The planned remake of classic supernatural sitcom Bewitched has found a network to attach itself to for its new era, but it will not be its original network that will be doing the picking up.
Rather than ABC, who showed 254 episodes of the series across 8 seasons between 1964-1972, it is rival network NBC who have commissioned a pilot in the format’s 50th anniversary year, outbidding a number of other suitors including ABC.
This concept is claimed to be a ‘reimagining’ of the Bewitched story two generations down the line, according to Deadline, with original news that Sony Pictures TV was beginning development of the updated show coming earlier this month.
Whilst few other details are revealed at present, it is known that Abby Kohn (The Vow) and actor Mark Silverstein (The Last Stand) have been hired to write the remake.
The original series had followed the life of witch “Samantha” (Elizabeth Montgomery) and human husband “Darrin” (Dick York then Dick Sargent), with the wife regularly giving in to the temptation of using her powers to try and solve everyday problems in their lives. The franchise has seen a little action since 1972, though, with a meta film adaptation, starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, being made in 2005:
If the remade show does go ahead on-air, the first major task for NBC will be to create a trailer, and will lead to subjective questions over whether or not it was better than the promotional tactics of the 1960s: