If I'm not mistaken, I believe the cast has assembled today on Wednesday, March 10 to start rehearsals for The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited, and will tape in front of a live audience on Tuesday, March 16. The next day, The TV Land Awards will honor the cast from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Please keep us posted should anyone see or hear anything!

I didn't know TV Land Awards is honoring TMTMS! I have been watching the season 1 dvds these past couple of days because I've been sick in bed. I kept thinking about the difference between Mary Richards and Laura Petrie and hoping the season 2 set will be released some time soon. For the record, I like Laura Petrie better that Mary Richards for some reason that I can't put my finger on. Anyone else? I'm interested in the fact that work has begun on the reunion special. I'm anxious to see the promos to see what it is about.


Lolac


:)

KurtOriginally posted by Lolac
I didn't know TV Land Awards is honoring TMTMS! I have been watching the season 1 dvds these past couple of days because I've been sick in bed. I kept thinking about the difference between Mary Richards and Laura Petrie and hoping the season 2 set will be released some time soon. For the record, I like Laura Petrie better that Mary Richards for some reason that I can't put my finger on. Anyone else? I'm interested in the fact that work has begun on the reunion special. I'm anxious to see the promos to see what it is about.


Lolac


:)

TMTMS IS GETTING THE TV LAND LEGEND AWARD??? :D :D :D :D Yay!!! I can't wait to watch the show!!

Lolac, I agree with you, I also like Laura Petrie better. It's not that I don't like Mary Richards, it's just I like Laura better, I guess. Maybe it's the differences in their personalities. I'm not quite sure why...:confused:

I also agree with you that Fox should release Season 2 of MTMS. I think there are more people who are willing to purchase season 2 than they think! Oh well, for now all we can do is enjoy season 1 over and over!

Kurt

Originally posted by Lolac
I like Laura Petrie better that Mary Richards for some reason that I can't put my finger on. Anyone else?
Lolac


:)
Hmmmm,
I'll have to think about this one....
Ok, me too! LOL!

Steve

Doug, or anyone: Do you how I can get into the reunion taping? I live right by there!

Originally posted by SawgrassSteve
Hmmmm,
I'll have to think about this one....
Ok, me too! LOL!

Steve

I knew you would say that, Steve! LOLOL


Lolac

:lol:

I'm really sorta surprised they're
only gonna have four days of rehearsal before filming the show.
I thought it might be more like
two weeks. Four days is more like
normal week when they were doing
show. And they were really in the
razor sharp fighting shape groove
that actors get into during a
series. It's gotta be hard to
fall back into that. Actors always
say it was like we never left and
we fell right back into it. Then
they give flat imitations of what
they did before. I really kinda
see Mary doing that. I hope not.
I think Dick can do it, But I remember when Carl reprised Alan
Brady on a Mad About You episode
I was surprised it just wasn't
quite there. Anyway, I hope it
works but I really think Mary did
the best work of her life under
the influence of Carl and Dick.
She was fantastic and I just wish
she had a little more time to be
under their influence again. It
takes time for things to jell.
For maybe all of them. It's more
than just the words on the paper.

Unless I've got my facts wrong, Samme, the reunion special will rely to some degree on flashbacks. That means they'll be using clips from the original show to move the story along. If that's the case, they probably haven't got a whole lot to rehearse. This would be the kind of show that's played out as much in the editor's room as it is on the set.

Steve

I'll post more about it soon, but I wanted to let you all know that the show was completed over a three day period last week at CBS Radford Studios. Rehearsals actually began the week before.

the on thinkg I can tell you is that the show is wonderful, and fans will NOT be disappointed!!!

Wow, Steve, I hadn't thought of
that. I knew they were gonna
use clips but I hadn't thought
of it being a flashback heavy
show. That may be the way it
works out.

Originally posted by headwalnut
I'll post more about it soon, but I wanted to let you all know that the show was completed over a three day period last week at CBS Radford Studios. Rehearsals actually began the week before.

the on thinkg I can tell you is that the show is wonderful, and fans will NOT be disappointed!!!

David, when is the reunion special scheduled to air?

Lolac

:)

The date of the Reunion Special is yet to be determined, but it will be during the May sweeps on CBS. The show will subsequently be aired on TV Land.

I will be putting up a special post soon about the show to give you an inside look at the show and its production.

The full edition (and photos from the set) will be included in the next edition (April) of The Walnut Times.

Thank you for the update! I'm really excited about the reunion special. It sounds like it's going to be really great! :)

Thank you, David! I appreciate the updates and based on your comments, I am really looking forward to this show!

Lolac

:D

I cant wait to see this!

Hopefully this and "The Alan Brady Show" will be extras on the Fifth Season DVD.


Has there been any mention of these 2 specials making it to the DVDs??

There will be a clip from the animated Alan Brady Show on the DVDs, but the revisited special will be completed too late to make it to the Season Five DVD.

There is discussion about the possibility of having the revisited special released on DVD, but there is nothing definite at this time.

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW REVISITED:

Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner and Rose Marie reunite for THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW REVISITED, a new television special to be broadcast Tuesday, May 11 (9:00-10:00PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Other original series cast members Larry Mathews (Richie Petrie), Ann Morgan Guilbert (Millie Helper) and guest stars Jerry Van Dyke (Stacey Petrie) and Bill Idelson (Herman Glimcher) also return for a new episode of the series set in 2004. The special catches up with Rob and Laura Petrie, in the present day, 40 years after the series was originally broadcast.

Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) hosts the 159th episode.

In the new episode, writers Rob and Sally each receive a phone call from Alan Brady with a strange request: Alan, who admires the eulogies that the pair wrote for Buddy and Millie’s late husband’s funerals, wants them to write his eulogy before he dies. He rationalizes the request by telling them that he wants to know what they will say about him and he also wants the chance to do a rewrite. To induce them, he offers to pay a very large fee for the dubious job. Rob and Sally are uncertain that they can actually complete the assignment given their real feelings about Alan, but they reluctantly agree to try… for the money!

Classic clips from the original series will also be seen.

The Dick Van Dyke Show, which followed the misadventures of the writers of a mythical TV comedy show and the home life of the Petries in New Rochelle, N.Y., was broadcast on CBS for five seasons from October 1961 through May 1966. During that time, it was a top 10 hit in three of its five seasons, peaking at Number 3 in the 1963-64 season. It was created by Carl Reiner, who was also seen as Alan Brady, and starred Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Larry Matthews, Richard Deacon, Jerry Paris, Ann Morgan Guilbert and Jerry Van Dyke.

TV Land, also owned by Viacom, has a window to air the special following the Network run.

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW REVISITED was produced by TV Land Productions. Carl Reiner is the executive producer; George Shapiro and Howard West are the executive consultants; Sal Maniaci and Michael Petok are the producers. Ken Whittingham directed the special from a script by series originator Carl Reiner.

Originally posted by pavanbadal
THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW REVISITED:

Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner and Rose Marie reunite for THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW REVISITED, a new television special to be broadcast Tuesday, May 11 (9:00-10:00PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Other original series cast members Larry Mathews (Richie Petrie), Ann Morgan Guilbert (Millie Helper) and guest stars Jerry Van Dyke (Stacey Petrie) and Bill Idelson (Herman Glimcher) also return for a new episode of the series set in 2004. The special catches up with Rob and Laura Petrie, in the present day, 40 years after the series was originally broadcast.

Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) hosts the 159th episode.

In the new episode, writers Rob and Sally each receive a phone call from Alan Brady with a strange request: Alan, who admires the eulogies that the pair wrote for Buddy and Millie’s late husband’s funerals, wants them to write his eulogy before he dies. He rationalizes the request by telling them that he wants to know what they will say about him and he also wants the chance to do a rewrite. To induce them, he offers to pay a very large fee for the dubious job. Rob and Sally are uncertain that they can actually complete the assignment given their real feelings about Alan, but they reluctantly agree to try… for the money!

Classic clips from the original series will also be seen.

The Dick Van Dyke Show, which followed the misadventures of the writers of a mythical TV comedy show and the home life of the Petries in New Rochelle, N.Y., was broadcast on CBS for five seasons from October 1961 through May 1966. During that time, it was a top 10 hit in three of its five seasons, peaking at Number 3 in the 1963-64 season. It was created by Carl Reiner, who was also seen as Alan Brady, and starred Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Larry Matthews, Richard Deacon, Jerry Paris, Ann Morgan Guilbert and Jerry Van Dyke.

TV Land, also owned by Viacom, has a window to air the special following the Network run.

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW REVISITED was produced by TV Land Productions. Carl Reiner is the executive producer; George Shapiro and Howard West are the executive consultants; Sal Maniaci and Michael Petok are the producers. Ken Whittingham directed the special from a script by series originator Carl Reiner.

Sounds AWESOME.
My only hope is that it could somehow have made it to the Season 5 DVD....

I have May 11 marked on my calendar. Can't wait! Lolac:happyface

CBS prepares nostalgic specials for sweeps

Posted Friday, April 2, 2004 on Zap2it.com

CBS' plans for the May sweeps period includes specials paying tribute to both "The Dick Van Dyke Show'' and "The Carol Burnett Show.''

Up first will be ``The Carol Burnett Show: Let's Bump Up the Lights'' on May 5. The show will reunite variety legend Burnett with Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner for an evening of memories and never-before-seen and frequently-before-seen clips.

"The Carol Burnett Show'' ran for 11 years on CBS, beginning in 1967. The 2001 special "The Carol Burnett Show: Showstoppers,'' drew 29.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched entertainment special (excluding awards programming) of the 2001-2002 season.

Less than a week later, on May 11, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner and Rose Marie will get back together for "The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited,'' a new episode of the classic series set in 2004. In addition to catching up with Rob and Laura Petrie 40 years later, the episode will feature the usual array of memories and clips.

Ray Romano will host the Dick Van Dyke special.

CBS has had recent success reuniting the casts of old chestnuts. The recent November entry, "The Andy Griffith Reunion: Back to Mayberry,'' pulled in more than 21.6 million viewers.

Sounds awesome! I can't wait for May 11th! :D

I hope the reunion show is on dvd or I'll never get to see it! :(

'Poppins' poppin' up again for DVD
04/05/2004
Variety.com

Army Archerd, STAFF

GOOD MORNING: Julie Andrews (news) and Dick Van Dyke (news) will be back together in front of the cameras later this month. It's for the DVD for the 40th anni of "Mary Poppins," a film that received 13 Oscar nominations, including a win for Julie. Julie and Dick will be joined on the Disney DVD -- and on the piano -- by Richard Sherman. He, with brother Bob, wrote the "Mary Poppins" music for which they won two Oscars (news - web sites), one for the score, the other for "Chim Chim Cheree." (As we all know, their other tune, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" became part of our language.) DVD will go beyond the usual celeb-interview addition to a disc: It will include Julie and Dick segueing into an animated scene especially created for the DVD. Meanwhile, the "Mary Poppins" musical is set to bow in Bristol, England, Sept. 15 en route to London, Dec.15 ... Julie will also be on screen, vocally, May 21 as Cameron Diaz (news)' mom, Queen Lillian, in "Shrek 2." Later this year, she stars in "Princess Diaries 2." Meanwhile, Van Dyke has taped a reunion with Mary Tyler Moore (news), Rose Marie and Carl Reiner for the May 11 CBS "The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited." CBS' Ray Romano (news) will appear as a lead-in to the reunion show ... Reiner is also winding the final (of 13) segs in the animated "Father of the Pride" series from DreamWorks for NBC and then segues into the start of "Ocean's 12" in Chicago.

From the "Entertainment Tonight" web pages on Yahoo.com, posted on March 15, 2004:

DICK VAN DYKE and MARY TYLER MOORE reunited for last year's PBS special, "The Gin Game." Now the two have joined with former castmates ROSE MARIE, CARL REINER and ANN MORGAN GUILBERT for "The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisted." ET was first on the set for the long-awaited reunion. "Its going back to my roots as an actress," Moore tells ET. "As a performer, this is a very special feeling [to be] back in the cradle with them." And co-star Rose Marie adds, "It's unbelievable. It's déjà vu. It's like yesterday we finished and today we started all over again." Look for the reunion on CBS this May.

The DVDS Revisited Special will air on CBS on May 11th. It will subsequently air on TV Land on May 21st, as per information provided by TV Land Executive Producer, Sal Maniaci.

For a sneak peek photo, check out:

http://www.thewalnuttimes.com/news.htm

What a wonderful picture! Thank you so much for the update! :D

http://www.thewalnuttimes.com/news.htm

Originally posted by headwalnut
The DVDS Revisited Special will air on CBS on May 11th. It will subsequently air on TV Land on May 21st, as per information provided by TV Land Executive Producer, Sal Maniaci.

For a sneak peek photo, check out:

http://www.thewalnuttimes.com/news.htm

Great article and pictures! I can't wait for the special to air! Fortunately, May 11 is in less than a month!!! :D

Kurt

http://www.thewalnuttimes.com/news.htm

Great pictures! Thank you! Lolac

http://www.thewalnuttimes.com/news.htm

The April issue of the newsletter (now available) is a behind the scenes look at the taping of the show with lots of inside info and exclusive photos.

Great pictures, except....

I keep asking myself, "What is Mark Sloan doing with Mary Tyler Moore?" :)

Obviously, to me, young Dick is "Rob Petrie" while old Dick is "Mark Sloan".

I'm glad that Dick didn't dye his hair or do something else to make himself look younger. It seems more "real" having Rob look like what a man in his mid to late 70s would look like.

This site has a few more interesting shots of the cast
Getty Images (http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/CFW/imageResults.aspx?s=ImagesSearchState|0|15|0|1|||0|0|0|0|7|Dick+Van+Dyke&p=7)

Steve

Hi everybody,
This is something I've been hoping for and waiting for for ages. I hope it's not going to be the disappointment other things I have waited a long time for have been. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

One thing I don't believe has been mentioned in any or the replies here, or stories quoted here or articles links to which have been posted here: According to the story in the 4/29/04 issue of "The New York Post," in the reunion special, Rob and Laura no longer live on Bonnie Meadow Drive in New Rochelle. Instead, according to the special, they live, and have lived for 20 years, in Manhattan -- in a "West Side penthouse of Seinfeldian proportions," which is supposed to be "a far cry" from the Petrie house we remember. The New Rochelle set -- or a re-creation therof -- is, however, where, according to The Post, Ray Romano introduces the new episode from.


Later,
Art

Let me assure all of you that you will get the chance to see the "original" Petrie living room several times during the course of the special.

The detail spent to recreate this set is outstanding - including the artwork, pieces of furniture and pillows on the furniture!! The crew from The Bernie Mac Show did an incredible job. Two thumbs up!

It was amazing to walk onto the soundstage and see this living room. Very, very cool. Stay tuned!

Originally posted by SawgrassSteve
This site has a few more interesting shots of the cast
Getty Images (http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/CFW/imageResults.aspx?s=ImagesSearchState|0|15|0|1|||0|0|0|0|7|Dick+Van+Dyke&p=7)

Steve

Thanks for the link, Steve! Gotta love "Right click, save as" ;) Mary looks good in those pics, too. Although as other posters have said, it's hard to get used to Dick w/ the white hair LOL.

Thank you so much for the links! I can't wait until May 11th! :D

Originally posted by Kristen
Thanks for the link, Steve! Gotta love "Right click, save as" ;)
Yes, but don't those watermarks get in the way?!

Steve

Originally posted by SawgrassSteve
Yes, but don't those watermarks get in the way?!

Steve

Yes, of course I'd rather have the pics w/o the watermark, but they're still good. Can't wait for May 11th!

Originally posted by Artfiore1
Hi everybody,
This is something I've been hoping for and waiting for for ages. I hope it's not going to be the disappointment other things I have waited a long time for have been. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

One thing I don't believe has been mentioned in any or the replies here, or stories quoted here or articles links to which have been posted here: According to the story in the 4/29/04 issue of "The New York Post," in the reunion special, Rob and Laura no longer live on Bonnie Meadow Drive in New Rochelle. Instead, according to the special, they live, and have lived for 20 years, in Manhattan -- in a "West Side penthouse of Seinfeldian proportions," which is supposed to be "a far cry" from the Petrie house we remember. The New Rochelle set -- or a re-creation therof -- is, however, where, according to The Post, Ray Romano introduces the new episode from.


Art

I read somewhere that Richie now lives in the old Petrie home. I'm glad we will get to see the old house, but also glad that Rob and Laura moved to Manhattan-it would be unrelastic to think that after all these years they couldn't afford to move to a nicer house-although I would have loved to see them move to LA, which would have made sense if Rob continued his career as a TV comedy writer.

Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore return to remember

‘Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited’ is a look back at the classic show

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4909167/
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:43 p.m. ET May 05, 2004

LOS ANGELES - When Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner and Rose Marie got together for a reunion of “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” it was as if 40 years hadn’t passed.

“It was all still there,” Van Dyke said. “We did a lot of laughing.”

Reiner, who created and wrote the series, for years had resisted CBS’ overtures for a traditional clip show, with the actors sitting around talking about themselves.

Eventually, he settled on a story line and in a couple of days wrote what he called the 159th episode.

“The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited” airs 9 p.m. ET Tuesday on CBS.

A television classic

The original series, which ran for 158 episodes from 1961 to ’66 on CBS, was considered one of television’s classic comedies because of its writing.

“I stayed away from any slang of the day when we were writing these shows knowing that it would have some kind of a life when we finished,” Reiner said.

The series was set behind the scenes of a mythical TV comedy called “The Alan Brady Show.” Rob Petrie (Van Dyke) was the head writer and he worked with Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (the late Morey Amsterdam), both of whom were close friends of Rob and wife Laura (Moore).

The interplay between Van Dyke and Moore was so convincing, viewers believed they were married in real life.

“We had similar approaches to life and we were respectful of life and other people,” Moore said. “You can’t but help love that man for the talent he has. He was so good to me when I was just testing my comedy wings. I owe him and Carl Reiner everything.”

Rose Marie’s Sally was a rarity in those days — a single woman who earned a living in field dominated by men.

“I was the first women’s libber on TV. I worked with men, made the same money and was treated the same way,” Rose Marie said. “A lot of girls told me they became writers because of me.”

Just like old times

The hour-long special opens in the Petries’ black and white living room. A colorized Ray Romano of “Everybody Loves Raymond” walks in to reminisce before giving way to the Petries in present day.

“It was like old times working together again, everybody looking out for everyone else,” said Rose Marie, whose gravelly voice remains intact.

Van Dyke said the rehearsals should have been taped.

“People forgetting their lines, Rosie’s hearing aid going off,” he said. “Carl plays Alan Brady in his usual bombastic bit of hot air.”

The special catches up with the Petries 40 years after they were newlyweds living in New Rochelle, N.Y. Rob and Laura have moved to Manhattan, where Laura runs a dance studio in their home. Rob is fascinated by gadgets, including his computer and flat screen monitor.

Rob gets a phone call from the neurotic Brady, who wants his former writers Rob and Sally to pen his eulogy before he dies. He entices them with fat contracts.

“I’ve never done a heartfelt eulogy for someone with no heart,” Van Dyke’s character says.

Rob and Sally express doubt about the assignment, given their true feelings about Alan.

Larry Matthews, who played the Petries’ son Richie, makes a brief appearance. Van Dyke’s real-life brother, Jerry, who appeared in a few original episodes, is back and dating the Petries’ neighbor, Millie Helper (Ann Morgan Guilbert).

Remembering old friends

The show recalls late cast members Amsterdam, Richard Deacon (Mel Cooley) and Jerry Paris (who directed and played Millie’s husband Jerry).

Moore was relatively inexperienced in show business compared to Van Dyke when she was hired.

“That was the major break in my life, having Carl believe in me and after a few episodes, write to my sense of humor,” she said. “He allowed me to become the world’s first funny straight woman. It was five of the happiest years of my life.”

Moore went on to have her own self-titled show in the 1970s. Van Dyke had a successful run on CBS’ “Diagnosis: Murder.”

He had an ownership interest in the original series, “which has been an annuity for me and my family over the years.”

Rose Marie points out she “never got a bonus, I never got a raise, I never got a gift.”

In exchange, though, she played a memorable role in television history.

“There was a chemistry that’s very hard to find,” Rose Marie said. “Between the writing and the chemistry of the people, it’s the reason the show became a legend.”

That was a very nice article. Thank you for posting it. :)

Hello all,

This is my first time posting here. I've been a huge Dick Van Dyke fan since I was a small child, as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was my most absolute favoritest film of all time then. For some reason, though, I hadn't really been much exposed to his classic show over the years...an episode now and then, but it didn't really hit me. Then, a couple of years ago, I noticed a DVD with the six familiar public domain episodes on it, and decided it was time to catch up with the show at last. I should never have waited so long. Six episodes of pure gold, and they aren't even the best ones, as I was later to find out through these absolutely GORGEOUS box sets...simply some of the finest DVD collections ever released. The presentation is PERFECT, right down to minute details such as having the TV dial on the spine of the box pointing to the number corresponding to the respective season (didn't even notice that at first!).

It's very encouraging to see this lively forum; I wouldn't have expected a forum devoted to a single TV show to be so active, but if there's one show that could pull it off, it's this one, perhaps the finest sitcom ever created, right up there with Fawlty Towers. At any rate, I'm very happy to be here.

Now that introductions have been made, here's my contribution to the thread at hand...

Thoughts on the special: YAY!!!!!!!!!!! I've been hoping Carl would follow through on this, after teasing us for awhile, and it looks like he's finally delivered the goods. My mum will be taping this for me tonight, as I don't have cable (just a monitor and thousands of tapes and discs of films and old TV shows :) ). One concern: that the show is hosted by Ray Romano, whom, as the Grinch would say, is someone I can't stand in the least, and whose show I think is one of the worst of all time (a sterling example of why I don't have cable; nope, not everyone loves Raymond). Why they saw the need to frame the show with a new sitcom star I'll never know...you'd think the cast of The Dick Van Dyke Show could stand on its own considerable merits. I'll probably end up severing him from the special proper when I transfer it to DVD-R; hopefully the show will be configured in such a way that will make it easy to do.

The cast looks great in those new on-set photos, especially Dick, who wasn't looking quite the ticket in the reminiscence shot last year for the special edition DVD of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Most encouraging. Although, I still say Mary has had way too much plastic surgery, and looks a bit off now. Anyone know if Dick has had any? It doesn't look like he has, and if not, I salute him for that, as well as his mind-boggling talents. In fact, I'd say he's one of the most talented performers since Fred Astaire, who himself complimented Dick on his dancing and movements. Just so you know, I consider Fred to be possibly the most talented performer that ever lived; imagination plays happily with the idea of Dick and Mary in a series of Fred & Ginger-style black-and-white musicals...

Is it just me, or does anyone else think Dick (as well as a few TV and film critics) is way too hard on his dancing abilities? Seems like he's always saying he can't dance, he's not a dancer, etc. etc....you'd never know it from watching him. He's the absolute master of the softshoe; his and Mary's performances on the show of "Harmony" and "Carolina In The Morning" are fantastic and absolutely spot-on-the-money. Ditto for his singing abilities...certainly not the finest singer in the world, but quite respectable.

Welcome to the board, Serge (you peasant! tee hee :lol: ). It is always good to welcome a DVDS fan to this board. Tonight is the night and I can't wait! Tom Shales in The Washington Post really panned this show, which means it must be great. I disagree with just about everything Tom Shales says. I look forward to hearing from everyone tomorrow to see how we liked the show. Happy viewing!!

Lolac

:wave:

Serge,
First of all, welcome to this board. It's always nice to see somebody who appreciates this fine show, Strange as it may seem, not everybody does. I've known people who don't like it at all (??) Lots of great shows have followed it -- "All In The Family", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "M*A*S*H", "The Bob Newhart Show", "Barney Miller" etc. Each one, whether or not people realize it, had a path paved for it by "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

I wouldn't fret over the new episode being hosted by Ray Romano. I have a feeling that his on air time is going to be considerably less that the time it took you to post your reply here. You may not agree, but what more suitable host for an event of this nature could there be than a big present-day TV success story who was probably inspired by and grew up on "The Dick Van Dyke Show"? Does it really not make sense for a big sitcom star of today -- who happens to be one of that same network's big guns -- to pay tribute to a classic sitcom? And, speaking of Ray, exactly why is his show "a sterling example" of why you "don't have cable"? I don't get the connection.

You're absolutely right about Dick Van Dyke as a performer. Even today, good-looking young guys who can sing, dance, do physical comedy and act are not exactly common. There *might* be a few out there. But when Dick Van Dyke came along, he was quite the *rare* commodity. If there are guys, these days, who can do all of those things, you can bet that a fair share of them would name Dick Van Dyke as their long-time inspiration.

And, don't even get me started on Mary.



Later,
Art

Welcome to the forum! It's nice to meet another TDVDS fan! :)

Here's the link to a small writeup that Zap2it did on the reunion show tonight in their best bets section: http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,584|||,00.html

I just read Tom Shale's sickening review. He even pans the original series--calling it dated!! This series is one of the jewels of television--one of the all-time best sitcoms in history. But he is a critic so it is his job to criticize even if he doesn't have much ammunition in his arsenal.

Hi all,
I just read a review by someone named Terry Morrow, who referred to the special as "simply painful" to watch. This critic had lots of other uncomplimentary things to say about the show, including calling the plot "flimsy" and advising viewers to avoid it altogether.

Knowing, as I do, how critics are the lowest form of life on the planet, he or she has succeeded only in making me want to see this special all the more.


Later,
Art

I don't pay much attention to what critics say. I like to see things for myself. I usually find that the critics are totally wrong anyway. If they say something is going to be bad, I know that it will definitely be worth seeing! I'm really looking forward to TDVDS Revisited because I will be seeing the characters that I love. :)

Carrie,



Exactly!




Later,
Art