I am pleased to read that while many of you have seen some reviews of tonights' show which are less than stellar, you have all put the critics in their proper place.

I THINK it was George Bernard Shaw who said "There has never been a statue erected in honor of a critic"

a better one, and I can't recall who said it...is:

"Dear mr. critic.

I am presently seated in the smallest room in my house. I have your review in front of me. In a moment, it shall be behind me"


I like that one the best!

enjoy.

I have to tell you I fell into a deep depression reading what most newspaper critics had to say about the special. The column by Tom Shales of the Washington Post was absolutely withering. Daily Variety, and a local critic who I know is a big Dick Van Dyke fan, seemed to be the only ones to give hearty endorsements. The vast majority were represented by Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker, who gave The Dick Van Dyke Show an A plus, but The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited a C minus. I understand Tucker’s viewpoint; he said that with the series now out on DVD, it was pointless for the cast to try to recreate the old magic when the original shows are readily available.

I did save a few positive words from the critics who did like the show:

The warmest, sweetest surprise of the season...
fans will be delighted to see that the stars look great and haven't lost a step in terms of timing and delivery...Tuesday's special, thankfully, gives viewers a chance to say, "Look how gracefully they've all aged."
- Bill Brioux, Sun Media
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/Today/2004/05/09/452278.html
http://www.canoe.ca/Television/may8_dick-sun.html

Unexpected as it is for a fluffy bit of sweeps-timed nostalgia to actually provoke hunger for more, that's the case with this warm and breezy tribute, an almost casual cast reunion augmented by classic clips. Cleverly conceived by Carl Reiner, who is among those to reprise roles from the original series, what's billed as the "159th episode" provides a solid reminder as to why this deservedly remains one of TV's most-beloved comedies...
- Brian Lowry, Daily Variety
http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=upsell_review&reviewID=VE1117923788&categoryID=1264&cs=1

Dick Van Dyke... gives off spectacular energy and makes the visit worthwhile. He reminds everyone why "The Dick Van Dyke Show" still commands affection and respect.

A long-overdue -- if not entirely terrific -- reunion

The episode is weak, which is to be expected. The clips, no surprise, are great. And seeing the Petries again in character is worth the effort of the contrived sitcom plot. Other than immediately noticing Rob and Laura are a tad older, the first thing that hits you is how well they still fit, as a couple and a comedy team. Dick Van Dyke (78) and Moore (67) show they still have the gifts of chemistry and comic timing, and that they both can still dance. But the clips are something else. The musical numbers recalled are simply spectacular. These were comedy actors, yet their polished singing and dancing skills kind of make you want to slap some of the silly people trying out for "American Idol." The comedy is at an even higher level, and you see in Van Dyke's delivery, his mix of deadpan cool and blithering slapstick, some rhythms and styles that have echoed through Woody Allen, Michael J. Fox and even Jerry Seinfeld and Ray Romano. They are as charismatic and engaging as ever, and it is one last reminder that to make classic television, you need classic talents.

The following is from Marc Berman's column in mediaweek, an industry publication on the business of television. Berman was one of those critics who called The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited "pathetic" and "abysmal". A reader wrote back to challenge Berman's review, and his reply follows.


Reader Feedback Forum:
Dick Van Dyke Revisited

"I don't think Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited was abysmal. Weak? Yes, but that was to be expected. Although reunion shows generally lack in quality, at least this one stayed in the same vein of the original show (unlike Mary and Rhoda which became a drama). It was fun to see Rob, Laura, Sally and Alan interact once more, and adding Millie and Stacy to the mix was a nice treat. After 40 years away it was hard for Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore to completely get back in character again. I did wonder why there weren't any scenes with Rob, Laura and Ritchie together, but that was a minor concern. While I wouldn't want to see it again, I'm glad the gang reunited one more time."
-S.S., Los Angeles, CA

-The P.I.:
The problem with doing a reunion is never -- and I stress never -- being able to capture the creativity of the original series. As good as it was to see the folks from The Dick Van Dyke Show back together again, viewers probably tuned in more in curiosity to see how well the actors aged instead of the story itself. In the case of some of the actors, it was a losing battle. As for the virtual absence as the now adult Larry Matthews as son Ritchie, his cameo appearance at the beginning of the hour proved his acting skills have not improved since the original series. Other than Richard Keith as I Love Lucy's Little Ricky, Matthews was probably one of the worst child actors in the history of television.

The posters on this board seem to be upset because a lot of people (myself included) didn't think the DVD reunion show was very good...

Seems to me that everyone should be entitled to their opinions...I'm sure if we examined each of your own lives, we would find out that you, too, have at some point, criticized something you didn't like, whether it's a TV show, a music video or CD, or a book...

And just so you know, it's OK to not automatically love something just because Dick van Dyke or Mary Tyler Moore or Carl Reiner's names are attached to it...

Lucille Ball was the greatest TV performer ever (in my opinion). And "I Love Lucy" was the best TV show ever (in my opinion)...But I don't think that "Here's Lucy" or "The Lucy Show" were as good as "I Love Lucy"... if that means that I'm "critical" of Lucille Ball, so be it... my opinion of those shows takes nothing away from my opinion that Ball was the best...

And I'm sure, if we could review everything that George Bernard Shaw ever said in his life, I'm sure that, at some point, he criticized something or someone he didn't like... heck, he criticized CRITICS with that elitist statement of his...

Point is, people watch TV, read books (some of us, anyway), listen to music...and as long as people do that, there will ALWAYS be a reaction to what you're watching, reading or listening to... sometimes the reaction will be positive, sometimes it will be negative...but whether something is good or not, in terms of quality, will always be in the eyes (or ears) of the beholders...

If you honestly liked the DVD reunion show, feel free to buy the DVD when it comes out and watch it every day if you want...just don't expect the rest of us to do the same...fact is, it was a lame show (in my opinion)

;)