An Awkward Situation

[pilotguy]

Some people here have commented on how surprised and pleased they were that members of the Dick Van Dyke cast agreed to appear on the CBS reunion special, but I can't help thinking....Did they really have a CHOICE?

Even the most loyal DVD fan has to admit that the cast members were really put on the spot by Carl Reiner on that TV Land awards show....I mean all of them standing up there and Carl suddenly announcing that he was working on a reunion show...and asking them for a committment, right up there in front of millions of viewers! I felt bad for the unsuspecting cast members during that moment....Frankly, that was neither the time nor the place for Reiner to approach them with that bit of info, and to ask them to agree to appear besides! While Rose Marie was obviously THRILLED with the news and the offer ("I'll do it for NOTHING....For NOTHING I'll be on it!"), poor Mary Tyler Moore was CLEARLY uncomfortable with the whole situation. She almost HAD to say "yes"....because if she DIDN'T, then she would have been the killjoy who "ruined the chance for a reunion show".

Even Dick Van Dyke looked a little shaken by Carl's announcement, but not as shaken as Mary. While I admire Carl Reiner's talent, I think that he was out of line in blindsiding the cast members that way and putting them in a very awkward situation before millions of people.

[algebra74]

I know that it seemed that Rose Marie seemed to be over-joyed with the idea, but I do not think that Mary Tyler Moore really looked upset, or anything like that. All I noticed was that she just didn't seem to be as eager to be on the special as Rose Marie was. They could not hear Carl Reiner at first, yet when he turned around and told them, none of them seemed to be annoyed with the idea. They all nodded their head, saying that they would do the show.

[SawgrassSteve]

Pilotguy,
It's funny how people have different reactions to the same situation. I liked the fact that Carl did that the way he did! That way, whoever said 'no' would be clearly seen as the true obstacle(s) to the reunion being done.
I remember Oprah Winfrey saying that one of the reason she'll never interview politicians from any party (although she relented in 2000) is because you can never get them to answer the important questions, and later, you can never get them to admit they didn't answer them. That's sort of what Carl would have been up against. Who knows how many times he may have asked the others privately? And think about this; how many versions have we heard as to who wanted to end the original series at it's highpoint?
No. Get 'em on tape, Carl. As a fan, I'd rather know who didn't want to participate.

Steve

[Sitcom Sally]

While I admire Carl Reiner's talent, I think that he was out of line in blindsiding the cast members that way and putting them in a very awkward situation before millions of people.

I thought I was the only one who felt that way. It did appear to me on the TVL Awards show that 1) Rose Marie was the only one clearly thrilled at the prospect; 2) that MTM feels Mary Richards is her "signature role" and prefers that association to Laura Petrie, but once put on the spot was not going to be ungracious and refuse; 3) Dick, known as one of the most easygoing guys in the business, simply did it for the fans.

Much has been said about how the special tried to be too many things, so I won't repeat it. I do agree, though. I think Carl Reiner might have underestimated many die-hard fans of this show if he thought that just seeing the remaining cast members all together in a special was sufficient enough to satisfy us and that plot and editing could take a back seat.

For years I waited for a reunion show. I cheered when Reiner "spontaneously" put the question forth on the TVL show, even though he played dirty pool. Because even in the absence of Jerry Paris, Morey Amsterdam and Richard Deacon, I thought he could pull it off. Dick, Mary, Rose, and Ann were still around and sharp as ever, and Carl Reiner's comedic genius is legendary.

But I was disappointed. I would rather have seen an hour show in the original format, in B&W (!), set in New Rochelle with a real plot that did justice to the original clever writing. Heck, it could have opened with Rob's retirement dinner as he left the Alan Brady Show, and continued with him trying to adjust to retirement. If Reiner was short on ideas he could have surfed the internet for fanfic. Lots of potential ideas there, and good ones!

Instead, in the limited story about Dick being approached to write Alan Brady's eulogy while Brady was still alive and would pay him handsomely just so he could have the privilege of editing it himself, Reiner took a curious, unnecessary risk which depended upon a certain amount of black humor to work. It fell flat. And interspersed in it all was a conscious effort to be timely, which I think detracted from the images of the characters we have who are gloriously stuck in the '60s.

BTW, Millie's glossing over Jerry's death and falling hard for Stacy Petrie was something I could not grasp in any altered universe.

TDVDS was never known for dark humor; it is very difficult to write cleverly in the best of situations, and I agree with whoever it was who said it was as if Reiner abandoned the plot midway and said, "The hell with it. Let's get back to what works-- old clips." Except that's a different kind of show. Scrap one idea or the other, but don't try to do both.

But I admire them-- especially Rose Marie, who was pretty much retired-- for having the courage to attempt to recreate the magic. I can only hope that they are all still around when somebody decides to do it right.

[Artfiore1]

pilotguy
I'd be willing to bet almost anything I own that the "spot", or "awkward situation" which Carl Reiner "suddenly" put the former "Dick Van Dyke Show" cast members in before millions of people at the 2003 TVLand Awards was scripted and rehearsed possibly half a dozen times before they took the stage . . . or at least discussed at length in advance with Dick, Mary, Rose and Larry.

Dick, the great actor that he is, even pretended not to hear Reiner and made him repeat the request, before agreeing heartily . . . as anyone would when asked about revisiting the five best years of his or her life.

What is Larry Matthews doing these days besides possibly signing autographs at memorabilia conventions? I suspect that not much arm-twisting would've been required there, to begin with. The same is true of Rose Marie, who never wanted the series to end in the first place.

As for Mary, despite having gone on to greater success, apart from wishing she could be sharing the honors she was with Valerie Harper, Ed Asner and company, I'm sure would find it absurd to think that anybody could think she'd be anything but thrilled. She's simply a little too old for cartwheels . . . and was not dressed for them, anyway.




Later,
Art

[Charlie Chan]

Art,

I agree with you. The TVLand Awards show is heavily scripted with winners notified ahead of time. Although I really enjoy the show, it has as much authenticity as pro wrestling.

For Carl to have received the go-ahead from the network to produce the show, the network would have had to received commitments from the cast regarding participation.

[Artfiore1]

Charlie Chan,
You mean, pro wrestling isn't real? Oh well, there goes about 35 years of believing in something down the drain. What are you going to tell me next -- that there's no Santa Claus?

But seriously, thanks for the reply.



Later,
Art

[Charlie Chan]

Hey, wait a minute....

I do BELIEVE in Santa. Always have, always will. Some things are just too important not to believe in.

[Artfiore1]

Charlie Chan,
So, I guess the answer's no. That's *not* what you're going to tell me next.

Whew! What a relief!

Later,
Art

P.S. Ho Ho Ho!