This week for my Top 10 Tuesday, with Halloween nearing, I am counting down the Top 10 characters from Bewitched! If you read my episode guides posts on Bewitched last year, you may have an idea how this is going to go!
There are several Bewitched characters who were played by two different actors over the course of the run. I had to specify for some characters listed below but the two different Louise Tates were both good enough to make the list, though I actually preferred the second actress (Kasey Rogers) to the first (Irene Vernon). They each brought something interesting though. Vernon was regal and sophisticated while Rogers was warm and a humanizing match for the often blustery Larry.
9. ABNER KRAVITZ
Another long-suffering spouse on the show, Abner seemed like the reasonable one who was quite sure his wife was going crazy and it was easy to see why. The fact that she was right and he was wrong added to the humor of the show. His deadpan delivery was very funny and he fit an important role in a show with a lot of boisterous and wacky characters. He had tremendously funny moments with Alice Pearce but was underutilized in later years with Sandra Gould.
It's hard to believe but Uncle Arthur was only in 10 episodes out of 254. He made such an impression in his very limited time that many consider him to be a regular supporting player instead of an occasional guest star. Uncle Arthur was such a manic personality and I always liked that he had a little more depth with some of the main characters including a true disdain for Endora and a soft spot for Samantha that occasionally even extended to Darrin. His flamboyant personality was played to great hilarity by Paul Lynde.
7. LARRY TATE
Larry was an interesting character because sometimes he was hilarious and sometimes he was infuriating. I think what made him infuriating (and this is a little bit of the product of 1960s sitcoms) is he just never learned his lesson. Through eight years, we went through the same dynamics with Larry and they never really changed. David White could be really funny in particular episodes but the arc of the character literally went nowhere.
6. TABITHA STEPHENS
When TV's top kids are considered, I don't think Tabitha gets mentioned often but she really deserves to especially coming from a time where some TV kids could be just terrible. Erin Murphy had some pretty natural comedic timing and Tabitha never got to an awkward phase on the show. Her matter of fact delivery and approach to witchcraft was very funny and she had a mischievous side too like a lot of her family (but not her parents).
The enchanting Endora was an iconic character. I strongly considered ranking her higher than this but she might suffer a bit from being on a little too much. In the same way that Uncle Arthur made a huge impression in limited appearances, Endora is on the show frequently and I think that dilutes her character by the end of the series. She became a little bit of a one trick pony by the end. In the beginning though, she was a fascinating character with a whole lot of bite and an interesting detachment from the mortal world.
4. GLADYS KRAVITZ (Alice Pearce)
This is the first character where I have to really specify the actor because there's a big difference. Before Alice Pearce's tragic death from cancer, she was the funniest part of Bewitched. In the two black and white seasons, Gladys was a much more prominent character because of Pearce's skills. Even though the character was basically the same joke over and over, Pearce made every appearance feel fresh and funny with her stammering delivery and outlandish shrieks. She took what could have been such a simple character and made her a standout.
I don't even know why there's a debate about which is the better Darrin. It's not a debate, it's an open and shut case. Dick York is superior as Darrin in every way. In his episodes, there is a real partnership with Samantha and a real layered character. His Darrin can be super funny (he's at the center of one of the best Bewitched episodes of all time - "Divided He Falls") but his Darrin can also be a really complex character grappling with the world around him. He was also great at being infuriated by all the magic without seeming just plain annoyed. Nothing worked on the show when Dick Sargent joined because the heart of the show - Sam and Darrin's love for each other - was gone.
2. AUNT CLARA
Oh Aunt Clara. What a terrific character and perhaps the best character in TV history who would fall under the category of "befuddled." While most of Samantha's relatives either had an open disdain for Darrin (such as Endora & Maurice) or at least enjoyed antagonizing him (Uncle Arthur), Aunt Clara was far too sweet for that. She brought a much different sensibility to the witches and warlocks to the show because there was a wistful sentiment with her. But she was also really, really funny. From her doorknob collection to her stammering, Marion Lorne had expert comedic timing right up until her death.
How can you make a list of the best Bewitched characters and not put Samantha at the top? Samantha is Bewitched and Elizabeth Montgomery is dazzling in the lead role. Sure, she gets a little tired with the part by the end but wouldn't you too if the show had gotten so repetitive? For much of the series, Samantha is the center of it all. She is often a straight woman but she's a straight woman with a twist. Every relationship on the show traces back to Samantha, every character is seen in relation to her. She had to be a dynamic and powerful character and she is in many ways, not just magical ways.
Tomorrow: A One Season Wonder look at Top of the Heap!
Next Tuesday: Top 10 The Munsters/The Addams Family Characters!
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