Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick Sargent together in the early 90s

[Monliz]

Here you can see a picture of Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick Sargent together, the picture was taken in the early 90s in Los Angeles.

I enjoyed Sargent's work on Bewitched, I liked his sarcasm and his more relaxed way of playing Darrin.

It's great to see that Sargent and Liz remained close friends after Bewitched ended.

[Monliz]

By the way, Liz still looked beautiful in her 60s, it's like she hasn't aged

[Harlock]

Elizabeth Montgomery was superb as Samantha. She was a splendid actress. However Dick Sargent was horrid. I watch reruns only of the York episodes. I never get tired of the York episodes.

I've seen the Sargent episodes only once, he was so dreadful that I can't watch reruns of his Bewitched episodes. It's bizarre that Elizabeth Montgomery kept in touch with the Darrin everyone despises , or at least the majority of the audience despises.

[tcr1701]

Originally Posted by Harlock

Elizabeth Montgomery was superb as Samantha. She was a splendid actress. However Dick Sargent was horrid. I watch reruns only of the York episodes. I never get tired of the York episodes.

I've seen the Sargent episodes only once, he was so dreadful that I can't watch reruns of his Bewitched episodes. It's bizarre that Elizabeth Montgomery kept in touch with the Darrin everyone despises , or at least the majority of the audience despises.

For me it's like two different shows: the York Years and the Sargent Years. It's really not the same character when Dick Sargent took over. All continuity between Samantha and Darrin was gone. I have a hard time seeing Sam and Darrin as a romantic couple in the Sargent years - especially because Sargent played Darrin as rather asexual with a lot of pent up anger - often toward Samantha.

As I recall Sargent and Elizabeth had not kept in constant contact after the show. But Pilato's Bewitched book got everyone in touch again. I think Elizabeth had a busy life in the 70s after the show doing her occasional movies and raising her kids. She was just busy.

[Monliz]

Originally Posted by tcr1701

For me it's like two different shows: the York Years and the Sargent Years. It's really not the same character when Dick Sargent took over. All continuity between Samantha and Darrin was gone. I have a hard time seeing Sam and Darrin as a romantic couple in the Sargent years - especially because Sargent played Darrin as rather asexual with a lot of pent up anger - often toward Samantha.

As I recall Sargent and Elizabeth had not kept in constant contact after the show. But Pilato's Bewitched book got everyone in touch again. I think Elizabeth had a busy life in the 70s after the show doing her occasional movies and raising her kids. She was just busy.

In an interview with Pilato, Sargent said he and Liz were in touch by telephone and even having dinners together. They remained friends

https://www.harpiesbizarre.com/sargent_interview.htm

[Yong Fang]

York and Sargent looked similar but had different personalities. York was more goofy, and Sargent was more serious. It wasnt that seemless of two actors playing the same character.

[Monliz]

Originally Posted by Harlock

Elizabeth Montgomery was superb as Samantha. She was a splendid actress. However Dick Sargent was horrid. I watch reruns only of the York episodes. I never get tired of the York episodes.

I've seen the Sargent episodes only once, he was so dreadful that I can't watch reruns of his Bewitched episodes. It's bizarre that Elizabeth Montgomery kept in touch with the Darrin everyone despises , or at least the majority of the audience despises.

The majority of the audience didn't despise Sargent, you have no evidence of that. In fact, in the Bewitched documentary, producers of Bewitched said that the audience didn't sent them complaints about the switch, nor asking what happened to York.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Monliz

The majority of the audience didn't despise Sargent, you have no evidence of that. In fact, in the Bewitched documentary, producers of Bewitched said that the audience didn't sent them complaints about the switch, nor asking what happened to York.

No, we just sat at home, shaking our heads at the change, wondering what happened to Dick York. "That's Hollywood!" we said, rolling our eyes.

[Willbo]

I do not know if they despised him (DS) or not but he was not Darrin to most people. You can read these boards and tell the switch was not well liked. If social media had been around back then, the producers would have gotten an earful. I do not hate the last three season but it does feel like a different show. I do not think that DY and DS look or act at all like each other. DY had life and charisma. Monliz, watch the first few episodes of season one. There is no way that DS would have had the chemistry with EM that DY had. The show would not nearly been as successful.

[Monliz]

Originally Posted by Willbo

I do not know if they despised him (DS) or not but he was not Darrin to most people. You can read these boards and tell the switch was not well liked. If social media had been around back then, the producers would have gotten an earful. I do not hate the last three season but it does feel like a different show. I do not think that DY and DS look or act at all like each other. DY had life and charisma. Monliz, watch the first few episodes of season one. There is no way that DS would have had the chemistry with EM that DY had. The show would not nearly been as successful.

Liz and York had chemistry together, I know that. But she had chemistry with Sargent too, it's just that the Liz/Sargent chemistry was different than Liz and York's.

If Sargent had taken the rol originally, in the first two seasons he would have been as romantic as York was, the thing is that when Sargent took over, Darrin and Samantha have been married for 5 years already, and after all those years of being married the passion and romance is not the same as the beginning.

Sargent and Liz acted like a married couple who are in love with each other, a married couple that have been together for 5+ years and have two kids to take care of.

If York had stayed, in the seasons 6, 7 and 8, he wouldn't have acted the same say he did in the first two seasons, he would have acted more like father of two kids and a husband who has been with his five for a long time.

[Willbo]

In most marriages, 5 years is still the honeymoon era. Since DY was not in the last 3 seasons you cannot state how he would act. He was still very loving in season 5. DS was a good actor just not a romantic one. I did like his role in I Dream of Jeannie.Those were the kind of roles he was good at. He did not seem comfortable, natural in romantic situations. I always thought he seemed kind of distant from Tabitha and Adam.

[tcr1701]

Originally Posted by Willbo

I always thought he seemed kind of distant from Tabitha and Adam.

It's interesting you note that because I've noticed it too. I can't tell if it's the writing or if Sargent just didn't play to the kids as an actor. I remember one episode where Dick York comes into the Kitchen set and sweetly says to Tabitha "How's my little sweetheart" and Erin Murphy just beamed back at him affectionately. I think as a father himself York knew how you talk to little kids.

[Willbo]

Originally Posted by tcr1701

It's interesting you note that because I've noticed it too. I can't tell if it's the writing or if Sargent just didn't play to the kids as an actor. I remember one episode where Dick York comes into the Kitchen set and sweetly says to Tabitha "How's my little sweetheart" and Erin Murphy just beamed back at him affectionately. I think as a father himself York knew how you talk to little kids.

I agree.

[Monliz]

Actually Dick Sargent was good at playing to the kids.

Look at this episode of a sitcom he did in the 1980s, the episode revolves around Dick Sargent and his on screen son.

[Harlock]

Originally Posted by Monliz

The majority of the audience didn't despise Sargent, you have no evidence of that. In fact, in the Bewitched documentary, producers of Bewitched said that the audience didn't sent them complaints about the switch, nor asking what happened to York.

In the first 5 seasons Bewitched was one in the top 10 most viewed shows, with Dick Sargent the show wasn't even in the top 30, so yes the majority of the audience didn't like Dick Sargent.