The
Vita da strega (1964) TV comedy series was originally a vehicle for Broadway star
Tammy Grimes as the lovely witch Samantha. She had recently scored in the Broadway musical comedy "High Spirits," based on the
Noël Coward play "Blithe Spirit," in which she played the deceased Elvira, who comes back to haunt her former husband.
Dick Sargent was chosen to play her mortal mate Darrin Stephens. When Grimes passed on the series,
Elizabeth Montgomery was cast in the role. By that time, Sargent had other acting commitments and was forced to bow out of the pilot. York came into the picture after
Richard Crenna of
The Real McCoys (1957) fame turned the role down. Of course, Sargent wound up replacing York as Darrin in 1969, after York suffered a seizure on the set and was rushed to the hospital. He never returned to the show, and the "second Darrin Stephens" was never explained.
