Dick Van Dyke Show in Color - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

PartyOfOne · 09-15-2008, 08:13 PM

As many of you know, all of the episodes of DVD were filmed in black and white. However, in DVD's last season (1965-1966) the vast majority of CBS's programs began filming and broadcasting in color. Does anyone know why this didn't happen with DVD? Was it to maintain continuity with the previous 4 seasons?

LauraNamesake · 09-15-2008, 09:29 PM

I think so. I like them in black&white. And actually the actors looked different in color than in black & white, so maybe that made a difference.

Schmoopie · 09-16-2008, 04:13 AM

Really? I thought they were all black and white. It's weird but black and white shows just seem to "lose" something (their nostalgia, perhaps?) when they start being filmed in color.

Andrea

MickeyMac · 09-16-2008, 01:11 PM

There is also the good possibility that CBS lost all of the color episodes and had to use the black and white kinescopes as back up. This happened over at NBC with Hullabaloo(only three color episodes of that show survive), and at ABC with Where The Action Is, all the color episodes of that show have been long gone.

LauraNamesake · 09-16-2008, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schmoopie

Really? I thought they were all black and white. It's weird but black and white shows just seem to "lose" something (their nostalgia, perhaps?) when they start being filmed in color.

Andrea

They were all filmed in B&W.

SpunkiiMonkii7078 · 09-16-2008, 05:40 PM

I like the show being only in black and white. While a sixth season being in color would have been interesting, for me it would just lose some of the magic.

Benno123 · 09-16-2008, 07:33 PM

I believe that the series was filmed in b&w because the budget per episode for color filmed episodes was higher than b&w. Had the series stayed on the air longer than there is a good chance the show would have been filmed in color because it wasn't soon after the show left that CBS started broadcasting in color all of the time.

Lucille Ball filmed the second season and on of The Lucy Show in color, though it aired in b&w until the 4th season because of rerun value.

Benno123 · 09-17-2008, 06:03 AM

On page 262 of the Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book it says that Carl Reiner and Sheldon Leonard thought of producing the DVD Show in color as early as the third season, but it would add $7000 per episode to the budget. They decided not to go to color and continue in b&w. Had the series moved on to a 6th season, the show may have been produced in color. Somewhere on that page it quotes Leonard saying "the show could have lasted five more years in color!"

LauraNamesake · 09-17-2008, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benno123

On page 262 of the Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book it says that Carl Reiner and Sheldon Leonard thought of producing the DVD Show in color as early as the third season, but it would add $7000 per episode to the budget. They decided not to go to color and continue in b&w. Had the series moved on to a 6th season, the show may have been produced in color. Somewhere on that page it quotes Leonard saying "the show could have lasted five more years in color!"

Funny you mention that because I was just reading into it in my copy!!

treky · 09-26-2008, 03:58 AM

I also like it in black and white. I'm glad they didn't do it in color.

jehobden · 04-19-2009, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PartyOfOne

As many of you know, all of the episodes of DVD were filmed in black and white. However, in DVD's last season (1965-1966) the vast majority of CBS's programs began filming and broadcasting in color. Does anyone know why this didn't happen with DVD? Was it to maintain continuity with the previous 4 seasons?

I suspect that all of the reasons mentioned here factored into the decision to stay in B&W. Another reason could be that a switch to color would have meant filming a new opening sequence of some sort, as well, since there was no colorization back then. Shows like Andy Griffith, Beverly Hillbillies, and Petticoat Junction had to refilm basically the same opening sequences as had been done in B&W in color.

Only 3 CBS sitcoms remained in B&W for the 1965-66 season, and none of them went on to 1966-67. They were DVD, The Munsters, and The Smothers Brothers Show. In another coincidence, I have seen all three of these on Nick at Nite, back when it was a great network for classic tv shows.

09-15-2008, 08:13 PM	#1
PartyOfOne Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 24, 2005 Posts: 162	Dick Van Dyke Show in Color As many of you know, all of the episodes of DVD were filmed in black and white. However, in DVD's last season (1965-1966) the vast majority of CBS's programs began filming and broadcasting in color. Does anyone know why this didn't happen with DVD? Was it to maintain continuity with the previous 4 seasons?

09-15-2008, 09:29 PM	#2
LauraNamesake Oh Rob!!! Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 13, 2008 Location: MD Posts: 277	I think so. I like them in black&white. And actually the actors looked different in color than in black & white, so maybe that made a difference.
	__________________ ~LauraNamesake Not Just A Namesake, a replic of Laura Petrie. MR. GRANT: (sarcasticly) Hey Mary, do you think a single raw carrot will put any more ugly fat on my body? MARY: Not if you STICK IT UP YOUR NOSE. MR. GRANT: What did you say? MARY: Nothing, I said nothing. ~The Mary Tyler Moore Show ROB: He said you were lovely! LAURA: How did he know?!?!?!?! --The Dick Van Dyke Show I X3 Dick Van Dyke!!!

09-16-2008, 04:13 AM	#3
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	Really? I thought they were all black and white. It's weird but black and white shows just seem to "lose" something (their nostalgia, perhaps?) when they start being filmed in color. Andrea
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09-16-2008, 05:40 PM	#6
SpunkiiMonkii7078 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 20, 2004 Location: Pennsylvania, USA Posts: 784	I like the show being only in black and white. While a sixth season being in color would have been interesting, for me it would just lose some of the magic.
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09-26-2008, 03:58 AM	#10
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	I also like it in black and white. I'm glad they didn't do it in color.
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09-16-2008, 01:11 PM	#4
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,006	There is also the good possibility that CBS lost all of the color episodes and had to use the black and white kinescopes as back up. This happened over at NBC with Hullabaloo(only three color episodes of that show survive), and at ABC with Where The Action Is, all the color episodes of that show have been long gone.

09-16-2008, 07:33 PM	#7
Benno123 Jenna Fischer Rocks My World!! Senior Member Join Date: Nov 01, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,036	I believe that the series was filmed in b&w because the budget per episode for color filmed episodes was higher than b&w. Had the series stayed on the air longer than there is a good chance the show would have been filmed in color because it wasn't soon after the show left that CBS started broadcasting in color all of the time. Lucille Ball filmed the second season and on of The Lucy Show in color, though it aired in b&w until the 4th season because of rerun value.

09-17-2008, 06:03 AM	#8
Benno123 Jenna Fischer Rocks My World!! Senior Member Join Date: Nov 01, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,036	On page 262 of the Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book it says that Carl Reiner and Sheldon Leonard thought of producing the DVD Show in color as early as the third season, but it would add $7000 per episode to the budget. They decided not to go to color and continue in b&w. Had the series moved on to a 6th season, the show may have been produced in color. Somewhere on that page it quotes Leonard saying "the show could have lasted five more years in color!"