History Trivia / Bewitched

* SoMyKidsCanWatch: This was the first Creator/NicoleKidman movie that was seen by Kidman's two youngest daughters.[[note]]Although it is unclear if she made this film with this purpose in mind, as the two weren't born yet when she made this film, but Kidman did already have two adopted children from her marriage to Creator/TomCruise.[[/note]] However, due to their young ages, the two girls believed their mother was able to perform magic tricks, and were left confused and disappointed when they realized the truth.

** Creator/JoanPlowright was originally announced as Aunt Clara, but had to pull out before being able to shoot any scenes. As mentioned elsewhere, the role was given to Carole Shelley at Creator/KristinChenoweth's recommendation.

** Creator/JoanPlowright was originally cast as Aunt Clara, but had to pull out before being able to shoot any scenes. As mentioned elsewhere, the role was given to Carole Shelley at Creator/KristinChenoweth's recommendation.

** Before Creator/NicoleKidman was cast as Samantha, Creator/JenniferAniston, Creator/ChristinaApplegate, Creator/PatriciaArquette, Creator/DrewBarrymore, Creator/KimBasinger, Creator/KateBeckinsale, Creator/SandraBullock, Creator/JenniferConnelly, Creator/CameronDiaz, Creator/HeatherGraham, Creator/MelanieGriffith, Creator/MaggieGyllenhaal, Creator/TeriHatcher, Creator/JenniferLoveHewitt, Creator/HelenHunt, Creator/AngelinaJolie, Creator/AshleyJudd, Creator/LisaKudrow, Creator/AlyssaMilano, Creator/JulianneMoore, Creator/BrittanyMurphy, Creator/GwynethPaltrow, Creator/SarahJessicaParker, Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/MollyRingwald, Creator/MegRyan, Creator/WinonaRyder, Creator/JuliaRoberts, Creator/BrookeShields, Creator/AliciaSilverstone, Creator/HilarySwank, Creator/CharlizeTheron, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/NaomiWatts, Creator/ReeseWitherspoon, and Creator/ReneeZellweger were also considered.

* TheOtherMarty: Creator/JoanPlowright was originally cast as Aunt Clara, but had to pull out. As mentioned elsewhere, the role was given to Carole Shelley at Creator/KristinChenoweth's recommendation.

* ActorInspiredElement: the reason Samantha wiggled her nose to cast spells is that Creator/ElizabethMontgomery had the very rare ability to wiggle her nose.

** The dialogue between Jack and Isabel outside of the café is different. While in the movie Jack says "Just come and show everybody what you look like when you do it", the trailer features a different line, including an interruption by Isabel.

** The dialogue between Jack and Isabel outside of the café is different:
--->'''Jack:''' Just come and show everybody what you look like when you...
--->'''Isabel:''' What?
--->'''Jack:''' ...wiggle your nose.
*** In the movie Jack says "Just come and show everybody what you look like when you do it" without an interruption by Isabel.

** Creator/DickSargent was actually the original choice for Darrin all along. Well, technically. He was considered for the role back when the production was considering Tammy Grimes for the role of Samantha (see below), but Sargent was under contract to another studio at the time the show was starting up production, making him unavailable to accept the role. Incidentally, he and Elizabeth Montgomery had been good friends prior to the show's start, which led to some mistaken rumors that she and husband/producer/director William Asher considered him for the role of Darrin first before Creator/DickYork (in fact, after the project fell on Montgomery and Asher, York was always their first pick).

** In turn, it was Kristin Chenoweth's recommendation that the role of Aunt Clara was given to Carole Shelley, as the two had co-starred in the Broadway production of ''Wicked''.

-->'''Jack''': Just come and show everybody what you look like when you...
-->'''Isabel''': What?"
-->'''Jack''':...wiggle your nose.

* TheOtherMarty: Creator/JoanPlowright was originally cast as Aunt Clara, but had to pull out. As mentioned elsewhere, the role was given to Carole Shelley by Creator/KristinChenoweth's recommendation.

* SoMyKidsCanWatch: This was the first Nicole Kidman movie that was seen by Kidman's two youngest daughters.[[note]]Although it is unclear if she made this film with this purpose in mind, as the two weren't born yet when she made this film, but Kidman did already have two adopted children from her marriage to Creator/TomCruise.[[/note]] However, due to their young ages, the two girls believed their mother was able to perform magic tricks, and were left confused and disappointed when they realized the truth.

** Creator/MikeMyers was the producers' top choice for the role of Jack Wyatt/Darrin Stephens.
** Creator/JimCarrey was approached to play Jack Wyatt/Darrin Stephens, but had to decline because of other commitments. As [[SeparatedAtBirthCasting he resembles]] Creator/DickYork, he was a long-time common fan casting for the role on a ''Bewitched'' film.
** Creator/JoanPlowright was originally cast as Aunt Clara, but had to pull out. As mentioned elsewhere, the role was given to Carole Shelley by Creator/KristinChenoweth's recommendation.
** There were attempts to make a film adaptation of ''Bewitched'' since TheNineties.
*** First, Creator/PennyMarshall was attached to direct it and produce it in 1993, and her cast was to include Creator/MerylStreep as Samantha Stephens, Barry Humphries in his Dame Edna persona as Endora, Creator/RobinWilliams as Uncle Arthur, Creator/ShelleyWinters as Gladys Kravitz, and Creator/JerrySeinfeld ''and'' Creator/BillyCrystal alternating scenes as Darrin Stephens, in a nod to the role being re-cast midway through the original series' run.
*** At some point, Marshall dropped out from the director role (although she remained as producer) and the role was given to Ted Bessell instead. His 1996 script reading cast Creator/MelanieGriffith as Samantha, and was supposed to be a vehicle to revive Griffith's career. However, this production was halted after Bessell's sudden and unexpected death from an aortic aneurysm on October 6, 1996.

* TheDanza: Creator/MauriceEvans plays Samantha's father, Maurice. Also doubles as ItIsPronouncedTroPay: in RealLife, Maurice Evans insisted that his name be pronounced in Proper (British) English - "Morris" - however, there was one occasion on the show, in which another warlock [[AccidentalMisnaming refers to him as "Morris"]], only for him to correct him with "Maurice."

** Creator/DickSargent was actually the original choice for Darrin all along, technically. He was considered for the role back when the production was considering Tammy Grimes for the role of Samantha (see below), but Sargent was under contract to another studio at the time the show was starting up production, making him unavailable to accept the role. Incidentally, he and Elizabeth Montgomery had been good friends prior to the show's start, which led to some mistaken rumors that she and husband/producer/director William Asher considered him for the role of Darrin first before Creator/DickYork (in fact, after the project fell on Montgomery and Asher, York was always their first pick).

* IronyAsSheIsCast: Somewhat. Darrin and Endora despised each other in the show, but Creator/DickYork and Creator/AgnesMoorehead were very fond of each other. Reportedly, Moorehead wasn't pleased when Creator/DickSargent was brought on.

** The Stephens' living room set became Dr and Amanda Bellows' living room in the ''I Dream Of Jeannie'' episode "Bottle, Bottle, Whose Got the Bottle?".

* RecycledTheSeries:
** Arguably, ''Bewitched'' was {{suggested by}} the 1942 film ''Film/IMarriedAWitch'', which has essentially the same premise. (An uptight mortal discovers that the hot blonde he just married is a centuries-old witch. HilarityEnsues.) However, in ''I Married a Witch'' the 'shadow-horror' element is much closer to the surface than in ''Bewitched''; the witch in question really does have very bad intentions for her husband at first, and her warlock father is much worse. The protagonist comes out ahead in the end, partly by accident, but even then there's a hint that he might not be home free yet. The feel is similar to ''Bewitched'', but a step or two closer to reality and so a step or two scarier and more unnerving amid the comedy.
** The play ''Film/BellBookAndCandle'', made into a 1960 film starring Creator/JimmyStewart and Creator/KimNovak, would seem more of an inspiration. Samantha, Darrin, Aunt Clara, and Uncle Arthur are clear [[{{Expy}} expies]] of the play's main cast, although its two main characters are not married.

** Creator/DickSargent was actually the original choice for Darrin all along. He and Elizabeth Montgomery had been good friends prior to the show's start, and she and husband/producer/director William Asher felt he was the perfect for the role of Darrin, though Sargent was under contract to another studio at the time the show was starting up production, making him unavailable to accept the role. On the same token, a ''third'' Dick was also considered for the role: Richard Crenna (who also eerily bears a striking resemblance to Creator/DickYork).

** Samantha was originally named Cassandra. Elizabeth Montgomery thought the name made the show seem too macabre; she also vetoed pulling TheDanza, since it would make the show come off as if she was promoting herself. Samantha's maiden-name was originally going to be Dobson, as she was implied to be the daughter of John Dobson, a historical figure who had been burned at the stake as a witch. Considering Samantha's father, Maurice, later appeared alive and well later on in the show, fans are divided on how canon it is.

** Before playing clumsy witch maid Esmeralda, Creator/AliceGhostley played clumsy ''mortal'' maid Naomi (also for the Stephenses) in the Season Two episode "Maid to Order."

* ProducedByCastmember: Although never properly credited as a producer, Creator/ElizabethMontgomery was given a lot more creative control of the series beginning in the sixth season as part of a deal with Creator/{{ABC}} to renew the series for additional three seasons, after many of the cast and crew felt the show didn't need to continue after wrapping up its fifth season.

* {{Rerun}}

* TheOtherDarrin: The Trope Namer. Not just Darrin, but Gladys Kravitz, Louise Tate and Darrin's father, not to mention two babies and three different sets of twins playing Tabitha. The trope namer has the bonus of both actors being named Dick, leading fans to affectionately call it "the Dick switch". It also named TheOriginalDarrin, though the original Dick [[ThisIndexIsNotAnExample never reprised the role]].

* TheOtherDarrin: The Trope Namer. Not just Darrin, but Gladys Kravitz, Louise Tate and Darrin's father, not to mention two babies and three different sets of twins playing Tabitha. The trope namer has the bonus of both actors being named Dick, leading fans to affectionately call it "the Dick switch".

* TheOtherDarrin: Not just Darrin, but Gladys Kravitz, Louise Tate and Darrin's father, not to mention two babies and three different sets of twins playing Tabitha. The trope namer has the bonus of both actors being named Dick, leading fans to affectionately call it "the Dick switch".

* DuelingShows

* TheDanza: Maurice Evans plays Samantha's father, Maurice. Also doubles as ItIsPronouncedTroPay: in RealLife, Maurice Evans insisted that his name be pronounced in Proper (British) English - "Morris" - however, there was one occasion on the show, in which another warlock [[AccidentalMisnaming refers to him as "Morris"]], only for him to correct him with "Maurice."

** The play ''Film/BellBookAndCandle'', made into a 1960 film starring Creator/JimmyStewart and Kim Novak, would seem more of an inspiration. Samantha, Darrin, Aunt Clara, and Uncle Arthur are clear [[{{Expy}} expies]] of the play's main cast, although its two main characters are not married.

* RelationshipVoiceActor: With a dash of IronyAsSheIsCast. Darrin and Endora despised each other in the show, but Creator/DickYork and Creator/AgnesMoorehead were very fond of each other. Reportedly, Moorehead wasn't pleased when Creator/DickSargeant was brought on.

* DirectedByCastMember: David White (Larry Tate) directed an episode.

** Before playing clumsy witch maid Esmeralda, Alice Ghostley played clumsy ''mortal'' maid Naomi (also for the Stephenses) in the Season Two episode "Maid to Order."

* RelationshipVoiceActor: With a dash of IronyAsSheIsCast. Darrin and Endora despised each other in the show, but Dick York and Agnes Moorehead were very fond of each other. Reportedly, Moorehead wasn't pleased when Dick Sargeant was brought on.

** Dick Sargent was actually the original choice for Darrin all along. He and Elizabeth Montgomery had been good friends prior to the show's start, and she and husband/producer/director William Asher felt he was the perfect for the role of Darrin, though Sargent was under contract to another studio at the time the show was starting up production, making him unavailable to accept the role. On the same token, a ''third'' Dick was also considered for the role: Richard Crenna (who also eerily bears a striking resemblance to Dick York).
** In an effort to keep the show on a little while longer, Creator/{{ABC}} tried negotiating with Elizabeth Montgomery and William Asher into continuing the show past its fifth season. While Seasons Six and Seven were eventually set in stone, ABC also gave them the options for Season Eight, Nine, and a partial Season Ten which would have included a GrandFinale TV-movie. Preparations began for a ninth season, but by then, Montgomery wanted out, and there was no question that while Darrin could've been played by other actors (Dick Sargent was also wanting out by then as well), no one could play Samantha like Montgomery.

** ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie''. Though ''Bewitched'' lasted much longer, both shows -- and their viewers -- won. Elizabeth Montgomery reportedly hated ''Jeannie'' because she felt it was a shameless knock off of her show, but with all the social commentary replaced with {{fanservice}}, and was downright infuriated that ''Jeannie'' later had a reunion TV movie in TheEighties (directed by her ex-husband William Asher, even), especially after she repeatedly turned-down offers to do the same with ''Bewitched'' (though, to be fair, she felt that any form of a reunion special would jeopardize the original series' credibility). Decades later Barbara Eden sort of agreed with her. When NBC hired Sidney Sheldon to create the series for them to compete with the success of ABC's ''Bewitched,'' he went to ''Bewitched'' directed William Asher for advice, admitting, "I have this, sort of, rip-off of you..." The 2005 film lampshades this, when Isabel is telling her neighbor Maria about being in the new series.