Which factor, do you think, played a large part in Bewitched's drop in ratings? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

md7283 · 10-25-2005, 10:19 PM

Which factor, do you think, played a large part in Bewitched's
drop in ratings? Is it;

a.) Cast Performances
b.) The Changing Times
c.) The Recycled Scripts/Plots and The Cheap Sets
d.) Dick Sargent (the famous Darrin switch)

Mine is letter D. Dick Sargent (not to offend devout D. Sargent
fans but the magic between and Samantha and Darrin disappeared
when Sargent became Darrin).

hch · 10-26-2005, 09:30 AM

When they started using the same stories over and over again in the final season.
I can see why Elizabeth Montgomery was mad about this season- it was 26 episodes too long and it was getting dull quick. Except for a few good moments, the 8th season was clearly a bomb.
They should have ended it with the 7th Season.

mstewart · 10-29-2005, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hch

When they started using the same stories over and over again in the final season.
I can see why Elizabeth Montgomery was mad about this season- it was 26 episodes too long and it was getting dull quick. Except for a few good moments, the 8th season was clearly a bomb.
They should have ended it with the 7th Season.

Like many great shows it went one season too long. The 7th season would had been perfect to end the show. It could had went down as a classic but they were squeezing blood out of a turnup by adding an 8th season full recycled storylines from the first two seasons with somewhat a different twist to it and a few with the same exact dialogue except a different actor playing Darrin. Liz lost interest in the show during the middle of the 7th season. She had a whatever attitude plus her and Bill Asher were having problems with their marriage towards the end of Bewitched. I heard he was having an affair with someone who was working on the show. One of the highlights of the 8th season was Liz's singing. She got a lovely voice. Watching the episodes featuring Tabitha. Erin Murphy was a natural.

Times were changing. Norman Lear came along and began pushing the envelope and social issues were being addressed directly. Bewitched still had a 1960s feel and look about it. Bewitched ran its course but ABC and Asher did not see it and had the nerve to want a 9th season. That would had been horrible to see.

Angelique 2 · 11-02-2005, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by md7283

Which factor, do you think, played a large part in Bewitched's
drop in ratings? Is it;

a.) Cast Performances
b.) The Changing Times
c.) The Recycled Scripts/Plots and The Cheap Sets
d.) Dick Sargent (the famous Darrin switch)

Mine is letter D. Dick Sargent (not to offend devout D. Sargent
fans but the magic between and Samantha and Darrin disappeared
when Sargent became Darrin).

I agree the chemistry just wasn't there between Darrian number two and Samantha.I do think the recycled plots hurt the show too,it just reminded people of when the same plots were done in earlier seasons and done much better.Factor that most hut the show was changing Darrian's.I also thinK Dick York's Darrian had better chemistry with Endora.

Darkhaven80 · 01-08-2006, 05:58 PM

They got a bit too hokey and aimed toward kids. I mean with the story book characters that kept coming to life and such. It was...well, just silly by that point. Also the new Darrin didn't help matters, but they just weren't adding anything new in a good way

comedyfreak · 01-08-2006, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by md7283

Which factor, do you think, played a large part in Bewitched's
drop in ratings? Is it;

a.) Cast Performances
d.) Dick Sargent (the famous Darrin switch)

Mine is letter D. Dick Sargent (not to offend devout D. Sargent
fans but the magic between and Samantha and Darrin disappeared
when Sargent became Darrin).

I think it was a combination of cast performances in the way of Elizabeth not being interested in the show, it came across on screen during the 8th season. She didn't seem to have the same energy. Darrin also had a bit to do with it too, people not use to the switch. Plus there wasn't any chemistry between Sargent and the kids, he seemed more like a step-dad to them. He didn't seem to care for the kids. The show dealt with a serious issue when Tabitha wants to be like her friend who was black, Tabitha zapped spots on them so they could be alike.

tv star collector · 01-09-2006, 09:35 AM

I would say both the casting of Dick Sargent as Darrin and the weaker stories in
the later seasons. Most long-running shows reach a peak at some point and
either slide downhill from there or quit while they're ahead. BARNEY MILLER and
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, for example, stopped while they were still on top.

jamesanthony · 03-21-2006, 05:47 PM

I'd say all of the above, although the Dick switch and the recycling were probably the main reasons. A show an only run but so long and when you think of it, this show was a series of variations on about maybe 3 or 4 different plots.

I find it odd that Dick Sargent was the actor that they wanted to play Darrin originally. If he had started in the role I don't think this series would've made it into the color era.

treky · 03-22-2006, 02:37 AM

I'd say the recycled plots and the switching of Darrins.

kooky12 · 03-22-2006, 01:07 PM

I vote for recycled plots: every show, someone gets turned into an animal or a stuffed/storybook character comes to life;that someone runs loose or whatever, bla bla....

Mikado · 04-20-2006, 04:14 AM

Darren #2

Brenda Brown · 04-20-2006, 01:22 PM

Ditto.

TV Knowledge Fan · 04-20-2006, 05:25 PM

Around the 1970-'71 season, shortly after the "Salem Trip" storyline. After those episodes, for some reason, the series began to literally repeat itself, using rewritten scripts more often...and ABC's decision to move the show from Thursdays to Wednesdays in the fall of 1971. Perhaps it would have been more interesting to allow actual filming in the "European Trip" episodes, but the Ashers {as in "Ashmont"} knew there was a drop in ratings and revenue and....suddenly, everything and everyone was getting tired, including Liz. She wanted to move on, and rightfully so. The projected "ninth season", for contractual reasons, became an additional Saturday morning schedule of repeats in 1972-'73.

rusyd · 04-20-2006, 07:07 PM

I would say all the above. Like any show after so many seasons on the air you run out of ideas and it's just not the same.

Samme · 04-20-2006, 10:03 PM

The show would have basically run its course after eight seasons anyway but I think it started to fail terribly as soon as Dick York left and Dick Sargent took over. He was a lousy actor. And it
hurt Elizabeth as an actress because she seemed
to get lazy because there was nothing to play to.
I don't know why Elizabeth seemed to like Sargent
more than Dick York, but she had to work harder
to keep up with York--and she did. Sargent was
no challenge at all and it seems like she didn't
even try. It's just became a kid's show. I'd like
know what Agnes Moorehead thought of Sargent's acting. And the bit about Sargent being the first
choice seems just a silly exaggeration to save his ego at being a fill in. York had a much better career before the show. And it was a very good
point that if Sargent had started the show, it would have been canceled before it ever got to color.

10-25-2005, 10:19 PM	#1
md7283 Member Forum Hawk Join Date: Oct 01, 2005 Posts: 3	Which factor, do you think, played a large part in Bewitched's drop in ratings? Which factor, do you think, played a large part in Bewitched's drop in ratings? Is it; a.) Cast Performances b.) The Changing Times c.) The Recycled Scripts/Plots and The Cheap Sets d.) Dick Sargent (the famous Darrin switch) Mine is letter D. Dick Sargent (not to offend devout D. Sargent fans but the magic between and Samantha and Darrin disappeared when Sargent became Darrin).

10-26-2005, 09:30 AM	#2
hch Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 07, 2001 Location: Montross, VA 22520 Posts: 983	Choice C When they started using the same stories over and over again in the final season. I can see why Elizabeth Montgomery was mad about this season- it was 26 episodes too long and it was getting dull quick. Except for a few good moments, the 8th season was clearly a bomb. They should have ended it with the 7th Season.
	__________________ "You don't own the rights or the patent on scuffling!" Willona from "Good Times"

03-22-2006, 02:37 AM	#9
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	I'd say the recycled plots and the switching of Darrins.
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

04-20-2006, 05:25 PM	#13
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	When? Around the 1970-'71 season, shortly after the "Salem Trip" storyline. After those episodes, for some reason, the series began to literally repeat itself, using rewritten scripts more often...and ABC's decision to move the show from Thursdays to Wednesdays in the fall of 1971. Perhaps it would have been more interesting to allow actual filming in the "European Trip" episodes, but the Ashers {as in "Ashmont"} knew there was a drop in ratings and revenue and....suddenly, everything and everyone was getting tired, including Liz. She wanted to move on, and rightfully so. The projected "ninth season", for contractual reasons, became an additional Saturday morning schedule of repeats in 1972-'73.

01-08-2006, 05:58 PM	#5
Darkhaven80 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 08, 2006 Posts: 72	They got a bit too hokey and aimed toward kids. I mean with the story book characters that kept coming to life and such. It was...well, just silly by that point. Also the new Darrin didn't help matters, but they just weren't adding anything new in a good way

01-09-2006, 09:35 AM	#7
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,486	I would say both the casting of Dick Sargent as Darrin and the weaker stories in the later seasons. Most long-running shows reach a peak at some point and either slide downhill from there or quit while they're ahead. BARNEY MILLER and EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, for example, stopped while they were still on top.

03-21-2006, 05:47 PM	#8
jamesanthony Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 30, 2004 Posts: 2,180	I'd say all of the above, although the Dick switch and the recycling were probably the main reasons. A show an only run but so long and when you think of it, this show was a series of variations on about maybe 3 or 4 different plots. I find it odd that Dick Sargent was the actor that they wanted to play Darrin originally. If he had started in the role I don't think this series would've made it into the color era.

03-22-2006, 01:07 PM	#10
kooky12 Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 06, 2005 Posts: 2,022	I vote for recycled plots: every show, someone gets turned into an animal or a stuffed/storybook character comes to life;that someone runs loose or whatever, bla bla....

04-20-2006, 04:14 AM	#11
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,886	Darren #2

04-20-2006, 01:22 PM	#12
Brenda Brown Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 09, 2006 Posts: 20	Ditto.

04-20-2006, 07:07 PM	#14
rusyd Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Mar 30, 2004 Posts: 13,505	I would say all the above. Like any show after so many seasons on the air you run out of ideas and it's just not the same.

04-20-2006, 10:03 PM	#15
Samme Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 01, 2001 Posts: 679	The show would have basically run its course after eight seasons anyway but I think it started to fail terribly as soon as Dick York left and Dick Sargent took over. He was a lousy actor. And it hurt Elizabeth as an actress because she seemed to get lazy because there was nothing to play to. I don't know why Elizabeth seemed to like Sargent more than Dick York, but she had to work harder to keep up with York--and she did. Sargent was no challenge at all and it seems like she didn't even try. It's just became a kid's show. I'd like know what Agnes Moorehead thought of Sargent's acting. And the bit about Sargent being the first choice seems just a silly exaggeration to save his ego at being a fill in. York had a much better career before the show. And it was a very good point that if Sargent had started the show, it would have been canceled before it ever got to color.