Rare Behind-The-Scenes Stories From Our Favorite Vintage Sitcoms
Back when shows such as Bewitched, M*A*S*H, Little House on the Prairie, and Family Ties were on the air, millions of fans had their faces pressed up against their TV screens, waiting to see what mischief the characters would make next. But while these iconic series looked like a whole heap of fun to shoot, there was a lot going on behind the scenes. The secrets that the producers wanted to keep hushed could even make you see the shows in a whole new light.
1. Little House on the Prairie's Alison Arngrim wanted to date one of her co-stars
Alison Arngrim allegedly fell hard for her co-star Radames Pera, but sadly for her, the feeling was not exactly mutual. The actor, who played sensitive heartthrob John Sanderson in Little House on the Prairie, believed that he was too old to date her in good conscience. Perhaps this was just his way of letting Arngrim down gently, as their age gap was no bigger than two years. But that bit of real-life chemistry didn't hurt their onscreen performances, did it?
2. Michael J. Fox’s on-screen parents in Family Ties were jealous of his success
In Meredith Baxter’s autobiography, the actor freely admitted that both she and on-screen husband Michael Gross were jealous of Michael J. Fox’s success during Family Ties. The two older stars believed that the boyish Fox overshadowed their talents, and they even staged a bizarre protest to let producers know how they felt. This involved walking onto the Family Ties set with one leg each tied together before delivering a speech about their interchangeable characters. The show’s exec producer took little notice.
3. M*A*S*H may have caused a plumbing breakdown in New York City
It seems that for fear of missing out, millions of viewers never stopped for toilet breaks during the M*A*S*H finale’s extra-long running time. As one urban legend suggests, they all ended up emptying their bladders at roughly the same time when the show ended. New York’s public works confirmed that many plumbing systems broke down — and it has been claimed that it was the highest usage of water at any one given time in the history of the city!
4. Dick York was in love with Elizabeth Montgomery during Bewitched
Elizabeth Montgomery was admired by many men — and that includes one of her co-stars. Yep, Dick York — the first actor to play Darren on Bewitched — was supposedly deeply in love with the actress, although the feelings weren’t reciprocated. Writer Herbie Pilato told Fox News, “[Montgomery] was married to the show’s producer, and it became very uncomfortable for her.” Awkward. Health problems later forced him out of the show, but that uncomfortable tension could not have helped either.
