The Dick Van Dyke Show

As a teenager growing up in the early 1960's, I was a big fan of "The Dick Van Dyke Show". And this episode is the one I remember the best, after all these years. It is a flashback to when Ritchie was born and Rob becomes convinced that the hospital accidentally switched their baby for another one born at the same time of a family with a similar name. The climactic moment (which I will not reveal) was both one of the funniest things I ever saw on television in my life and an amazing demonstration of how American attitudes were changing. I have read that this is Dick Van Dyke's personal favorite episode, and I completely agree with him. Apparently, the live studio audience laughed so long and hard that the cameras had to stop until they calmed down and the actors could continue.

I would guess that today the shock of this moment is lost to a great extent, but for its time, it was an astonishing, courageous moment - and also side-splittingly funny.

This was the sitcom that broke the mold when it came to the head of the household actually having a profession and showing him at work. For many years before this show premiered, you would always here about "dad" being at work but you would never hear what kind of work he did. In some cases you would even see them at home all the time (eg. Ozzie Nelson). This was the first show where you got to see the main character interact with his co-workers as well as his family at home. And very often the two would meet, especially in the classic episode "Coast to Coast Blabbermouth" when Laura almost cost Rob his job by revealing that Alan Brady wore a toupee. This show is just as funny today as it was when it first premiered in 1961.

I have to say, even knowing enough about TV history to have respect for this show didn't prepare me AT ALL for how ridiculously funny it is. As a long time fan of "Mad About You," which is clearly a tribute, I can see the setup here, but it's amazing to see how one of the truly landmark television shows still stands up after all this time. I'm just finishing Season 2 on DVD, and I have to say kudos to whoever put these together.

As to the show itself, if you've never seen it, you're seriously missing out. Some of the best laughs I've ever had watching television have come from watching this show. In fact, watching this, I can see many early glimpses of popular sitcom characters from later years.

A real treat!

One of the best ensemble casts ever put together was for the Dick Van Dyke Show which ran for five seasons in the first half of the sixties. Had the show run double that length I've often wondered would little Richie Petrie as played by Larry Matthews become part of the counter culture? Can't you see him as a hippie?

Dick Van Dyke as Rob Petrie is hired as a new comedy writer for the Alan Brady Show. His staff consists of fellow writers Sally Rogers and Buddy Sorrell played by Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam. It's not easy for Rob, he has to win them over. But he does manage to it in an unforgettable flashback episode.

The show neatly segmented in the professional and personal lives of Rob Petrie. Half the shows involved Rob's professional life, every week trying to come up with fresh material for a demanding boss played by Carl Reiner. The boss had a flunky brother-in-law who was the producer Mel Cooley, played by Richard Deacon. Part of his job apparently was to be the target of Morey Amsterdam's zingers. Poor Deacon, of all the characters there I felt kind of sorry for him. He knows he's in the job because of his family connection and yet he wasn't a bad soul. A lot of the time he really didn't deserve the treatment Amsterdam gave him.

Rose Marie was the eternal unmarried woman and later on her role probably would have been rewritten to make her a more feminist role model. She and Amsterdam seemed so suited for each other, but Morey was married to Pickles who like the unseen Gladys in December Bride was also a target of his humor. We did in fact see Pickles played by Joan Shawlee on a few shows.

The other segment was the Petrie home life in New Rochelle and home and hearth were kept by Mary Tyler Moore who popularized Capri pants for women. Did they ever show her figure off. More than that, Mary Tyler Moore showed in fact she was a great comedienne in the tradition of Lucille Ball. Part of the show was her getting involved in some Lucy like situations with neighbor Ann Morgan Guilbert who was married to Jerry Paris. They were the Ethel and Fred of the group.

Sometimes the professional and personal worlds did mingle. And those were some of the best shows.

No one got shortchanged on the Dick Van Dyke Show. Every cast member got to strut their stuff and the talent on that show was awesome. What would it cost now to put it together assuming all the cast members were still with us.

I've been buying the season-by-season DVD sets as they come out; my wife and I have been watching them with great enjoyment. It's very interesting to see how the show and characters develop, how Laura changes from a more-or-less standard sitcom wife into a very distinctive personality.

Dick Van Dyke is one of the greatest comedy performers ever; I think he's up there with the great silent clowns--but really, only on this series. I mean, has anyone seen SOME KIND OF NUT or, say, FITZWILLY lately? He must have been the target of some awful career advice. But at least this show exists to show his incredible physical abilities, his perfect timing, his genial personality and so forth. Bless the hearts of whoever decided to put this show out on DVD.

One reason I think this is superior even to, say,THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW is that none of the regulars on DICK VAN DYKE were created as Comedy Characters--all are essentially realistic rather than clownish types like Ted Baxter on MTMS. That's a great series, too, but I have to give DICK VAN DYKE the edge.