Well I have lately been watching Season one of Bewitched on DVD. I have not seen season one before. When I was old enough to know what I was watching on TV they were already into the color episodes and I believe it was the last two years that Dick York was playing Darren. So to see this season was watching a new series.
Now I use to be an oppenant of colorization. I was reminded of this when I was having a conversation with my cousin Steve. I had just watche these new colorized episodes and while I had not seen them before I was over taken by a wave of nostalgiza as they looked like I remembered seeing Bewitched. I voiced how come they don't do this more often and he said something like "it ruins the beauty of the black and white film and destroys the effort that the lighting director made to try and get it just right." That reminded me of something that I would have said years ago. However, I have now see from the other side. With the exception of when they sequed from one scene to another you could not tell this had ever been in black and white. It looked like it was in the old technicolor and I know this would help get the series in more markets when in syndication. So why not do this with more of the older series? Half the episodes of F-Troop were in black and white. I think the series would be seen more if the whole series was colorized. The only series I don't think it would work with is the Munsters. Too many people have seen Herman with a pale white face for years. Seeing the green face may have a bad effect and turn viewers off. Also, fans of I Love Lucy may not like it as that is an iconic series. Still if you don't like seeing your favorite old series or movie in color you can always turn down the color on your TV set.
When I do get to see the color episodes I hope one of the extras are the short introductions that they had just before the show would come on. It was usually Elizabeth Montgomery in front of a plain background. She would say "Stay tuned for Bewitched. Next! In color!" This was a turning point in pop culture as it shows what point that TV went from all black and white to all color. It was also a way to sell the new color TV sets. I know a man who as a child would see those and he would tell his family to hurry into the living room to watch this show because it was in color. Then seeing how disappointed he was when seeing that it was still in black and white they had to get a new color TV.
If anyone reading this knows if those are used as extras on any of the sets please let me know and which one it is on so I can get it.
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