When Bewitched first aired on September 17, 1964, no one imagined it would still be alive today. While the show itself lasted eight seasons, Samantha’s signature twitchy nose is something nearly everyone still recognizes today. Multiple spin-offs hit the airwaves, and even a full-on remake was made starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, however, none of the attempts could quite capture what the original could. A TV show remake has even been rumored, since NBC ordered a pilot in October 2014, however, nothing has yet come to fruition. While Samantha tried her best to keep her own secrets, the show’s producers weren’t able to keep everything hush-hush. Here are some things you probably didn’t know about Bewitched.
Not only did Elizabeth Montgomery star as the leading witch, she also played Samantha’s cousin Serena. When given credit for playing Serena, she used the pseudonym Pandora Spocks.
The TV show was created after Sol Saks watched the films I Married A Witch and Bell, Book and Candle. Saks modeled the script for the pilot episode after the films. He has said in interviews since the show that he wasn’t worried about any litigation, considering that both movies were owned by Columbia Pictures, which also owned Screen Gems – the company that produced Bewitched.
Elizabeth was quite the babe back in the ‘60s and kept her beauty into the later years of her life. She must have put an anti-aging spell on herself. Seriously, she probably just took great care of her body which included working out and eating the right foods. Although she looked good on the outside, unfortunately, she was suffering from unknown health issues.
In the early days of the show’s casting, a young actor named Richard Sargent was close to being signed on to play Darrin Stephens. However, Sargent took another job while the pilot searched for a Samantha. Crenna may not have been a serious consideration but we will never know how the show would’ve turned out if someone other than the original Darrin was cast.
After Richard Sargent originally passed on the role, next up was actor Richard Crenna who was offered Darrin next. Richard had just spent several years on “The Real McCoys,” so he passed. Ultimately, Dick York ended up with the lead male role. Sargent later resumed the role after Dick York’s exit. Kind of funny how he ended up with the role at the end of the series. It’s interesting to consider if the show would have lasted eight seasons with him in the first place.