Hidden First Pregnancy
Montgomery had three children throughout the course of the show, but only two of the pregnancies were written into the storyline. She was actually pregnant during season one, but the show was able to hide it. They chose to hide it because at the time it seemed inappropriate that Sam and Darrin would be expecting so soon after getting married.
Hidden First Pregnancy
A New Darrin
You don’t need to be a die-hard fan to realize that after five seasons of the show, the actor playing Darrin completely changed. Dick York played Sam’s husband for the first five seasons but was later replaced by Dick Sargent. While York was filming movie They Came to Cordura, he suffered a horrible injury in has back, but he never fully recovered, forcing him to step away from the show.
A New Darrin
That Was It
While the fifth season of the show was being filmed, York was experiencing a fever of 105 degrees. At a certain point, it was all too much, and after experiencing a seizure, he was immediately rushed to the hospital. He knew then that it was time to walk away from the show.
That Was It
No Love Lost
While Dick York was replaced by Dick Sargent because he had to leave due to his health, that doesn’t mean that everyone was okay with the change. Agnes Moorehead, who played Samantha’s mother Endora, was not please with the replacement. In fact, Sargent shared with Chicago Outlines: “About the third or fourth show I was in, [Moorehead] said to people in front of me, ‘They should never meddle with success.’”
No Love Lost
She Wanted To Retire
Before Bewitched, Montgomery had decided that she wanted to retire from acting, which is why she almost didn’t take the role at all. However, she was convinced by her husband William Asher, who was the director of the show, and the rest is history.
She Wanted To Retire
They Tried To Fool Audiences
Of course, when Dick York left the show and Dick Sargent replaced him, the producers were left to deal with the decision of how to handle the change and also the viewer’s reaction to the change. Before Sargent’s episodes went on air, ABC decided to re-run all of the episodes in which York did not appear.
They Tried To Fool Audiences
Her Own Affair
Elizabeth and William’s marriage was not the most stable, and there were many rumors swirling around that he had not been faithful to her on multiple occasions. Perhaps that is why Montgomery herself had an affair with Richard Michaels, a director on the show. The affair caused both her and Michaels’ marriages to end, and even was part of the reason behind the show’s cancellation.
Her Own Affair
They Drank On Set
During the 1960’s, the way people conducted themselves at work was quite different from how things are done today. When the actors were seen drinking on the show, they were actually sipping on real drinks, which meant that many of the scenes were shot while the actors were feeling the effects of the alcohol.
They Drank On Set
Not Their First Choice
It’s hard to imagine that anyone but Elizabeth Montgomery could play Samantha, but the show’s producers actually had someone else in mind at first. They actually first wanted Tammy Grimes to play the role, but she turned down the role because she didn’t like the character. Writer and classic TV fan Herbie J. Pilato told Fox News: “She felt like if the character had all this power, why doesn’t she cure all the ills of the world?”
Not Their First Choice
A Real Twitch
Of course, we all know that Samantha famously twitched her nose to make magic happen. However, did you know that Elizabeth had her own quirky twitch. She reportedly wriggled her upper lip, which then husband Asher said was a nervous tick she had.
A Real Twitch
A Magical Workout
A lot of times, Samantha in addition to the nose twitch, Samantha would raise her arms up in the air as the magic was taking place. While filming, Elizabeth had to stand still with her arms up as the crew manipulated the set. We can imagine how much of a workout this was!
A Magical Workout
They Didn’t Get Along
While we know that Agnes Moorehead didn’t like Dick Sargent, it seems like she and Montgomery also didn’t get along to beautifully either. One time, Elizabeth made a sarcastic comment about Moorehead’s havior while on set, and Moorhead glared at her. To that, Montgomery replied: “Don’t you look at me that way.”
They Didn’t Get Along
Truly Dedicated
Alice Pearce played Gladys on the show. Unfortunately, while the show was still going on, Pearce was diagnosed with cancer, but she decided not to let this get in the way of her work. She filmed up until she passed away. Two months later, she was awarded a posthumous Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy.
Truly Dedicated
Furniture For His Back
While he was filming the show, York was experiencing such severe back pain that he had to have special furniture brought to him while he was filming. He was also helped by his co-stars while moving around the set. That’s why in so many scenes he is seen sitting or lying down.
Furniture For His Back
The Murphy Twins
Erin and Diane Murphy were the twins who played Tabitha throughout the show’s run. As they were so young while the show was being filmed, it makes sense that they outlived the rest of their co-stars. In fact, they are the only cast members who are still around these days.
The Murphy Twins
Cousin Serena
In addition to playing Samantha, Elizabeth Montgomery played cousin Serena. However, she was credited as Pandora Spocks, a pseudonym that she chose that’s a play on “Pandora’s Box.”
Cousin Serena
Pandora’s Fans
While it was Montgomery behind the short, black wig of cousin Serena, since she was credited with a different name, some people didn’t realize that it was Montgomery. In fact, some people even sent fan mail to Pandora Spocks!
Pandora’s Fans
An Early Cancellation
A lot of times shows are cancelled when they have low ratings, but that wasn’t the case for Bewitched. The show was actually renewed for another two seasons before it went off the air. However, Montgomery felt that she had had enough of playing Samantha, and was also dealing with her divorce from Asher, so it was a perfect storm.
An Early Cancellation
Their Own Pieces
Like on many shows, the actors on the set of Bewitched were often told to bring their own clothing for filming some scenes. While Moorehead and Montgomery didn’t get along so well, she did leave behind a brooch she wore as Endora to Montgomery as she knew that her co-star was a fan of the jewel.
Their Own Pieces
The Animated Series
Anyone who likes anime knows about the sub-genre called “magical girl.” Early works in the genre like Sally the Witch were inspired by Bewitched. The anime show’s success helped launch an entire sub-genre of anime that is still popular today.
The Animated Series
Their Inspiration
So we know what Bewitched inspired, but what inspired the show itself? The sitcom was based on films like I Married a Witch from 1942 and Bell, Book and Candle from 1958. The show was created by Screen Gems, which was an offshoot of Columbia Pictures, which produced both of the films that inspired the show.
Their Inspiration
Making History
While it might seem hard to believe nowadays, but separated couples were not really shown on TV during the 1960’s. However, Bewitched became one of the first shows to portray a separated couple. It showed Endora battling with Samantha’s father Maurice, helping the show make history.
Making History
Million Dollar Question
On the Australian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? the final question that contestant Rob Fulton was asked was “Which of these popular ’60s TV shows premiered first?” Bewitched was the correct answer, and luckily Fulton got it right and ended up winning the big prize.
Million Dollar Question
Referencing The Show
In 2019, Erin Murphy, who is one of the twins who played Tabitha, made a reference to her first acting role in a YouTube sketch. She appears in web seires TV Therapy as an actress that goes to therapy and she discusses the “difficulties” of having an on-screen father that changed face, referencing the change between York and Sargent.
Referencing The Show
Accused Of Devil Worshipping
While you might look at Bewitched today and think that it is an entirely wholesome, family-friendly show, that was not always the case. Before the show even aired, a lot of people thought that it was an evil, devil worshipping show. Many protests were held especially in the Bible Belt against the show, but it went on air as planned regardless.
Accused Of Devil Worshipping
The Theme Song
You might remember the show’s catchy theme song, but did you know that it actually had lyrics too? There were several versions of the theme song with lyrics written by Howard Greenfield that were floated. These were performed by the likes of Peggy Lee and Steve Lawrence. The lyrics included lines like: “Bewitched, bewitched, you’ve got me in your spell/Bewitched, bewitched, you know your craft so well.”
The Theme Song
Supporting Women
Towards the end of the show, Montgomery decided to stop wearing a bra while filming episodes. She chose to do this in order to support the women’s liberation movement, but it was quite a scandalous move at the time.
Supporting Women
The Reason For His Passing
After Dick Sargent passed away, there were many rumors that he passed away from AIDS. However, that was not true. Perhaps these rumors came from the fact that Sargent was gay. Pilato told Fox News: “Yes, [Sargent] was a man who happened to be gay, but that has been a misconception all these years.” Sargent passed away in 1994 after battling with prostate cancer.
The Reason For His Passing
Choosing Her Name
Montgomery was given the opportunity to name her on-screen daughter. She was inspired by actor Edward Andrews, whose daughters were named Abigail and Tabitha. She absolutely loved the name Tabitha, saying “I loved it because it was so old-fashioned.”
Choosing Her Name
The Spinoff
Speaking of Tabitha, did you know that she actually got her very own spinoff show? The self titled Tabitha went on the air in the 1970’s and focused on Samantha and Darrin’s daughter, who in this show was played by Lisa Hartman. The show lasted for just one season and was canceled after just eleven episodes.
The Spinoff
Camera Trick
In order to make some magic happen, Samantha would quickly twitch her nose. A lot of fans of the show tried to recreate this famous tick, but found that it was quite difficult to do. That’s because that the twitch was a camera trick, as told by Erin Murphy in an interview with Parade.
Camera Trick
She Made It Up
You might be wondering who came up with the famous twitch, and it was Montgomery herself who did. Biographer Herbie Pilato said that it was actually based on her real life tic, so it was conveniently written into the show. It worked like magic!
She Made It Up
Starting A Trend
While it is debatable just how smooth the transition was between switching Darrin’s actors was, the fact remains that this created the “Darrin Syndrome,” which refers to replacing a lead actor with a new one, and became a regular part of Hollywood lingo.
Starting A Trend
A Different Tabitha
Of course, we can’t imagine anyone but the twins portraying Tabitha now, but another famous face was considered for the role at first. Silence of the Lambs star Jodie Foster was considered for the role, as was Helen Hunt.
A Different Tabitha
His Two Roles
Paul Lydne played the goofy Uncle Arthur on the show, but it was not the only role he played on the show. He actually first appeared on the show’s episode “Driving is the Only Way to Fly.” He impressed the show’s producers so much that they decided to give him a recurring role in the series.
His Two Roles
She Wasn’t A Fan
The famous opening sequence of the show was actually created by animation powerhouse Hanna-Barbera and many fans absolutely love it. However, Elizabeth Montgomery was reportedly not a fan of it, and she felt that the production team should have come up with something more creative. We’re not really sure what she’s talking about!
She Wasn’t A Fan
Based On A Jingle
If you feel like you recognized the show’s theme from somewhere else, it might be because it was actually based on a jingle in an ad used by Chevrolet commercials. It might make sense to know that Chevrolet actually sponsored the show too.
Based On A Jingle
Swapping Sets
After the show’s success, it inspired several other shows like NBC’s I Dream of Jeannie. While there were many similarities, the two shows actually also often shared sets and also props because their sound stages were so close to one another.
Swapping Sets
The Same House
Bewitched used a particular yellow house for filming the Kravitzes, and if you think it looks familiar, there’s a good reason why. The house was also used for The Partridge Family.
The Same House
A Nice Benefit
Remember how the cast had to bring their own clothes for filming? Well, there was one really nice perk that they could take advantage of. Actress Kasey Rogers shared: “I wore all my own clothes on the show. You would take your clothes in the week before, and wardrobe would make sure they were all cleaned, pressed and altered for you.”
A Nice Benefit
