About The Reunion...

[B&W fan]

Originally posted by SawgrassSteve


I understand and agree, B&W Fan! I don't think there is any such thing as a conservative sitcom.
Although I personally, identify as a liberal politically, I do consider myself socially conservative, which is probably why I too have a tough time with modern music and TV content. Don't you just wish there was a channel for all of that stuff in one place, so you could more easily avoid it? They could call it "The Anything Goes Channel," or simply, "Sleeze TV," or something. The same for radio. Put all of that stuff on one station in every town. Call it "The Audio Porn/Pro Drugs/Self-Destructive Behavior Station," and be done with it!
Say whatever you like about the Adult Film Industry, but they go out of their way to make sure minors don't have access to their brand of entertainment.
That being said, and I know this is TDVDS board guys, but you might want to give American Dreams a look-see on Sunday nights. It's 1st Class (and I do mean class) television, unlike anything else out there now. There's a reason why TV Land gave them the "New Classic" award.

Steve

Thanks Steve. I figured we'd agree on that (since we come down on the same side on many things).

I haven't seen "American Dreams" yet. I won't promise anything, but if I get a chance, I'll check it out. To be honest, my time is quite limited and I tend to only watch those shows I KNOW I'll like, hence my love for the older stuff.

Take care,

B&W "boy I wish we could get a definite release date on the DVD set from Doug - I'm getting real fidgety" fan

[mstewart]

I hope in the reunion that it would show Rob and Laura doing a song and dance together. My opinion Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore were like the Fred Aistaire and Ginger Rogers of situation comedy when it came to their song and dance numbers. To me that was the highlight of the show.

[jayman75]

Originally posted by mstewart
I hope in the reunion that it would show Rob and Laura doing a song and dance together. My opinion Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore were like the Fred Aistaire and Ginger Rogers of situation comedy when it came to their song and dance numbers. To me that was the highlight of the show.

I don't think Mary can dance anymore, due to her diabetes. Perhaps they could sing (I don't know if she still has her voice or not), but I would love to hear some Mountain Greenery or something else fun.

I just hope it's better than the Mary and Rhoda reunion. Phew!

[Kristen]

Originally posted by mstewart
I hope in the reunion that it would show Rob and Laura doing a song and dance together. My opinion Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore were like the Fred Aistaire and Ginger Rogers of situation comedy when it came to their song and dance numbers. To me that was the highlight of the show.

I agree. I wouldn't be surprised if they've already talked about doing that. It would be great to see them sing and dance together. Perhaps to "You, Wonderful You" again.

Kristen

[Artfiore1]

Lolac & co.,
I think it's a pretty safe bet that any "Dick Van Dyke Show" revisitation written by Carl Reiner will NOT hinge on . . .

. . . who is the real father of So-and So's baby . . .

. . . who is sleeping with whom . . .

. . . which character is secretly gay . . . .


etc., etc. etc.

There's a very interesting theory I've read, put forth by Yvonne Craig, who used to play Batgirl on the "Batman" TV series of the 1960s. She feels that the writers of the classic television shows of the '50s & '60s grew up actually experiencing life, and listening to the radio. Today's writers, on the other hand, grew up sitting in front of a TV set. Without even realzing it, they became accustomed to TV directors, costume designers, set decorators, etc. doing all of their imagining for them.

The result: a breed of writers today who were trained for years to be less imaginative than the ones we had years ago.

I'm not sure about that, but it certainly does make sense to me.
And, with Carl Reiner being from that "old school," so to speak, it stands to reason that we should expect something from him, which is of a higher quality than the sitcoms that are currently on the air.
Earlier, someone mentioned the show "American Dreams." I'm just about the farthest thing from an expert on that topic. It seems to me, though, that while that is a very high quality piece of work, it doesn't have the innocence of early 1960s' television. The one episode I saw centered around a young couple's physical involvement, racial prejudice, and a wife's inability to communicate to her husband an incident involving herself and another man. Great show, though.

Anyway, I like the idea of a Petrie renewal of marriage vows as a basis for a cast reunion. The funeral of one of the departed characters -- Buddy, Jerry or Mel -- may be a good possibilty, also . . . although that might set too depressing a tone for the rest of the show/special/movie (whatever it's going to be). I think there needs to be at least *some* serious moments in the production somewhere, though.

[B&W fan]

My "Challenge", if I can call it that, to Carl Reiner is this:

Create a show, here in 2003, that has zero curse words in it; has zero potty humor in it; has zero sex jokes in it!

Someone is thinking about right now, "Wait a minute! If none of those things are in the show, he won't get past the first 30 seconds." I disagree completely. If those horrible qualities are not in the show, he'll simply re-create what he had 40 years ago - the best sitcom ever!

B&W "I absolutely do NOT want to hear Rob or Laura saying four letter words!!!" fan

[Lolac]

Originally posted by B&W fan
My "Challenge", if I can call it that, to Carl Reiner is this:

Create a show, here in 2003, that has zero curse words in it; has zero potty humor in it; has zero sex jokes in it!

Someone is thinking about right now, "Wait a minute! If none of those things are in the show, he won't get past the first 30 seconds." I disagree completely. If those horrible qualities are not in the show, he'll simply re-create what he had 40 years ago - the best sitcom ever!

B&W "I absolutely do NOT want to hear Rob or Laura saying four letter words!!!" fan

Amen, B&W Fan!!! I had to turn off "The Gin Game" last night. I couldn't handle that awful language coming out of Dick Van Dyke's mouth. I didn't think it would bother me, but it really did. I turned, instead, to a really lame movie on CBS called "Remembering Lucy." All in all, a disappointing evening for classic TV. Lolac

[Artfiore1]

B&W,
I've had a chance to think about this some more since my earlier reply, and I've gotta say: That's one whopper of a challenge you'e making, even to Carl Reiner! I don't know if it's possible. After all, we're living in a completely different world from the one in which Rob, Laura and their friends lived in 1963. Even today's so-called "nice, family shows" like "7th Heaven" have plotlines dealing with whether or not the daughter is pregnant.

Another complication is -- television in the early 1960s often wasn't a true reflection of what real life was like at the time, anyway. The world wasn't necessarily as nice and clean then as it appeared on TV. It wasn't *quite* as wholesome a world then as today's young people are led to believe it was. The language some members of my family used and some of the things we talked about in the privacy of our homes -- even then -- could not be found on TV until *decades* later. So, you've got the double dilemma of the world having grown up and the television gudelines having changed so drastically on top of that.

So unfortunately, I think the chances of us seeing a show in 2003 possessing all the qualities of innocence of a 1963 show are about as likely as us seeing an elderly Rob Petrie visiting his balding, middle-aged son Ritchie, and Ritchie eagerly hollering, "Hi, Daddy! Did you bring me anything??"

By the way, "The Gin Game"'s Weller Martin and Fonsia Dorsey are about as far removed from Rob & Laura Petrie as you can find anywhere -- a true testament to the enormous talents of Dick and Mary. They each did an outstanding job in the play. Obscenity, however, is in the eye (and ear) of the beholder. What offends one person may not necessarily offend the next. That's one reason it's a good thing our televisions . . . and radios . . . come with all the buttons they do.

[Lolac]

Originally posted by Artfiore1

Another complication is -- television in the early 1960s often wasn't a true reflection of what real life was like at the time, anyway. . . .

Who ever said television ever had anything to do with reality?! Even the "reality shows" on TV today have nothing do do with real life! I don't watch The Dick Van Dyke Show because it reflects reality either then or now. I watch it because it is clean, wholesome and creative entertainment. The situations presented are close enough to real life to make them familiar to us and therefore funny, but no one expects real life from a situation comedy. I agree with B&W fan. I do NOT want to hear vulgarity, profanity and filth coming out of the mouths of Rob and Laura Petrie! Long live the Standard and Practices! Lolac

[Artfiore1]

Lolac,
Any work of general fiction created on this planet and about life on this planet *has* to be based, at least to some degree, on real life. But you're right.

I think this is probably the only period of my entire life during which I can truthfully say I don't have a favorite TV show . . . or even a few I like. That's why, at least 90% of the time, probably more, my TV is set on TVLand -- to escape the realities of today, in more ways than one.

[Kristen]

Since the subject has already been brought up, I'll take the opportunity to offer my two cents about the play. I know I may be in the minority here, but I enjoyed last night. Yes, of course, it was shocking to hear Dick talking like that. But as he and Mary said on Larry King, it wasn't really him saying it. It was the character. One thing it did was make me appreciate Rob and Laura that much more, and the decent people they are. Also it made me want a DVD show reunion more (If that were even possible!!).

That's my 2 cents on "Gin Game."

Kristen

[MTM1Fan]

I loved hearing Dick swear. I don't know, I just like hearing older people curse. *shrug* That's just me. I also have a cat.

[Artfiore1]

Kristen,
I agree with you, of course.
You folks keep referring to all the swearing *Dick* did in the play. Remember -- almost every single off color word he said was later repeated by Mary, too . . . including the BIG one (and I don't mean "flurk.")

He made an excellent miserable, foul-mouthed, grumpy old man. And, she made a wonderful uptight, troubled, sad and lonely old woman. And, they did dance a little together. Sure, it wasn't Rob & Laura on stage at Camp Crowder. But I think at least they danced as well as two elderly nursing home residents (one of whom walks with a cane) can be expected to dance.

[SawgrassSteve]

Lolac, Artfiore1 and B&WFan,
Believe me, I'm not trying to poke fun at your beliefs. I too appreciate the clean wholesomeness of our show, but I must ask you both a question:
Does the mature subject matter of TDVDS ever offend you? I'm asking because you three seem to not prefer it in your entertainment (which is fine).
Personally, mature themes don't offend me per se, but depending on how it's presented, it could be offensive. It's the difference between today's Hip-Hop, and 70s' Soft Rock. Same theme (sex and drugs), but different presentation.
For example, here's a copy & paste from Artfiore1's post on this thread about "American Dreams:"
"The one episode I saw centered around a young couple's physical involvement, racial prejudice, and a wife's inability to communicate to her husband an incident involving herself and another man. Great show, though."
That's true, but they deal with those very relevant themes with total class and elegance.
Here's how some DVDS themes could be described:
"There are episodes with a wife beater, an alcoholic, a kid who curses at school, married people kissing their friends and neighbors, teens who have crushes on adults, people trying to tempt married people into an affair, a husband who tests his wife to see if she'll cheat on him, a wife who dresses so sexy, the shows sponsors had to intervene, a wife who spends half an episode naked and in the tub, a woman who lives a man and has his child before they get married, etc."
We all know, however that those episodes were written cleanly, and comically, but seeing your posts, I'm just curious. When it comes to today's shows, does it matter how the subject is handeled, or is it just the theme that offends you? No offense meant.

Steve

[Artfiore1]

Steve,
Very clever reply! Your phrasing of the "Van Dyke Show" situations reminded me of the movie summary which reportedly had appeared a few years back in a California newspaper TV section: "Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first woman she encounters, then teams with three complete strangers to kill again." The movie: "The Wizard Of Oz."

But seriously, I think you've got me all wrong. My saying there's nothing on TV today that I like doesn't mean I'm "offended" by what's on -- there is just never a time anymore when I'm saying, "My show is on tonight. Can't wait 'til eight o'clock!" -- like it seems I used to. By mentioning my TV is tuned most of the time to TVLand "to escape the realities of today, in more ways than one," I mean both a) avoidance of the "reality" shows of today, which don't interest me at all and b) that, to put it bluntly, life sucks for me right now, and I'd rather spend my TV time in a simpler era.


As for "American Dreams," all I meant was that while those situations, no doubt, were realities in the early 1960s, over all, they *weren't* on TV comedy at the time. Be honest, now -- can you imagine an episode in which Wally Cleaver comes home and tells Ward that Mary Ellen Rogers was upset about the number of girls he'd been to "second base" with before her . . . or that a black kid had been denied entry into a future astronauts club? References to the fact that girls even *had* second bases were rarely made in those days (if ever). And, remember the network uproar when the parents of the baby, whom Rob Petrie suspected may have been given to him and Laura by mistake at the hospital turned out to be *black*! (GASP!) For some reason, they thought black viewers might be upset by the joke. (??)


Regarding the "Van Dyke Show" situations you mentioned: What could possibly be offensive about an episode in which a woman is naked and in a bathtub *OFF CAMERA*, or an episode in which a kid curses at school, when the viewer isn't given the slightest hint, in Laura's recounting of the event via telephone, what the "bad" word was. Married people kissing their friends and neighbors was simply in keeping with the recurring theme of jealousy which ran through so much of that series. A teen having an innocent crush on an adult is a natural, normal thing which has probably happened to most of us. These, like the other DVD situations you mentioned were not the least bit offensive.
Had they been done today, the person whom Laura had to kiss in the Cleopatra play quite possibly could have been another woman . . . we would have heard Ritchie actually say the "bad" word at school . . . the teen would have sneaked into the Petrie bedroom, stolen a pair of Laura's pantIes and brought them home with him . . . the camera would have been right there in the bathtub with Laura . . . etc., etc. I think you get the drift. But, you know what -- not a single one of those things would offend me.

I can't tell you the last time I was "offended" by something I saw or heard on television -- years ago or today. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not sure I've even been offended by anything *ever*. . . except maybe your reply. (Only kidding.)