reading right here. Understandable, but the rest of the presentation is really quite solid overall. Do note that at least seasons one and two are available in the 4x3 aspect ratio via an international Imprint release).

Seasons one and two were filmed in black and white, and the show transitioned to color for season three forward. Both are nicely presented, with the black and white elements offering crisp whites, solidly deep blacks, and a good grayscale midrange. No complaints for an SDR black and white presentation. The color presentation from season three forward is rich and vibrant with that telltale 60s color flavor about it. Skin tones are peachy, clothes are steadily vibrant, and colorful furnishings are pleasantly vivid. There's no sense of over saturation, color bleeding, or anything else interfering with a very healthy color presentation for the bulk of the series.

The 1080p resolution brings a very healthy and tangible sharpness to the proceedings as well, evident right out of the gate in the first two seasons and also as the series progresses through its color seasons. There's no sign of overt sharpening or noise reduction. In fact, the grain field is consistently present, though it can fluctuate a bit in density, looking heavier and spikier here, less pronounced but still present and filmic there. But there is a really good sense of detail here, with close-ups, and even medium shots where 2-3 characters fill the frame, all offering wonderful clarity to faces and clothes in the foreground, while background furnishings enjoy sufficient detail (think wood paneling, books on bookshelves, things like that). But close-ups really shine with high yield complexity to faces, showing every pore and line with screen-commanding definition. On the downside, there is definitely some inefficient compression at play, which is not atypical for a Mill Creek release. At times, details can look fuzzy, snowy, even slightly chunky, but the compression issues are never overwhelmingly bad, but videophiles will certainly balk at times. Yet considering the density of content on each disc -- about 11 episodes per -- the end result is really quite impressive overall, and watching from normal viewing distances compression is only an occasional annoyance.

As for that ever-important numerical score, I feel like a 3.0 could be deserved with the lack of a 4x3 aspect ratio presentation, while a 4.0 is slightly on the generous side considering the lack of original framing. I really want to give this a 4.0 -- it looks really good overall -- but with the framing and the mild-to-moderate (favoring the "mild" side) compression issues, I think 3.5 is the "fairest" grade.

Bewitched: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mill Creek's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack for Bewitched won't bedazzle audiophiles or anyone looking for a big hitting presentation. This is a 60-year-old show, but the core elements are in satisfyingly good shape, delivering fine, albeit very basic, clarity to the opening title music, bits of score throughout the episodes, and both narration and dialogue. The laugh track, too, satisfies for basic clarity, allowing listeners to make out distinct laughs in the crowd; it's not just a glob of sound. The elements all do cram into the middle; there's very little sense of space beyond the direct front center location. So, dialogue images well to the middle, which is good, but a little more range to laughs and music would have been welcome. Overall, however, it's hard to complain when a TV track that dates back to the Vietnam War sounds as fundamentally good as this one.

Bewitched: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mill Creek ships Bewitched: The Complete Series in an oversized case where multiple discs sit on various hubs, stacked one atop another and staggered throughout the box. It ships in a slip box with alternate artwork. A heavy duty booklet is also included (see below). No digital copy codes are included with purchase, which is not a surprise.

• Audio Commentaries: See below for a breakdown of the commentaries on each disc.
  
  
  • Disc 1: For "I, Darrin, Take This Witch Samantha:" Herbie J. Pilato, Chris York, and Rob Ray. For "Mother Meet What's His Name:" Herbie J. Pilato, Chris York, and Rob Ray.
  • Disc 2: For "A Is For Aardvark:" Herbie J. Pilato, Chris York, and Rob Ray.
  • Disc 4: For "Aunt Clara's Old Flame:" Herbie J. Pilato, David Mandel, and Rob Ray.
  • Disc 5: For "And Then There Were Three:" Herbie J. Pilato, David Mandel, and Rob Ray.
  • Disc 10: For "Double, Double...Toil and Trouble:" Herbie J. Pilato, Steve Olim, and Chris York.
  • Disc 11: For "Smanatha's Thanksgiving to Remember:" Herbie J. Pilato and Rob Ray.
  • Disc 13: For "Mirror, Mirror On The Wall:" Herbie J. Pilato, Steve Olim, and Chris York.
  • Disc 16: For "Samantha and the Beanstalk:" Herbie J. Pilato and Johnny Whitaker.
  • Disc 19: For "Paul Revere Rides Again:" Herbie J. Pilato and Peter Ackerman. For "Sisters At Heart:" Herbie J. Pilato and Janee Michelle. For "Sisters At Heart:" (second commentary) Herbie J. Pilato and Rob Ray.
  • Disc 20: For "Out Of The Mouth Of Babes:" Herbie J. Pilato, Eric Scott, and Chris York.
  • Disc 22: For "Adam, Warlock or Washout:" Herbie J. Pilato and David Mandell. For "Samantha's Magic Sitter:" Herbie J. Pilato and Ricky Powell. For "George Washington Zapped Here (Part 1):" Herbie J. Pilato, Eric Scott, Rob Ray.
• Documentary (1080p, 29:58): Historian Herbie J Pilato, who also penned the accompanying booklet, leads a variety of cast, crew, and family members through some of the history behind Bewitched and reveals what elements made the show so well-received in its time. This supplement contains insight from from Eric Scott (Herbie), Steve Olim (Makeup Department), Rob Ray (Historian), Chris York (Son of Dick York), and David Mandel (Adam Stephens). Discussions include the show's origins and enduring popularity, working on the set and meeting the cast, famous cameos and characters, social commentary the show worked into episodes, cast changes, and how the show ended.
• Booklet: Mill Creek has often provided extra printed content with its Ultraman releases, and included with Bewitched is a booklet that is more substantial. It's 36 full color glossy pages, glued not stapled, with color and black-and-white photos throughout. Its core is comprised of 12 "chapters" that cover various aspects of Bewitched, from casting and social commentary to favorite memories from the show. It also includes an episode guide and bonus features listing. The content is written by Bewitched historian Herbie J. Pilato. Most chapters run 1-2 pages and include quite a bit of text; this is not fluff. Below is a very brief summary of what each chapter has to offer.
  
  
• I. "A Paranormal Panorama": The beginning chapter covers the cast and explores the show's somewhat well veiled, but effective, lean into social commentary.
• II. "The Birth of "Bewitched": As the chapter title suggests, this offers a discussion of the show's origins.
• III. "Spelling a Cast": An in-depth look at casting key roles.
• IV. "The Newlywed Stage: Romancing the Witch": This chapter discusses the show's rise to fame, its groundbreaking depiction of a married couple in a single bed, and the various actors that helped the show succeed.
• V. "Sam and Darrin's Sophomore Year": Exploring the show's second season, the decision to add a baby to the family when actress Elizabeth Montgomery was expecting her second child, and the tragedy of actress Alice Pearce dying of cancer during the season.
• VI. "Stay Tuned for Bewitched … Next - In Color": In coverage of the third season, this chapter looks at the transition to color filming and some changes to casting.
• VII. "A Crowning Glory": This season four discussion mostly focuses on the character additions and the season's plot lines.
• VIII. Darrin Gone A Little Bit (But Not Forgotten): This chapter explores season five, including the loss of actress Marion Lorne, actor Dick York's health issues and frequent absences, and another pregnancy.
• IX. Year of the Big Change: This coverage of season six primarily focuses on Dick Sargent's replacing of Dick York, the addition of another child with powers, and new characters added to the season.
• X. The Salem and "Sisters" Saga: This chapter discusses season seven, including budgets, set fires, and the Emmy award winning episode "Sisters at Heart" written by a high school English class, and dealing directly with racism rather than general prejudice.
• XI. The Eighth Year Witch: Covers the final season of the show, focusing on the lack of creativity in the scripts, the sets, and the acting.
• XII. Montgomery's Magical Memories: This chapter focuses on some of lead actress Elizabeth Montgomery's favorite episodes and memories of Bewitched.

Bewitched: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is not a perfect release of Bewitched -- presenting the show in its original aspect ratio and giving it all a little more breathing room for the video side of things (maybe expanding this to be a 26 disc set rather than 22) would have improved the package -- but even as it is the picture rates as very solid, the audio the same within its parameters, and the extra are great, including that attractive booklet. It's a very solid release overall that I think fans will enjoy, even if a few video warts do pop up here and there and the aspect ratio issue will turn some away. Recommended!