Tabitha | |
---|---|
Genre | Fantasy sitcom |
Created by | Jerry Mayer |
Directed by |
Charles S. Dubin William Asher Charles Rondeau Murray Golden Herb Wallerstein George Tyne Bruce Bilson |
Starring |
Lisa Hartman David Ankrum Robert Urich Mel Stewart Karen Morrow |
Theme music composer | Jeff Barry |
Opening theme | "It Could Be Magic" performed by Lisa Hartman |
Ending theme | "It Could Be Magic" |
Composer(s) |
Shorty Rogers Dick DeBenedictis |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 11 (and 2 pilots) (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Jerry Mayer |
Producer(s) | Robert Stambler William Asher George Yanok |
Running time | 22–24 minutes |
Production company(s) |
Columbia Pictures Television Ashmont Productions |
Distributor |
Columbia TriStar Domestic Television Sony Pictures Television |
Release | |
Original network | ABC |
Audio format | Monaural |
Original release | April 24, 1976 | – January 14, 1978
Chronology | |
Preceded by | Bewitched |
Tabitha is an American fantasy sitcom and a spin-off of Bewitched that aired on ABC from September 10, 1977 to January 14, 1978. The series starred Lisa Hartman in the title role as Tabitha Stevens, the witch daughter of Samantha and Darrin Stephens who was introduced on Bewitched during its second season.
In the series, Tabitha is portrayed as a young woman working as a production assistant at a television station and living in Los Angeles. The supporting cast includes David Ankrum as Tabitha's brother, Adam, with whom she works; Karen Morrow as Tabitha and Adam's meddlesome aunt, Minerva; Robert Urich as an egomaniacal talk show host who is a sometime love interest for Tabitha; and Mel Stewart as Tabitha and Adam’s cranky, but loveable, boss. Unlike Bewitched, which was a hit for ABC and aired for eight seasons, Tabitha failed to catch on with viewers and was canceled after one season.
Tabitha originated as a pilot that aired on ABC on April 24, 1976. The episode used the variant spelling Tabatha for the title, and starred Liberty Williams in the title role. Bruce Kimmel portrayed her brother, Adam Stephens. The major difference between the pilot and the series was that Adam was a full-fledged and mischievous warlock in the pilot, but was made a mortal for the series (thus making him the disapproving figure as Darrin had been). In the first pilot, Tabatha was an editorial assistant for the fictional Trend magazine, lived in San Francisco, and had a boyfriend named Cliff (Archie Hahn). She also contended with the supernatural antics of Adam. In situations that were very similar to "I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha", the pilot episode of Bewitched, Tabatha tells Cliff that she is a witch, who at first does not believe her, but later discovers that she is telling the truth. Also, much like her mother did when she used her powers to deflect the unwanted affections of Sheila Sommers, her father's former fiancee, Tabatha deflects rival Dinah Nichols (Barbara Rhoades) from seducing Cliff.