Who was first cast as Darrin Stephens and by Whom? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Larry Tate · 03-04-2020, 02:32 PM

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.!!

tcr1701 · 03-04-2020, 03:05 PM

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_c...ature=emb_logo

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

RetroGuy2000 · 03-04-2020, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcr1701

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_c...ature=emb_logo

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

Nice find!

Monliz · 03-04-2020, 04:17 PM

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

Willbo · 03-04-2020, 04:26 PM

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.

RetroGuy2000 · 03-04-2020, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willbo

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.

Monliz · 03-04-2020, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willbo

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

Willbo · 03-04-2020, 04:54 PM

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

Larry Tate · 03-04-2020, 05:15 PM

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willbo

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.

Larry Tate · 03-04-2020, 05:18 PM

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

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

Monliz · 03-04-2020, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willbo

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.

Larry Tate · 03-04-2020, 05:24 PM

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."

tcr1701 · 03-04-2020, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Tate

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_c...ature=emb_logo

Monliz · 03-04-2020, 08:08 PM

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

Larry Tate · 03-05-2020, 01:43 PM

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.

03-04-2020, 02:32 PM	#1
Larry Tate Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 26, 2001 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 1,569	Who was first cast as Darrin Stephens and by Whom? 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.!!

03-04-2020, 03:05 PM	#2
tcr1701 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 22, 2012 Posts: 461	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_c...ature=emb_logo This video is good as it also covers how he and EM got involved in Bewitched initially.

03-04-2020, 04:17 PM	#4
Monliz Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 26, 2019 Location: Miami Posts: 253	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

03-04-2020, 04:26 PM	#5
Willbo Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 10, 2012 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 863	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.

03-04-2020, 04:54 PM	#8
Willbo Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 10, 2012 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 863	That is speculation and your opinion that cannot be backed up with proof.

03-04-2020, 05:24 PM	#12
Larry Tate Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 26, 2001 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 1,569	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."

03-04-2020, 08:08 PM	#14
Monliz Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 26, 2019 Location: Miami Posts: 253	Dick Sargent was the first choice, this been confirmed by Sargent and by Bill Asher

03-05-2020, 01:43 PM	#15
Larry Tate Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 26, 2001 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 1,569	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.