Bewitched: Seasons 3&4 - 28 May 2025 - Imprint Television #15

[Starboy1999]

Originally Posted by Steba13

Does anyone know why the opening themes were replaced in the first place ?
Was this to "standardise" them when they went into syndication?

I remember it happened first back when it was still on the air on ABC. They showed in the mornings on daytime and Saturday. I remember seeing the Thanksgiving show and it had the first year theme in color.

[Ohmystars]

Originally Posted by Steba13

Does anyone know why the opening themes were replaced in the first place ?
Was this to "standardise" them when they went into syndication?

In syndication until the 1990s, the themes of the show were intact, but then they replaced seasons 1-5 with the first season theme. Before this change in syndication, the themes from seasons 3-5 would cut off abruptly at the end to exclude the sponsor announcement. I watched the show on Channel 4 in the UK during the 1980s, which addressed this issue by taking parts of the closing theme and adding them to the opening theme!

[Steba13]

Originally Posted by Ohmystars

In syndication until the 1990s, the themes of the show were intact, but then they replaced seasons 1-5 with the first season theme. Before this change in syndication, the themes from seasons 3-5 would cut off abruptly at the end to exclude the sponsor announcement. I watched the show on Channel 4 in the UK during the 1980s, which addressed this issue by taking parts of the closing theme and adding them to the opening theme!

Other classic shows have been issued on DVD with sponsor credits still intact.
I am presuming you mean the sponsor announcement for Chevrolet.
I am more than happy to have this included if it leaves the shows as broadcast.

Here in Australia in the 70's & 80's they were certainly in syndication with the original themes intact

I wonder if might be due to music clearance issues which affected "My Three Sons" whose original broadcast episodes featured music from Capitol Records some of which had to be replaced for the DVD release.

[filmlover22]

Originally Posted by Bolty

Wasn't the fact the first set had 15 discs due to the fact of the inclusion of the colorized versions in SD?

Yes. 1/2 of those disc were the colorized versions. This was the main reason why I hesitated getting the LE as those colorized discs are just expensive coasters that will never ever be played. I ended up getting the LE just for the hardbox and book, and to be consistent with the other sets I will be getting. I do think they should have just skipped those colorized discs and reduced the price of the set, but it is what it is.

[Starboy1999]

Originally Posted by filmlover22

Yes. 1/2 of those disc were the colorized versions. This was the main reason why I hesitated getting the LE as those colorized discs are just expensive coasters that will never ever be played. I ended up getting the LE just for the hardbox and book, and to be consistent with the other sets I will be getting. I do think they should have just skipped those colorized discs and reduced the price of the set, but it is what it is.

The SD color episodes are on the same disc as the corresponding HD episodes. They are not on separate disc.

[filmlover22]

Originally Posted by Starboy1999

The SD color episodes are on the same disc as the corresponding HD episodes. They are not on separate disc.

really? I did not know that. hmm. Still, that would explain why they needed 15 discs instead of 8, correct?

[Starboy1999]

Originally Posted by filmlover22

really? I did not know that. hmm. Still, that would explain why they needed 15 discs instead of 8, correct?

Probably, so that means the episode count per disc for Season 3 and 4 will probably be 7 or so like Jeannie.

[Ohmystars]

Originally Posted by Steba13

Other classic shows have been issued on DVD with sponsor credits still intact.
I am presuming you mean the sponsor announcement for Chevrolet.
I am more than happy to have this included if it leaves the shows as broadcast.

Here in Australia in the 70's & 80's they were certainly in syndication with the original themes intact

I wonder if might be due to music clearance issues which affected "My Three Sons" whose original broadcast episodes featured music from Capitol Records some of which had to be replaced for the DVD release.

The jazzy opening theme for season 2 opened with the Quaker or Chevrolet logo and then faded into a sponsor tag for one of those brands at the end. For the Blu-ray, they found a complete “clean” version of the opening theme without the sponsor announcements.

For season 3 - 4, Chevrolet and Quaker sponsored, and there were two versions of the opening - one with Samantha holding a frying pan (Chevrolet) and one with the tea kettle (Quaker)

The Quaker season three opening looked and sounded like this.

Bewitched Quaker 1967 - YouTube

[dsfan1]

I heard back from Via Vision Entertainment regarding the syndicated season 3 and 4 opening music. I was told my email will be forwarded to their Product Team. Hopefully its not too late to fix it.

[Steba13]

Originally Posted by dsfan1

I heard back from Via Vision Entertainment regarding the syndicated season 3 and 4 opening music. I was told my email will be forwarded to their Product Team. Hopefully its not too late to fix it.

I have also emailed Via Vision and asked a similar question
Let's hope if enough of us ask they will tell us what is being released

[Ohmystars]

Originally Posted by Steba13

I have also emailed Via Vision and asked a similar question
Let's hope if enough of us ask they will tell us what is being released

I've emailed as well. Hopefully, we can have the sets with the correct music and titles or at least be told why we can't.

[lcbmd]

Pre-order up on Atomic: https://www.atomicmoviestore.com/pro...e&_ss=e&_v=1.0

[octobercountry]

Originally Posted by dlbsyst

Is anyone else concerned about possible compression issues considering the first 2 seasons had 15 Blu-rays and these only have 8?

Quite apart from the fact that the first set doubled each episode (with both colour and black-and-white versions included), seasons 2-3 have 8 fewer episodes than seasons 1-2 did. So, that's another reason for fewer discs in the second set.

[Craigy1976]

Originally Posted by dlbsyst

Is anyone else concerned about possible compression issues considering the first 2 seasons had 15 Blu-rays and these only have 8?

Nope as seasons 1 & 2 had native Black and white which took up far more information than the SD ones. and color copies. they were 50 gig discs. These will be too. We are also going from 36-38 episodes to 33 each for season 3 & 4.
8 Episodes a disc isn't much on a 50 gig Disc. IDOJ has around 8 episodes on the color discs. I dont see a problem. As long as it aint Interlaced we are fine and region free.
What has happened to the US Release. Season 3 & 4 here are BLU Ray worldwide Debut. Id just like to know the us details and how they look. At least there is no NTSC - Pal issues on these with things speeding up. Sounds very clear and natural.

[Starboy1999]

A little less than two months until release. I guess no one has heard from Imprint yet about the Season 3 and 4 theme?

[Ohmystars]

Originally Posted by Starboy1999

A little less than two months until release. I guess no one has heard from Imprint yet about the Season 3 and 4 theme?

I got a reply last week which said the matter has been escalated to the product team who are “currently investigating the matter,”

I was told they'd let me know once they “have an official response”

[Ohmystars]

I’m hopeful that Imprint will use the correct season 3 and 4 opening theme on this release.

It's rare to hear this theme as originally composed and recorded without the last few bars being rescored to fit a sponsor announcement but here's a great find. The full theme and its original as recorded ending as used in the German opening credits for season 3. It does present a problem though as it”s longer than the opening animation. Perhaps this is why they've found it difficult to use?

VERLIEBT IN EINE HEXE 1968 - YouTube

[Starboy1999]

Originally Posted by Ohmystars

I’m hopeful that Imprint will use the correct season 3 and 4 opening theme on this release.

It's rare to hear this theme as originally composed and recorded without the last few bars being rescored to fit a sponsor announcement but here's a great find. The full theme and its original as recorded ending as used in the German opening credits for season 3. It does present a problem though as it”s longer than the opening animation. Perhaps this is why they've found it difficult to use?

VERLIEBT IN EINE HEXE 1968 - YouTube

The video cuts off abruptly and doesn't do the usual fade out so we are not seeing exactly how long the music extends after the fade out.

To me the loud bings and bongs on this version gets a little on my nerves. I don't mind the quieter 1st Season theme if that is the one we end up seeing.

[Ohmystars]

Originally Posted by Starboy1999

The video cuts off abruptly and doesn't do the usual fade out so we are not seeing exactly how long the music extends after the fade out.

To me the loud bings and bongs on this version gets a little on my nerves. I don't mind the quieter 1st Season theme if that is the one we end up seeing.

Yes, those sound effects always sound too loud and out of tune with everything else. They were dropped for season five and syndication, which is how I remember the theme from childhood.

For these prices, though, I would like to have the original theme in place.

[Steba13]

.
I received the following email from ViaVision/Imprint today

Thank you for your email.

Our release will be using the official restored masters as provided to us by Sony.

While we are aware there is a slight differentiation between the music in the opening credits as originally broadcast and what is now widely in circulation, we have been advised that no alterations to these new masters are permissible, and there are no other elements available for us to access.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Imprint Television, and for supporting what will be superb presentations of this wonderful classic series.