Bewitched (Exclusive Premiere)

Bewitched
Exclusive Premiere
1998

In the mid to late 90's, there were a ton of toy manufacturers who seemed to pop up over night and subsequently disappear just as fast. This was brought on by a couple thing: 1) The current craze of Star Wars mania which was dominating toy isles, and 2) Companies like McFarlane Toys which were finding massive success with their unique branded toys.

Sadly, this tactic didn't work for 90% or more of these new companies. While it was an interesting era in time where we got a lot of unique brands that we normally wouldn't have seen, it wasn't financially substantial enough to keep many of these new toy producers alive.

Between 1996 and 1999, Exclusive Premiere filled a niche collector's market for figures based on classic TV. Starting with The Three Stooges, during their short lifespan they produced dolls based on the likes of Laurel and Hardy, Gilligan's Island, The Honeymooners, Happy Days, Beverly Hillbillies and more. It was a Nick At Nite fan's toy collecting dream come true.

One of the dolls the company produced in 1998 was Samantha from Bewitched. As was usually the complaint from collectors, while the box art was fantastic, the dolls themselves really didn't capture the look of the characters they were supposed to be representing. Take a close look at the face, and you'll immediately see what I'm talking about. It looks pretty bad - Even by doll standards.


The box, on the other hand, captures everything fun and exciting about the show. The little caricature of Samantha, as seen in the show's intro, fits in perfectly with the design. Though you might not be able to tell from the picture, the front of the box actually folds open on both sides to reveal a short history of the show. It's actually one of the most interesting aspects of the doll.

Despite the poor sculpting, I suppose if I was a massive fan of Nick At Nite television, these would be a must have for my collection. If for nothing else, the fantastic box design. With dolls selling for $20.00 and less, they wouldn't be too impactful on the wallet either.

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