Eastwick is an American fantasy comedy-drama television series based on John Updike's 1984 novel The Witches of Eastwick which aired on ABC from September 23 until December 30, 2009. The series was developed by Maggie Friedman, and starred Paul Gross as the infamous Darryl Van Horne, alongside Jaime Ray Newman, Lindsay Price, and Rebecca Romijn as the eponymous witches.
Plot
Joanna Frankel, Katherine Gardener, and Roxanne Torcoletti were three dissatisfied women living in the picturesque town of Eastwick, New England. Yearning for excitement in their lives, each of the women desperately make a wish for "something to change", in their daily lives. The following day, a mysterious and very secretive stranger named Darryl Van Horne arrives and begins courting each of the women in turn. Darryl eventually informs the women about their 'witch' talents and encourages them to explore their unique abilities. However, as the series progresses, the three unlikely friends begin to worry about Darryl's ultimate intentions.
Cast
Primary characters
Katherine "Kat" Gardener (Jaime Ray Newman) is a level-headed mother of five children, a nurse at Eastwick General Hospital, and the wife of Raymond Gardener. Struggling to balance a happy and healthy life and marriage, Kat is often compared to Mother Nature. Coincidentally, Kat exhibits the power of elementalism, otherwise known as the manipulation and control of the elements; air, earth, fire, water, lightning, and the manipulation of weather itself. As the show progressed, Kat also showed signs of healing abilities, as she was able to magically heal the injuries of her hospital patients. Her counterpart from the book is Sukie Rougemont. Joanna Frankel (Lindsay Price) is an insecure news reporter at the Eastwick Gazette. Although Joanna finds it difficult to have the things she wants, she ironically exhibits the hypnotic ability to control and manipulate the minds of men. As the show progressed, Joanna also showed signs of telekinetic powers and was able to move multiple objects with a simple thought. Her counterpart from the book is Jane Smart. Roxanne "Roxie" Torcoletti (Rebecca Romijn) is a free-spirited sculptor and also the widowed mother of Mia Torcoletti. As a widow, Roxie is seen as an outcast, largely because many of the Eastwick citizens believe she was responsible for her husband’s death. Throughout the series, Roxie exhibits clairvoyant powers, allowing her to hear and see deceased people, hear others' thoughts, and envision events that can (and most of the time will) happen. As the show progresses Roxie's clairvoyant abilities also allow her to hear her mother's inner, secret thoughts. Her counterpart from the book is Lexa Spofford.
Main
Ashley Benson as Mia Torcoletti
Jon Bernthal as Raymond Gardener
Veronica Cartwright as Bun Waverly
Jaime Ray Newman as Kat Gardener
Lindsay Price as Joanna Frankel
Rebecca Romijn as Roxanne Torcoletti
Sara Rue as Penny Higgins
Johann Urb as Will St. David
Paul Gross as Darryl Van Horne
Recurring
Darren Criss as Josh Burton
Matt Dallas as Chad Burton
Jason George as Max Brody
Jack Huston as Jamie Dalton
Cybill Shepherd as Eleanor Rougement
Torsten Voges as Fidel
Episodes
Production
Previous versions
Before Eastwick, two other television adaptations of the original film were produced, but neither of these were picked up for full seasons. The first adaptation was produced for NBC in 1992, starring Julia Campbell as Jane Hollis, Catherine Mary Stewart as Sukie Ridgemont, Ally Walker as Alexandra Spofford, and Michael Siberry as Darryl Van Horne.
The second unsold pilot was produced for Fox in 2002, starring Marcia Cross as Jane Spofford, Kelly Rutherford as Alexandra Medford, Lori Loughlin as Sukie Ridgemont, and Jason O'Mara as Darryl Van Horne.
Cast comparison
Development
The series is based on the 1984 novel The Witches of Eastwick and the film counterpart of the same name. While the book was written by John Updike, the series was conceived by Maggie Friedman, who wanted to create a show about female empowerment and a show that is magical but also real. ABC picked up the show in early 2009.
The series was filmed on the Warner Bros. Studios backlot, using the same town square as The WB's series, Gilmore Girls. Filming of the pilot began in August 2009 when all characters had been cast, the last one being Matt Dallas on July 30. ABC decided to put the show on the air Wednesdays at 10:00pm Eastern/9:00pm Central, after another new show, Cougar Town on ABC's Comedy Wednesdays.