Free Republic

SALEM, Mass. — Police arrested a homeless man in connection with vandalism of the "Bewitched" statue in downtown Salem on Monday. Police were called out to the intersection of Essex and Washington streets late Monday afternoon after a witness called in "saying someone was spray-painting the statue," said Salem police Lt. Dennis Gaudet

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America is in crisis, but the celebrities are thriving. They are beaming into our homes, reminding us to stay indoors and “stay positive,” as “we’re all in this together.” When I watch their selfie public service announcements, I find my attention drifting to the edges of the frame: to the understated wall molding visible behind Robert DeNiro’s shoulder; to the Craftsman beams on Priyanka Chopra’s balcony; to the equine wallpaper framing Zoë Kravitz’s crackling fireplace. “Staying home is my superpower,” the “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot reported from her walk-in closet. Ryan Reynolds urged his fans to “work together to...

Aunt Clara had a good run though. She was BORN in 1883! That was when Chester Arthur was our president and nobody had electricity in their homes yet. In 1883, no homes yet had telephones, radios or even flush toilets. Yet Marion McDougall was born that year and would go on to co-star in an iconic "modern" television series as Aunt Clara. Now that's just mind-blowing. It's a shame about Elizabeth Montgomery however. Growing up as a boy, I fantasized about having somebody like her as a wife (without the evil mother-in-law) but she died so young. Both Darrin's are...

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — A rash of Halloween decoration heists have hit Riverside County homes that are decked out for the holiday. ...The Peppitos didn’t call the police because the cost of the skeleton was just $25. But when they posted the video on social media, other people chimed in with their Halloween decoration thefts. One homeowner in Hemet caught someone stealing their large inflatables from their yard over the weekend, while another thief was seen stealing a projector light from a home in Perris last week. Each theft was caught on video.

<p>Just before he recently departed ABC Studios to embark on a rich overall deal at Netflix, Black-ish creator Kenya Barris sold one last high-profile project to ABC: Bewitched, a single camera, interracial blended family comedy based on the popular 1960s sitcom of the same name. It took a little while for all the deals to close, but the network has given a pilot production commitment to the new take on the classic supernatural sitcom, from Barris and Black-ish writer/producer Yamara Taylor. The project hails from ABC Studios; Sony Pictures TV, which has the rights to the title; and Sony-based Davis Entertainment (The Blacklist).</p>

he Welshman also was known for his role on 'Hogan's Heroes,' and he appeared in two Titanic films released 39 years apart. Bernard Fox, the character actor with a European flair who is perhaps best known for playing the womanizing witch doctor Dr. Bombay on the ABC series Bewitched, died Wednesday. He was 89. The Welshman, who portrayed the bumbling Colonel Crittendon on another popular 1960s sitcom, CBS' Hogan's Heroes, died of heart failure at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, Calif., publicist Harlan Boll announced.

How did Salem, Massachusetts become a Halloween destination? For centuries, the New England town avoided any association with its infamous Puritan ancestors, who executed 19 people under suspicion of practicing witchcraft. The surprising answer, author Stacy Schiff writes for The New York Times, has a lot to do with the sitcom "Bewitched." These days, Salem is rife with kitschy witches and Halloween attractions. But before the late 20th century, town citizens rarely acknowledged the Puritan trials. When playwright Arthur Miller visited Salem to research "The Crucible" in 1952, locals refused to help him. "You couldn't get anyone to say anything...

This being Halloween, M. Macha NightMare will dress up with a pointy hat, black clothing and a broomstick. It's mostly for fun, but it's also what people expect from the 62-year-old educator, author and priestess, who also happens to be a witch. NightMare -- not her given name -- considers herself a Neo-Pagan, an eclectic term describing a diverse cluster of religious movements in the last 100 years or so seeking to resurrect pre-Christian spiritual beliefs, like a reverence for nature and Goddess worship. Some Neo-Pagans are witches, others are Wiccans and still others are both and neither. NightMare, who...

Re-focus Halloween! If your school insists on having some kind of Halloween celebration, recommend that they steer away from the ghoulish and occult and, instead, focus on the event as a fall festival. ... "When you turn evil into a game, it trivializes it and numbs children to its darkness." (excerpt from email) GREAT RESOURCE SITE for Teachers, Parents & Students.

A remake of the old TV show "Bewitched" will be in theaters Friday, a Hollywood version of that lovable sitcom from the '60s and '70s, where Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha cast spells and twitched her nose to get her husband, Darren, out of jams. Ever wonder if witches really exist? Ever wonder if one lives next door? Pearl Essence and Syren Star are two suburban witches who have come out of the broom closet. A year ago, the pair started Gypsy Wagon, a pagan-friendly online group. "We do not worship any sort of god or goddess, we focus on the elemental...

SALEM, MA — The unveiling of the "Bewitched" statue yesterday was pure magic and even purer spectacle. The very moment TV Land President Larry Jones pulled the blue cover off the 9-foot bronze statue of actress Elizabeth Montgomery, the late actress who played Samantha Stephens in the 1960s TV sitcom, there was a puff of white smoke. Then, as if on cue, rain fell from the dark skies. A crowd estimated at 1,000 had braved unseasonably cold weather for just this moment, and many of them — including a large contingent of black-clad witches — cheered happily. But minutes earlier,...

The city that puts witchcraft on center stage year-round will focus today on its lighthearted side. Salem politicians and surviving actors from the TV comedy ``Bewitched'' are set to unveil a 9-foot tall statue of the late Elizabeth Montgomery , better known as the blond, friendly witch Samantha. ``It's actually kind of neat to set up the stage and no one has seen it. It truly becomes an unveiling,'' Salem Mayor Stanley Usovicz said. Usovicz insisted he has not seen the bronze sculpture but said he has reviewed sketches of it. Celebrities set to be on hand for the ceremony...

Sen. Hillary Clinton has lots of fans. She's favored for re-election in 2006, and she often tops the Democratic wish list for 2008 presidential contenders. The problem is, she also has enemies. Plenty of them. Opposition to her Senate campaign is already forming. (She calls herself the GOP's "number one target in 2006.") And this week, a group called on the Senate to investigate her. Will she ever escape her lightning-rod status? Clinton Probe Sought As first lady and as a senator, Clinton has weathered her share of controversies. Take a look back at some of them. In this week's...

SALEM, Mass. — Television's most famous witch is about to park her broom in Salem. TV Land, a cable channel dedicated to classic television shows, is planning to put a life-size bronze statue of Samantha Stevens — Elizabeth Montgomery's twitchy-nosed character on the 1960s sitcom "Bewitched" — in Lappin Park in downtown Salem. "We think it's a great permanent home," TV Land Vice President Rob Pellizzi said. "It was just a loved show." Last night, the Salem Redevelopment Authority, the only city board that must sign off on the project, gave TV Land preliminary approval to erect a 9-foot-tall statue...

"Old School" star Will Ferrell has landed the coveted role of Darrin in a feature remake of "Bewitched." The Columbia Pictures project, which is expected to star Nicole Kidman in the lead role of Samantha, is being directed by Nora Ephron ("You've Got Mail"). Ferrell has been busy of late, with starring turns in the upcoming New Line comedy "Elf" and the DreamWorks comedy "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."

Nicole Kidman is in talks to star in Columbia Pictures' Bewitched, a proposed feature-film adaptation of the long-running television series of the same name, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher's Red Wagon Productions is producing. No offers have been made to Kidman, and no deal is in place for her to star, but the actress is said to have expressed interest in the starring role of Samantha, the witch who tries to abandon her powers for the sake of her mortal husband, Darren, the trade paper reported. Sources told the trade paper that Mike Myers (the...