Ashmont Productions
{{Short description|American TV production company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Ashmont Productions
| type = Production company
| industry = Television
| foundation = 1965
| defunct = 1976
| founders = William Asher
Elizabeth Montgomery
| location = Los Angeles, California
}}
Ashmont Productions was an American television production company. The company was founded by William Asher and his then wife Elizabeth Montgomery initially as a production company for the television series Bewitched.{{cite book|last=Pilato|first=Herbie|date=2012|title=Twitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XZKHsTjRfQIC&q=ashmont+productions |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|page=173|isbn=978-1589797499|access-date=February 28, 2015}}
The production company also became a production venue for several other ABC shows until the studio's close in 1976.
History
Ashmont Productions was formed in 1965 by director William Asher and his then-wife, actress Elizabeth Montgomery. Montgomery was the star of ABC's Bewitched and husband Asher directed it. The production company's original purpose was exclusively as a production outlet for Bewitched. The name "Ashmont" was a combination of the first syllables of Asher's and Montgomery's names.{{cite web|url=http://www.harpiesbizarre.com/funbillandliz.htm|title=Fun Facts About Bill and Liz|publisher=www.harpiesbizarre.com|access-date=February 28, 2015}} The combination of the couple's names was very similar to rival Desilu Productions, formed by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.
However, in 1965, the company only had one production credit on a season 1 episode of Bewitched. The company did not become active again until the start of the eighth and final season of the show in 1971.{{cite web|url=http://encore.slcl.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2279973__SWitchcraft+--+Massachusetts+--+Salem+--+Drama.__P0,8__Orightresult__X1;jsessionid=F091AD341971802C2912A6E52D22294E?lang=eng&suite=cobalt|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150301001311/http://encore.slcl.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2279973__SWitchcraft+--+Massachusetts+--+Salem+--+Drama.__P0,8__Orightresult__X1;jsessionid=F091AD341971802C2912A6E52D22294E?lang=eng&suite=cobalt|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 1, 2015|title=Bewitched. The complete eighth & final season|publisher=Encore|access-date=February 28, 2015}} After Bewitched, Ashmont produced The Paul Lynde Show and Temperatures Rising. The production company closed its doors in 1976 after the filming of the original pilot for the television series Tabitha.{{cite book|last=Leszczak|first=Bob|date=November 2, 2012|title=Single Season Sitcoms, 1948–1979: A Complete Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LaUqwWnpHLwC&q=ashmont+productions&pg=PA178 |publisher=McFarland|page=178|isbn=978-0786493050|access-date=February 28, 2015}}
Productions by Ashmont
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Year
! Title ! class= "unsortable" | Notes ! References | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965; 1971-1972 | Bewitched | 26 episodes | rowspan= "4" |{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/company/co0073569/|title=Ashmont Productions|publisher=Internet Movie Database|access-date=February 28, 2015}} |
| 1972–1974 | Temperatures Rising | Produced all 46 episodes Also known as The New Temperatures Rising Show | |
| 1972–1973 | The Paul Lynde Show | Produced all 26 episodes | |
| 1976 | Tabitha | Original 1976 pilot episode only |
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 1976
Category:Mass media companies established in 1965
Category:Defunct companies based in California
Category:Defunct film and television production companies of the United States
Category:Television production companies of the United States
Category:1965 establishments in California