Why was Dick York missing on many of the color episodes? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

BewitchedFan · 09-14-2010, 11:56 AM

I know he collapsed and had to leave towards the end of the 5th season. So, that explains why he was missing in a lot of the Season 5 episodes. But that doesn't explain his absence in a few episodes of Seasons 3 and 4. Why is that? Was he starting to have health problems in Season 3?

Arfies · 09-14-2010, 06:51 PM

He was given some episodes off because his father died (Bernard York died in Dec. 1967, I think), and others because of his back/health problems.

Bewitched Filming Schedule: http://www.bewitched.net/filmsche.htm

These non-Darrin episodes and their filming dates could've fit that:

"Tabitha's Cranky Spell"- 12/4/67
"A Prince of a Guy"- 12/11/67
"Playmates"- 1/18/67

catlover79 · 09-14-2010, 08:36 PM

Dick York missed a total of 14 episodes (he was in 156 of the first five seasons' 170). In the book Bewitched Forever by Herbie J. Pilato, DY missed two episodes because of his father's passing and the rest because of his own health issues.

BewitchedFan · 09-14-2010, 09:59 PM

Thanks. It's terrible that they did this. I got my Season 4 DVD set last week in the mail and I'm enjoying it until now. The non-Darrin episodes are painful to sit through. Ok, I got through "A Prince of A Guy" yesterday. But now, I just finished watching "Playmates" and it was depressing. And now the next episodes..."Tabitha's Cranky Spell" which is also non-Darrin. Two in a row. My stomach can't take it. And to think that I still have to watch "A Majority of Two."

Remind me not to buy Season 5 because I know it only gets worse. I must say, as much as I like Dick York better than Dick Sargent, at least none of the Sargent episodes were Darrin-less. Seriously, they should've just not filmed those episodes at all if Dick York couldn't make it for filming. I'd rather there be about 29 good episodes of Season 4 all with Darrin than to have 33 episodes with 4 of them missing him.

catlover79 · 09-14-2010, 10:03 PM

You're welcome, but I wouldn't write off S5 completely. There are some good episodes WITH Darrin on there, such as "Samantha Goes South For a Spell" and "Samantha Loses Her Voice".

BewitchedFan · 09-14-2010, 10:13 PM

True. Though, I must say that the only non-Darrin episode I actually like is "Samantha's Power Failure." Uncle Arthur and Serena really made the episode entertaining.

catlover79 · 09-14-2010, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BewitchedFan

True. Though, I must say that the only non-Darrin episode I actually like is "Samantha's Power Failure." Uncle Arthur and Serena really made the episode entertaining.

Yeah, that is a fun one.

Arfies · 09-15-2010, 12:35 AM

I crack up at "Marriage, Witches' Style." Mainly for the scene where Franklin and Serena are pretending to be total klutzes to "out-mortal" each other.

catlover79 · 09-15-2010, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arfies

I crack up at "Marriage, Witches' Style." Mainly for the scene where Franklin and Serena are pretending to be total klutzes to "out-mortal" each other.

Serena certainly gave Liz the chance to show off the naughtier AND goofier sides of her personality.

novarrofan · 09-15-2010, 03:20 AM

I still like the non-Darrin episodes throughout season four. I really love "Playmates" as it gives Samantha and Mrs. Stephens some great interactions. Peggy Pope is also wonderful in this episode as Gretchen.Dick York had experienced back troubles for years which grew steadily worse through seasons four and especially in season five when he missed so many episodes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BewitchedFan

Thanks. It's terrible that they did this. I got my Season 4 DVD set last week in the mail and I'm enjoying it until now. The non-Darrin episodes are painful to sit through. Ok, I got through "A Prince of A Guy" yesterday. But now, I just finished watching "Playmates" and it was depressing. And now the next episodes..."Tabitha's Cranky Spell" which is also non-Darrin. Two in a row. My stomach can't take it. And to think that I still have to watch "A Majority of Two."

Remind me not to buy Season 5 because I know it only gets worse. I must say, as much as I like Dick York better than Dick Sargent, at least none of the Sargent episodes were Darrin-less. Seriously, they should've just not filmed those episodes at all if Dick York couldn't make it for filming. I'd rather there be about 29 good episodes of Season 4 all with Darrin than to have 33 episodes with 4 of them missing him.

BewitchedFan · 12-03-2010, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Dick York missed a total of 14 episodes (he was in 156 of the first five seasons' 170). In the book Bewitched Forever by Herbie J. Pilato, DY missed two episodes because of his father's passing and the rest because of his own health issues.

I now own Seasons 3, 4, and 5 on DVD. After watching all of Seasons 3, 4 and most of 5, this is what I notice about York’s disappearance…..

In Season 3, he only missed 2 episodes, one in the middle of the season and one towards the end. This is unusual since the episodes are spread apart. But like you said, those two episodes were probably due to his father’s death. He missed two episodes and they probably just spread them out in the season.

In Season 4, he missed 4 episodes. These four episodes are close together and happen towards the end of the season. My guess is that Dick York was starting to have health issues towards the end of the season and needed some time off.

Season 5 is the most interesting one. There were 30 episodes and in the first 19, Dick York is in ALL the episodes. But starting with episode 20 and on, he starts missing almost every episode, with the exception of a few here and there (one of those few being “Daddy Does His Thing” which he collapsed while filming). So, in season 5, it looks like they wanted Dick York to be in all the episodes, but since he collapsed and had to resign, they had to film the remaining 8 episodes without him. And they inserted the remaining 3 Darrin episodes and mixed them into those 8.

So, Dick York’s short disappearance in Season 3 is due to his father’s death. His disappearance in Season 5 was due to his early resignation. But, Season 4 is what I find to be the most puzzling. My best guess would be that his health problems were starting to act up and he needed time to rest and recover.

DemandYourPickle · 12-03-2010, 11:22 AM

I wonder what was the cause of the seizure. Was he running a very high temperature or was it too much medicine?

Dr. Thong · 12-03-2010, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BewitchedFan

Thanks. It's terrible that they did this. I got my Season 4 DVD set last week in the mail and I'm enjoying it until now. The non-Darrin episodes are painful to sit through. Ok, I got through "A Prince of A Guy" yesterday. But now, I just finished watching "Playmates" and it was depressing. And now the next episodes..."Tabitha's Cranky Spell" which is also non-Darrin. Two in a row. My stomach can't take it. And to think that I still have to watch "A Majority of Two."

Remind me not to buy Season 5 because I know it only gets worse. I must say, as much as I like Dick York better than Dick Sargent, at least none of the Sargent episodes were Darrin-less. Seriously, they should've just not filmed those episodes at all if Dick York couldn't make it for filming. I'd rather there be about 29 good episodes of Season 4 all with Darrin than to have 33 episodes with 4 of them missing him.

Point taken, but I'm sure they were contractually obligated to give the network 33 episodes and had a schedule to meet. It's like any other job -- the other co-workers pick up the slack and muddle through when a co-worker is absent. That's life, folks.

Arfies · 12-03-2010, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DemandYourPickle

I wonder what was the cause of the seizure. Was he running a very high temperature or was it too much medicine?

Probably a perfect storm of not only the usual back pain and painkiller side effects, but also pneumonia, the flu, and insomnia. From http://www.harpiesbizarre.com/yorkarticle1980.htm :

Pressures -- both emotional and physical -- built atop pressures. And, eventually, York crashed. "I'd been fighting off pneumonia for a month, then got the flu. I hadn't been able to sleep for a week. One day, my body just totally gave up. I went into convulsions. I saw the color drain from my wife Joey's face when she saw me in the hospital. I saw what it did to her. And I made a decision: 'I can't play this kind of game anymore.' "

Poor guy.

DemandYourPickle · 12-03-2010, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arfies

Probably a perfect storm of not only the usual back pain and painkiller side effects, but also pneumonia, the flu, and insomnia. From http://www.harpiesbizarre.com/yorkarticle1980.htm :

Pressures -- both emotional and physical -- built atop pressures. And, eventually, York crashed. "I'd been fighting off pneumonia for a month, then got the flu. I hadn't been able to sleep for a week. One day, my body just totally gave up. I went into convulsions. I saw the color drain from my wife Joey's face when she saw me in the hospital. I saw what it did to her. And I made a decision: 'I can't play this kind of game anymore.' "

Poor guy.

Oh, yes, I remember reading that.

The poor dear. I can't even imagine...

09-14-2010, 11:56 AM	#1
BewitchedFan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 02, 2010 Posts: 103	Why was Dick York missing on many of the color episodes? I know he collapsed and had to leave towards the end of the 5th season. So, that explains why he was missing in a lot of the Season 5 episodes. But that doesn't explain his absence in a few episodes of Seasons 3 and 4. Why is that? Was he starting to have health problems in Season 3?

09-14-2010, 06:51 PM	#2
Arfies Memberific Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: There beneath the blue suburban skies, in summer, meanwhile back.... Posts: 481	He was given some episodes off because his father died (Bernard York died in Dec. 1967, I think), and others because of his back/health problems. Bewitched Filming Schedule: http://www.bewitched.net/filmsche.htm These non-Darrin episodes and their filming dates could've fit that: "Tabitha's Cranky Spell"- 12/4/67 "A Prince of a Guy"- 12/11/67 "Playmates"- 1/18/67
	Last edited by Arfies; 09-14-2010 at 07:16 PM.

09-14-2010, 08:36 PM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Dick York missed a total of 14 episodes (he was in 156 of the first five seasons' 170). In the book Bewitched Forever by Herbie J. Pilato, DY missed two episodes because of his father's passing and the rest because of his own health issues.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

09-14-2010, 09:59 PM	#4
BewitchedFan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 02, 2010 Posts: 103	Thanks. It's terrible that they did this. I got my Season 4 DVD set last week in the mail and I'm enjoying it until now. The non-Darrin episodes are painful to sit through. Ok, I got through "A Prince of A Guy" yesterday. But now, I just finished watching "Playmates" and it was depressing. And now the next episodes..."Tabitha's Cranky Spell" which is also non-Darrin. Two in a row. My stomach can't take it. And to think that I still have to watch "A Majority of Two." Remind me not to buy Season 5 because I know it only gets worse. I must say, as much as I like Dick York better than Dick Sargent, at least none of the Sargent episodes were Darrin-less. Seriously, they should've just not filmed those episodes at all if Dick York couldn't make it for filming. I'd rather there be about 29 good episodes of Season 4 all with Darrin than to have 33 episodes with 4 of them missing him.

09-14-2010, 10:03 PM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	You're welcome, but I wouldn't write off S5 completely. There are some good episodes WITH Darrin on there, such as "Samantha Goes South For a Spell" and "Samantha Loses Her Voice".

09-14-2010, 10:13 PM	#6
BewitchedFan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 02, 2010 Posts: 103	True. Though, I must say that the only non-Darrin episode I actually like is "Samantha's Power Failure." Uncle Arthur and Serena really made the episode entertaining.

09-15-2010, 12:35 AM	#8
Arfies Memberific Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: There beneath the blue suburban skies, in summer, meanwhile back.... Posts: 481	I crack up at "Marriage, Witches' Style." Mainly for the scene where Franklin and Serena are pretending to be total klutzes to "out-mortal" each other.

12-03-2010, 11:22 AM	#12
DemandYourPickle Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 08, 2010 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 184	I wonder what was the cause of the seizure. Was he running a very high temperature or was it too much medicine?