Bewitched is one of those 1960’s sitcoms that has left an indelible mark on pop culture. If anything, people will always try to master that signature nose twitch. The latest reboot attempt, the Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell movie from 2005, was a flop. Still, ABC is hoping to reignite the magic with a new reboot from blackish creator Kenya Barris.
For those who’ve never see the show, Bewitched follows Samantha, a young witch who marries a normal man named Darrin and tries to give up witchcraft. However, she finds that between all the wacky relatives stopping in and the frustrating aspects of day-to-day life, there’s always room for a little magical intervention.
Barris left ABC on August to do work for Netflix, but the pilot order for the show was secured just before then. And Barris added a little twist to the formula — the family in the series will be interracial. Samantha will now be a black single-mom who then meets white man Darrin, falls in love, and then reveals the truth. This reboot will push themes of navigating different cultures and working through family drama in a whole new way.
Currently, there is no cast tied to the project, but I can definitely see some people getting angry over the new direction. Personally, I think it’s a great idea and helps to better communicate the idea of coming from two different worlds. That and the fact that blended families are a lot more common now, but it’s a reality we don’t see too often on TV. Hopefully, whoever they pick for the part will be able to do that nose twitch.
