Yes in deedee, this episode is all about cliches and the appearance of one of the most famous characters in a Charles Dickens novel. Darren is in agreement (surprisingly) to allow Tabitha to be home schooled, even by one of Samantha's "kind". The episode starts with Tabitha showing her magic powers when Samantha tries to teach her math with apples. It's obvious that Tabitha is smart and will be a good student, but perhaps Darren is afraid that she will cheat a bit by the use of her nose twitching finger. In comes professor Jay Robinson (Emperor Caligula of "The Robe" and "Demetrius & the Gladiators"), and out pops the Artful Dodger from "Oliver Twist". Certainly seeing the characters in real life might make reading the book a lot more interesting, and coming out shortly after the movie "Oliver!", this was timely for several reasons.
But the major story deals with Endora's usual spell casting to get even with Darren for once again insulting her. Sick of his silly cliches in his advertising, Endora has a great spell for making Darren speak in nothing but cliches, and the results are very funny. While I've never been crazy over the episodes that deal with Darren's work (they dominated the show for much of the run when half of the fun came from Samantha's wacky family popping in and out), this is one of the better ones I've seen, and the cliches are fun hearing for their silliness without having to utilize a few in my writing. Veteran actor Cliff Norton plays the latest McMann & Tate client who finds himself bemused at first, and reluctantly participating in the game of repeating cliches in his own regular speech, but thanks to Samantha, all ends well. As usual, Agnes Moorehead is a wild and wacky presence, and if she did have any mean intent towards Dirwood, it all worked out for the best in the end.
But the major story deals with Endora's usual spell casting to get even with Darren for once again insulting her. Sick of his silly cliches in his advertising, Endora has a great spell for making Darren speak in nothing but cliches, and the results are very funny. While I've never been crazy over the episodes that deal with Darren's work (they dominated the show for much of the run when half of the fun came from Samantha's wacky family popping in and out), this is one of the better ones I've seen, and the cliches are fun hearing for their silliness without having to utilize a few in my writing. Veteran actor Cliff Norton plays the latest McMann & Tate client who finds himself bemused at first, and reluctantly participating in the game of repeating cliches in his own regular speech, but thanks to Samantha, all ends well. As usual, Agnes Moorehead is a wild and wacky presence, and if she did have any mean intent towards Dirwood, it all worked out for the best in the end.
