TMC
03-22-2026, 11:20 PM
https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/what-s-your-favorite-dick-van-dyke-show-episode-these-are-the-25-best-according-to-fans/ss-AA1ZaQko?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=69c0a7ee5d154f29a6bb4ae65009ee32&ei=11
These are the 25 best, according to fans.
Best 'Dick Van Dyke Show' episodes
It's impossible to imagine "The Dick Van Dyke Show" without Dick Van Dyke—but that was exactly how it was originally intended. Television writer Carl Reiner, who created hit comedy albums with Mel Brooks and would go on to direct equally successful movies starring Steve Martin—like "The Jerk" and "All of Me"—had conceived the series to be about his life. Originally called "Head of the Family," the pilot starred Reiner as Rob Petrie, the main character, opposite actor Barbara Britton as his wife.
Of course, that's not "The Dick Van Dyke Show" that ultimately premiered in 1961 and ran for 158 episodes into 1966. The show instead starred Van Dyke as Rob, a comedy writer for "The Alan Brady Show," who lives in the suburbs with his wife, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), and their son, Ritchie (Larry Mathews). The cast was rounded out by Rob's fellow comedy writers, Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam); the show's producer, Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon); and his neighbors, Jerry and Millie Helper (Jerry Paris and Ann Morgan Guilbert).
While "The Dick Van Dyke Show" portrayed sanitized tropes of the 1960s—a housewife who always has breakfast on the table, a husband who works in the city, and their two separate twin beds—the show was groundbreaking in a number of ways, including giving Moore an equal share of the plot and a platform to showcase her comedic chops. Some 60 years later, Van Dyke himself is still making history.
In June 2024, the then-98-year-old legend became the oldest actor to win a Daytime Emmy, thanks to his role on Peacock's "Days of Our Lives." And in November 2025, Van Dyke added a new book to his lengthy list of accomplishments: "100 Rules for Living to 100," which was published just ahead of the actor's 100th birthday on Dec. 13, 2025.
To celebrate Van Dyke and the show that defined the American sitcom more than six decades ago, Stacker gathered IMDb data on all episodes of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" to rank the top 25. The ranking is based on user ratings as of Aug. 19, 2025, with ties broken by votes. Read on to see if your favorite made the cut.
These are the 25 best, according to fans.
Best 'Dick Van Dyke Show' episodes
It's impossible to imagine "The Dick Van Dyke Show" without Dick Van Dyke—but that was exactly how it was originally intended. Television writer Carl Reiner, who created hit comedy albums with Mel Brooks and would go on to direct equally successful movies starring Steve Martin—like "The Jerk" and "All of Me"—had conceived the series to be about his life. Originally called "Head of the Family," the pilot starred Reiner as Rob Petrie, the main character, opposite actor Barbara Britton as his wife.
Of course, that's not "The Dick Van Dyke Show" that ultimately premiered in 1961 and ran for 158 episodes into 1966. The show instead starred Van Dyke as Rob, a comedy writer for "The Alan Brady Show," who lives in the suburbs with his wife, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), and their son, Ritchie (Larry Mathews). The cast was rounded out by Rob's fellow comedy writers, Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam); the show's producer, Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon); and his neighbors, Jerry and Millie Helper (Jerry Paris and Ann Morgan Guilbert).
While "The Dick Van Dyke Show" portrayed sanitized tropes of the 1960s—a housewife who always has breakfast on the table, a husband who works in the city, and their two separate twin beds—the show was groundbreaking in a number of ways, including giving Moore an equal share of the plot and a platform to showcase her comedic chops. Some 60 years later, Van Dyke himself is still making history.
In June 2024, the then-98-year-old legend became the oldest actor to win a Daytime Emmy, thanks to his role on Peacock's "Days of Our Lives." And in November 2025, Van Dyke added a new book to his lengthy list of accomplishments: "100 Rules for Living to 100," which was published just ahead of the actor's 100th birthday on Dec. 13, 2025.
To celebrate Van Dyke and the show that defined the American sitcom more than six decades ago, Stacker gathered IMDb data on all episodes of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" to rank the top 25. The ranking is based on user ratings as of Aug. 19, 2025, with ties broken by votes. Read on to see if your favorite made the cut.