Who was first cast as Darrin Stephens and by Whom?

Although some have said it is so, the following is not an incorrect story that is being repeated over & over again, rather it is proven & corroborated Documented fact and has been accepted as such over 40 years.

What is incorrect is the revisionist history that is being perpetuated of late by those that can't stand the idea that Dick York was not alone in consideration for Darrin in the initial early time period when Bewitched was created & cast by Liz & Bill Asher in the Fall of 1963.

At no time has Bill Asher said that Dick York was the first & only choice by them as Darrin, quite the opposite is the case actually & it is on the public record & William Ashers comments on the record & on camera state that the Dick Sargent's contractual obligations such as his being on the
Tammy Grimes show were indeed the reasons why he could not be cast as Darrin after he was cast as Darrin by Elizabeth Montgomery & William Asher after they joined the project and Sol Saks left.

There is no reliable proof or corroboration that Dick Sargent was cast prior to Bill and Liz getting involved nor that he was involved whatsoever while Tammy Grimes was being considered as Cassandra (Samantha), no one at anytime, anywhere, that was associated with the show in any way has stated this was the case.

As well Tammy Grimes had never actually signed onto to doing Bewitched & never was happy with a script for a Pilot, even the last one Sol Saks did just prior to Liz & Bill coming on board, as such as in effect the project was in such a initial state with Samantha not even having been officially & contractually cast, that there would have been no casting of the other characters such as Darrin until Tammy Grimes had indeed officially signed on which of course she never did.

In fact Sol Saks the Producer for Bewitched prior to Liz & Bill taking over has stated on tape that no casting was done on his watch nor was it being seriously considered which in effect states that Dick Sargent was considered, auditioned and cast as Darrin by Liz & Bill after they had joined the show.

This makes the whole Dick Sargent being cast back then with Tammy Grimes as being illogical as well.

All this is is second or third hand fantasy or in some cases wishful thinking.

As well there was almost no time in between when Tammy Grimes pulled out to to a Broadway show & Liz & Bill being asked to take over it by Harry Ackerman the shows Executive Producer.

That Dick Sargent stated himself that he was the first choice by Bill & Liz in interviews & as well in Bewitched Forever is proven fact & not merely a wishful assumption.

Likewise so is the fact that this was stated at the time of his joining the show
in 1970 in numerous interviews in magazine articles by himself, ABC & Screen Gems Executives & that Liz herself never said it was not so, these again are facts not wishful thinking that someone merely makes up.

As well in the ET Bewitched special & in the subsequent pieces ET did on the
two Darrin's re Dick Sargent & Dick York it was stated by them in each of them that Dick Sargent was the first choice & that Dick York was only considered when Dick Sargent was not available when they went back to him after their initial interview in order to offer him the role.

Furthermore Bill Asher in the E! True Hollywood Special himself on camera
clearly states that Dick Sargent was the first choice as Darrin, that THEY as in he & Liz
wanted him but that he was unavailable, so there it is fact instead of fiction.

Screen Gems did all the casting themselves for the Pilot & after when the show was sold, Liz & Bill had final say in all casting after they came aboard.

Asher has been utterly consistent over the years on Dick Sargent being his & Liz's
first choice, there are no instances where this has been stated by him
otherwise, nor has there been any offered as proof, why?, because it does not exist.

From 1963 to the last year or two Bill Asher has always said it was Dick Sargent & never said it was Dick York, what he said was that Dick York was the best choice in hindsight & the only choice in that respect, not that he was the first one, there is a difference.

In a recent article on Ebay about Dick Sargent taking over as Darrin it was stated that Dick Sargent had been offered the role and was a prime candidate in 1963 for the role When producer Bill Asher was casting the show but had to turn it down due to a recent contractual commitment to another studio, Universal.

Barry Pinters Bewitched special confirms all of this right from Bill Asher himself and others as well.!!

Strange. Bill Asher publicly stated that Dick Sargent was "one of the contenders" for the role originally, but not the first choice (see video below at around 21 minute mark). He also states that Dick Sargent "wasn't as good, I don't think. I don't think anybody does. Dick York had a quality that was just wonderful."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=Az0bVabiR9Q&feature=emb_logo

This video is good as it also covers how he and EM got involved in Bewitched initially.

Strange. Bill Asher publicly stated that Dick Sargent was "one of the contenders" for the role originally, but not the first choice (see video below at around 21 minute mark). He also states that Dick Sargent "wasn't as good, I don't think. I don't think anybody does. Dick York had a quality that was just wonderful."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=Az0bVabiR9Q&feature=emb_logo

This video is good as it also covers how he and EM got involved in Bewitched initially.

Nice find!

Dick Sargent confirmed in an interview that he was the first choice to take over the role of Darrin, he said he had to turn down the offer because he had contractual obligations at that time.

It's obvious and it's known that York wasn't the first option to play Darrin, a lot of York fans are in denial about this, but they can't change the reality, and the reality is Sargent was the first choice

How would Dick Sargent know if he was the first? From what I have read Richard Crenna was the first. Not sure if he was the first or not. I have interviewed many people for positions and they would not know what order they were in.

How would Dick Sargent know if he was the first? From what I have read Richard Crenna was the first. Not sure if he was the first or not. I have interviewed many people for positions and they would not know what order they were in.

Right. The producers are the ones who would know who was first.

How would Dick Sargent know if he was the first? From what I have read Richard Crenna was the first. Not sure if he was the first or not. I have interviewed many people for positions and they would not know what order they were in.

Sargent and Lizz were close friends, so it's not strange the he knows he was first the choice

That is speculation and your opinion that cannot be backed up with proof.

Richard Crenna was not the first because he was not interested in the role and was merely among those being considered, Dick Sargent was the first because he was the first one offered the role but had to turn it down after having signed with Universal.

DS would know this because he was actually offered the role by Liz & Bill.
Hardly speculation when the actual people such as DS and Bill Asher and others who were involved in the decision state on camera that it was so.
That is called facts and proven truth.

How would Dick Sargent know if he was the first? From what I have read Richard Crenna was the first. Not sure if he was the first or not. I have interviewed many people for positions and they would not know what order they were in.

And Bill Asher the producer stated that Dick Sargent was the first choice and was offered the job by he & Liz.

The issue here is not who Asher thought was best in the role decades later, the question is who was the first choice and initially offered the role at the start of the show not the view years later.

Right. The producers are the ones who would know who was first.

That is speculation and your opinion that cannot be backed up with proof.

Lizz and Sargent being close friends is not speculation nor my opinion, it's a fact confirmed by both of them.

Among those and offered the role he was meaning as is confirmed by Bill Asher in the E! True Hollywood Special himself on camera
clearly states that Dick Sargent was the first choice as Darrin, that THEY as in he & Liz
wanted him but that he was unavailable, so there it is fact instead of fiction.

Screen Gems did all the casting themselves for the Pilot & after when the show was sold, Liz & Bill had final say in all casting after they came aboard.

Asher has been utterly consistent over the years on Dick Sargent being his & Liz's
first choice, there are no instances where this has been stated by him
otherwise, nor has there been any offered as proof, why?, because it does not exist.

[QUOTE=tcr1701;5691191]Strange. Bill Asher publicly stated that Dick Sargent was "one of the contenders" for the role originally, but not the first choice (see video below at around 21 minute mark). He also states that Dick Sargent "wasn't as good, I don't think. I don't think anybody does. Dick York had a quality that was just wonderful."

Among those and offered the role he was meaning as is confirmed by Bill Asher in the E! True Hollywood Special himself on camera
clearly states that Dick Sargent was the first choice as Darrin, that THEY as in he & Liz wanted him but that he was unavailable, so there it is fact instead of fiction.

Bill Asher does not sate this on camera in the E True Hollywood Story - the narrator does at 14 minutes 43 seconds.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCtNDRz308s


Asher talks about Sargent's casting here at 10 minute 40 second mark where he states Dick Sargent was originally "runner up" to Dick York.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=hCIqwBMLx38&feature=emb_logo

Dick Sargent was the first choice, this been confirmed by Sargent and by Bill Asher

Again deflecting and obfuscating and using debating tactics.
They interviewed Asher and this is what he told them, God you are hopeless.

[QUOTE=tcr1701;5691305]Bill Asher does not sate this on camera in the E True Hollywood Story - the narrator does at 14 minutes 43 seconds.

Dick Sargent was the first choice, this been confirmed by Sargent and by Bill Asher

I just gave you an actual link where Bill Asher stated Sargent was, and I quote, "runner up."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=hCIqwBMLx38&feature=emb_logo

How does that mean he said Dick Sargent was first choice?

Again deflecting and obfuscating and using debating tactics.
They interviewed Asher and this is what he told them, God you are hopeless.

Asher talks about Sargent's casting here at 10 minute 40 second mark where he states Dick Sargent was originally "runner up" to Dick York.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=hCIqwBMLx38&feature=emb_logo

All I have to say about this is thank god Dick Sargent didn't take over from the beginning, with him the show would have been cancelled in the first season

All I have to say about this is thank god Dick Sargent didn't take over from the beginning, with him the show would have been cancelled in the first season
He and Liz had no chemistry together at all.

Asher talks about Sargent's casting here at 10 minute 40 second mark where he states Dick Sargent was originally "runner up" to Dick York.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCtNDRz308s

In that video you posted Asher doesn't even talk at 10 minute 40 second mark, they're talking about her previous marriage in that mark. And in the minutes 14 and 15 of that video they talk about how Asher and Lizz thought Sargent was perfect for the role and they approached him first, then Sargent had to turn them down because of contractual obligations.

So you're discrediting yourself in an embarrassing way again, you posted as a prove that Sargent wasn't the first choice a video that says Sargent was actually the first choice :lol:

In that video you posted Asher doesn't even talk at 10 minute 40 second mark, they're talking about her previous marriage in that mark. And in the minutes 14 and 15 of that video they talk about how Asher and Lizz thought Sargent was perfect for the role and they approached him first, then Sargent had to turn them down because of contractual obligations.

So you're discrediting yourself in an embarrassing way again, you posted as a prove that Sargent wasn't the first choice a video that says Sargent was actually the first choice :lol:

Oops - sorry - posted wrong link. Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=hCIqwBMLx38&feature=emb_logo

still at 10 minutes 40 seconds. I will fix the other references. Thanks for noticing that wrong link - it was a help.

Meaningless comment, the video Monliz referenced that you posted discredits your point and the other video as does the E! video.
Yaaaaaaaaawn!!

Oops - sorry - posted wrong link. Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=hCIqwBMLx38&feature=emb_logo

still at 10 minutes 40 seconds. I will fix the other references. Thanks for noticing that wrong link - it was a help.

Meaningless comment, the video Monliz referenced that you posted discredits your point and the other video as does the E! video.
Yaaaaaaaaawn!!

Oh yeah - thanks for mentioning that. You"two" are very helpful today.

The other video (if you read my other posts on this thread) was in reference to your "fact" than in the E True Hollywood Story it was Bill Asher who stated Sargent was the first choice. It was in actuality the show's narrator who said that. And then followed up by Herbie Pilato - who you must have gotten that from you (as his "researcher"). So I tend to doubt Pilato got good and accurate data on that.

No it was my "fact" that in the E True Hollywood Story it was Bill Asher who stated Dick Sargent was the first choice by Bill and Liz, who stated this fact in the show is not relevant nor is your obfuscating attempt to avoid the fact that you have once again been utterly discredited.

Here is proof that Sargent was considered during the Asher's casing of the show not prior.

No it was my "fact" that in the E True Hollywood Story it was Bill Asher who stated Dick Sargent was the first choice by Bill and Liz, who stated this fact in the show is not relevant nor is your obfuscating attempt to avoid the fact that you have once again been utterly discredited.

Here is proof that Sargent was considered during the Asher's casing of the show not prior.

That article states that Sargent was "a prime candidate" not "the prime candidate." And the interviewer seemingly got that from Dick Sargent during the interview (who always did believe he was the first choice). And in the video I posted early I SAID that Asher admits Sargent was "second runner up" during the casting with Elizabeth!

Again in the E True Hollywood Story it is the Show's narrator and Herbie Pilato who state Sargent was first choice, not Bill Asher.

Since you can not read i shall repeat what i said, i was using this to educate you on the fact that DS was involved in the Ashers selection process, not the prior one involving Tammy Grimes.

He believed he was the first choice as he was the first choice.
The narrator is stating what Asher told him as is Pilato, boy dense as as a obfuscating %$$&%%

This and the other two vids clearly state he was involved in the Ashers casting, it is widely known and excepted that he was offered the Role of Darrin and had to decline due to his having recently signed with Universal so the offer he declined clearly came from the Ashers.

I got you, your done, toast and deleted, you are dismissed.

You are Obsolete.

That article states that Sargent was "a prime candidate" not "the prime candidate." And the interviewer seemingly got that from Dick Sargent during the interview (who always did believe he was the first choice). And in the video I posted early I SAID that Asher admits Sargent was "second runner up" during the casting with Elizabeth!

Again in the E True Hollywood Story it is the Show's narrator and Herbie Pilato who state Sargent was first choice, not Bill Asher.

The article also stated that DY left because he was tired of it. So the credibility of the article is in question. Got it.

The part about why he left is from the PR dept., the rest is from fact that is corroborated many times over by many people involved in the show, including many times by Asher himself.
Got It!!

The article also stated that DY left because he was tired of it. So the credibility of the article is in question. Got it.

If anyone has seen clips of The Tammy Grimes Show it is not surprising that the show did not last. There was no chemistry between DS and TG. See the trend. He was not a leading romantic actor.

What has that to do with the subject at hand, grabbing at straws me thinks you are, looking for a red herring for dinner??????

We are talking here not about who was the best Darrin, rather who was the FIRST Darrin!!!!!Got it !!!!!:happyface:happyface:lol::lol::wave::wave:

If anyone has seen clips of The Tammy Grimes Show it is not surprising that the show did not last. There was no chemistry between DS and TG. See the trend. He was not a leading romantic actor.

If anyone has seen clips of The Tammy Grimes Show it is not surprising that the show did not last. There was no chemistry between DS and TG. See the trend. He was not a leading romantic actor.

Sargent played the twin brother of Tammy Grimes on that show...hopefully there was no romantic chemistry there (ha ha). But I thought the show, from what little I saw, was dreadful overall.

The narrator is stating what Asher told him as is Pilato, boy dense as as a obfuscating %$$&%%

Really! Who told you that because it is not mentioned on the show that Asher was their source. And Asher completely contradicts that possibility in his later interview calling Sargent the original "runner up."

Since he was the "first" Darrin it was a good thing the second one was chosen. Bill said he was happy about that.

My bad about TG Show. Glad there was not chemistry.

Your comment has nothing to do with the issue at hand one way or another.!!

Since he was the "first" Darrin it was a good thing the second one was chosen. Bill said he was happy about that.

On numerous other occasions he states DS was his and Liz's first choice, it is widely accepted DS was offered the job by the Ashers and had to turn it down which overwhelmingly demonstrates DS was the Ashers first choice.

How can i explain to you or prove that 2+2=4
Your just being argumentative for the sake of it!!

Really! Who told you that because it is not mentioned on the show that Asher was their source. And Asher completely contradicts that possibility in his later interview calling Sargent the original "runner up."

On numerous other occasions he states DS was his and Liz's first choice, it is widely accepted DS was offered the job by the Ashers and had to turn it down which overwhelmingly demonstrates DS was the Ashers first choice.

How can i explain to you or prove that 2+2=4
Your just being argumentative for the sake of it!!

Whatever you need to believe to keep your fantasy alive.

More proof at 1.45 that Dick Sargent was the first choice as Darrin after a screen test with Liz and Bill, was offered the job by Bill and Liz and turned it down because he was under contract to Universal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7or96CMOLWM

"Twitch Upon a Star" by Herbie J Pilato

page 187:

In 1989, Elizabeth herself concluded of the dual Darrin days:

"I don't know who anyone's first choice was [to play Darrin], all I know is that, Dick York, Dick Sargent, and Richard Crenna were there. And any one of the three I would have been totally delighted with..."

"Twitch Upon a Star" by Herbie J Pilato

page 187:

In 1989, Elizabeth herself concluded of the dual Darrin days:

"I don't know who anyone's first choice was [to play Darrin], all I know is that, Dick York, Dick Sargent, and Richard Crenna were there. And any one of the three I would have been totally delighted with..."

That's an interview from a magazine so it's fake, Liz never mentioned York in any interview she did.

Just look a this interview, she was asked about the success of Bewitched and she said it was because of the great cast they had, she mentioned the rest of the cast but didn't mention York.

qajdhGw00Hw

Why is everything fake if you do not agree with it? How do you pick and choose what is fake and what is factual? There is no way that anyone can know everything that EM said and believed. I am sure there were many things she did not reveal in her life. Wasn't she married to Robert Foxworth for a while before she announced it? I am sure there are things about my wife I do not know as they are not really important. Something came out in a conversation I had with her the other day that I did not know. Just an irrelevant thing. It is not realistic to believe you would know everything about someone you have never met.

Why is everything fake if you do not agree with it? How do you pick and choose what is fake and what is factual? There is no way that anyone can know everything that EM said and believed. I am sure there were many things she did not reveal in her life. Wasn't she married to Robert Foxworth for a while before she announced it? I am sure there are things about my wife I do not know as they are not really important. Something came out in a conversation I had with her the other day that I did not know. Just an irrelevant thing. It is not realistic to believe you would know everything about someone you have never met.


When did I say I know every thing about Liz? I never said that.

Liz once said that sometimes she would open a magazine and find an interview of her that never happened, so the interviews she supposedly did on magazines we have to take them with a grain of salt.

And Liz never mentioned Dick York in interviews, I saw a lot of interviews that she did and she never mentioned him, not even once. I dare you to find and audio interview where we can hear her talking about York, you won't find it.

Great interview from a very classy lady.

Monliz, EM did not mention DS in that interview either. The quote is from a book not a magazine. It does not mention a magazine. Not sure how you concluded it was from a magazine. Would Herbie Pilato have quoted from a magazine? I am actually asking that question because I do not know. However, from everything I have read and heard about him it does not seem like he would take information from a fake source. He seems like he does his research. Also, I did enjoy the interview. EM looked beautiful and quite youthful. She never aged. Maybe she did have a little bit of witch in her. (Ok that is a joke. Please no one take it seriously.)Ha Ha.

Monliz, EM did not mention DS in that interview either. The quote is from a book not a magazine. It does not mention a magazine. Not sure how you concluded it was from a magazine. Would Herbie Pilato have quoted from a magazine? I am actually asking that question because I do not know. However, from everything I have read and heard about him it does not seem like he would take information from a fake source. He seems like he does his research. Also, I did enjoy the interview. EM looked beautiful and quite youthful. She never aged. Maybe she did have a little bit of witch in her. (Ok that is a joke. Please no one take it seriously.)Ha Ha.

Liz didn't mention Sargent because she was asked about the success of Bewitched, Sargent was in the show only in the last three years, also there are other audio interviews where you can hear Liz praising Sargent a lot, but there isn't any interview where you can hear her praising York, that's the difference. Liz even appeared with Sargent in Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade to support him.

I think you're not understanding, Pilato wrote a book about Elizabeth Montgomery and he put in that book a lot of interviews, and some of them were from magazines, that interview where Liz mentions York it was from a magazine, and he put that interview in his book, you get it now?

The point is we can't hear Liz saying that so we don't know if she really said it.

Now, if you want to talk about Pilato's book you can't ignore all the people in that book who stated that Liz didn't like York, and that their relationship wasn't good. Read the book and you'll see it.

When Dick York left the show, I wish the producers had thought of considering another actor from the Columbia/Screen Gems Studios--Ray Fulmer. He would have been a good replacement for the wonderful York. And Fulmer was born just two months before EM so their ages would have been perfect to portray husband and wife. You'll remember that Fulmer played the exasperated Steve Baxter in the last season of Hazel. Good actor and looked a bit like York also.

I think he would have made a great Darrin.