If they were making a movie...

[Cactus Jack]

Okay, I just thought oft his, hwat if in some way they decided to make a movie out of "The dick Van Dyke Show" , who would play the parts?

I think JIm Carrey would be a great Rob Petrie

[SawgrassSteve]

Hello, Istillgotit,
I like this question. I tried to initiate a similar thread to this one quite some time ago, but got no response whatsoever. But let's see:
I think Jim Carey would make a hilarious Rob Petrie, but maybe a little too hilarious, as he likes to play the "over-the-top" comedy roles.
I'm going to have to go with my original picks, which would be Christopher Titus as Rob, and Nikki Cox as Laura.
If you don't know them, you don't know what you're missing, seriously. Chris is one of the funniest physical comedians out there today, but really smooth, with an excellent delivery on all his punch lines. Nikki is the new millenium's answer to the 1960's Laura Petrie; tall, beautiful, funny, sexy, graceful, bright, and yes, she's a trained dancer.
Coincidentally, they were born 11 years apart, just like Dick and Mary!

Steve

[Cactus Jack]

Whoa! LOL Thats cool

[Samme]

For some reason, I was thinking
about this for a couple days ago.
And I can't really think of anyone
who's had a Dick Van Dyke quality
about them. Ever. (While, I think,
Tom Hanks is a perfect match any
young Jack Lemmon role. And vice versa.) I read once Mary said
Meg Ryan for Laura. Maybe. I saw
"The Family Man" the other day
and have to say Tea Leoni has
something. Quite likeable, and
very underrated. Kind of a slightly
brassier Laura. I could see her
being good in the role. She's got
some sort of spark to her.

[Lolac]

Originally posted by Istillgotit

I think JIm Carrey would be a great Rob Petrie

Jim Carrey?! Perish the thought! He can't hold a candle to Dick Van Dyke. After watching the terrible movie last night that CBS ran about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, I would be aghast if anyone tried to do a movie about The Dick Van Dyke Show. It just can't be done! Did anyone see that Lucy movie last night? It was awful. Most of you were probably watching The Gin Game . I started to watch it, but found it too depressing and also too distressing hearing that rough, foul language coming out of Dick Van Dyke's mouth. We shouldn't try to update a masterpiece! Lolac

[TVgen62]

Originally posted by Samme
...I saw
"The Family Man" the other day and have to say Tea Leoni has something. Quite likeable, and very underrated. Kind of a slightly
brassier Laura. I could see her being good in the role. She's got
some sort of spark to her.

If she ever "sparked", it was probably due to static electricity. I'm sorry, but Tea Leoni is, IMO, irritating, talentless and without charisma. When I saw her show, The Naked Truth, I felt the show would've been OK if they replaced her!

Keep trying, though, because I can't think of anyone that even comes close to replacing the 2 lead characters.

[TVgen62]

Originally posted by Lolac

After watching the...movie...about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, I would be aghast if anyone tried to do a movie about The Dick Van Dyke Show. It just can't be done!...We shouldn't try to update a masterpiece! Lolac

DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING!!
We have a winner: Lolac, with the definitive answer.
(I wholeheartedly agree!)

[Samme]

Well. TVgen62, I agree it can't be
done and the idea is silly. After
all, it is The DICK VAN DYKE Show
and not the Rob Petrie. As for
Tea Leoni being talentless or
whatever, you can't always judge
how someone comes across in one
medium as how they be in other.
I think it's strange that way. If
MTM had ever only done movies her
career would've died in the early
60s. She was bland and boring in
movies. She was showing no real
talent at all. It was only on TV,
and not as a guest star, that she
became likable and natural. I think
Michael J. Fox, Will Smith, and
others are terrible on TV and good
actors in movies where they can
be natural and use a less stylized
form of acting. And I thought
Tea Leoni was frantic in The
Naked Truth too and can see why
you didn't like her. But in the
movie she gives a very subtle
and precise performance with
lots of little moments that are
very tender, natural, and right
on the money. The way MTM used
to do things on TDVDS that were
so small, natural, and totally
appealing that I watch her just
react while others are talking.
I not arguing with your opinion
about anybody, but some acting
styles are different in movies
and TV. And I think it's
interesting how it sometimes
works.

[SawgrassSteve]

Originally posted by Samme
Well. TVgen62, I agree it can't be
done and the idea is silly. After
all, it is The DICK VAN DYKE Show
and not the Rob Petrie (show).

Oh come now,
Samme, TVgen2, and Lolac,
You guys aren't even trying! We know no one could replace the original actors; they've moved on to become legends, but "silly" Samme? That's not even fair.
Istillgotit's question was, "if in some way they decided to make a movie out of "The dick Van Dyke Show" , who would play the parts?" Not, "who could replace Dick and Mary as Rob and Laura on TDVDS." We already know that can't be done, for any classic TV show.
Look at it this way, there is a talent pool out there with many, many very good actors, some of which would mathematically have to be right for the parts of TDVDS characters in a movie about the making of the show. I guess it just comes down to whather or not you'd like to see it done, as was done for "Three's Company," "I Love Lucy," and another show that escapes my memory right now. If you wouldn't like to see it done at all, that's fine, but to simply say there's no one out there, or that it can't be done, or that the idea is just plain silly? Tsk, tsk.

Steve

[TVgen62]

Originally posted by SawgrassSteve
Oh come now, Samme, TVgen2, and Lolac,
You guys aren't even trying! Istillgotit's question was, "if in some way they decided to make a movie out of "The dick Van Dyke Show" , who would play the parts?" Not, "who could replace Dick and Mary as Rob and Laura on TDVDS." If you wouldn't like to see it done at all, that's fine, but to simply say there's no one out there, or that it can't be done, or that the idea is just plain silly? Tsk, tsk.

Steve

OK Steve, I accept the challenge. (And don't gloat, smartypants.) For the record, though, what I said was that I couldn't think of anybody, not that there wasn't anybody to play the parts.

ON TO THE CHALLENGE...

Matthew Broderick as Rob Petrie: He's cute, funny and can sing and dance (as seen on Broadway, lately).

Naomi Judd as Laura Petrie: It was a last-minute decision, so I'm willing to negotiate this one.

Danny DeVito as Buddy Sorrel: This should be somewhat obvious, right?...RIGHT? <ahem>

help as Sally Rogers: Gee, I thought this one would be easy! Instead, I choked and now need the Internet version of the Heimlich Maneuver.

[MTM1Fan]

Originally posted by TVgen62




Naomi Judd as Laura Petrie: It was a last-minute decision, so I'm willing to negotiate this one.

Do you mean Ashley?

I'd pick Jessica Biel from '7th Heaven' as Laura, Kathy Griffin as Sally, and Adam Sandler as (a much, much younger) Buddy. I don't know who I'd get for Rob. DVD isn't the type of guy that can be emulated. People can try, but they will never succeed.
BTW, I caught the last scene from an episode of 'The Nanny' and they were spoofing DVD. Fran played Laura and this English man played Rob. It was atrocious

[TVgen62]

Originally posted by MTM1Fan

Do you mean Ashley?

YES!! Oh gosh, thank you for catching that! Ashley Judd is defintely the one I meant. She's the least "Judd-like" of the Judds. (Least "Juddish"?..."Juddly"?..."Juddesque"?)

[B&W fan]

My problem is I don't keep up enough with the current actors to really be able to say who would be cast as the best "Rob" or "Laura"...

I guess I can't envision it. I fall more in line with Lolac on this one.

B&W "are we talking a movie made in black & white, because I can't even see the Petries in color" fan