| Bewitched Day in Salem! |
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Let's head back in television history for a bit. In April 1970, the television series Bewitched is airing their final episodes of the sixth season when a fire breaks out on Soundstage 4 and heavily damages several sets for the show. With the seventh season slated to begin shooting shortly, the producers have to scramble to figure out how to stay on schedule despite the obvious repairs that needed to be made. Their plan? Shoot on location in where else but Salem, Massachusetts.
The Salem episodes comprised a third of the seventh season of Bewitched and officially got going in the third episode. That episode, titled Salem Saga, hit the airwaves on October 8, 1970. In honor of their sudden exposure, Salem Mayor Samuel Zoll declared the day "Bewitched Day in Historic Salem." Traditional Salem landmarks like the House of Seven Gables, the Hawthorne Hotel, and the Jonathan Corwin House became actual set-pieces for the show, along with countless other Salem landmarks.
Despite Salem's infamous "Witch Trials" and interest generated by works such as Arthur Miller's The Crucible, tourism to the Massachusetts city was not anywhere near what it is today. However, after what amounted to almost two months of televised brochures from the episodes of Bewitched, the city saw a steady increase of tourism after the episodes aired. This tourism continued to expand over the next two decades, leading Salem to becoming the major tourist spot it is today - especially in the month of October.
In honor of the show's role in Salem tourism today, the city unveiled the Bewitched Statue in the city's Lappin Park on June 15, 2005 (also not so coincidentally a few days before the Nicole Kidman/Will Ferrell film adaptation hit theaters). The bronze statue features actress Elizabeth Montgomery in the role of Samantha Stephens, mimicking the opening animated sequence of the television show. The statue has not been without its fair share of controversy, but stands today as a reminder of the role Bewitched played in igniting the tourist industry in Salem.
Celebrate Bewitched Day in Historic Salem with a visit to Samantha!
-Casey H.
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Filed under:
General, Television, Dark Destinations
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October 8, 2008, 5:01 pm |
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