TMC
09-23-2024, 02:16 AM
https://jacksonupperco.com/2024/09/18/the-literary-club-read-the-last-bewitched-script-dick-york-ever-saw/
This is where “Samantha’s Surprise” (Part I) comes in — it was the first episode scheduled back after their hiatus. Daily Variety printed on Wednesday, January 08, 1969, that the show was resuming production with this two-parter directed by Bill Asher and guest starring the recurring Maurice Evans. Fans have long assumed that Sam’s so-called “surprise” here was going to be her pregnancy reveal, cueing up another birth and baby for the forthcoming sixth season. The script I have confirms this development, along with something else fans have long suspected about its story — it was the basis for a two-parter that eventually got produced in Season Six with Dick Sargent, “Daddy Comes To Visit” and “Darrin The Warlock,” with several scenes from the former line-for-line identical to what’s in Part I of “Samantha’s Surprise.” In this version, Sam’s plans to give Darrin her good news keep getting delayed by the fact that Maurice has granted his son-in-law the powers of a warlock, which have proven to be intoxicating. It’s a narrative template that the show had already utilized a few times: Darrin temporarily changing his mind about witchcraft when he has a taste of it himself (which speaks to Asher’s synonymizing of magic and wealth), and it’s always solid because of how it’s supported by the situation.
This is where “Samantha’s Surprise” (Part I) comes in — it was the first episode scheduled back after their hiatus. Daily Variety printed on Wednesday, January 08, 1969, that the show was resuming production with this two-parter directed by Bill Asher and guest starring the recurring Maurice Evans. Fans have long assumed that Sam’s so-called “surprise” here was going to be her pregnancy reveal, cueing up another birth and baby for the forthcoming sixth season. The script I have confirms this development, along with something else fans have long suspected about its story — it was the basis for a two-parter that eventually got produced in Season Six with Dick Sargent, “Daddy Comes To Visit” and “Darrin The Warlock,” with several scenes from the former line-for-line identical to what’s in Part I of “Samantha’s Surprise.” In this version, Sam’s plans to give Darrin her good news keep getting delayed by the fact that Maurice has granted his son-in-law the powers of a warlock, which have proven to be intoxicating. It’s a narrative template that the show had already utilized a few times: Darrin temporarily changing his mind about witchcraft when he has a taste of it himself (which speaks to Asher’s synonymizing of magic and wealth), and it’s always solid because of how it’s supported by the situation.