What do you think?
Rate this book
The Omni-Directional Three-Dimensional Vectoring Paper Printed Omnibus for Bewitched Analysis a.k.a. The Bewitched History Book
For almost fifty years the beloved 60s sitcom Bewitched has been enchanting television audiences. Created at a turbulent time in American history, Bewitched offered a brief respite from the worries of the day. Before now, there has never been a book written that ties in the events of the times with each episode. But more important, there has never been a book about the show which breaks down each episode in depth. You lucky reader! You are about to read The Omni-Directional Three-Dimensional Vectoring Paper Printed Omnibus for Bewitched Analysis a.k.a. The Bewitched History Book! Within these pages you will learn everything about America's favorite witch, Samantha Stephens, her dreary mortal husband, Durwood, er, Darrin, and the grand host of witches, warlocks, and marvelous mortals who accompanied them on their journey as newlyweds to the parents of a little witch and warlock of their own. Each of the 254 episodes are described in humorous detail and reviewed by one of the biggest fans of the show, David Pierce (a.k.a. Dr. Bombay), from the premiere Bewitched website www.harpiesbizarre.com, based on his popular "40 Years Ago..." weekly posts. Rare trivia and photos accompany the episodes as you learn which witch went which way along with what mortal madness materialized in the swinging 60s of suburbia!
732 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2012
22 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 24, 2013
The book is very much a product of the internet era. Each episode review is written in an achingly casual style, akin to a Twitter post with excessive punctuation, capitalization in place of more intellectual descriptions ("I LOVE LOVE LOVE this episode!" "This episodes in FANTASTIC! AWESOME! If we were to use a scale to rate the episodes, with four stars being the best and no stars being the worst, this would DEFINITELY get TEN stars!", "This episode is SOOOOOOOOOO boring!", "This is my UTTER FAVORITE!!!", "Oh, this episode is DULL, DULL, DULL!", “these cookies are WAAAYYY GOOD!") with most detailed analyses having all the tenacity of a giddy female teenager. One gets the impression that first-time author David Pierce merely copied and pasted previous, unedited blog entries and published them without allowing a professional proofreader giving it a much needed professional touch (either that or the proofreader abandoned the project after the third entry).
Explanations as "it was totally weird," "I LOVE the look on Samantha's face," "Dick Sargent was totally overacting," "it's sooooo lame," "the color on the DVD is all messed up," "it's so corny I could die!!!" and most notably, "that was so cool" (nearly every review has at least five items worth noting that are "cool" or the "coolest!") are a challenge to get past; hackneyed at best, immature and childish at worst. A thesaurus of adjectives or a co-author could have helped eliminate the utter repetition, resulting in tighter text and making it far easier to digest. Better, concise and more balanced reviews of BEWITCHED are offered on such respectable sites as DVDTalk.com, DVDVerdict.com, Moviemet.com, tvshowsondvd.com and Currentfilm.com and are just as fulfilling to the diehard fan.
Also, Pierce continually refers to Dick York/Dick Sargent's Darrin as "Durwood" (one of many pet names Agnes Moorehead's vindictive Endora bestowed upon the character) through the book. While funny at first, it grows tired and annoying by page 5. By page 50, even the most dedicated fan will be scratching their head at the author's self-indulgence.
Most unsettling is that after only a few pages does the reader learn of Pierce's almost pathological obsession with series star Elizabeth Montgomery’s undeniable beauty. Such juvenile comments ("Most of my stars go to how HOT Liz is!", "I thought Samantha looked absolutely HOT in that black dress! And her hair, in the beginning, was really hot too," “Liz was absolutely HOT HOT HOT in that dress!”,"Samantha's hair is absolutely the WORST in this episode! Could it get any bigger!?!?!?") resemble the disturbed ravings of an obsessed stalker instead of an adoring fan. It is disconcerting and would almost certainly have caused the late actress to increase security measures to avoid coming in contact with her alleged "fans."
The "history" aspect of THE BEWITCHED HISTORY BOOK appears to be an afterthought in an effort to give the book a remotely academic touch. Each entry ends with a standalone sentence or two referencing what was happening in either the real world or BEWITCHED world when episode originally aired; some are genuinely interesting, some mere filler ("Two nights before, Richard M. Nixon won the Presidential Election," "The next day Paul Lynde was a guest on The Mike Douglas Show," "It was on this day that a civil rights protest was convened at a white-only bowling alley in Orangeburg, North Carolina"). In both cases, the "historical aspect" feels like nothing more than a selling point that was tacked on at the insistence of publisher BearMedia, LLC, making for an awkward transition between a gushing, subjective, testosterone-driven male fan and a dignified history professor.
The book does have some good points, but they are overshadowed by overwrought reviews and limited, repetitive vocabulary. There is little doubt that Pierce is devoted to his subject matter. He knows all 254 episodes inside and out, and explores several of them in exhaustive detail, yet there is almost no behind-the-scenes nuggets that most fans flock to (Herbie J. Pilato's book contains more of this sort of thing, and even there it is sparse). His zeal and affection for the material continually threatens to obscure his critical eye (the same reviews hurt the equally painful "Stronger Than Spinach: The Secret Appeal of The Famous Studios Popeye Cartoons", written by another fan-crazed blogger-turned-author). If nothing else, the descriptions of each episode serve as a valuable reference for fans, though the same can be acquired from Pilato's book at one-third of the text and half the price. The asking price of $49.99 is rather steep for something that can be accessed for free on the author's Facebook page or the Bewitched fan site (harpiesbizarre.com) as well as Wikipedia, TV.com or epguides.com.
The fact the book is selling modestly and has received generally positive reviews (mainly from fans) is more a result of BEWITCHED's continued popularity — coupled with a dearth of published works on the subject — than anything to do with the quality of what amounts to a zealous, overly biased admirer's rose-colored Facebook and harpiesbizarre.com posts. THE BEWITCHED HISTORY BOOK is strictly for the completist who can afford to shell out the 50+ greenbacks for what amounts to an overlong diary. Otherwise, visit DVDTalk.com.
Explanations as "it was totally weird," "I LOVE the look on Samantha's face," "Dick Sargent was totally overacting," "it's sooooo lame," "the color on the DVD is all messed up," "it's so corny I could die!!!" and most notably, "that was so cool" (nearly every review has at least five items worth noting that are "cool" or the "coolest!") are a challenge to get past; hackneyed at best, immature and childish at worst. A thesaurus of adjectives or a co-author could have helped eliminate the utter repetition, resulting in tighter text and making it far easier to digest. Better, concise and more balanced reviews of BEWITCHED are offered on such respectable sites as DVDTalk.com, DVDVerdict.com, Moviemet.com, tvshowsondvd.com and Currentfilm.com and are just as fulfilling to the diehard fan.
Also, Pierce continually refers to Dick York/Dick Sargent's Darrin as "Durwood" (one of many pet names Agnes Moorehead's vindictive Endora bestowed upon the character) through the book. While funny at first, it grows tired and annoying by page 5. By page 50, even the most dedicated fan will be scratching their head at the author's self-indulgence.
Most unsettling is that after only a few pages does the reader learn of Pierce's almost pathological obsession with series star Elizabeth Montgomery’s undeniable beauty. Such juvenile comments ("Most of my stars go to how HOT Liz is!", "I thought Samantha looked absolutely HOT in that black dress! And her hair, in the beginning, was really hot too," “Liz was absolutely HOT HOT HOT in that dress!”,"Samantha's hair is absolutely the WORST in this episode! Could it get any bigger!?!?!?") resemble the disturbed ravings of an obsessed stalker instead of an adoring fan. It is disconcerting and would almost certainly have caused the late actress to increase security measures to avoid coming in contact with her alleged "fans."
The "history" aspect of THE BEWITCHED HISTORY BOOK appears to be an afterthought in an effort to give the book a remotely academic touch. Each entry ends with a standalone sentence or two referencing what was happening in either the real world or BEWITCHED world when episode originally aired; some are genuinely interesting, some mere filler ("Two nights before, Richard M. Nixon won the Presidential Election," "The next day Paul Lynde was a guest on The Mike Douglas Show," "It was on this day that a civil rights protest was convened at a white-only bowling alley in Orangeburg, North Carolina"). In both cases, the "historical aspect" feels like nothing more than a selling point that was tacked on at the insistence of publisher BearMedia, LLC, making for an awkward transition between a gushing, subjective, testosterone-driven male fan and a dignified history professor.
The book does have some good points, but they are overshadowed by overwrought reviews and limited, repetitive vocabulary. There is little doubt that Pierce is devoted to his subject matter. He knows all 254 episodes inside and out, and explores several of them in exhaustive detail, yet there is almost no behind-the-scenes nuggets that most fans flock to (Herbie J. Pilato's book contains more of this sort of thing, and even there it is sparse). His zeal and affection for the material continually threatens to obscure his critical eye (the same reviews hurt the equally painful "Stronger Than Spinach: The Secret Appeal of The Famous Studios Popeye Cartoons", written by another fan-crazed blogger-turned-author). If nothing else, the descriptions of each episode serve as a valuable reference for fans, though the same can be acquired from Pilato's book at one-third of the text and half the price. The asking price of $49.99 is rather steep for something that can be accessed for free on the author's Facebook page or the Bewitched fan site (harpiesbizarre.com) as well as Wikipedia, TV.com or epguides.com.
The fact the book is selling modestly and has received generally positive reviews (mainly from fans) is more a result of BEWITCHED's continued popularity — coupled with a dearth of published works on the subject — than anything to do with the quality of what amounts to a zealous, overly biased admirer's rose-colored Facebook and harpiesbizarre.com posts. THE BEWITCHED HISTORY BOOK is strictly for the completist who can afford to shell out the 50+ greenbacks for what amounts to an overlong diary. Otherwise, visit DVDTalk.com.
June 3, 2012
Most of my friends know me as Bewitched By Books as I am a very avid reader of all types of books. Let me first off say that I was truly bewitched by this book! You can tell that the author put so much work into this with years of research, dedication & hard work. He not only has a love for this show but a great rounded knowledge about it as well! He gives a summary of each episode from each season in the order & date it played. After the summaries, he gives his opinions of how he felt about each show and what he liked and what he did not like as much. The author also informs us of the history of the time period. It gives such detail as of to what was going on in the world the day that particular show aired. It was interesting to learn of all the history in our society at the time of filming. Do not let the size of this book intimidate you as it's such a joy reading it feels like the pages are literally flying through to fast. I also had the joy of becoming friends with the author "David Pierce" this year via Facebook. He is truly a great guy and goes out of his way to talk to his fellow bewitched buddies and now fans of his book. It's refreshing to meet authors who are so loyal and appreciate of there fan base. This is a book that is fun to read straight through but I can see how it would be fun to also watch each episode and then follow through with reading about that episode. If there was a class/course on Bewitched this would be your textbook! How fun would that class be! I would give this book more than 5 stars if I could and say that this is a MUST for all bewitched fans! It is now what I refer to as the Bewitched bible/dictionary/history book. You have to buy this book and become bewitched with Bewitched all over again!
August 11, 2015
You will never watch another episode of Bewitched the same, after reading this wonderful book.From new details of each Bewitched episode, to what was going on in history at the time, this book also includes precious photos from the show. Author,David Pierce, entertains his readers with amusing commentary. He has an eye for observing details of the show and possible errors and lines that may not have been intended to happen on the show. Each episode of Bewitched is broken down introducing readers to the first time a new character appeared and which season they “popped into.” Whether nosy neighbors who lived on Morning Glory Circle, to the magical, wacky relatives of Samantha’s, the author takes us page by page with a amazing details through all 8 Seasons. The book tells what was happening and what was not supposed to happen, (props gone wrong, possibly missed before it aired, and many other interesting facts about the show).
The author’s keen eye is evident of his in depth knowledge of every character in the show and past episodes which did not always hold true for the future episode. One example is where the author points out is that in the episode where Samantha is taking driving lessons, she had already been shown driving a car in an earlier one. So many fascinating details.
This is a handbook to keep as you watch the show for a new perspective of Bewitched. A must for all Elizabeth Montgomery fans, Bewitched fans, and for all who enjoyed growing up in that era. Well done Mr. Pierce
Author of Paul Lynde A Biography-Cathy Rudolph
The author’s keen eye is evident of his in depth knowledge of every character in the show and past episodes which did not always hold true for the future episode. One example is where the author points out is that in the episode where Samantha is taking driving lessons, she had already been shown driving a car in an earlier one. So many fascinating details.
This is a handbook to keep as you watch the show for a new perspective of Bewitched. A must for all Elizabeth Montgomery fans, Bewitched fans, and for all who enjoyed growing up in that era. Well done Mr. Pierce
Author of Paul Lynde A Biography-Cathy Rudolph
June 6, 2017
I suspect the only reason this book was published was because of the sheer volume of information it contains. Pierce is obviously an obsessive fan.
Unfortunately, his writing skills are weak at best, and absolutely horrible in many cases. Much of it reads like a Junior High book report: "I liked this episode because..." He also falls into poor writing traps like making up ridiculous numbers instead of saying "many," or "most." Sentences like, "This, to me, and 12,407584268645898425896436750 other people..." made me cringe.
He also doesn't seem to realize that he actually is reviewing the series. He begins his reviews of most episodes with, "I would rate this episode..."
"Would" rate it? If you were say, writing a book?
His lack of writing skill absolutely destroys the book. If you're a casual fan of the show, you should probably skip it. There's too much detail about what clothing Montgomery wore, and how long her hair was. Serious fans should also skip it: there are enough minor factual errors to drive you crazy (I doubt there was an editor involved).
Unfortunately, his writing skills are weak at best, and absolutely horrible in many cases. Much of it reads like a Junior High book report: "I liked this episode because..." He also falls into poor writing traps like making up ridiculous numbers instead of saying "many," or "most." Sentences like, "This, to me, and 12,407584268645898425896436750 other people..." made me cringe.
He also doesn't seem to realize that he actually is reviewing the series. He begins his reviews of most episodes with, "I would rate this episode..."
"Would" rate it? If you were say, writing a book?
His lack of writing skill absolutely destroys the book. If you're a casual fan of the show, you should probably skip it. There's too much detail about what clothing Montgomery wore, and how long her hair was. Serious fans should also skip it: there are enough minor factual errors to drive you crazy (I doubt there was an editor involved).
September 4, 2022
The book is a companion guide to the series, you watch an episode and then read what David thought of it, and if he has noticed any bloopers or other little side notes/facts to mention. I don’t think his reviews are as enjoyable as those done by Scott Viets and he isn’t the worlds best writer - he is simply a fan who has watched the episodes 100 times each and knows them inside and out and has decided to write about his favourite show and the actress he adores (Elizabeth Montgomery) the book is for true fans of the show who want to indulge each episode in written form. I wouldn’t be reading it if I wasn’t a fan, and I won’t read some of it until I get to the said episode, because frankly it’s very hard to read the book without the episode in front of you. Definetly a companion guide.
August 17, 2025
Fun glimpse into the background and current times of the show.
July 3, 2015
You will never watch another episode of Bewitched the same, after reading this wonderful book.From new details of each Bewitched episode, to what was going on in history at the time, this book also includes precious photos from the show. Author,David Pierce, entertains his readers with amusing commentary. He has an eye for observing details of the show and possible errors and lines that may not have been intended to happen on the show. Each episode of Bewitched is broken down introducing readers to the first time a new character appeared and which season they “popped into.” Whether nosy neighbors who lived on Morning Glory Circle, to the magical, wacky relatives of Samantha’s, the author takes us page by page with a amazing details through all 8 Seasons. The book tells what was happening and what was not supposed to happen, (props gone wrong, possibly missed before it aired, and many other interesting facts about the show).
The author’s keen eye is evident of his in depth knowledge of every character in the show and past episodes which did not always hold true for the future episode. One example is where the author points out is that in the episode where Samantha is taking driving lessons, she had already been shown driving a car in an earlier one. So many fascinating details.
This is a handbook to keep as you watch the show for a new perspective of Bewitched. A must for all Elizabeth Montgomery fans, Bewitched fans, and for all who enjoyed growing up in that era. Well done Mr. Pierce
Author of Paul Lynde A Biography-Cathy Rudolph
The author’s keen eye is evident of his in depth knowledge of every character in the show and past episodes which did not always hold true for the future episode. One example is where the author points out is that in the episode where Samantha is taking driving lessons, she had already been shown driving a car in an earlier one. So many fascinating details.
This is a handbook to keep as you watch the show for a new perspective of Bewitched. A must for all Elizabeth Montgomery fans, Bewitched fans, and for all who enjoyed growing up in that era. Well done Mr. Pierce
Author of Paul Lynde A Biography-Cathy Rudolph
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews