A little while ago, we took a look at the first episode of the
short-lived Bewitched spin-off Tabitha, starring Lisa Hartman.
That show aired in 1977, and it was a retooling of an unsold pilot for a series
called Tabatha starring Liberty
Williams.
We learned on Mother’s Day that spelling it “Tabatha”
is painful to Elizabeth Montgomery’s soul, but that’s how they chose to spell
it for this production, and we have to respect that? I guess?
Surprisingly, I like this pilot way more than the one that was actually sold. I’m of the opinion
that it’s better to mimic story elements rather than character dynamics if you’re
going to ease people into a show by knocking off your source material. This
first pilot, helmed by Bewitched
director/producer William Asher, captures the spirit of a ‘70s single girl
update while keeping some fresh ideas in there, and he does this not by trying
to recapture the “types” of characters, but by calling back to structure of “I,
Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha.”
The episode opens with scenes of steep hills and charming cable
cars, letting us know that the newly grown-up Tabatha Stephens now lives in
glamorous San Francisco. (When we see the size of her apartment, you’ll know
that a hell of a lot of witchcraft is involved in keeping her rent down.) Tabatha
herself looks every inch a career girl of the times, with her Dorothy Hamill
haircut and her brown pantsuit, as she races across the street to hail a taxi.
I feel like I should explain that in days of yore, when our
mothers were teenagers, there was a major Battle of the Haircuts. You were
either a Dorothy – a variation on the short wedge cut made popular by figure
skater Dorothy Hamill, or a Farrah – barrel curls and volume in the style of
Farrah Fawcett. The Dorothy was shorthand for being practically minded, while
the Farrah meant you liked to have more fun. This was a serious conflict, and I’m
shocked that it isn’t taught in history
class.
