40 Behind-The-Scenes Waltons Facts John-Boy Would Never Have Admitted

Can you believe that CBS actually expected The Waltons to tank? That’s right: apparently, the network had little faith that a “rural” show could survive against such ’70s TV stalwarts as The Flip Wilson Show and The Mod Squad. However, not only did The Waltons kick both shows’ butts in the ratings, but it also set a trend for homespun classics like Little House on the Prairie.

Yup, the U.S. Congress reportedly wasn’t pleased with TV programming at the turn of the ’70s. That’s presumably because it wasn’t wholesome enough, and so The Waltons was created in response to the complaint. In 2012 Cami Cotler, who played youngest Walton Elizabeth, told the Los Angeles Times, “The rumor was that [CBS] put it against Flip Wilson and The Mod Squad because they didn’t think it would survive. They thought, ‘We can just tell Congress [that] America doesn’t want to see this.’” How wrong the bosses were.

Yes indeed, folks. The classic feel-good drama was adapted from a film, released in 1971, called The Homecoming: A Christmas Story. While John Walton Sr., Olivia and Grandpa are all played by different actors, all the Walton kids from the series star in the made-for-television movie – which, as the name suggests, sees the family getting set for Christmas. But with John Walton working in another state, anxiety grows over whether he will make it back in time for the holidays. Not exactly a high-stakes scenario, but it worked!

Sorry to shatter the illusion, but Walton’s Mountain doesn’t actually exist. In fact, the show’s rural scenes weren’t even filmed in Virginia but on a slope of the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. And the Waltons’ house? That was actually located in what’s known as the “jungle” area of the Warner Bros. Studios lot in Burbank, California. Mind blown.

You read that right! See, the show’s creator Earl Hamner Jr. grew up with seven siblings. And, apparently, John-Boy, Mary Ellen, Jason, Ben, Erin, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth Walton were each based on a member of Hamner’s family. As for Grandma and Grandpa? They’re an amalgamation of Hamner’s own maternal and paternal grandparents.

When an on-screen couple have amazing chemistry together, we secretly wish they were an item in real life. Well, that was nearly the case for John and Olivia Walton – or their actors Ralph Waite and Michael Learned, anyway. But, sadly, it didn’t work out. “We were both single,” Learned told Closer in 2017. “So I drove out to Malibu, but we just looked at each other and said, ‘Nah, I don’t think so.” What a shame!

Although the Waltons’ house was ultimately dismantled, it eventually enjoyed a second life in Gilmore Girls. There was a little reconstruction involved, of course. The newer building looked a bit different from the original, too. But the Dragonfly Inn that Lorelai and Sookie buy is unmistakeable to folks of a certain vintage...

Waite may have charmed fans all over the world as loveable patriarch John, but he wasn’t actually the first choice for the part. CBS originally wanted a big star on board, you see, and Hollywood legend Henry Fonda seemed just the ticket. When Fonda was shown the Waltons pilot, however, he realized he was surplus to requirements. He reportedly told executive producer Lee Rich, “What do you want me for? The kid is the star! The whole family is the star! You don’t need me.”

It might surprise you to learn that Jason and Ben are the only members of the Walton family not to miss a single episode. Yes, actors Jon Walmsley and Eric Scott both feature in a whopping 221 episodes of the show – or the entirety of its nine seasons. Wowzers!

If you watched The Waltons from the start, then you may remember the family excitedly gathering around John as he brings home a new radio. But that adorable scene in the opening credits wasn’t around for long. Later seasons showed only sepia-tinted still shots of the cast as the theme music played.

Did you know that Earl Hamner Jr. wrote a novel called Spencer’s Mountain? That, too, was based on his own life. And The Waltons itself? It was inspired by the 1963 movie adaptation of the book starring...drumroll... Henry Fonda. Yes, sir. That explains why the CBS execs originally wanted Fonda to play John!

In the Waltons movie pilot The Homecoming: A Christmas Story, Grandpa was portrayed by Edgar Bergen. Will Geer then took over, memorably embodying the wily old codger for six seasons until he sadly passed away in 1978. But the showrunners didn’t forget the man who originated the role. In a sweet tribute, the first ever episode of the TV series sees the family listening to The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show.

This is something that only superfans of The Waltons will have picked up on… But did y’all ever notice some of the main characters changing their accents? Yes, siree. Olivia, John-Boy and Jason in particular had distinctly southern twangs to begin with, but they just kind of disappeared as the show went on. Well, hot diggity!

Raising seven children is no easy feat, so it’s hardly surprising that Olivia Walton appears in lists of the greatest TV moms of all time. Seems fans have a lot of love for the no-nonsense matriarch! But Olivia often has a rival. You see, Little House on the Prairie’ Caroline Ingalls – another country momma – pops up a lot on those rankings, too.

Believe it or not, but The Waltons didn’t mark Waite and Richard Thomas’ debut as a father/son duo. You see, the two actors had previously appeared together in the 1969 coming-of-age flick Last Summer. Thomas plays Peter, one of the leading roles in the dark and compelling drama. Poor old Waite, on the other hand? He may be Peter’s on-screen dad, but he isn’t even credited.

As gentle and wholesome as it may be, The Waltons was revolutionary in its own way. Before the series aired, you see, a male character as sensitive as John-Boy had never taken the lead in an American TV show. And actor Thomas knew it. John-Boy was “not typical,” he said to the Television Academy Foundation. “This was a guy on a television series who was quoting Gerard Manley Hopkins to his mother.”

You may remember dear old Blue the mule, but can you recall all of the Walton animals? In total, seven – yes, seven! – pets featured in the series. Along with Wreckless the dog and Calico the cat, there were cows Chance and Myrtle. Oh, and we mustn’t forget Rover the peacock and Lance the deer. Gotta love those names!

Do you know Grandma Walton’s actual first name? Well, full marks for you if you said Esther! But she’s barely referred to as such in the show. And while Grandpa’s sometimes called Zeb, his full name is actually Zebulon Tyler Walton. Then there’s Sheriff Ep Bridges. When his mom called him for dinner, she would have been shouting “Marmaduke.” No wonder he went by Ep...

We’re accustomed to hearing about celebrities being given special treatment. But, allegedly, this wasn’t the case for the Waltons’ stars. In 2017 Scott revealed to Closer that he had felt “intense pressure” to do everything perfectly on set. Even when the cast knocked it out of the park, though, apparently they were rarely thanked for their efforts. “It was disappointing that no one even called to say, ‘By the way, thank you,’” Scott said to the magazine. “We were loved by the public, but we never felt the studio appreciated us.”

Much like his on-screen wife Olivia, John often ranks highly on lists of the best ever TV parents. In fact, he made third place in TV Guide’s “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time.” Who beat him to the punch? Bonanza’s Ben Cartwright and The Cosby Show’s Cliff Huxtable.

Superfans will remember that Reverend Fordwick left Walton’s Mountain to join the U.S. Army. The actor who played him, however, departed the show for a very different reason. John Ritter had scooped the starring role in Three’s Company, you see, and given that the sitcom ultimately made his name, that was a good move. Even so, Ritter later admitted that he had one regret about taking the part: he had to quit The Waltons. Aw.

Did Mary Ellen’s husband look a little familiar when he first turned up on the show? That could be because Tom Bower had made his Waltons debut the previous season – albeit as a different character. Yup, the actor had previously portrayed a pilot named Rex Barker in the 1975 episode “The Wing-Walker.” Only huge fans will remember that, though!

When John-Boy leaves the family home to study writing, he heads off to the fictional Boatwright University in Virginia. But here’s a fun fact. Boatwright is actually based on the real University of Richmond – the very same college at which Waltons creator Hamner studied in his youth. Another fun fact? The University of Richmond’s library is called the Boatwright Memorial. Now we get it!

In the pilot movie that birthed The Waltons, you’ll struggle to see Learned. That’s because Oscar-winning actress Patricia Neal portrays Olivia instead. Neal had health problems, however, and they meant she wasn’t able to play the role on the small screen. This was something that Hamner later admitted in a 1999 chat with the Archive of American Television.

Will Geer’s death left the Waltons’ writers with a dilemma. Should they recast the part of Grandpa or retire the role for good? Well, ultimately, they chose the second of those options, as Grandpa’s family is seen mourning him at the start of the seventh season.

Thomas appeared in a whopping 122 episodes before leaving The Waltons, and it appears the showrunners made a boo-boo. You see, the actor’s contract only covered five seasons of the show – not the duration of its run. Pretty big mistake when you’re talking about the guy playing the lead character! But John-Boy would ultimately return. Yep, you may remember Thomas popping up in three feature-length special episodes in the 1990s.

Shocker! After poor Mary Ellen was led to believe that Curt had been killed in action, that wasn’t actually the case. Instead, he’d started a new life in a different state. Basically, Curt had sustained such terrible injuries during the war that he believed his wife would no longer love him. But Mary Ellen’s story ends happily, as she goes on to marry Jonesy and become a mom to Clay and Katie.

Good Lord! Yes, although he played the church-dodging John Walton on TV, Waite was actually a very religious man. Before he found acting, he studied for a master’s degree at Yale University’s Divinity School. Waite then went on to become an ordained Presbyterian minister. And, apparently, the actor even used his knowledge to help out Ritter when it came to portraying Reverend Fordwick.

After five years and 122 episodes as John-Boy, Thomas left The Waltons in 1977. The reason? He wanted to pursue other projects – and see if he could make it in the movies. Thomas went on to play Shad in the Star Wars-style Battle Beyond the Stars. He also enjoyed critical success in the one-man stage show Citizen Tom Paine in 1987.

It can’t have been easy to keep track of everybody’s ages on The Waltons – especially for nine seasons. So, inevitably, there are a few slipups. At one point, for example, Olivia mentions that John-Boy was born when her husband was away fighting in WWI during the spring of 1917. Earlier in the series, though, John-Boy’s birthdate is given as 1916. And if Erin, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth’s birthdays are correct, then that would mean that they graduated from high school at the ages of 15, 21 and 20, respectively. Say what?

You’d think that starring in a hugely successful TV show would bring in the big bucks, right? Wrong. Scott told Closer, “We did not get rich from [The Waltons].” And proving how fickle the fame game is, Scott actually struggled to find more acting work after the series came to an end. Ultimately, he got a job as a messenger instead, and one of his first deliveries rather ironically went to Lorimar Productions – the company responsible for The Waltons.

Erin Walton star Mary Elizabeth McDonough once admitted that being known as “the pretty one” on The Waltons made her feel obliged to look perfect. In an obsessive bid to be thin, then, she developed an eating disorder, and her health quickly declined. But she had a savior. Ritter noticed McDonough’s health issues, and he stepped in to help. “[John] said, ‘No, no, I want you to start doing a journal,’” McDonough told Oprah. “And that night I started journaling, and it saved my life.”

Thomas may have been the star of The Waltons as John-Boy, but his successor? He didn’t get such favorable treatment. Yep, while Thomas’ name had always appeared at the top of the opening credits, poor Robert Wightman doesn’t get a mention. Instead, he is relegated to “Also Starring” status in the closing credits. Ouch.

By its ninth and final series, The Waltons was losing some of its magic. Many members of the original cast had already gone, for starters. Then, after episode eight had wrapped, it was Waite’s time to leave. The story is that his character, John Sr., went to be with his sick wife Olivia. Behind the scenes, by contrast, Waite was written out of the show because of “budgetary issues.” Apparently, the cost of the series had grown as Waite got older, and CBS only agreed to a ninth season on the condition that cuts be made. That meant no more cash for the guy who played John Sr.

We’ve already mentioned that Grandpa Walton was written out of the show after actor Geer passed away in real life. But here’s another interesting fact. At one point in the show, we see that Grandpa’s tombstone is carved with the dates 1865 to 1941. That would’ve made him 76 when he passed away – the same age as Geer when he died.

Ever wondered why Learned quit the show? Well, mostly because she didn’t like how it was changing. And it’s no coincidence that she left at exactly the same time Robert Wightman joined the series. In 2017 the actress told Fox News, “Frankly, when John-Boy came back with a new face and a new voice, it was like something happened. I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

Yes, after Waite’s time in The Waltons came to an end, he decided to give politics a try. He ran three times for Congress in California, although he was unsuccessful on all of those occasions. Waite even introduced former California Governor Jerry Brown before Brown announced his 1992 run for the U.S. presidency.

In the final scene of the last ever episode, the Waltons and Godseys gather at the home of the Baldwin sisters for a party. But particularly eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted a few extra guests at the soiree. They’re all long-standing Waltons cast and crew members. Hamner’s there, too, and we don’t blame him for wanting to see off the series in style.

Fans of the show will remember that Grandma was notably absent from the sixth season. Even when she returned, she had very few lines to speak. Well, Grandma had suffered a stroke. And in a case of art imitating life, actress Ellen Corby had sadly gone through the same thing herself.

Ask anyone what they remember most about The Waltons, and they’ll probably tell you it’s the famous “goodnight” sequence. This was a tradition lifted from the real-life experience of Hamner, whose family actually used to do this. Yes, just like the show! We bet it took a while...

Do you remember Bewitched, though? Back in the day, we bet you had your face pressed up against the screen, waiting to see what mischief Samantha would make next. You may even have tried to do that iconic nose-wiggle yourself! But while the show looked like a whole heap of fun to shoot, there was a lot going on behind the scenes. Get ready, then, for 40 secrets that Bewitched’s producers probably wanted to keep schtum. And, yes, that includes the real reason why the show was canceled...

It’s hard to imagine anyone else twitching their nose in such an adorable fashion! But Bewitched’s producers initially had someone else in mind for their leading lady. Step forward Tammy Grimes, who passed on the role because of Samantha’s motivations. Writer and classic TV enthusiast Herbie J. Pilato told Fox News, “She felt like if the character had all this power, why doesn’t she cure all the ills of the world?” Good point.

You should know, though, that Montgomery nearly didn’t take her Bewitched role. As Pilato told British newspaper the Daily Mail, the star had wanted to retire from acting before a single scene of the sitcom was filmed. But she was eventually convinced otherwise by husband and show producer Bill Asher – and we’re frankly glad he changed her mind.

You may have heard on the grapevine that Dick Sargent – the second guy to play Darrin – died from AIDS. But that’s not the truth, as Pilato told Fox News. He said, “Yes, [Sargent] was a man who happened to be gay, but that has been a misconception all these years.” The actor actually passed away from prostate cancer in 1994.

Plenty of shows are taken off the air because viewers just aren’t tuning in anymore. But Bewitched wasn’t one of them. In fact, the sitcom had been apparently been renewed for two more years before that final ep in 1972. So, why the heck did it end? Basically, Montgomery decided she’d had enough of twitching her nose. The actress’ marriage to Asher was also imploding at the same time, which probably made days on set with him a hard prospect to swallow.

Montgomery was admired by many men – and that includes one of her co-stars. Yep, Dick York was supposedly deeply in love with the actress, although the feeling wasn’t mutual. Pilato told Fox News, “[Montgomery] was married to the show’s producer, and it became very uncomfortable for her.” Awkward.

And there also didn’t appear to be any love lost between Montgomery and on-screen mom Agnes Moorehead. On one occasion, the Samantha actress made a sarcastic swipe at Moorehead’s less than charming behavior on set. Then, after receiving an evil glare from Moorehead in return, Montgomery replied, “Don’t you look at me that way.” Miaow.

Let’s just say that Montgomery and Asher didn’t have the most stable marriage. The rumors are that the producer cheated on numerous occasions... And perhaps in response, the Bewitched star had her own affair with Richard Michaels, one of the show’s other producers. The pair actually ended up seeing each other for two years as Montgomery’s relationship with Asher crumbled.

You certainly can’t fault Alice Pearce’s dedication to her craft. You see, the actress battled cancer while playing Gladys. Incredibly, she was even filming on the day that she eventually succumbed to the disease. But the show had to go on, and following her untimely death Pearce was replaced by Sandra Gould.

York’s back problems were so severe that he had to use special furniture during filming. He even had to be assisted by his co-stars when it came to moving around on the Bewitched set. Now you know why Darrin was always sitting or lying down on the show!

Twins Erin and Diane Murphy took turns playing Tabitha during Bewitched’s run. And as they were the youngest main cast members by quite some distance, it’s little surprise that they’ve outlived all their co-stars. That’s right. After Bernard Fox passed away in 2016, the Murphys are the only Bewitched regulars who are still around to tell the tale.

Montgomery also pulled double duty by playing Samantha’s livelier cousin Serena. But after the star asked to be credited for this performance as Pandora Spocks, it bamboozled a number of viewers. Some of them believed that Serena was portrayed by an entirely different actress and sent fan mail addressed directly to Spocks!

If you’re an anime fan, then you’ll probably be aware of the subgenre known as “magical girl.” But what you probably don’t know is that this distinctive form of Japanese animation has roots in a 1960s American sitcom. Yep, the concept of young girls having magical powers is reportedly based on Bewitched.

Turns out Bewitched isn’t as original as you think! Apparently, the sitcom’s concept borrowed heavily from both 1942’s I Married a Witch and 1958’s Bell, Book and Candle. The show managed to avoid any accusations of outright plagiarism, though, as it was made by Screen Gems. That was an offshoot of the two films’ production company Columbia Pictures.

It seems hard to believe now, but in the mid-1960s separated couples didn’t really exist on American television. Until Bewitched, that is! Samantha’s warring mom and pop Endora and Maurice are the characters who helped the sitcom make TV history.

“Which of these popular ’60s TV shows premiered first? Bewitched, Get Smart, Hogan’s Heroes or I Dream of Jeannie?” That was the question standing between Aussie Rob Fulton and the ultimate prize on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? So, after much to-ing and fro-ing, the contestant settled on Bewitched as the answer. And he was right! Take note of that for your next trivia night.

You can’t get much more wholesome than the family-friendly antics of Bewitched. Before the first episode aired, though, some folks believed that the sitcom was the work of Beelzebub. Protests were staged in several areas of the Bible Belt, as it was feared that the show would celebrate the act of devil-worshipping.

In 2019 Erin Murphy reprised her most famous character in a self-referencing YouTube sketch. For an episode of the web series TV Therapy, the actress played a grown-up version of Tabitha who undergoes counseling for her unique childhood experiences. And somewhat amusingly, that included her father changing faces – referencing, of course, the switch from York to Sargent in the Darrin role.

Remember the addictive theme tune that played on the opening credits? Well, there are several versions floating about featuring lyrics penned by Howard Greenfield. Peggy Lee and Steve Lawrence are just a few of the artists who sang lines such as “Bewitched, bewitched, you’ve got me in your spell/Bewitched, bewitched, you know your craft so well.” We’ll never hear it the same way again...

After being given the honor of choosing her on-screen daughter’s name, Montgomery looked to another actor for inspiration. Edward Andrews had christened his two children Abigail and Tabitha, and Bewitched’s leading lady found herself completely taken by that second name. “I loved it because it was so old-fashioned,” Montgomery explained of her pick.

Even Bewitched’s most ardent fans have probably forgotten all about the spinoff! Yep, a sister show briefly appeared on ABC in the late 1970s. And as its title suggests, Tabitha saw Samantha and Darrin’s daughter take center stage. Instead of being played by the Murphy twins, though, the character was portrayed by Lisa Hartman. Perhaps you saw her on The Masked Singer in 2020?

Famously, Samantha’s nose would twitch whenever something magical was about to happen. But while many fans tried to replicate Elizabeth Montgomery’s trademark move, they should know that it was all down to some studio hocus pocus. Color us disappointed! But it’s true. In an interview with Parade, Erin Murphy – who played Samantha’s daughter Tabitha – revealed that the nose twitch was nothing more than a “camera trick.”

Speaking of that twitch, credit has to go to Elizabeth Montgomery herself. According to biographer Herbie Pilato, the quirk stemmed from a real-life movement that Montgomery would involuntarily make when nervous. So, director William Asher – who, conveniently, was also Montgomery’s husband! – wrote her tic into the show. And the rest is TV history.

Scandalously, original Darrin actor Dick York left Bewitched because of back pain and a painkiller addiction. That left the producers with a problem. Would viewers love replacement Dick Sargent, or would they be clamoring for York to return instead? Well, to make sure fans were on side with Sargent before he appeared on screen, ABC reran every episode in which York did not appear. Devious!

Though some people may have been fooled by the transition from York to Sargent, more attentive viewers immediately picked up on the differences between the two actors. In fact, the switch was so jarring for some that the term “Darrin Syndrome” – the act of replacing lead actors with new stars – ultimately became part of the Hollywood lexicon.

But while most fans would eventually warm to Sargent, Agnes Moorehead – who played Samantha’s mother Endora – just couldn’t accept the new Darrin. And that led to some pretty awkward moments on set. In an interview with Chicago Outlines, Sargent revealed, “About the third or fourth show I was in, [Moorehead] said to people in front of me, ‘They should never meddle with success.’” Whatever could she have meant?

We can’t imagine Bewitched without Samantha and Darrin’s daughter Tabitha. We also can’t imagine anyone else but Erin Murphy in the role. But did you know that part almost went to future Silence of the Lambs star Jodie Foster? Yes, really! Helen Hunt was actually considered for Tabitha, too.

After Paul Lynde first showed up on screen as wacky Uncle Arthur, he quickly became a beloved recurring star. Avid fans will know, though, that Arthur wasn’t the only character Lynde played on the sitcom. The actor actually made his Bewitched debut as a nervous driving instructor in the episode “Driving is the Only Way to Fly.” Apparently, he impressed the powers that be so much that he ultimately nabbed a bigger role.

Even if you haven’t ever seen an episode of Bewitched – too young, perhaps? – you’ll probably have caught the iconic animated intro. That was the work of none other than Hanna-Barbera. But one person wasn’t a fan. The mystery hater? Elizabeth Montgomery! Reportedly, Montgomery even believed that the show’s production team could have come up with something more creative.

And if you haven’t watched that animated intro, then you’ll almost certainly be able to hum the Bewitched theme tune. We bet you’re tempted to do that right now! But while the famous earworm has now become synonymous with the show, it wasn’t a totally original piece of work. The bouncy track was actually a variation of a jingle used by Chevrolet in their commercials. Seeing as how Chevy in fact sponsored Bewitched, we can’t help but wonder if subliminal messaging was at work...

Bewitched’s mix of fantasy and comedy inspired countless imitators – most notably NBC’s I Dream of Jeannie. But along with the obvious similarities in plot and characterization, Jeannie shared stuff with Bewitched that only eagle-eyed fans would notice. In particular, the two sitcoms were able to actually swap sets and props as their sound stages were so near to each other.

Bewitched had something in common with another famous show, too. Remember the house owned by the Kravitzes – Samantha’s curious neighbors? Well, you may just recognize that from The Partridge Family. Yep, that home once saw David Cassidy walk through its doors. Lucky building!

Elizabeth Montgomery gave birth three times during her time on the show, but only two of her pregnancies were written into the series. Yes, while the actress was actually with child in season one, you wouldn’t know it. The whole thing was covered up on screen because the network deemed it inappropriate for Sam and Darrin to be expecting a baby so quickly after saying “I do.” Weird, but that was the thing back then.

Working on any TV show has its perks, and being on Bewitched was no different. Speaking to the website Bewitched.net, star Kasey Rogers explained, “I wore all my own clothes on the show. You would take your clothes in the week before, and wardrobe would make sure they were all cleaned, pressed and altered for you.” Becoming an actor just to get out of laundry day? Not gonna lie, we’re tempted.

Anyone who’s seen an episode of Mad Men will know that attitudes to drinking in the workplace were a lot different in the ’60s. That explains why the Bewitched actors sipped on real liquor when their characters had drinks in their hands. And, yes, that means many scenes were shot while the stars were, well, let’s just say, a little tipsy.

Like Paul Lynde, Marion Lorne soon became a beloved part of Bewitched. In fact, her performance as Aunt Clara actually earned her a posthumous Emmy. But did you know that Clara’s famous penchant for collecting antique doorknobs was actually based on a real-life hobby of Lorne’s? So much so, in fact, that the actress would often use items from her own stash as props.

Samantha’s magic may have required Bewitched to use special effects, but the show was severely limited by the technology of the time. For her house-cleaning spell, for example, producers literally stopped taping while crew cleaned up the set. Then they began rolling again when the stage was clear. And unfortunately for Montgomery, she had to stand in the same awkward pose until all was ready.

While Bewitched wasn’t exactly Meet the Press, politics did affect its eight-year run. Alongside production starting on the same day as John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the show also aired at the time of the murder of Martin Luther King. The broadcast of 1968 episode “I Confess” had to be paused to run news of the civil rights leader’s death.

One of the show’s most unusual episodes aired in 1970. We’re talking about “Sisters at Heart,” which was actually conceived and written by minority students attending Los Angeles’ Jefferson High School. But although the episode had noble intentions at heart – dealing, as it did, with the issue of racism – there’s little doubt that it would be deemed unacceptable today. Why? Because its stars appeared in blackface. Yikes.

Even though Elizabeth Montgomery got a whole lotta fame and money out of the show, she fell out of love with her role pretty quickly. Why? Well, she wanted a meatier part – something that would challenge her. So, after Bewitched’s fifth season, Montgomery made moves to leave. The only thing that coaxed her back? A hefty pay rise.

But though Montgomery may have had very little love for Bewitched at the end, she still reaped the benefits long after its cancelation. Because the actress owned a 20 percent stake in the production, she earned millions from syndication. And that all added up. At the time of Montgomery’s death in 1995, she was estimated to be worth a whopping $40 million.