From 1969-1972 miniskirts were rampant on television; before and after there was a tapering effect. How do I know this? Well, let me just point out that we're on Miniskirt Monday number 153.... that translates to 153 weeks of minis - that's roughly three straight years of week after week of miniskirts. It would be an understatement to say I've learned a thing or two. A couple things I didn't need to learn because I've known them roughly my whole life: Elizabeth Montgomery is a stone cold fox and her Darrins are both douche bags.... and Larry Tate is no prize either. Anyway, there's lots to cover - so let's get going! Here's Samantha doing her daily chores. Darrin doesn't like magic, so he makes her do it all by hand. Of course, he doesn't lift a finger, but "magic is evil" so Sam has to do the housework manually. Can I just state for the record that Darrin is a douche bag and Sam is way too good for him? Let's just put it down as "a given" and move on. That's an eyeful, isn't it? And I'm not just referring to the miniskirt. Dig that old school TV and phone, not to mention the shagadelic stairway carpet. Back then, everything was wallpapered; today everything is paint, paint, paint. Wallpaper gets no respect these days. Check out Darrin's hungry look. Are we positive Dick Sargent was gay? Same outfit. Sam's working her magic to save Darrin's arse once again. Funny how magic is not okay to do housework, but it is okay to help Darrin with his lousy job...... Wait. I said I wouldn't bash Darrin, so I'm stopping there. I think cotton top Tate had a thing for Samantha. He was always teetering on the verge of having a heart attack, so I doubt he could have calmed himself enough to follow his carnal lusts through. But it was there. Mark my words. A world of suits and miniskirts. Did they realize they they were living in the days of Wine and Roses? This stable-hand has taken a shine to Sam's miniskirt. Too bad Bewitched was an HBO series, things could have gotten real interesting from here. Five years after Bewitched's last season, Tabitha got a spin off which only lasted a single season. Lisa Hartman played her (who somehow was now in her twenties). Robert Urich also starred. Darrin, Larry, Esmerelda, and Samantha in Italy. Esmerelda manages to straighten the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I just enjoyed seeing the gang on location. Darrin and the two women in his life. Elizabeth Montgomery wasn't the only one wearing a mini on Bewitched. Darrin's secretary always knew how to dress for her Darrin. In this episode Julie Newmar guests as Ophelia, a cat in human form conjured by Endora to tempt Darrin. Newmar never wears a mini in the episode, but does get decked out in cat attire. No complaints here. The photo-shoot scene where Newmar strokes, caresses, and manhandles the tractor exhaust pipe is among the most erotic in television history. But I digress. One of these days, I'm going to do a post on sitcom homes. I could talk for an hour just about this kitchen alone. The Brady residence gets a lot of analysis, but not much is said about other sitcom abodes. This is a void which must be filled. Billie Hayes plays the witch in this episode where Sam must save Tabitha from inside the Hansel and Gretel story. Billie was no stranger to playing witches - she was Witchiepoo on H.R. Pufnstuf. The Stephens visit a museum while in London and Samantha is molested by a figure from one of the paintings. This episode holds special significance in the pantheon of miniskirt broadcast history. When Samantha steps back in time, a guardsman of Henry XIII makes a derogatory comment about her miniskirt. "What manner of costume is that?" "Is there anything wrong with it?" "It is to say the least, minimal covering. When you appear before his majesty, you had better maximize." Samantha is upset because the Loch Ness Monster is actually one of Serena's old boyfriends whom she transformed, and now Nessie's in danger of being killed...... Yeah, it's those kind of plots that made Bewitched seem cartoonish alongside other seventies sitcoms which emphasized realism (i.e. All in the Family, Good Times). You could always count on Serena to wear something nice. And this is the guy that was once the Loch Ness Monster. Now, he's got a swingin' bachelor pad deep beneath Loch Ness. Man, I love this show. This is from an episode where a ghost actually possesses Darrin to get inside Samantha's miniskirt. In addition to the marvelous mini, Sam gets around in a negligee for a few scenes. Not technically a miniskirt, but still none too shabby. Not to worry, though - there's plenty more Bewitched minis to come, so stay tuned for Part Two coming up next Monday.