When Dick York left the cast of BEWITCHED, the public was never told that it was because of his severe back pain and associated medical and drug issues.
York was a powerful actor, able to play severe top-blowing anger and nuanced quiet moments equally well. You believed his Darrin truly loved Samantha but was frustrated by the problems of being married to a witch.
It wasn't until decades later that the extent of Dick York's real reasons for leaving BEWITCHED came out.
Meanwhile, it was business a usual on ABC's Thursday night hit. In my personal case, I always rationalized it as Samantha making her husband slightly taller and skinnier and with a bit of a better overall disposition. And made everyone forget that he had ever been any different. Otherwise, it all seemed the same.
Too much the same, in fact, as Dick Sargent's episodes became more and more variations or downright rewrites of pre-existing episodes.
But overall, he was still--to me at least--Darrin Stephens, loving husband and father. In fact, they even had another baby!
Both men are gone now but both were one great character on what has remained one of THE funniest and most enjoyable sitcoms of all time. Who's the best? That's obvious. DICK!
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