Most great TV shows have a period where they're still finding its niche, fully fleshing out the characters and eventually churning out an relatively entire season of gold. I'm looking for that particular one for this set. A solid season, not just one that's shakey but has a bunch of memorable episodes (Like Seinfeld Season 3 have a lot of memorable ones, but 4 being where they really got the humor down pat).

So, can anyone help?

I think you must start with season 1. The characters have a history together and if you start with any other seasons, you will miss some of the nuances from the first season. I would start at the beginning and work my way through this series. You will not be disappointed.

Lolac
:wave:

Well, all TV shows have a character backstory that is nice to have but not really necessary. I guess I could be wrong, but I really don't have that much money to blow and the sets are kind of expensive (even though I hear gloating reviews about their content). I don't see myself being able to buy them all for a number of years. So, still season 1?

Well, Imodium, if you want to save some money but get a good taste of the Dick Van Dyke show, here's my suggestion. I don't know if you use eBay or not, but if so, you can find an array of "Best Of" dvds of the Dick Van Dyke show. That's mostly what I own - Best of The Dick Van Dyke show. There are 5 volumes of that and vol. 2 and vol. 5 contain some of the most memorable episodes and you can pick these up for under $5 each (you'd have to pay shipping, of course). There are 4 episodes per DVD and I suggest vol. 2 and vol. 5 to start. Lolac is right though, it's good to start at the begining with this series because there are NO bad seasons of Dick Van Dyke!

Season 1

Season 2- I don't like Season 1 at all. I didn't even buy the DVD set....I think Season 2 had GREAT episodes!

...because Carl Reiner learned what worked best in season ONE! He wrote the majority of the first season episodes, and was trying to "build" the series at the same time. Do you think he would have discovered how well Mary could handle an episode if he hadn't filmed "My Blonde-Haired Brunette"? Or developed Rob & Jerry's relationship (and friendship) in "Punch Thy Neighbor"?
Or Sally's home and personal life in "Where You Been, Fassbinder?". Or introduced Stacey Petrie and given Alan Brady his first on-screen appearance in the two "sleepwalking" episodes? Or Buddy's influence in "Buddy Can You Spare A Job"? Or Rob & Laura's past in "Oh, How We Met..."?

In short, the first season, "uneven" as it may appear to be, is MOST important if you're trying to discover how the characters relate to each other and their quirks and....so on. Start from the first episode, and work your way across, 'Imodium'. That's the best advice I can give you.

AMEN!

Lolac
:wave:

:thumbsup: :yeahthat ...because Carl Reiner learned what worked best in season ONE! He wrote the majority of the first season episodes, and was trying to "build" the series at the same time. Do you think he would have discovered how well Mary could handle an episode if he hadn't filmed "My Blonde-Haired Brunette"? Or developed Rob & Jerry's relationship (and friendship) in "Punch Thy Neighbor"?
Or Sally's home and personal life in "Where You Been, Fassbinder?". Or introduced Stacey Petrie and given Alan Brady his first on-screen appearance in the two "sleepwalking" episodes? Or Buddy's influence in "Buddy Can You Spare A Job"? Or Rob & Laura's past in "Oh, How We Met..."?

In short, the first season, "uneven" as it may appear to be, is MOST important if you're trying to discover how the characters relate to each other and their quirks and....so on. Start from the first episode, and work your way across, 'Imodium'. That's the best advice I can give you.

Season 1 is the place to start. Nearly every episode is a winner, I think, except for Washington vs the Bunny.

Season two had some big clinkers, I think, including five in row...."I'm No Henry Walden" "The Square Triangle."
"Racy Tracy Rattigan," "Divorce," "It's a Shame She Married Me,"

"Washington Vs. the Bunny", despite its surrealistic dream sequence [Carl Reiner just wanted to see "Laura" dressed in a "sexy bunny" outfit], is a great episode. The entire plot revolves around Rob's responsibility to his job, even it means alienating Laura (and his marriage) to the point of missing that school pagent Ritchie's in. I like the arguments between Rob and Laura, especially where she tells him that he was right in going off, at the end. That was the way a real couple would argue with each other (and don't think Reiner wasn't influenced by his own disagreements with Estelle!), and not many people saw that kind of realism in a TV comedy back in 1961!

As for the ones you mentioned in season two, "I'm No Henry Walden!" had a great comedic performance by Everett Sloane (who had very rare chances to demonstrate his acting abilities outside dramatic roles, especially after he commited suicide in 1965). Richard Dawson proved himself to be VERY funny in "Racy Tracy Rattigan" (even though his character is somewhat of an English equivalent of "Alan Brady")...and that established him enough to be chosen, two years later, as one of "HOGAN'S HEROES". "Divorce" IS funny, even though the subject isn't supposed to be...I enjoyed Sheldon Leonard's
off-camera appearance at the end {"My name is FLOYD B. BARRISCALE!!!"} and gets to belt "Rob" in the eye- where else could a TV producer do that to his "star"?

And that's enough on that subject.....

I liked 'Divorce' and 'I'm No Henry Walden.' I'll agree that all the others you listed were clinkers.

"Washington Vs. the Bunny", despite its surrealistic dream sequence [Carl Reiner just wanted to see "Laura" dressed in a "sexy bunny" outfit], is a great episode. The entire plot revolves around Rob's responsibility to his job, even it means alienating Laura (and his marriage) to the point of missing that school pagent Ritchie's in. I like the arguments between Rob and Laura, especially where she tells him that he was right in going off, at the end. That was the way a real couple would argue with each other (and don't think Reiner wasn't influenced by his own disagreements with Estelle!), and not many people saw that kind of realism in a TV comedy back in 1961!

As for the ones you mentioned in season two, "I'm No Henry Walden!" had a great comedic performance by Everett Sloane (who had very rare chances to demonstrate his acting abilities outside dramatic roles, especially after he commited suicide in 1965). Richard Dawson proved himself to be VERY funny in "Racy Tracy Rattigan" (even though his character is somewhat of an English equivalent of "Alan Brady")...and that established him enough to be chosen, two years later, as one of "HOGAN'S HEROES". "Divorce" IS funny, even though the subject isn't supposed to be...I enjoyed Sheldon Leonard's
off-camera appearance at the end {"My name is FLOYD B. BARRISCALE!!!"} and gets to belt "Rob" in the eye- where else could a TV producer do that to his "star"?

And that's enough on that subject.....

"Washington Vs. the Bunny", despite its surrealistic dream sequence [Carl Reiner just wanted to see "Laura" dressed in a "sexy bunny" outfit], is a great episode. The entire plot revolves around Rob's responsibility to his job, even it means alienating Laura (and his marriage) to the point of missing that school pagent Ritchie's in. I like the arguments between Rob and Laura, especially where she tells him that he was right in going off, at the end. That was the way a real couple would argue with each other (and don't think Reiner wasn't influenced by his own disagreements with Estelle!), and not many people saw that kind of realism in a TV comedy back in 1961!

As for the ones you mentioned in season two, "I'm No Henry Walden!" had a great comedic performance by Everett Sloane (who had very rare chances to demonstrate his acting abilities outside dramatic roles, especially after he commited suicide in 1965). Richard Dawson proved himself to be VERY funny in "Racy Tracy Rattigan" (even though his character is somewhat of an English equivalent of "Alan Brady")...and that established him enough to be chosen, two years later, as one of "HOGAN'S HEROES". "Divorce" IS funny, even though the subject isn't supposed to be...I enjoyed Sheldon Leonard's
off-camera appearance at the end {"My name is FLOYD B. BARRISCALE!!!"} and gets to belt "Rob" in the eye- where else could a TV producer do that to his "star"?

And that's enough on that subject.....
:yeahthat and :thanx: once again, you told me a couple things that I didn't know!

now, I'll tell you something you probably don't know about the show: Carl Reiner based some of those situations on things that really happened with him, his wife Esstelle, and their friends and neighbors. Like,what you mentioned, the scenes between Rob and Laura in "WASHINGTON VS. THE BUNNY" and the episode "A BIRD IN THE HEAD HURTS"-the one where a woodpecker keeps attacking Richies head. That really happened to their neighbors kid, exept it was a bluejay or something. In fact, that scene where Richie's wearing a pith helmet is based on something an exasperated vet said once, when he said "LET HIM WEAR A PITH HELMET"!!!)