We continue our countdown of my favorite 1970s Christmas TV episodes with 1970’s “Sisters at Heart” from Bewitched.
One of the reasons why Bewitched‘s many absurd premise work for the most part is that the show truly COMMITTED to its bits.
While I ultimately did not include any Bewitched episodes on my Classic 1960s TV countdown, there were a couple of entertaining ones where the show really leaned into its premise. None, though, was ever quite as notable as “Sisters at Heart,” where the show decided to take a look at racism with its Christmas episode (there is an interesting background to the episode that I thought I did a TV Legends Revealed about, but I guess I didn’t, but I will, so, well, you don’t need to point out that you know the interesting background of the episode).
Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery (who effectively produced the show, as well, with her husband, William Asher), felt that this episode was her favorite of the whole series, and when the episode aired in 1970, she did a special introduction for the show (it also had a single sponsor, Oscar Mayer, to avoid having to clear the episode with multiple sponsors).
The show had dueling plots about racism. One of the co-workers of Darrin Stephens (Dick Sargent), a Black man named Keith Wilson (Don Marshall), has to go on a business trip. His wife is coming with him, so he leaves their daughter, Lisa (Venetta Rogers), with the Stephens family. Daughter Tabitha (Erin Murphy), a witch like her mother, Samantha (Montgomery), is thrilled to have Lisa stay with them. They treat each other like real life sisters during the trip, but when a little girl at the park tells them they CAN’T be sisters because of the colors of their skins, Tabitha uses her powers to make their skin match by adding yellow polka dots to Lisa’s skin, and black polka dots to her own. Samantha has to get the spell reversed, but she is having trouble doing so, because Tabitha’s sub-conscience clearly WANTS them to be real life sisters, so she feels she HAS to keep the dots. Samantha explains that the color of their skin does not impact whether they are sisters, and the spell is reversed just in time for Lisa’s parents to stop by for the company Christmas party.
However, before that point, a toy company owner, who represents a possible million dollar account for the company, stopped by the Stephens residence to do some digging on his possible representative, and when Lisa answers the door and says that her father works for the firm, and Tabitha says that they’re sisters, the racist toy owner assumes Darrin has a Black daughter, and is very upset.
Later, at the company Christmas party, he sees Darrin talking to Keith’s wife, Dorothy (Janee Michelle), and he makes the assumption tha they are a couple, and kicks Darrin off of his account. When he learns the truth, he tries to let Darrin back on to the account, but Larry Tate (David White), the head of the company, refuses to do business with a racist.
Samantha then uses HER powers to make the racist toy company owner now see EVERYONE as having Black skin, even himself! He comes over to the Stephens home the next day, apologizing for his racism, and he brings an expensive turkey, and they invite him over for Christmas dinner.
Now, is it a ridiculous sight to see the polka dots on the girls? Of course, but I dunno, I think it is so crazy that it really DID work. The Emmys gave the episode a special award the next year for tackling a tricky subject.
For Bewitched, that’s no crazier than a lot of what went on.
really great episode and powerful, although the blackface makeup was a bit strange because of historical context… they used whiteface makeup as well.