Did anybody ever see this episode of The New Dick Van Dyke Show?

[Prince Michael]

There was an episode of The New Dick Van Dyke Show titled "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry" where Annie ( Angela Powell ) walked in on her parents while they were having sex . It was mentioned in The Peoples' Almanac or The Book of Lists . CBS refused to air this episode, claiming it was incompatible with Dick Van Dyke's family -- friendly image . This so angered Carl Reiner that he refused to continue on the show past the third season . "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry" was the last episode of The New Dick Van Dyke Show .

Has anybody ever seen this episode ? What does the title "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry" mean ? What was the plot of this episode ? Thank you in advance for your answers .

[visaman666]

I am not exactly sure of the meaning. I was 9 when this episode aired, so my memory is spotty at best. His name was Preston, and in the '30s there was a radio serial titled "Sgt Preston Of The Yukon" and a TV series with the same title in the mid to late '50s. Perhaps it is a play on that title.

[treky]

Originally Posted by Prince Michael

There was an episode of The New Dick Van Dyke Show titled "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry" where Annie ( Angela Powell ) walked in on her parents while they were having sex . It was mentioned in The Peoples' Almanac or The Book of Lists . CBS refused to air this episode, claiming it was incompatible with Dick Van Dyke's family -- friendly image . This so angered Carl Reiner that he refused to continue on the show past the third season . "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry" was the last episode of The New Dick Van Dyke Show .

Has anybody ever seen this episode ? What does the title "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry" mean ? What was the plot of this episode ? Thank you in advance for your answers .

I've heard of this episode, but it wasn't the last episode of the series. Dick did it for one more season then decided he didn't want to do it anymore without Carl.

By the way, when Carl walked away from the series he vowed to never do another show again. He later relented though and did the short-lived series GOOD HEAVENS on ABC.

[TV_on_the_Porch]

Yes, it's part of the syndication package and I've seen it. It wasn't until quite a long time after I'd seen it that I learned it never aired on the network.

[comedyfreak]

I've never had the opportunity to see The New Dick Van Dyke Show, hopefully they will put it on DVD.

[treky]

Originally Posted by Prince Michael

There was an episode of The New Dick Van Dyke Show titled "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry" where Annie ( Angela Powell ) walked in on her parents while they were having sex . It was mentioned in The Peoples' Almanac or The Book of Lists . CBS refused to air this episode, claiming it was incompatible with Dick Van Dyke's family -- friendly image . This so angered Carl Reiner that he refused to continue on the show past the third season . "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry" was the last episode of The New Dick Van Dyke Show .

Has anybody ever seen this episode ? What does the title "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry" mean ? What was the plot of this episode ? Thank you in advance for your answers .

I read somewhere once that you didn't see her seeing them, you just heard them seeing her watching them and their reaction.

[TV_on_the_Porch]

Originally Posted by treky

I read somewhere once that you didn't see her seeing them, you just heard them seeing her watching them and their reaction.

No. My recollection is you only see the disturbed/confused reaction on her face as she walks away from their bedroom. They weren't even aware of her at the time, delicately asking her later if she had seen them. I'm sure of both those details, I just don't recall how they figured out what had happened.

[upperco]

Dick is going to star in a war movie, and that's what's referenced in the title.

He comes home early (in his costume) to surprise Jenny and then goes in to shower in preparation for sex. ("Save my place," he says.) A man delivers a letter at the door and Annie answers and signs for it. Annie walks to their room and opens the door, and then we see her walking away quickly. We do not see them doing anything. Furthermore, Dick and Jenny DO NOT notice that Annie has opened the door and seen them. The next scene is Dick and Jenny cuddling in bed post-coitus. They don't realize what's happened until they witness Annie's strange behavior and piece it together. When they learn that she signed for the letter, that clinches it.

Very tasteful (and one of the funniest episodes of the season), but there is an explicit sexual chemistry between Van Dyke and Lange that, though not completely absent from the rest of the series, is definitely more overt in this episode. It's naughty for the show, but not for the network in 1974, when the Bunkers and Stivics had openly talked about sexual dysfunction and Maude had long since had an abortion.

[forn]

Originally Posted by visaman666

I am not exactly sure of the meaning. I was 9 when this episode aired, so my memory is spotty at best. His name was Preston, and in the '30s there was a radio serial titled "Sgt Preston Of The Yukon" and a TV series with the same title in the mid to late '50s. Perhaps it is a play on that title.

Carl Reiner liked to use plays on words for episode titles. There's a lot of that in the original Dick Van Dyke Show, like "One Angry Man", "Buddy Can You Spare a Job?", "Punch Thy Neighbor", "The Two Faces of Rob", "The Lady and the Tiger and the Lawyer", and many others.