The Van Dyke Show 1988

[sitcomfan25]

I was wondering does anyone here remember Dick Van Dyke's 1988 series The Van Dyke Show?

[TV_on_the_Porch]

Yes, I watched it at least once. The episode had to do with grandpa Dick finally giving up smoking when his grandson wishes to emulate the habit.

There was an extended solo scene of Dick going through nicotine withdrawal that played similar to the time he got lost in the desert and ended up in an abandoned cabin on the New DVD show--only not nearly as funny. In fact, nothing really worked.

[McGillicuddy]

Wow! I thought you were talking about his variety series, Van Dyke & Co.. After looking it up, I found that was indeed a short lived sit-com called The Van Dyke Show! I never knew about it.

[treky]

Originally Posted by McGillicuddy

Wow! I thought you were talking about his variety series, Van Dyke & Co.. After looking it up, I found that was indeed a short lived sit-com called The Van Dyke Show! I never knew about it.

yea, I remember it. He played an actor who ran a small dinner theater in (I think) Pennsylvania with his son who was played by his real son Barry. I remember watching the first episode and it wasn't very good.
I remember it was on CBS right before or after another short-lived sitcom that starred Mary Tyler Moore called ANNIE McGUIRE or something like that. It also wasn't very good.
I guess CBS was hoping a "Dick/Mary hour" would draw viewers to both shows.

[70s show watcher]

I watched it and kind of enjoyed it

[kclj520]

I remember that one, boy that is a blast from the past!!

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by treky

yea, I remember it. He played an actor who ran a small dinner theater in (I think) Pennsylvania with his son who was played by his real son Barry. I remember watching the first episode and it wasn't very good.
I remember it was on CBS right before or after another short-lived sitcom that starred Mary Tyler Moore called ANNIE McGUIRE or something like that. It also wasn't very good.
I guess CBS was hoping a "Dick/Mary hour" would draw viewers to both shows.

Very dim memory of those two shows... but just the memory that goes about as far as maybe seeing them mentioned at that time, maybe never even saw an episode.

[mets82]

I have to do a little research. Never even heard of the Van Dyke Show or that other one with Mary Tyler Moore.

[Yong Fang]

I just saw a bit of it on Youtube. It is not bad, just boring and aimless.

Barry Van Dyke has the same voice as his father.

[TMC]

Why did Dick Van Dyke’s ’80s sitcom fail?

Story by Lauren Novak

Fans of Dick Van Dyke know all about his classic films like Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and hit TV shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis Murder. They might remember his turns in movies like Fitzwilly and Cold Turkey, the only film ever directed by Norman Lear. But even devoted viewers might not recall The Van Dyke Show, which starred Van Dyke and his son, Barry, and aired from October 26 to December 7, 1988. While the premise was sweet, it just never took off like some of Van Dyke’s other projects, and remains a small note in his long career. However, it set the stage for Dick and Barry’s ultra-successful collaboration on Diagnosis Murder a few years later.

What was Dick Van Dyke’s 1988 sitcom about?

The cast of The Van Dyke Show featured Kari Lizer as Chris Burgess, Maura Tierney as Jillian Ryan, Billy O’Sullivan as Noah Burgess, Paul Scherrer as Eric Olander, and Whitman Mayo, beloved by many for Sanford and Son, as Doc Sterling, the stage manager. The series even featured guest appearances from Lainie Kazan and Lee Paul.

Why did The Van Dyke Show get cancelled?

It seemed like it had the recipe for a quality sitcom, but turns out that the timing wasn’t right. Critics were generally unkind, and ratings didn’t rise enough to save it. CBS canceled the series on December 14, 1988, one week after the sixth episode aired. Ten episodes had been filmed, but only the first six ever reached television screens. The unaired titles included “The Revival,” “A Dark and Stormy Night” Parts 1 and 2 and “Dick Burgess: Between the Sheets.”