Shark Bytes

Dick Van Dyke never jumped the shark, which isn't to say every episode was good. In fact, if I had to rate it on a 5 star basis, I'd give it 4, as too many episodes don't hold up well today, unlike The Honeymooners or I Love Lucy. For example, whenever the corny Christmas episode was shown, I'd tune in to something else, and DVD himself remarked that the "Bad Old Days episode made him wonder what the hell they were thinking.

I watched the second season on DVD recently. I must say this wasn't nearly as funny as I expected to be. This is supposed to be one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. Well, it could be interesting at least I guess a comedy doesn't always have to be funny, but this should have been funnier it seems.... Everyone (except that obnoxious kid who played Richie) were very talented actors in any event.

As far as the issue of a show being "dated" this is probably one of the least dated shows out there. Yeah, it was filmed in black and white, but they didn't make too many references to current events (occasionally the price of something would be mentioned, there was the episode with Chad & Jeremy, etc.). Sure, the idea of a wife having her own bank account seems like no big deal today, for another example. But like others said you can't completely undate a show. I agree this is much less dated than say MASH, Three's Company, Facts of Life, or the Cosby Show, for example and those are the shows that syndicators supposedly prefer because they are in color and syndicators supposedly don't like black and white. Speaking of which, DVD was one of very few CBS shows to be filmed in black and white in the fall of 1965. Does anyone know why that was? Was it to maintain continuity with the earlier seasons? It seems to me it wouldn't have cost any more money to colorize this than it did to colorize Andy Griffith, for example.
To go back to the issue of being dated, it's strange if you watch a show like this and you see someone where sneakers, they'll be sneakers that look like you can buy now, but if you watch a show like Family Ties they look very dated. Hmm...

They've just run the show in its entirety on local TV in Chicago, and now I can say for sure that it was a good thing that Carl Reiner pulled the plug when he did. The year was 1966, just as the middle-class culture was starting to strain to become "hip" to compete with its Baby Boomer children. One symptom: Laura's ghastly hairdo and "hip" footwear in the last year...shades of things that could have come, and grossed us out, if the show had continued.

Does anyone know the name of the episode involving the Buffalo nickel?

Which episode did Rob and Laura sing Mountain Greenery?

I agree the show never really jumped. As for the "dated" issue, You can't ever really "not date" a show. But, they did do a great job overall of making it date nuetral. Compared to Cobsy in the 80's, and 3's Company in the 70's, overall, they did a wonderful job.
On another side note: Give Carl Reiner credit for creating this timeless classic, after being a part of "Your show of Shows... another work of art.

Boy, Richie is sure taking a pasting here.

I actually kind of liked his non-performance acting style. He came across (to me, anyway) as an actual kid, instead of a-little-adult-in-a-kid's-body as is the case with so many child actors. So he was a little marble-mouthed and fidgety. So are most 7 year-olds...

And come to think about it, wouldn't *you* be marble-mouthed and fidgety if you had to play a scene opposite the absurdly hot, capri-panted 20-something Mary Tyler Moore?

I have read a few comments regarding of
"dating" the shows time period. I have
the book "The Dick Van Dyke Show". In the book Carl Riener said that the show could be shown anytime because it is not "dated" WRONG!!! Two shows come to mind. One "The Twizzle"
...The Twist...Two Laura has a bank accout in a glove in her dresser. She later tells Rob she was saving for a car. I can't remember the whole name but it had lots of numbers and JFK in its name. If that's not dating the show I don't know what is.

I agree with Jim Nasium. The only time the Dick Van Dyke show JTS was during their musical reviews. Except for the time Buddy did rapidfire bad jokes while playing the cello.

Also, the third season isn't as good as the rest.

But those are quibbles. This show deserves its recognition as one of the best TV shows of all time.

The best part of this show was the hilarious rips between Buddy and Mel Cooley, the untalented kiss-ass producer of the "Alan Brady Show" who happens to be Alan's brother-in-law. Richard Deacon, who played Mel was one of the great straight men in TV history [also was Fred Rutherford in Beaver]Speaking of Alan Brady, they should have had Carl reiner doing him in more episodes, Alan was a totally arrogant, conceited JO...a great character and probably quite typical of most "big" stars.

Ditto on the Larry Mathews comments, in an era loaded with kid actors, he was the worst. He should have been a poster boy for legalizing abortions.

Laura Petrie was hot!!!She was also a pain in the ass, Rob should have given her a good spanking, perhaps in a tight leotard, right after doing one of the many dance numbers the she and I guess virtually all housewives in the 60's found themselves doing.

As for Sally, no wonder she couldn't get laid, much less married. Who'd want to listen to that mouth?

Recently I saw a two-parter in which Rob entered and won an election for City Council. As if with his high-powered job and active family life he'd have room for more activities and responsibilities! Especially when it was made clear in these episodes that Rob was a poorly-qualified candidate for office and like so many of today's politicians he won on the "charisma" factor over experience. Does anyone know if there were any subsequent episodes showing Rob's success, or lack of, as an elected official?

A previous poster (and I've found this on other discussion boards as well) mentioned that the Petries lived in one house before Ritchie was born, then moved into their new house right afterwards. Here's a theory: They contracted for the purchase of the house a few weeks before the birth, and during the time Laura was in the hospital (which in the 1950's was often a week or two, even for "normal" deliveries) Rob and the gang arranged for the move-out and move-in. Not unheard of in real-estate circles.

This show never jumped. Dick & Mary were so cute! Dick Van Dyke was my first celebrity crush haha.

Richie acting like a kid who had NEVER BEEN ON CAMERA BEFORE and was scared to death doing Little Drummer Boy. Now if that wasn't filler! The army stories were bad too but Richie in 3 minutes jumped the shark for good.

I liked this show very much. As to "dated" references, I recall a joke about Judge Crater...when rob and laura had to get married again after finding out that laura had lied about her age on the first marriage license. The judge crater joke got funnier once I understood the reference.

And I loved it when the gang sang or performed..."mountain greenery" sung by rob and laura was great!