Dick Van Dyke Looks Back Fondly At His Classic Sitcom - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 12-06-2010, 12:28 PM

"I have only heard recently that he was the guy who dropped the word to director Gower Champion and that's how I got the audition for 'Bye Bye Birdie.' " Not only did Van Dyke earn a Tony, but the musical also led to him being cast as TV writer Rob Petrie on the seminal Emmy Award-winning comedy series "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which aired on CBS from 1961-66.

Creator-writer-producer Carl Reiner had shot the original pilot, "Head of the Family," with himself as the lead, but CBS didn't like Reiner. "Carl saw me in 'Bye Bye Birdie' when he was casting the show. I got a week off from 'Birdie,' I came out here and did the pilot and it sold. I had a script I wanted to do as a pilot, and once I read Carl's stuff, I just threw it away."

The series, which costarred Mary Tyler Moore as his capri-wearing wife, Laura, Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie as fellow writers Buddy and Sally, and Reiner as obnoxious TV star Alan Brady, was "the best five years of my life," says Van Dyke. "I had the most fun."

But it was Reiner, according to Van Dyke, who said at the outset that he would end the show after five seasons. "He felt that you would start repeating yourself. We could have gone another five. I didn't want to quit. I would still be doing it today."

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...tory?track=rss

Marvo301 · 12-06-2010, 03:47 PM

Great article about a great guy who is a great performer!!

treky · 12-07-2010, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

Great article about a great guy who is a great performer!!

catlover79 · 12-07-2010, 12:21 PM

Dick Van Dyke = Class Act!!!!

TV Knowledge Fan · 12-07-2010, 06:55 PM

..in the original "Head of the Family" pilot, Sheldon Leonard, when he became "affiliated" with the project, told Carl in effect, "There is only one thing wrong with the show- YOU". He suggested that Reiner stay behind the scenes as writer/producer, while a "new" Rob was considered for the second pilot. They came close to considering Johnny Carson for the role...until Carl saw "Bye Bye Birdie" [and Dick] on Broadway. Dick, in fact, had starred in a previous unsold pilot under consideration for CBS' 1960-'61 schedule, "The Trouble With Richard" {nice young bachelor as a klutz}.

PGood97041 · 12-07-2010, 09:50 PM

Wow! I'd never heard about "The Trouble with Richard"!
I'm glad it never got made into a series, because I love what we ended up with with "The Dick Van Dyke Show," but has it ever been explained why TTWR didn't make it?
And is that pilot out there anywhere?

falseeyelashes · 12-08-2010, 12:29 AM

What a lovely article. Thanks for posting.

Mee_Too · 12-27-2010, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PGood97041

...And is that pilot out there anywhere?

I was fortunate enough to just receive the complete 5-season DVD collection for Christmas, and apparently, the pilot can be found in Season One.

I've never seen the pilot -- in fact, I didn't even realize that it existed until I saw it mentioned on the DVD package.

Also, if you are interested, the pilot can be viewed at hulu.com.

Just visit this link:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/14762/the-...#s-p7-n1-so-i0

12-06-2010, 12:28 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Dick Van Dyke Looks Back Fondly At His Classic Sitcom "I have only heard recently that he was the guy who dropped the word to director Gower Champion and that's how I got the audition for 'Bye Bye Birdie.' " Not only did Van Dyke earn a Tony, but the musical also led to him being cast as TV writer Rob Petrie on the seminal Emmy Award-winning comedy series "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which aired on CBS from 1961-66. Creator-writer-producer Carl Reiner had shot the original pilot, "Head of the Family," with himself as the lead, but CBS didn't like Reiner. "Carl saw me in 'Bye Bye Birdie' when he was casting the show. I got a week off from 'Birdie,' I came out here and did the pilot and it sold. I had a script I wanted to do as a pilot, and once I read Carl's stuff, I just threw it away." The series, which costarred Mary Tyler Moore as his capri-wearing wife, Laura, Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie as fellow writers Buddy and Sally, and Reiner as obnoxious TV star Alan Brady, was "the best five years of my life," says Van Dyke. "I had the most fun." But it was Reiner, according to Van Dyke, who said at the outset that he would end the show after five seasons. "He felt that you would start repeating yourself. We could have gone another five. I didn't want to quit. I would still be doing it today." http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...tory?track=rss
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12-06-2010, 03:47 PM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,460	Great article about a great guy who is a great performer!!
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12-07-2010, 12:21 PM	#4
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	Dick Van Dyke = Class Act!!!!
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12-07-2010, 06:55 PM	#5
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	Not only didn't CBS like Reiner's interpretation of Rob Petrie... ..in the original "Head of the Family" pilot, Sheldon Leonard, when he became "affiliated" with the project, told Carl in effect, "There is only one thing wrong with the show- YOU". He suggested that Reiner stay behind the scenes as writer/producer, while a "new" Rob was considered for the second pilot. They came close to considering Johnny Carson for the role...until Carl saw "Bye Bye Birdie" [and Dick] on Broadway. Dick, in fact, had starred in a previous unsold pilot under consideration for CBS' 1960-'61 schedule, "The Trouble With Richard" {nice young bachelor as a klutz}.

12-07-2010, 09:50 PM	#6
PGood97041 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 03, 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 747	Wow! I'd never heard about "The Trouble with Richard"! I'm glad it never got made into a series, because I love what we ended up with with "The Dick Van Dyke Show," but has it ever been explained why TTWR didn't make it? And is that pilot out there anywhere?

12-08-2010, 12:29 AM	#7
falseeyelashes Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 25, 2010 Location: UK Posts: 9	What a lovely article. Thanks for posting.