When Bewitched first aired on September 17, 1964, no one imagined it would still be alive today. While the show itself lasted eight seasons, Samantha’s signature twitchy nose is something nearly everyone still recognizes today. Multiple spin-offs hit the airwaves, and even a full-on remake was made starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, however, none of the attempts could quite capture what the original could. A TV show remake has even been rumored, since NBC ordered a pilot in October 2014, however, nothing has yet come to fruition. While Samantha tried her best to keep her own secrets, the show’s producers weren’t able to keep everything hush-hush. Here are some things you probably didn’t know about Bewitched.
Elizabeth Montgomery Assumes Multiple Roles in Bewitched
Not only did Elizabeth Montgomery star as the leading witch, she also played Samantha’s cousin Serena. When given credit for playing Serena, she used the pseudonym Pandora Spocks.
The Inspiration
The TV show was created after Sol Saks watched the films I Married A Witch and Bell, Book and Candle. Saks modeled the script for the pilot episode after the films. He has said in interviews since the show that he wasn’t worried about any litigation, considering that both movies were owned by Columbia Pictures, which also owned Screen Gems – the company that produced Bewitched.
Anti-Aging Potion in Real Life
Elizabeth was quite the babe back in the ’60s and kept her beauty into the later years of her life. She must have put an anti-aging spell on herself. Seriously, she probably just took great care of her body which included working out and eating the right foods. Although she looked good on the outside, unfortunately, she was suffering from unknown health issues.
The Man Who Almost Was Darrin
In the early days of the show’s casting, a young actor named Richard Sargent was close to being signed on to play Darrin Stephens. However, Sargent took another job while the pilot searched for a Samantha. Crenna may not have been a serious consideration but we will never know how the show would’ve turned out if someone other than the original Darrin was cast.
York Steps Up
After Richard Sargent originally passed on the role, next up was actor Richard Crenna who was offered Darrin next. Richard had just spent several years on “The Real McCoys,” so he passed. Ultimately, Dick York ended up with the lead male role. Sargent later resumed the role after Dick York’s exit. Kind of funny how he ended up with the role at the end of the series. It’s interesting to consider if the show would have lasted eight seasons with him in the first place
Dick York’s Real Reason for Leaving
While Dick York’s departure was never explained on the show, he certainly had a good reason for it. York tore most of the muscles on the right side of his back while filming Cordura, and never recovered completely. Doctors gave him pain medication, but that wasn’t really a long-term solution and certainly wasn’t a great situation for continued filming. Allegedly, he ended up becoming addicted to pain medication prescribed for the back pain.
Enter Dick Sargent
During season five of Bewitched, a replacement doctor gave York some B-12 when he went in during a lunch break from filming. York had a horrible reaction to the vitamin and ended up having a seizure on set and was rushed to the hospital. He never returned and the show went Darrin-less for a few episodes until Dick Sargent stepped in.
Elizabeth Montgomery’s Real-Life Pregnancies
She was pregnant three times! Her first was born July 1964. Producers were able to write two of Montgomery’s pregnancies into the script, adding Tabitha and Adam to the Stephens family. Lucky us, it enriched their TV family in a very natural way!
Dick York’s Charm as Darrin Stephens
Dick York played Darrin Stephens on Bewitched, the mortal husband of wife Samantha Stephens. Dick was a beloved actor throughout the 1960s due to his role on the series, but was also known for the ‘60s classic film, Inherit the Wind. Dick took his good looks and charm into his later life, he only took a few more roles after Bewitched
A Dirty Sense of Humor
In a 2017 interview with Fox News, Erin Murphy who played Tabitha on the show opened up about what the cast was really like. While Elizabeth Montgomery may have appeared as the wholesome girl-next-door, Murphy reveals she wasn’t afraid to get a little dirty. “She had a really dirty sense of humor…She was just one of those people who was so beautiful, but she wasn’t afraid to look silly –kind of like Lucille Ball…They could be really campy and funny. There was no fear there.
