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Rating:  -
Why would you buy this at $179, when each of the 5 seasons is only $29. My math isn't too good, but I think that adds up to only $145.
Rating: -
When there is nothing on cable, as is frequently the case, I love being able to pop in an episode of the Dick Van Dyke Show and there are a LOT of them in this package. The menu set-up is very well done, skip the intro or not, etc., and the quality of everything else leaves nothing to be desired.
If you were a fan of this show, or just a fan of good sitcoms that are always G rated, you will love this set. A lot of money for DVDs but to own the entire series of a show is great and this show ended after only 5 years before they ran out of good ideas.
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I was too young in 1961-66 to watch this on it's first run, but when syndication re-ran the show, I gave up a lot of baseball, playing Army and catching frogs to watch every episode. Two reasons, it was absolutely hilarious and fullfill my boyhood crush on Mary Tyler Moore, WHAT A MOM!
The show was comic genius Carl Reiner's brainchild that almost never happened. Reiner approached the "powers-that-be" with a pilot called "Head of the Family" that failed completely. Fortunately, executive producer Danny Thomas (who was gaining success with "The Andy Griffith Show") saw the potential. He and co-producer Sheldon Leonard revamped the show and television history was made. But believe it or not, after all the critical acclaim of the first season, it was almost cancelled. Thomas and Leonard were able convince the "powers-that-be" to renew it.
As we all know, the show centered around the life of a television comedy writer working for the Alan Brady Show and gave good insight on the TV show developement process. This was based on Reiner's own experience working on the 1950's show "Your Show of Shows".
The casting was a bit difficult, Reiner still wanted to be the lead role of Rob Petrie. Thomas and Leonard thought Dick Van Dyke was a better choice for his wirey and agile frame to give the show good physical humor. Jim Carrey has been known to state that Van Dyke was a big influence on him. Then there's the role of the woman behind the man, Laura (called Laurie in the first episode) Petrie. The unknown Mary Tyler Moore made Laura Petrie one of most eyecatching moms in TV. Along with young boys like me, I can lay odds a lot of daddy's across the country were raising eyebrows over those capri slacks as well (Honey, we're going shopping for those slacks!)
The supporting cast was just as stellar. Morey Amsterdam, a radio and TV veteran, was brought in as the quick-witted co-writer Buddy Sorrell. Rose Marie provided the single woman Sally Rogers, another co-writer who seems to have a problem getting a man regardless how attractive she is! Reiner was able to secure an often recurring role as the egomaniacal fictional TV star Alan Brady with hilarious results. In the first season Reiner insisted on keeping his back to the camera sans toupee. Also, his voice can be heard in various TV and radio commercial parodies throughout the show's run whenever the characters are watching or listening to the said medium.
The show made sitcoms more sophisticated not with just good clever humor, but also would touch on some rather controversial issues at the time. Episodes dealt with things like the Petrie's son Richie using profanity, asking about "the facts of life" (to him, Mr. Cabbage is responsible for bringing babies!). Racism was another topic when Rob and Laura were asked to attend an NAACP type organization banquet after accidently dying their hands black. Then there's the flashback episode when Rob thought they had the wrong baby after Ritchie was born and the couple that was mistaken for turned out to be African-American. The list goes on.
The show was also great for lampooning current social and cultural trends. The episode that really brought on Moore's comedic talents was when Laura decides to dye her hair blonde. With Marilyn gone and Jayne's career tanking, blondes at this point in American culture were phasing out in favor of brunettes as seen by other movie and TV starlets like Audrey Hepburn, Stephanie Powers, Dawn Wells and Marlo Thomas. Considered one of the most popular episodes was "It May Look Like A Walnut" that spoofed the wave of low-budget sci-fi films going on at the time. Then when the British Invasion brought on by The Beatles hit, the show guested real life British singing duo Chad and Jeremy as the fictional Redcoats who appear on the Alan Brady Show. Again, the list goes on.
Another aspect of the show's appeal was the reflection that Rob and Laura had on the newly elected Mr. and Mrs. First Family, Jack and Jackie Kennedy. Moore's fashions and hairstyles were almost identical to that of Jackie's. Not to mention, there was a constant sexual chemistry between the two despite the usual seperate beds. This was highlighted by an episode where Laura gets her toe stuck in the bathtub faucet and Rob is in there with her thinking it's funny. You know she's naked, but of course it's never mentioned and Rob walks out attempting to explain to the hotel detective saying "Hey, you want to see something funny?" then immediatley composes himself and blocks the doorway!
All in all, the Dick Van Dyke Show was the All in the Family of the 60s. It raised the bar on sitcoms and continued it's influence to later shows like Mad About You (where Reiner himself reprised his role of Alan Brady). Reiner never intended for the show to run more than five seasons making it one of the few shows to end at the top of it's game.
Rating: -
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" has got to be the best show EVER! I know not many 12-year-olds watch this show, or spend their days memorizing the scripts (I want to be an actress and dancer, so I love to memorize these scripts) but they should! I have grown up watching this show with my parents, because they grew up watching it. I have had THE biggest crush on Mr. Van Dyke since I was probably 2...maybe younger. Ms. Moore is probably the person whom I admire most, Laura Petrie is too. Nobody needs the bad stuff in television today. I find this MUCH funnier than any of the shows today. If more young people gave this classic a chance, they would too.
A MUST HAVE FOR ANY FAN OF THE SHOW[...]
Rating: -
Well, the old "Dick Van Dyke Show" was one of the FIRST .. and BEST .. of the old sit-coms. Carl Reiner, of course, was a "progenitor" of the long-running series, and one it's writers .. and one of it's (comedic) members, as "Alan Brady". .. Dick Van D, Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, Richard Deacon, Mary Tyler Moore and their supporting cast were one of the BEST of a very-enduring comedic way .. from one of the BEST of the "old days" .. of originality, wit, conciseness and quality (IMHO).
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