On the hit 1960s TV show “Bewitched,” TV witch Samantha Stephens knew exactly whom to call when a supernatural ailment struck: “Calling Dr. Bombay! Calling Dr. Bombay! Emergency! Come right away!” But one thing she never uttered was his elusive first name. The flamboyant and oftentimes bumbling witch doctor was a staple of the series, appearing in 18 episodes to treat everything from “gravity leaden” conditions to allergic reactions to Macedonian dodo birds.
But while the late Bernard Fox’s eccentric “quack” was a fan favorite, his actual name remained a mystery. That was until a short-lived spin-off came along and finally spilled the beans: Dr. Bombay’s first name was actually Hubert.
The revelation came during the final moments of “Tabitha.” Airing on ABC from 1977 to 1978, the series followed a grown-up Tabitha Stephens (Lisa Hartman) as she explored a career in television in Los Angeles while navigating her magical lineage. It lasted only 12 episodes before being vanished by the network. Fox reprised his role as the jolly warlock in two episodes.
Dr. Bombay’s name is revealed during a wedding in Tabitha
In the series finale, titled “Tabitha’s Party,” the Witches Council declares that one of their own must marry a mortal, and Tabitha is selected to marry Paul (Robert Urich) — a talk show host she’s smitten with. Aunt Minerva (Karen Morrow) and a high-ranking witch named Cassandra (Mary Wickes) attend an office party with intentions to use a love potion on the pair. But things backfire and everyone at the party starts falling in love with one another.
Enter, Dr. Bombay, who fixes the problem with an antidote. But Cassandra still demands that a witch and a mortal need to get hitched. Luckily for her, Dr. Bombay is engaged to his mortal assistant, Nurse Gloria (Timothy Blake), making them the perfect match for what Tabitha calls their “silly witches quota.” Gloria then drops Dr. Bombay’s name for the first time: “Oh, Hubert, isn’t this exciting? We’re going to be married.”
Cassandra conducts a wedding ritual on the spot and pronounces them “warlock and wife.” Tabitha says, “Go ahead, Hubert. Kiss the bride” — two blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that finally answer a long-running “Bewitched” mystery.
