Actress Erin Murphy is famous for her role as Tabitha Stephens on the classic TV series “Bewitched.” From 1966 to 1972, the star played the daughter of Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and Darrin Stephens (Dick York). In 1969, the show underwent a huge casting change when York left and was replaced by Dick Sargent.
The Darrin switch is one of TV’s biggest controversies. While fans didn’t like it, Murphy, even at a young age understood why the producers made the change.
Erin Murphy Knew Dick York ‘Was in Pain’
Murphy was just three years old when she was cast as Tabitha on “Bewitched,” a role she sometimes shared with her twin sister Diane. For three seasons, York played Murphy’s father Darrin, whose life was often chaotic thanks to his wife and his daughter’s magical powers.
By 1969, York had fallen ill and could no longer work. After deciding to leave, the show quickly looked for a Darrin replacement and cast Sargent. “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken” actor played Darrin from 1969 until the show’s cancellation in 1972.
Sargent had big shoes to fill taking over from York, whom many fans consider to be the true Darrin. Although it was weird for viewers to see someone else as Darrin, it wasn’t for Murphy. “It wasn’t weird only because I had been there,” she revealed during the May 6th episode of “The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan” podcast.
“I worked three years with Dick York before Dick Sargent came in, and I saw that he was in pain. And even as a child, there he had this board. It was like a leaning board on set. So, he’d have to lean in between scenes.”
Even though York was dealing with a lot of pain, spending time with Murphy on set helped the actor forget his problems.
“He told me as an adult that one of the things that would get him through is he would sit and tell me stories,” Murphy explained. “Like I was a kid on set and he was a dad…so he was very paternal and he said I would take his mind off the pain.”
How ‘Bewitched’ Handled the Darrin Switch?
York was in the midst of filming the fifth season when his pain flared up so bad, he was admitted to the hospital. It was at that moment that York and the producers reached a decision about his future.
With York’s absence, many episodes of ‘Bewitched’ didn’t feature Darrin. “There would be episodes that had Dick York and then we would not film it with Dick York. So, there were, I think seven or eight episodes in that season where he wasn’t there,” Murphy recalled.
Without Darrin in some episodes, the producers thought they could easily get away with bringing Sargent on as a replacement. When Season 6 premiered with Sargent as the new Darrin, fans noticed and weren’t as welcoming towards the actor.
Even now Murphy laughs about how the show handled the switch. “They aired those seven to eight no Darrin episodes in a row, thinking no one would notice. It’s like, ‘No one will notice, we’ll bring back Darrin, they’ll think it’s the same guy.’ Obviously, everyone noticed.”
While viewers might not have had any love for Sargent, Murphy remained close to him along with York after the show ended.
