The Dick Van Dyke Show
Encyclopedia
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner
and starred Dick Van Dyke
and Mary Tyler Moore
. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff. The music for the show's theme song was written by Earle Hagen
. A three-camera/studio
audience format was used during production.
The series won 15 Emmy Awards. In 1997, the episodes "Coast-to-Coast Big Mouth" and "It May Look Like a Walnut" were ranked #8 and #15 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, it was ranked #13 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
.
), the head writer of a comedy variety show filmed in Manhattan. Viewers are given an "inside look" at how a television show
(the fictitious The Alan Brady Show) was written and produced. Many of the show's plots were inspired by Reiner's experiences as a writer
for Your Show of Shows
, but though he based the character of Rob Petrie on himself, Rob's egocentric boss Alan Brady is less Sid Caesar
(host of Your Show of Shows) than a combination
of the more abrasive Milton Berle
and Jackie Gleason
, according to Reiner himself. Many scenes deal with Rob and his coworkers, writers Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam
) and Sally Rogers (Rose Marie
). Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon
), a balding straight man and recipient of numerous insulting one-liners from Buddy, was the show's producer and the brother-in-law of the show's star, Alan Brady (Carl Reiner
). As Rob, Buddy, and Sally write for a comedy show, the premise provides a built-in forum for them to be making jokes constantly. Other scenes focus on the home life of Rob, his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore
), and son Richie (Larry Mathews
), who live at 148 Bonnie Meadow Road in suburban New Rochelle, New York
. Also often seen are their next-door neighbors and best friends, Jerry Helper (Jerry Paris
), a dentist, and his wife Millie (Ann Morgan Guilbert
).
featured Van Dyke and Moore reprising their roles as the Petries in a short sketch presented as the brainstorming of Van Dyke (guest-starring as himself) and the writers of Mary McKinnon's (Moore) variety series, who noted McKinnon's resemblance to "the gal who played Laura Petrie". In a 1995 episode of the sitcom Mad About You
, Carl Reiner reprised the role of Alan Brady, appearing in a documentary by Paul Buchmann (Paul Reiser
) about the early days of television. The episode included several other references to The Dick Van Dyke Show, including a scene in which Reiner and Reiser discuss whether it would be funnier to trip over an ottoman, or to step over it at the last moment. In 2003, TV Land produced The Alan Brady Show, an animated special presented as an episode of Dick Van Dykes show-within-a-show. Reiner, Van Dyke, and Rose Marie contributed voice performances to the show. A 2004 reunion movie, The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited, brought together the surviving members of the cast. In this continuation, Rob and Laura have left their New Rochelle home to Richie and moved to Manhattan, where Laura runs a dance studio. Alan Brady re-enters their lives to ask Rob to write his eulogy, with the help of a happily-married Sally Rogers.
Supporting:
Secondary characters:
A group of character actors played several different roles during the five seasons. Actors who appeared more than once, sometimes in different roles, included Johnny Silver, Amzie Strickland
, Eleanor Audley
, Sandy Kenyon
(who also appeared in the 2004 reunion special), Jackie Joseph
, Doris Singleton
, Peter Hobbs
, Len Weinrib, Burt Remsen, George Tyne, Bella Bruck, Jerry Hausner, Herb Vigran
, Alvy Moore
, Jane Dulo, Bernard Fox, Dabbs Greer
, Elvia Allman (as Herman Glimscher's mother), and Tiny Brauer
. Frank Adamo, who served as Van Dyke's stand-in, also played small roles on several episodes throughout the show's five years.
As a Top 30 series, The Dick Van Dyke Show has an average rating of 27.8.
Reiner considered moving the production of the series to full color as early as its third season, only to drop the idea when he was informed that it would add about $7,000 to the cost of each episode.
has released all five seasons of The Dick Van Dyke Show on DVD in Region 1. Season sets were released between October 2003 – June 2004. Also, on May 24, 2005, Image Entertainment
repackaged the discs from the individual season sets into a complete series box set.
In Region 4, Umbrella Entertainment
released Season 1 on DVD in Australia on September 1, 2011.
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
and starred Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
and Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore is an American actress, primarily known for her roles in television sitcoms. Moore is best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show , in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a local news producer in Minneapolis, and for her earlier role as...
. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff. The music for the show's theme song was written by Earle Hagen
Earle Hagen
Earle Harry Hagen was an American composer who created music for movies and television. He is remembered for co-writing and whistling "The Fishin' Hole", the melody of the main theme to The Andy Griffith Show, the instrumental classic "Harlem Nocturne" used as the theme to television's Mickey...
. A three-camera/studio
Multiple-camera setup
The multiple-camera setup, multiple-camera mode of production, or multicam is a method of filmmaking and video production. Several cameras—either film or professional video cameras—are employed on the set and simultaneously record or broadcast a scene...
audience format was used during production.
The series won 15 Emmy Awards. In 1997, the episodes "Coast-to-Coast Big Mouth" and "It May Look Like a Walnut" were ranked #8 and #15 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, it was ranked #13 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
TV Guides 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time is TV Guides list of the 50 most entertaining and influential television series in American pop culture...
.
Premise
The two main settings show the work and home life of Rob Petrie (Dick Van DykeDick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
), the head writer of a comedy variety show filmed in Manhattan. Viewers are given an "inside look" at how a television show
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
(the fictitious The Alan Brady Show) was written and produced. Many of the show's plots were inspired by Reiner's experiences as a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
for Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows is a live 90-minute variety show that appeared weekly in the United States on NBC , from February 25, 1950, until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca....
, but though he based the character of Rob Petrie on himself, Rob's egocentric boss Alan Brady is less Sid Caesar
Sid Caesar
Isaac Sidney "Sid" Caesar is an Emmy award winning American comic actor and writer known as the leading man on the 1950s television series Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, and to younger generations as Coach Calhoun in Grease and Grease 2.- Early life :Caesar was born in Yonkers, New York,...
(host of Your Show of Shows) than a combination
Combination
In mathematics a combination is a way of selecting several things out of a larger group, where order does not matter. In smaller cases it is possible to count the number of combinations...
of the more abrasive Milton Berle
Milton Berle
Milton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
and Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
, according to Reiner himself. Many scenes deal with Rob and his coworkers, writers Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam
Morey Amsterdam
Morey Amsterdam was an American television actor and comedian, best known for the role of Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s.-Early life:...
) and Sally Rogers (Rose Marie
Rose Marie
Rose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
). Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon
Richard Deacon (actor)
Richard Deacon , born in Philadelphia, was an American television and motion picture actor.-Career:The bald and usually bespectacled character actor often portrayed pompous or imperious figures. He made appearances on The Jack Benny Show as a salesman and a barber, and on NBC's Happy as a hotel...
), a balding straight man and recipient of numerous insulting one-liners from Buddy, was the show's producer and the brother-in-law of the show's star, Alan Brady (Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
). As Rob, Buddy, and Sally write for a comedy show, the premise provides a built-in forum for them to be making jokes constantly. Other scenes focus on the home life of Rob, his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore is an American actress, primarily known for her roles in television sitcoms. Moore is best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show , in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a local news producer in Minneapolis, and for her earlier role as...
), and son Richie (Larry Mathews
Larry Mathews
This article is about the actor Larry Mathews from the USA. If you are looking for the Irish musician, please visit Larry Mathews .Larry Mathews was born in Burbank, California, on...
), who live at 148 Bonnie Meadow Road in suburban New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
. Also often seen are their next-door neighbors and best friends, Jerry Helper (Jerry Paris
Jerry Paris
Jerry Paris was an American actor and director best known for playing Jerry Helper, the dentist and next door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie, on The Dick Van Dyke Show.-Life and career:...
), a dentist, and his wife Millie (Ann Morgan Guilbert
Ann Morgan Guilbert
Ann Morgan Guilbert , sometimes credited as Ann Guilbert, is an American actress, who played the neighbor Millie Helper in 61 episodes of the early 1960s’ sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, and later Yetta Rosenberg, Fran Fine’s doddering grandmother, in 56 episodes of the 1990s’ sitcom The Nanny...
).
Origins
Carl Reiner originally planned to produce and star in the series, which was going to be titled Head of the Family. The pilot episode was written by Reiner in 1960, but it was unsuccessful.Cast collaborations
In 1969, Van Dyke and Moore reunited for a one-hour variety special called Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman which included a never before seen alternate take from one of the show's episodes in which Van Dyke breaks down and cries after being dismissed from a film role instead of just being disappointed. A 1979 episode of The Mary Tyler Moore HourThe Mary Tyler Moore Hour
The Mary Tyler Moore Hour was a television series broadcast by CBS in the spring of 1979.Like her first series, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Moore's eponymous sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show , had been highly-rated, critically acclaimed, and the recipient of many Emmy Awards...
featured Van Dyke and Moore reprising their roles as the Petries in a short sketch presented as the brainstorming of Van Dyke (guest-starring as himself) and the writers of Mary McKinnon's (Moore) variety series, who noted McKinnon's resemblance to "the gal who played Laura Petrie". In a 1995 episode of the sitcom Mad About You
Mad About You
Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
, Carl Reiner reprised the role of Alan Brady, appearing in a documentary by Paul Buchmann (Paul Reiser
Paul Reiser
Paul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...
) about the early days of television. The episode included several other references to The Dick Van Dyke Show, including a scene in which Reiner and Reiser discuss whether it would be funnier to trip over an ottoman, or to step over it at the last moment. In 2003, TV Land produced The Alan Brady Show, an animated special presented as an episode of Dick Van Dykes show-within-a-show. Reiner, Van Dyke, and Rose Marie contributed voice performances to the show. A 2004 reunion movie, The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited, brought together the surviving members of the cast. In this continuation, Rob and Laura have left their New Rochelle home to Richie and moved to Manhattan, where Laura runs a dance studio. Alan Brady re-enters their lives to ask Rob to write his eulogy, with the help of a happily-married Sally Rogers.
Lyrics
In a 2010 interview on National Public Radio, Van Dyke revealed that Morey Amsterdam wrote a set of lyrics for the show's theme song:- So you think that you've got troubles?
- Well, trouble's a bubble
- So tell old Mr. Trouble to get lost!
- Why not hold your head up high and
- Stop cryin', start tryin'
- And don't forget to keep your fingers crossed.
- When you find the joy of livin'
- Is lovin' and givin'
- You'll be there when the winning dice are tossed.
- A smile is just a frown that's turned upside down
- So smile, and that frown will defrost.
- And don't forget to keep your fingers crossed
- Bud-ump bump!
Characters
Main:- Robert Simpson "Rob" Petrie (Dick Van DykeDick Van DykeRichard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
), the head comedy writerHead writerA head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
for a fictional New York television variety series called The Alan Brady Show. The role of Rob Petrie was almost given to Johnny CarsonJohnny CarsonJohn William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
, but Sheldon LeonardSheldon LeonardSheldon Leonard was a pioneering American film and television producer, director, writer, and actor.-Biography:...
, the show's executive producer, suggested Van Dyke. - Laura Meeker/Meehan Petrie (Mary Tyler MooreMary Tyler MooreMary Tyler Moore is an American actress, primarily known for her roles in television sitcoms. Moore is best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show , in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a local news producer in Minneapolis, and for her earlier role as...
), Rob's wife. As a 17-year-old dancer in the U.S.O.United Service OrganizationsThe United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
, she met and married Rob; then she became a stay-at-home momHousewifeHousewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
. About 60 actresses auditioned for the part before Moore was signed. Moore later wrote that she almost skipped the audition. - Maurice "Buddy" Sorrell (Morey AmsterdamMorey AmsterdamMorey Amsterdam was an American television actor and comedian, best known for the role of Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s.-Early life:...
) – an energetic (and at times facetious) "human joke machine", one of the comedy writers. Amsterdam was recommended for the role by Rose MarieRose MarieRose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
as soon as she had signed on to the series. Buddy is constantly making fun of Mel Cooley, the show's producer, for being bald and dull. His character is loosely based on Mel BrooksMel BrooksMel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
who also wrote for Your Show of ShowsYour Show of ShowsYour Show of Shows is a live 90-minute variety show that appeared weekly in the United States on NBC , from February 25, 1950, until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca....
. He makes frequent jokes about his marriage to his wife "Pickles." In several episodes, it is mentioned that Buddy is Jewish. He was identified by his Yiddish name, Moishe Selig, when he had his belated bar mitzvah in "Buddy Sorrell – Man and Boy." Additionally, Buddy owns a large German Shepherd named Larry and plays the cello. Buddy made a guest appearance on the Danny Thomas Show episode, "The Woman Behind the Jokes" that aired October 21, 1963. - Sally RogersSally Rogers (The Dick Van Dyke Show character)Sally Rogers, played by Rose Marie, was a television character on the 1960s sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. She was one third of the comedy writing team for the fictional TV variety show The Alan Brady Show, working with Rob Petrie and Buddy Sorrell. When not working, Sally spent much of her time...
(Rose MarieRose MarieRose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
), another of the comedy writers (and the comedy trio's designated typist), who is always on the lookout for a husband. The character was loosely based on Selma DiamondSelma DiamondSelma Diamond was a Canadian-born American comic actress and radio and television writer, and is known for her high-range, raspy voice and her portrayal of Selma Hacker on the first two seasons of the NBC television comedy series Night Court.-Life and career:Diamond was born in Montreal, Quebec,...
and Lucille Kallen, both writers for Your Show of Shows. She never drinks and quotes frequently from her "Aunt Agnes in Cleveland". She has an on-again/off-again relationship with her boyfriend Herman Glimscher, who seems to be too much of a mama's boy to get married. She frequently scares men off with her sense of humor and strong personality. - Richard "Ritchie" Rosebud Petrie (Larry MathewsLarry MathewsThis article is about the actor Larry Mathews from the USA. If you are looking for the Irish musician, please visit Larry Mathews .Larry Mathews was born in Burbank, California, on...
), Rob's and Laura's son. (His middle name is an acronym for "Robert Oscar Sam Edward Benjamin Ulysses David," all members of Rob's and Laura's families.)
Supporting:
- Melvin "Mel" Cooley (Richard DeaconRichard Deacon (actor)Richard Deacon , born in Philadelphia, was an American television and motion picture actor.-Career:The bald and usually bespectacled character actor often portrayed pompous or imperious figures. He made appearances on The Jack Benny Show as a salesman and a barber, and on NBC's Happy as a hotel...
), the balding producer of The Alan Brady Show (and Brady's brother-in-law), who is constantly at odds with Buddy, who often makes insulting comments about Mel's baldness, to which Mel often responds with a simple "Yechh!" - Jerry (Jerry ParisJerry ParisJerry Paris was an American actor and director best known for playing Jerry Helper, the dentist and next door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie, on The Dick Van Dyke Show.-Life and career:...
), a dentist by profession, and his wife, Mildred "Millie" Krumbermacher Helper (Ann Morgan GuilbertAnn Morgan GuilbertAnn Morgan Guilbert , sometimes credited as Ann Guilbert, is an American actress, who played the neighbor Millie Helper in 61 episodes of the early 1960s’ sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, and later Yetta Rosenberg, Fran Fine’s doddering grandmother, in 56 episodes of the 1990s’ sitcom The Nanny...
), the Petries' next-door neighbors. - Alan Brady (Carl ReinerCarl ReinerCarl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
), the egocentric, toupee-wearing star of The Alan Brady Show. Originally an offscreen character, then shown only with his back to the camera or only in voice, Brady began to make full-face appearances in the fourth season. Alan appeared on the Mad About You episode, "The Alan Brady Show", named after the fictional show within The Dick Van Dyke Show, that aired February 16, 1995.
Secondary characters:
- Stacey Petrie (Jerry Van DykeJerry Van DykeJerry Van Dyke is an American comedian and actor. He is the younger brother of comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke, and made his acting debut on The Dick Van Dyke Show with several guest appearances as Rob Petrie's brother, Stacey...
), Rob's brother, banjo player, and onetime sleepwalker, played by Dick Van Dyke's real-life brother. - Fiona "Pickles" Conway Sorrell (Barbara PerryBarbara PerryBarbara Mazzel Anne Perry MP, , an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Auburn for the Australian Labor Party since 2001. Perry is the Shadow Minister for Ageing, Shadow Minister for Disability Services, Shadow Minister for Family and Community...
/Joan ShawleeJoan ShawleeJoan Shawlee , also credited as Joan Fulton, was an American film and television actress.Her most notable roles were small roles in Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder films. Her most famous role was as Sweet Sue in the 1959 comedy classic, Some Like It Hot, starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack...
), Buddy's slightly nutty wife. She became an offscreen character after Season 2. - Herman Glimscher (Bill IdelsonBill IdelsonBill Idelson was an actor and scriptwriter best known for his teenage role as Rush Gook on the radio comedy Vic and Sade and his later, recurring television role on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960s, before making a distinguished third career as a television writer, director and producer....
), Sally's occasional and nerdy boyfriend. In the 2004 reunion special, Sally and Herman had been married for years. (In an early episode, Sally mentioned having dated a Woodrow Glimscher, presumably a relative, until Woodrow's overbearing mother arranged for her to date Herman instead.) - Sam (or Edward) and Clara Petrie (Will WrightWill Wright (actor)William Henry "Will" Wright was an American character actor. He was frequently cast in curmudgeonly roles. He was sometimes credited as Will J. Wright....
/J. Pat O'MalleyJ. Pat O'MalleyJames Patrick O'Malley was an English singer and character actor, who appeared in many American films and television programs during the 1940s–1970s, using the stage name J. Pat O'Malley...
/Tom TullyTom TullyTom Tully was an American actor.-Biography:Born in Durango, Colorado, Thomas Kane Tulley served in the United States Navy, was a private pilot and worked as junior reporter for the Denver Post before going into acting because he felt the pay was better. Tully started out on stage before eventually...
and Carol Veazie/Isabel RandolphIsabel RandolphIsabel Randolph was an American character actress active in radio and film from the 1940s through the 1960s, and in television from the early 1950s to the mid 1960s.- Early life :...
), Rob's parents. - Mr. and Mrs. Alan Meehan (Carl Benton ReidCarl Benton ReidCarl Benton Reid was an American actor. He achieved fame on the Broadway stage in 1939 as Oscar Hubbard, one of Regina Giddens's greedy, devious brothers in the play The Little Foxes, and made his film debut reprising his role opposite Bette Davis in the 1941 film version...
and Geraldine Wall), Laura's parents. - Freddie Helper (Peter OliphantPeter OliphantPeter Oliphant is an American actor best known for playing Freddie Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show. He is currently a computer game designer, programmer and producer. Some computer games he has worked on include Stonekeep and Lexi-Cross....
), Millie and Jerry Helper's son and Richie's closest friend. - Sol/Sam Pomeroy/Pomerantz, Rob's army buddy in flashback episodes, was originally played by Marty IngelsMarty IngelsMarty Ingels is an actor, comedian, theatrical agent, and, by many, best known as the voice of many cartoon characters and commercials. Born Martin Ingerman in Brooklyn, New York, he is the son of Jacob and Minnie Ingerman.His voice-overs and commercials include those for Paul Masson wines, with...
. The character's names changed over the course of the series. Ingels left the role in 1962 to star in I'm Dickens, He's FensterI'm Dickens, He's FensterI'm Dickens, He's Fenster is an American sitcom that ran on ABC during the 1962-1963 season , and was created and produced by Leonard Stern, filmed at Desilu.-Synopsis:...
. In 1963, the character was played by two actors, Allan MelvinAllan MelvinAllan Melvin was an American character actor who appeared in several television shows, including the roles of Corporal Henshaw on The Phil Silvers Show; Alice's boyfriend Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch; and Archie Bunker's friend Barney Hefner on All in the Family and Archie Bunker's...
and Henry CalvinHenry CalvinHenry Calvin was an American comic actor best known for his role as Sergeant Garcia on Walt Disney's live-action television series Zorro .-Early life:...
. - Delivery Boy was originally a nameless character played by Jamie FarrJamie FarrJamie Farr is an American television, film, and theater actor. He is best known for having played the role of cross-dressing Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger in the television sitcom M*A*S*H.-Early life:...
in four Season One episodes. Subsequently, he was given the name Willie and Herbie FayeHerbie FayeHerbie Faye was an American actor who appeared in both of Phil Silvers's CBS television series, The Phil Silvers Show and The New Phil Silvers Show ....
played the role. (Faye also played other characters in later episodes.)
A group of character actors played several different roles during the five seasons. Actors who appeared more than once, sometimes in different roles, included Johnny Silver, Amzie Strickland
Amzie Strickland
Amzie Strickland was an American character actor who began in radio, made some 650 television appearances, had roles in two dozen films, appeared in numerous television movies and also worked in TV commercials...
, Eleanor Audley
Eleanor Audley
Eleanor Audley was an American actress who was a familiar radio and animation voice, in addition to her TV and film roles...
, Sandy Kenyon
Sandy Kenyon
Sandy Kenyon, born Sanford Klein was an American voice-over artist and character actor, best-known for voicing Jon Arbuckle in the first Garfield animated television special Here Comes Garfield, and other roles in film and television...
(who also appeared in the 2004 reunion special), Jackie Joseph
Jackie Joseph
Jackie Joseph is an American character actress, voice artist, and writer known for portraying the film characters of: Audrey Fulquard in the original The Little Shop of Horrors, Sheila Futterman in both Gremlins films, and the voice of Melody in the animated television series Josie and the...
, Doris Singleton
Doris Singleton
Doris Singleton is an American actress perhaps best remembered as Lucy Ricardo's frenemy, Carolyn Appleby, on I Love Lucy.-Career:...
, Peter Hobbs
Peter Hobbs (actor)
Peter Hobbs was a French-born American character actor, known for roles on Broadway, television and film.Hobbs was born on January 19, 1918, in Étretat, France, to Dr. Austin L. Hobbs and Mabel Foote Hobbs. However, he was raised in New York City...
, Len Weinrib, Burt Remsen, George Tyne, Bella Bruck, Jerry Hausner, Herb Vigran
Herb Vigran
Herbert "Herb" Vigran was a well-known American character actor in Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1980s. Over his 50-year career, he made over 350 television and film appearances.-Career:...
, Alvy Moore
Alvy Moore
Jack Alvin "Alvy" Moore was an American light comic actor best known for his role as scatterbrained county agricultural agent "Hank Kimball" on the television series Green Acres....
, Jane Dulo, Bernard Fox, Dabbs Greer
Dabbs Greer
Robert William "Dabbs" Greer was an American actor who performed many diverse supporting roles in film and television for some fifty years. His distinctive, southern-accented voice fitted well in shows featuring rustic characters, such as westerns...
, Elvia Allman (as Herman Glimscher's mother), and Tiny Brauer
Tiny Brauer
Tiny Brauer was an American film actor. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Brauer appeared in over 20 films between 1946 and 1966.-Career:...
. Frank Adamo, who served as Van Dyke's stand-in, also played small roles on several episodes throughout the show's five years.
Broadcast History
| Season | Day & Time | Preceded or Followed by |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (1961-1962) | Tuesdays at 8:00 pm (October 3 - December 26, 1961) Wednesdays at 9:30 pm (January 3 - April 18, 1962) |
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1963. The series and some episode scripts were adapted from a 1951 collection of short stories of the same name, written by Max Shulman, that also inspired the 1953 film The Affairs of Dobie Gillis with Debbie... at 8:30 pm Checkmate Checkmate (TV series) Checkmate is an American detective television series starring Anthony George, Sebastian Cabot, and Doug McClure. The show aired on CBS Television from 1960 to 1962 for a total of 70 episodes and was produced by Jack Benny's production company, "JaMco Productions" in co-operation with Revue... at 8:30 pm |
| 2 (1962-1963) | Wednesdays at 9:30 pm | The Beverly Hillbillies The Beverly Hillbillies The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr.... at 9:00 pm |
| 3 (1963-1964) | ||
| 4 (1964-1965) | Wednesdays at 9:00 pm | The Cara Williams Show at 9:30 pm (September 23, 1964 - April 21, 1965) Our Private World Our Private World Our Private World is an American serial. It was the first prime-time spin-off from a daytime soap . Created by Irna Phillips and William J. Bell, it premiered on May 5, 1965 and aired Wednesdays and Fridays over the summer; the multiple-episode-per-week format was inspired by ABC's hit show Peyton... at 9:30 pm (May 5 - May 26, 1965) |
| 5 (1965-1966) | Wednesdays at 9:30 pm | Green Acres Green Acres Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm... at 9:00 pm |
Nielsen Ratings
| Season | Rank | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (1961–62) | not in the top 30 | N/A |
| 2 (1962-63) | #9 | 27.1 |
| 3 (1963-64) | #3 | 33.3 |
| 4 (1964-65) | #7 | 27.1 |
| 5 (1965-66) | #16 | 23.6 |
As a Top 30 series, The Dick Van Dyke Show has an average rating of 27.8.
Episodes
At least three episodes were filmed without a live studio audience: "The Bad Old Days," which featured an extended flashback sequence that relied on optical effects that would have been impractical to shoot with a live audience in the studio; "The Alan Brady Show Presents," which required elaborate set and costume changes; and "Happy Birthday and Too Many More," which was filmed on November 26, 1963, only four days after the John F. Kennedy assassination.Reiner considered moving the production of the series to full color as early as its third season, only to drop the idea when he was informed that it would add about $7,000 to the cost of each episode.
DVD releases
Image EntertainmentImage Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
has released all five seasons of The Dick Van Dyke Show on DVD in Region 1. Season sets were released between October 2003 – June 2004. Also, on May 24, 2005, Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
repackaged the discs from the individual season sets into a complete series box set.
In Region 4, Umbrella Entertainment
Umbrella entertainment
Umbrella Entertainment is an Australian owned, independent all-rights feature film, documentary and television program distribution company that was set up in 2001 by Jeff Harrison...
released Season 1 on DVD in Australia on September 1, 2011.
| DVD Name | Ep# | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 31 | October 21, 2003 |
| Season 2 | 33 | October 21, 2003 |
| Season 3 | 31 | February 24, 2004 |
| Season 4 | 32 | April 27, 2004 |
| Season 5 | 31 | June 29, 2004 |
| The Complete Series | 158 | May 24, 2005 |