Ashmont Productions was an American television

production company A production company, production house or production studio is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television show, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video ...

. The company was founded by William Asher and his then wife

Elizabeth Montgomery Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1933 – May 18, 1995) was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She portrayed the good witch List of Bewitched characters#Samantha Stephens, Samantha Step ...

initially as a production company for the television series '' Bewitched''. 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

. 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. The combination of the couple's names was very similar to rival

Desilu Productions Desilu Productions, Inc. () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', '' The Lucy Show'', '' Mannix'', '' The ...

, formed by

Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986), known as Desi Arnaz, was a Cuban-American actor, musician, producer, and bandleader. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Love Lucy'', in whi ...

and

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

. 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. 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 Tabitha () is an English feminine given name, originating with (or made popular through) Tabitha ( Dorcas), mentioned in the New Testament Acts 9:36. In the Bible Tabitha, or Dorcas, the Greek equivalent of the name, is a woman mentioned in t ...

''.

Productions by Ashmont

References

{{Reflist Mass media companies disestablished in 1976 Mass media companies established in 1965 Defunct companies based in California Defunct film and television production companies of the United States Television production companies of the United States 1965 establishments in California 1976 disestablishments in California Bewitched