Dick Van Dyke and the Kent commercials - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Lolac · 05-21-2004, 10:13 AM

I am in the process of reading Vince Waldron's book, "The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book." I'm really enjoying it and will be finished soon, but I came across something interesting. He talks about how Sheldon Leonard had his cast do a Kent commercial. It was poorly written and basically a favor to the sponsor. It says that Dick and Mary filmed one spot and hated it so much that they never did another one. This is found on pp. 194 and 195 of the book if you want to read exactly how it is written. I found it curious given the number of Kent commercials there are on the season 2 DVD set and how more than one feature Dick and Mary. Anyone have any insight into this?

Lolac

pilotguy · 05-21-2004, 12:53 PM

Yes, I've heard and read about this....but while Dick and Mary were especially against doing the "Kent" commercials, they didn't really like doing ANY of those "cast commercials" where they would pitch the sponsor's product as Rob and Laura in a "mini-sitcom" scene. They felt that the dialogue in these commercials was forced and unnatural, and they just couldn't picture Rob and Laura sitting at the kitchen table or on the living room sofa going on and on about the praises of ANY product. They felt that the characters were simply too intelligent for that.

Dick and Mary were the only TV sitcom actors that I've ever heard of who had a real problem with doing "in character" cast commercials. Shows like "The Beverly Hillbillies", "The Andy Griffith Show", "The Danny Thomas Show", "Petticoat Junction", "Topper", "The Ann Sothern Show", "My Three Sons", "Dennis The Menace" and others did in-character cast commercials as standard procedure, with no questions asked....but then we all know that "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was a definite cut above the "typical" TV sitcom of the day!

SawgrassSteve · 05-21-2004, 02:56 PM

Lolac,
Yes, I noticed that too. I may have been incorrect, but I assumed that meant they did only one commercial (to be run during any show, at any time at the discretion of the network & the sponsor), but many spots (to be run before, during, or after TDVDS). No?

Steve

05-21-2004, 10:13 AM	#1
Lolac Dolce far niente, Carissima! Senior Member Join Date: Jan 02, 2003 Location: Fairfax Station, VA Posts: 1,487	Dick Van Dyke and the Kent commercials I am in the process of reading Vince Waldron's book, "The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book." I'm really enjoying it and will be finished soon, but I came across something interesting. He talks about how Sheldon Leonard had his cast do a Kent commercial. It was poorly written and basically a favor to the sponsor. It says that Dick and Mary filmed one spot and hated it so much that they never did another one. This is found on pp. 194 and 195 of the book if you want to read exactly how it is written. I found it curious given the number of Kent commercials there are on the season 2 DVD set and how more than one feature Dick and Mary. Anyone have any insight into this? Lolac

05-21-2004, 02:56 PM	#3
SawgrassSteve Loyal Worshipper Senior Member Join Date: Mar 04, 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,423	Lolac, Yes, I noticed that too. I may have been incorrect, but I assumed that meant they did only one commercial (to be run during any show, at any time at the discretion of the network & the sponsor), but many spots (to be run before, during, or after TDVDS). No? Steve
	__________________ The Cult Of Laura

05-21-2004, 12:53 PM	#2
pilotguy Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 09, 2003 Posts: 1,305	Yes, I've heard and read about this....but while Dick and Mary were especially against doing the "Kent" commercials, they didn't really like doing ANY of those "cast commercials" where they would pitch the sponsor's product as Rob and Laura in a "mini-sitcom" scene. They felt that the dialogue in these commercials was forced and unnatural, and they just couldn't picture Rob and Laura sitting at the kitchen table or on the living room sofa going on and on about the praises of ANY product. They felt that the characters were simply too intelligent for that. Dick and Mary were the only TV sitcom actors that I've ever heard of who had a real problem with doing "in character" cast commercials. Shows like "The Beverly Hillbillies", "The Andy Griffith Show", "The Danny Thomas Show", "Petticoat Junction", "Topper", "The Ann Sothern Show", "My Three Sons", "Dennis The Menace" and others did in-character cast commercials as standard procedure, with no questions asked....but then we all know that "The Dick Van Dyke Show" was a definite cut above the "typical" TV sitcom of the day!