"The Dick Van Dyke Show" is a classic American television sitcom that originally aired from
1961 to 1966.
The series was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke in its lead role.
For the uninitiated, the premise of the show revolves around the personal and professional
life of Rob Petrie, played by Van Dyke, who is a comedy writer for a fictional television
variety show called "The Alan Brady Show."
Rob is happily married to his beloved wife Laura Petrie, portrayed by the one and only
Mary Tyler Moore, and together they navigate the ups and downs of marriage and parenthood.
The show's uniqueness lies in its self-referential and meta approach to comedy.
It often showcased – in a remarkably clever and self-aware way - the behind-the-scenes
workings of a comedy writing team and the humorous situations that arise in their personal
lives.
The show was likewise known for its sharp wit, physical comedy, and comedic timing.
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" ran for a total of five seasons, comprising 158 episodes.
It received critical acclaim during its original run and is widely considered one of the greatest
sitcoms in television history.
Throughout it's tenure on the airwaves, it garnered numerous awards, including 15 Emmy
Awards, and it remains beloved by audiences even decades after its initial broadcast.
In today's video, we'll be discussing how this classic sitcom was nearly canceled after
airing just one season but ended up being saved from the chopping block just in the
nick of time.
We'll also address several behind-the-scenes secrets about the program including the time
that Carl Reiner almost left his post as showrunner after a particularly controversial episode.
Lastly, we'll be addressing the final episode of the series and what happened to Rob and
Laura after the show ended.
Facts Verse Presents: The Controversial Scene That Took the Dick Van Dyke Show Off the Air
Saved From The Chopping Block
In the midst of a sitcom boom, where hits like "Gilligan's Island," "Beverly Hillbillies,"
and "The Andy Griffith Show" dominated the airwaves, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" emerged.
However, its arrival faced a precarious situation that almost led to its cancellation.
During its time, the show was deemed "controversial," introducing a brand of provacative humor unfamiliar
to audiences.
Mary Tyler Moore, who portrayed the character of Laura Petrie, challenged the norms of the
era by frequently donning capri pants instead of the conventional skirts worn during the
'50s and '60s.
The show likewise bravely embraced a level of sophisticated comedy rarely seen on television,
setting it apart from the rest.
Initially, the first season of the show garnered disappointingly low ratings on CBS, making
a second season seem like a disastrous idea.
Without the intervention of a sponsor, fans could have been deprived of the show, left
with only a single season to appreciate.
Thankfully, Proctor & Gamble, a prominent advertiser at the time, became the show's
savior, providing a lifeline for its survival.
Executives from the company were ardent fans of the show, and they went to great lengths
to ensure its continuation.
They made a formidable threat to CBS, stating that if the network canceled the show, they
would withdraw all their advertising support.
Faced with such a dire consequence, CBS chose to persist with the series, knowing full well
the potential repercussions on their advertising revenues.
To improve its chances, the show was moved to a new time slot, and fortunately, there
it flourished.
The change breathed new life into "The Dick Van Dyke Show," enabling it to captivate audiences
for several more award-winning seasons and establish itself as a beloved sitcom.
Moore Didn’t Back Down
As previously mentioned, Mary Tyler Moore shattered gendered traditions on "The Dick
Van Dyke Show" through her daring wardrobe choices.
When she started wearing capri pants on the show, network executives initially pushed
back, citing the expectation that all TV housewives wore dresses and insisting on adhering to
this conventional mold.
However, Moore remained resolute and persisted in wearing pants.
She argued that the housewives she knew often wore pants while tending to their household
duties.
Eventually, she prevailed, gaining the freedom to continue wearing them on the show.
Moore believed in reflecting real-life practices, stating that wearing pants was a personal
preference.
Interestingly, Lucille Ball also sported pants throughout "I Love Lucy."
Initially, CBS expressed concerns that housewives would be offended by Moore's appealing appearance
in pants.
As a compromise, they made a pact with Carl Reiner, the show's creator, limiting Moore
to wearing pants in just one scene.
This agreement held for a mere three episodes before Moore confidently flaunted pants throughout
the remainder series.
Men everywhere applauded this decision, while women collectively exhaled, relieved to see
their own everyday attire represented on screen.
Thanks to the show's immense popularity, Moore's fashion statement propelled capri pants into
the mainstream, eliciting gratitude from many women who could now embrace this stylish trend.
Reiner Almost Bailed
In the season 3 opener, "That's My Boy?," the storyline revolves around Rob Petrie suspecting
a mix-up at the hospital after learning that another couple who had welcomed the birth
of their child that same day bore a strikingly similar last name to his.
Throughout the episode, Rob becomes increasingly convinced that there was a baby swap, raising
questions about his own son, Richie's identity.
The controversy surrounding the episode stemmed from the revelation of the other couple's
race.
As the story unfolds, Rob confronts the couple, and the audience is led to believe that the
child in question is African-American.
This was a bold and daring move for television at the time, as racial issues were considered
highly sensitive and rarely addressed on mainstream shows.
Carl Reiner, the show's creator, was well aware of the potential backlash and the touchy
nature of the joke.
He was uncertain how the audience would respond to the revelation and worried that the episode's
comedic approach could be misunderstood or misinterpreted.
In fact, Reiner felt so strongly about the potential consequences that he threatened
to quit the show if the joke didn't land well and if the audience failed to demonstrate
their open-heartedness.
Despite Reiner's concerns, when the episode aired, it elicited a thunderous applause and
uproarious laughter from the audience.
The comedic twist of Rob's mistaken suspicions about the baby's race resulted in a positive
response, indicating that the audience embraced the humor and understood the underlying message.
It was a significant moment in television history, as it challenged racial stereotypes
and demonstrated the show's willingness to tackle controversial subjects with humor and
sensitivity.
Reiner's worries about the audience's reaction were assuaged by the overwhelmingly positive
response to the episode.
The success of "That's My Boy" reinforced Reiner's belief in the show's ability to navigate
delicate topics and paved the way for further exploration of social issues in subsequent
episodes.
By taking risks and addressing controversial subjects with wit and thoughtfulness, "The
Dick Van Dyke Show" continued to push the boundaries of sitcom storytelling and cemented
its place in television history as a groundbreaking and immensely influential series.
The Last Chapter
The last episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show was titled “The Last Chapter” and aired
on June 1, 1966.
The plot of the episode revolved around Rob Petrie, who finally finished his first book
after five years of struggle.
The book was a memoir of his life from his marriage proposal to his wife Laura to a point
shortly after their son Ritchie was born.
As Laura read the book, she discovered that Rob had embellished some of the facts and
exaggerated some of the incidents, making their life seem more adventurous and humorous
than it really was.
She also found out that Rob had changed some of the names of their friends and co-workers,
such as Buddy Sorrell, Sally Rogers, and Mel Cooley, to protect their identities.
The episode featured flashbacks to some of the previous episodes of the series, such
as “The Sick Boy and the Sitter”, “My Blonde-Haired Brunette”, “Uhny Uftz”,
and others, showing how Rob had altered the details in his book.
For example, he wrote that he had proposed to Laura on a romantic boat ride in Central
Park when in reality he had done it in a car parked outside her apartment building.
He also wrote that he had fought off a gang of thugs who tried to rob them on their honeymoon,
when in fact they had been scared away by a police siren.
The final scene of the episode showed Rob and Laura in their bedroom after she had finished
reading the book.
She told him that she loved the book, but she also pointed out some of the inaccuracies
and asked him why he had changed some of the names.
Rob explained that he had done it for artistic reasons and to avoid lawsuits.
He also said that he had dedicated the book to her, calling her “the most wonderful
girl in the world”.
Laura was touched by this gesture and kissed him.
She then asked him what he was going to call the book.
Rob said that he had not decided yet, but he had a few ideas.
He then picked up a piece of paper and read out loud some of the possible titles, such
as “Life with Laura”, “My Favorite Wife”, and “The Woman Who Lived with Me”.
He then looked at the camera and said “How about ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’?”
He then smiled and winked, breaking the fourth wall and ending the series.
Not The End Of The Story
In 2004, fans of The Dick Van Dyke Show were treated to a rare reunion special that showed
what happened to the beloved characters after the original series ended in 1966.
The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited, which aired on CBS, featured most of the surviving cast
members, including Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Larry Mathews, and Carl
Reiner.
The only major cast member who was absent was Morey Amsterdam, who died in 1996.
His character, Buddy Sorrell, was also said to have passed away in the special.
The plot of the special revolved around Alan Brady, the egotistical star of the fictional
Alan Brady Show, who wanted Rob Petrie and Sally Rogers to write his eulogy before he
died.
He offered them a large sum of money to do so, which tempted Rob and Sally, who were
both retired and struggling financially.
Rob’s wife Laura was supportive of his decision, as she wanted to open a dance studio.
Their son Ritchie was also involved in the project, as he had bought his parents’ old
house and found some of Rob’s old scripts in the attic.
The special featured flashbacks to some of the classic episodes of the original series,
as well as some new revelations about the characters.
For example, it was revealed that Rob and Laura had another son named Rob Jr., who was
born after the series ended and who became a successful lawyer.
It was also revealed that Sally had married Herman Glimscher, her longtime boyfriend and
Buddy’s brother-in-law.
Mel Cooley, Alan’s bald-headed producer, had also died, but his widow Jeannie had remarried
to Stacey Petrie, Rob’s brother.
The special was hosted by Ray Romano, who introduced the show and interviewed some of
the cast members.
It was written by Carl Reiner, directed by Ken Whittingham, and produced by Calvada Productions
and CBS Productions.
The special received mixed reviews from critics and fans, but it was nominated for a Primetime
Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special.
We're just about out of time, so we'll go ahead and wrap things up.
But before you go, we'd love to hear from you!
Who was your favorite character in The Dick Van Dyke Show, and which episode stands out
to you as the funniest?
Let us know in the comments.
And as always, thanks for watching!