Create a show scenerio that would accommodate Dick York

[merlinjones]

So we know the show considered different storylines to accommodate DY and tossed them out, preferring to stick with the established formula -- that's history - as are their reasons.

But -- just for the sake of fun and creativity -- what imaginative storyline twist would you twitch-up that would have kept DY as Darrin despite his physical issues?

[tcr1701]

York was home ill for 18 months after he left (from his biography). Realistically, I'd say York may have been able to return in season 8 - which would have been fun. Especially if Gladys Kravitz was the only one to notice he had changed (into DS) then changed back again (into DY).

[merlinjones]

That's really funny!

[Larry Tate]

The simple fact is that there was no physical possibility that would have allowed York to come back and work regularly be it on Bewitched or any other project on stage, TV or screen.

He physically could not do it any more.
Bewitched never considered different story lines to accommodate DY to allow him to return on any sense.
Once he collapsed they wrote him off as no longer employable and rightly so and never considered bringing him back.

They considered various ways to explain his absence and that of the character Darrin and have the show go on without him or the character but eventually decided to just recast the role and clearly made the right choice of the options presented to them.

There is zero chance that he could have come back for season 8,9,10 etc.

When he did attempt to come back in 1983 his back very quickly gave out and he was done.

1983 Simon & Simon Martin Donlevy Episode: "Too Much of a Good Thing"
1984 Fantasy Island Mr. Sutton Episode: "Sweet Life/Games People Play"

[tcr1701]

Dick York's interview for Filmfax Magazine in 1991:

"I did Fantasy Island and the next job was on Simon and Simon. Then I tried out for High School, USA, a pilot film that producer Leonard Hill had me read for the villain of the piece. I wasn't right for it but Henry Gibson was. So they called up and offered me the part of the guy who supplies all the money to the school."

[The pilot, which aired May 26, 1984, didn't sell even though it had a most unusual cast that included, besides York and Gibson, Rick Nelson, Harriet Nelson, Melody Anderson, Jerry Mathers, Burt Ward, Barbara Billingsly and Crispin Glover. Interestingly enough this was the second pilot filmed. The first, which aired on October 16, 1983, starred Dwayne Hickman, Angela Cartwright, Tony Dow, David Nelson, Michael J. Fox, Anthony Edwards, Crispin Glover, Bob Denver and Elinor Donahue.]

Finally, York appeared on a comedy project produced by Johnny Carson.

"I had to join AFTRA which cost me $900. Carson gave me 1,000 for a half day of work. By the time I paid the union and my agent, the check came to $3.50."

Then everything stopped.

"I didn't get any more calls and that went on for a year. I started teaching acting in Hollywood. That kept me in money."

York was to discover that his agent had failed to register him properly with the Screen Actor's Guild. Therefore, they had no agent of record for York. York discovered this when he happened to speak to someone at the Screen Actor's Guild on another matter. He mentioned his dry spell and was told that he had received plenty of calls, but since they had no agent listed for him, and were not allowed to give out home telephone numbers, they were unable to help prospective employers.

Dick's back condition was degenerative but did not force him to leave Hollywood for good in the 1980s. The Yorks eventually chose to move to Michigan to care for Joey's Ailing mother.

[Larry Tate]

York's back condition was degenerative but did force him to leave Hollywood for good in the 1980s.

After Simon and Simon his back did give out and that finished him as an actor.
He was always in denial and at times delusional about the reality of his life.
Example being that while in a drug induced haze while bed ridden in the spring of 1969 he asked the Bewitched producers to hold off on filming any more Bewitched episodes with Dick Sargent by then recast as Darrin .

York believed that if they just gave him the summer to recover that he could come back to resume filming just before the new season was to commence and finish out the shows run.

Several episodes had already been filmed with Dick Sargent which would have been junked if York's request had been granted at a loss of $100,000 or more, not surprisingly this was rejected by SG and ABC and rightly so as he would prove to be bed ridden for at least 18 months after his collapse.

The whole my agent lost me and failed to register me is more of his delusion and make believe disconnect from reality that was always a part of him all his life, fact is he he just could not do it anymore and the industry knew it and he never worked again as an actor.

[Larry Tate]

Interestingly enough this was the second pilot filmed. The first, which aired on October 16, 1983, starred Dwayne Hickman, Angela Cartwright, Tony Dow, David Nelson, Michael J. Fox, Anthony Edwards, Crispin Glover.

That is interesting as when younger Crispin Glover was in effect Dick York's doppelganger and could have passed for his fraternal twin.

[Willbo]

Originally Posted by Larry Tate

York's back condition was degenerative but did force him to leave Hollywood for good in the 1980s.

After Simon and Simon his back did give out and that finished him as an actor.
He was always in denial and at times delusional about the reality of his life.
Example being that while in a drug induced haze while bed ridden in the spring of 1969 he asked the Bewitched producers to hold off on filming any more Bewitched episodes with Dick Sargent by then recast as Darrin .

York believed that if they just gave him the summer to recover that he could come back to resume filming just before the new season was to commence and finish out the shows run.

Several episodes had already been filmed with Dick Sargent which would have been junked if York's request had been granted at a loss of $100,000 or more, not surprisingly this was rejected by SG and ABC and rightly so as he would prove to be bed ridden for at least 18 months after his collapse.

The whole my agent lost me and failed to register me is more of his delusion and make believe disconnect from reality that was always a part of him all his life, fact is he he just could not do it anymore and the industry knew it and he never worked again as an actor.

Again, this is your opinion and not fact.

[Larry Tate]

No these are confirmed facts and historical truths.
To say otherwise is like saying the show Bewitched never existed.

Originally Posted by Larry Tate View Post
York's back condition was degenerative but did force him to leave Hollywood for good in the 1980s.

After Simon and Simon his back did give out and that finished him as an actor.
He was always in denial and at times delusional about the reality of his life.
Example being that while in a drug induced haze while bed ridden in the spring of 1969 he asked the Bewitched producers to hold off on filming any more Bewitched episodes with Dick Sargent by then recast as Darrin .

York believed that if they just gave him the summer to recover that he could come back to resume filming just before the new season was to commence and finish out the shows run.

Several episodes had already been filmed with Dick Sargent which would have been junked if York's request had been granted at a loss of $100,000 or more, not surprisingly this was rejected by SG and ABC and rightly so as he would prove to be bed ridden for at least 18 months after his collapse.

The whole my agent lost me and failed to register me is more of his delusion and make believe disconnect from reality that was always a part of him all his life, fact is he he just could not do it anymore and the industry knew it and he never worked again as an actor.

Originally Posted by Willbo

Again, this is your opinion and not fact.

[Willbo]

Originally Posted by Larry Tate

No these are confirmed facts and historical truths.
To say otherwise is like saying the show Bewitched never existed.

Originally Posted by Larry Tate View Post
York's back condition was degenerative but did force him to leave Hollywood for good in the 1980s.

After Simon and Simon his back did give out and that finished him as an actor.
He was always in denial and at times delusional about the reality of his life.
Example being that while in a drug induced haze while bed ridden in the spring of 1969 he asked the Bewitched producers to hold off on filming any more Bewitched episodes with Dick Sargent by then recast as Darrin .

York believed that if they just gave him the summer to recover that he could come back to resume filming just before the new season was to commence and finish out the shows run.

Several episodes had already been filmed with Dick Sargent which would have been junked if York's request had been granted at a loss of $100,000 or more, not surprisingly this was rejected by SG and ABC and rightly so as he would prove to be bed ridden for at least 18 months after his collapse.

The whole my agent lost me and failed to register me is more of his delusion and make believe disconnect from reality that was always a part of him all his life, fact is he he just could not do it anymore and the industry knew it and he never worked again as an actor.

DY stated in an interview that the agent failed to register him. It came out of his mouth. How does that make him delusional? It is your opinion but not fact. You use the term delusional for anyone who does not agree with you. You sound like a spoiled child having a temper tantrum.

[Larry Tate]

His past history and actions made him and it delusional & unreliable.

His mouth spoke the words that while in a drug induced haze while bed ridden in the spring of 1969 he asked the Bewitched producers to hold off on filming any more Bewitched episodes with Dick Sargent by then recast as Darrin .

York believed that if they just gave him the summer to recover that he could come back to resume filming just before the new season was to commence and finish out the shows run even though he was bed ridden and in and out of a coma for 18 months.

That 20 years later he still stated that this was so and that this was indeed the case back then shows again that what he says came out of the mouth of someone delusional and in extreme denial all his life along with his prior behavior during Bewitched.

Several episodes had already been filmed with Dick Sargent which would have been junked if York's request had been granted at a loss of $100,000 or more, not surprisingly this was rejected by SG and ABC and rightly so as he would prove to be bed ridden for at least 18 months after his collapse.

That makes in my mind the comments about his agent self serving and non credible.

Here's a few bucks to buy yourself another blow up Dick York doll.

Originally Posted by Willbo

DY stated in an interview that the agent failed to register him. It came out of his mouth. How does that make him delusional? It is your opinion but not fact. You use the term delusional for anyone who does not agree with you. You sound like a spoiled child having a temper tantrum.

[tcr1701]

Why Dick York left Bewitched. Filmfax Magaxine interview with York from 1991.

Then a decision was made by York and by producer/director Bill Asher.

Again, from York's writings.

"Bill Asher comes to the hospital and he says, 'What do you want to do, Dick? Do you want to quit?' I said, 'If it's all right with you, Billy.' He looked at me, and I guess he and Joey had talked and I guess Bill knew when people had enough and he said, 'OK, kid, I'll tell 'em.'

"And Bill Asher and I hugged for the first time."

York remained sick and on his back for over a year.

"After 18 months I was healed up but I was afraid. So we bought an apartment building and were going to live off the rent money. We rented to people who were on welfare and a lot of times they couldn't pay the rent. We wouldn't throw them out so we lost the building.

[Willbo]

LT you refuse to admit any truths when it comes to DY. You are the one that is delusional. It comes out of his mouth and you are still in denial.

[tcr1701]

Originally Posted by Willbo

LT you refuse to admit any truths when it comes to DY. You are the one that is delusional. It comes out of his mouth and you are still in denial.

It is just being done to provoke a response. Trolls love that more than actual truth and conversation.

[Willbo]

So very true.