Rating: 
Summary: Television comedy at its peak, with more to come...
Review: The Dick Van Dyke Show ended its five-season run about the time that I was born, and I came to love the show during daily reruns on afternoon television about ten years later.Fast forward nearly thirty years from those lazy summer afternoons, I was pleased to see that every episode of the first two seasons of the show have been released on DVD uncut, and without commercial interruption (aside from the original sponsorship advertisement from Cheer, which is integrated into several of the episodes). Watching these episodes again confirms my long-held impression that the Dick Van Dyke Show was the ultimate sitcom. The multi-talented Dick Van Dyke was ably supported by a remarkable cast, including Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam, and Rose Marie. The humor varies from slapstick, one-liners, and sophisticated situational comedy, and is family-friendly beyond anything broadcast on television today. The five-disc DVD sets for seasons one and two are nicely packaged, and well produced. The footage is certainly vintage, but reasonably clean and with good contrast. The Dolby-enhanced mono audio won't provide much challenge to a home theater surround-sound system, but it is clean and well-balanced. Image Entertainment has done a remarkable job on both of these five-disc sets, and is to be commended. The remaining seasons are due to be released soon (Season 3 on 2/24/2004, Season 4 on 4/27/2004, and Season 5 on 6/29/2004), and I look forward to adding them to my collection.
Rating:
Summary: A Classy Sitcom; Arguably One of the Greatest of All Time
Review: The Dick Van Dyke Show is a rarity in the television industry. It is a show that is funny, but not at the expense of making crude or repulsive jokes to elicit laughter. By far the funniest person in television comedy ever, the great Dick Van Dyke, is what make this show so appealing. That man can sing, dance, act, and be agile - I laughed every time he tripped over that ottoman. TV shows on DVD are generally way overpriced, but this one is worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: It's Van Dyke's show, but it's Tyler Moore's breakthrough.
Review: The Dick Van Dyke Show is simply a landmark of television situation comedy. It's treatment of the American family bought the sitcom into the 1960's. Where I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best were relics of the staid, conservative Eisenhower years, The Dick Van Dyke Show propelled sitcoms into the New Frontier. Audiences now got to see a family that more closely mirrored the situations and concerns of their own lives (even with the inevitable exaggeration of situations that occurs in event the best shows). For the first time, audiences not only got to see where the father figure in a family worked, but that workplace became a focal point for many of the show's episodes. Fathers and mothers were real people and not the carboard cutouts of Father Knows Best and Ozzie and Harriet or the hysterical cartoon characters of I Love Lucy. A Jewish character was vital, not as a caricature as in previous shows, but as a real, viable character. To be sure, there was the usual lunacy found in most sitcoms, but the humor arose from situations that its audience could identify with and relate to. However, no innovation introduced by The Dick Van Dyke Show was more important than the modernization of the portrayals of women on television. Mary Tyler Moore's Laura Petrie isn't the pretty, but sexless perfect housewife of the 1950's. She is a sexy, intelligent partner to Dick Van Dyke's Rob Petrie who is nobody's fool and is Rob's moral conscience in many ways -- unheard of in the 1950's. As Van Dyke said during a retrospective on the show, "You knew that even though Rob and Laura slept in twin beds, they were doing something else besides sleeping in that bedroom." Moore's tight capri pants and curvaceous figure inspired lust among men (including Carl Reiner's son Rob, who once touched Moore's rear end on the set) that was unimaginable just a few years earlier. But even more importantly, a female character was now a vital part of the humor of a show without being a sarcastic parnter like Alice Kramden, a sterile, smiling mannequin like Donna Stone/June Cleaver/Margaret Anderson/et al or a wild maniac like Lucy Ricardo. What makes this first season DVD set so important is that the viewer can track when the show hits its stride. And, not coincidentally, it hits that stride when the show starts to utilize Mary Tyler Moore's great comedic talents in the 9th episode, "My Blonde Haired Brunette." In the first eight episodes of the show, all of the characters, not just Laura Petrie's, seem unfinished. However, each character has their identity defined to a great extent (Rob is the father figure who sometimes is given to clumsiness, Buddy Sorrell is the wisecracking veteran writer, Sally Rodgers is the man hungry female writer who uses her sense of humor to hide her loneliness, Mel Cooley is the fussy producer who is the butt of Buddy's jokes, etc.) The character of Laura, however, seems to be a more modern version of the 1950's housewife, there to give support, cook breakfast for her family, etc. In "My Blonde Haired Brunette," all that changes. Rob plucks a gray hair out of Laura's head and kids her that she's getting old. Laura becomes extremely insecure and wonders if Rob is still attracted to her. Encouraged by next door neighbor Mille Helper, Laura dyes her hair blonde for Rob. However, when Rob tells her over the phone that she would look like Harpo Marx if she were blonde, Laura panics and tries to dye her hair back to its natural brunette color, ending up with a head of hair that is half blonde and half brunette. When Rob sees her, Laura starts to cry uncontrollably in what would become a running joke in both the Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore show (Moore is the best comic crier in entertainment history). Carl Reiner has said that that was when he knew how special Moore was and, from then on, Laura was an integral character in the show's humor, equal to every other character on the show. The humor doesn't arise from stupid, wacked out antics like on earlier sitcoms, but instead from feelings that everyone has had and can relate to: fear of aging, fear of being unattractive to your spouse, etc. "My Blonde Haired Brunette" is one of the most important moments in television history: the emergence of a more modern, realistic woman and the real debut of Mary Tyler Moore as a comedienne who can inspire laughter by showing her humanity rather than playing the fool. (NOTE: If you want to see how integral Moore, Van Dyke, and all the rest of the cast was to the success of The Dick Van Dyke Show, be sure to see the pilot for the show called "Head of the Family" which starred Carl Reiner as Rob and Barbara Britton as Laura. The episode is so unfunny that it makes the audience appreciate Van Dyke and Moore's talents that much more.)
Rating:
Summary: The Mona Lisa of Clasic T.V.
Review: The Dick Van Dyke show was the finest television series I have ever seen. I loved it in first run when I was a boy and have been watching it in syndication for 4 decades. I still remember some of the scenes cut for syndication, I can't wait to see them again.
Most everyone knows the set up of the show so I won't go into it. However what people may have forgotten is the depth and quality of the scripts. Even the most lighthearted episodes are rich in the values everyone says they want to instill in thier children yet we rarely see in modern television. The character development over the run of the series is tremendous. The ensemble starts strong and gets consistantly better. Sprinkle in the occasional song and dance number and some well placed slapstick humor and you've got a first rate T.V. show.
I am thrilled to see this great show being released on DVD.
Order your copy now, you will never regret it!
Rating:
Summary: Yes, they're finally here. And you won't be disappointed.
Review: The first two seasons of the long-awaited "Ottoman Collection" are now here as part of Image Entertainment's release. You will not be disappointed with the quality and content of these discs. Look for seasons 3-5 next year and keep checking for info on the "Ottoman Collection " release. As the son of Sam Denoff, one of the writers and producers of The Dick Van Dyke Show, I've always wanted the DVD on DVD release to be of the highest quality. The Dick Van Dyke Show was a big part of everyone's childhood, and in a very special way an even more important part of mine. We hope that the color special, "Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman" also makes it out on DVD soon. It was Mary Tyler Moore's fine performances in this special that clinched the deal for CBS to offer her her own well-deserved series.
Rating:
Summary: "Technical Glitch" Explained
Review: The previous review regarding "distortion" on some of these Dick Van Dyke Show episodes sparked me to expand upon this problem a bit further. ....... A few scenes within these first-season shows (as well as a few from the subsequent Image boxed sets in this series) exhibit a kind of "video fluttering" effect. To clarify further, it looks to me as if the video goes just slightly out-of-focus and a little blurry for these few scenes. Some of the episodes affected include: "Punch Thy Neighbor", "Forty-Four Tickets", and "A Word A Day". But keep in mind, this "flutter"/"fuzziness" problem does NOT exist for the WHOLE length of these episodes. In "Punch Thy Neighbor", the picture goes a little off-kilter near the beginning of the program, but then clears up again completely about 8 minutes later, with the final portions of the episode exhibiting the usual crystal-clear clarity that 95% (or more) of the episodes display throughout these Image Entertainment boxed sets. Also consider the fact that on many (smaller) TV monitors, these slight blemishes might not be nearly as noticeable (if at all). The larger your television screen, the more you'll notice any minor video defects. I was nearly certain in my own mind that these "fuzzy" scenes on these DVDs were the fault of the film-to-DVD digital transfers. But, after e-mailing Image Entertainment directly about this problem, I'm now of the opinion that I was in error about my original assessment of the transfers. Image was kind enough to get back to me via return e-mail in a very short time period, and explained to me what the deal was regarding these video "hiccups". Here's the exact mail I received from Image ....... --------------- "Dear David,
The "blurriness" apparent during sections of these episodes is the result of damaged source material; more specifically this problem is caused by warped film. Image Entertainment has done all it can do to eliminate this problem using the technology on hand and hopefully new technological advances in editing will allow this problem to be corrected completely at some point in the future. Thank you." --------------- This explanation straight from the distributor's mouth started to make the most sense, logically-speaking, to me. It's unfortunate, indeed, that not every single second of every scene is 100% pristine in video quality. However, it was kind of comforting to hear that Image Entertainment was, in fact, aware of the "blurry" problem I was talking about in my mail to them, and was forthright enough to give me the straight dope on what they knew about the situation. And it's kind of nice to just know that these shows, everything considered, look as good as they possibly can look, and that the slight fuzzy portions are NOT the result of neglectful work done by the people in charge of the digital transfers. I accept, without reservation, Image's "warped film" explanation regarding this matter. Perhaps other individuals who have also noticed this problem will not accept it. So be it. But, as far as I'm concerned, the people at Image Entertainment are a class act all the way, and have proven this to me via previous correspondence (well before I ever even noticed this video glitch issue). They have always been very quick to respond to any inquiry I've had about their company and their products. Having said all of the above, I really think it would be a shame for this minor picture-quality topic (and it IS minor, affecting only a small handful of total episodes) to be considered a "make it or break it" issue when someone goes to evaluate whether or not to purchase these otherwise-pristine DVD products. For, even if you DO notice a few of these video blips, these Dick Van Dyke Show season sets, overall, are some of the very best TV-on-DVD products on the market today.
Rating:
Summary: Ohhhh, Rooob! this is the best sitcom ever
Review: There's nothing better or more impressive than a great, old, sitcom that still cracks you up, no matter how old you are. This sitcom makes me laugh *very* hard, and i'm 13. all the slapstick can be enjoyed by the younger group of children while the wittiness, quick timing, and sacarsam will appeal to an older audience. here are the great episodes from the first season. Ratings: **** - One of the very best
*** - Good
** - Not so good
* - Unworthy of association with the rest of the series -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SICK BOY AND THE SITTER (1) - The first episode ever. Laura worries about leaving Ritchie with a babysitter when she thinks he's sick. *** (NOTE: Mary Tyler Moore's real-life son was named Ritchie.) THE MEERSHATZ PIPE (2) - Rob gets jealous when Buddy seems to be getting preferential treatment from Alan Brady. *** JEALOUSY (3) - Laura doubts Rob's faithfulness when a beautiful guest star appears on the show. *** SALLY AND THE LAB TECHNICIAN (4) - Sally ruins a date with Laura's cousin when she can't stop wisecracking. *** WASHINGTON VS. THE BUNNY (5) - Rob agonizes over having to miss Ritchie's school play. **** OH, HOW WE MET ON THE NIGHT THAT WE DANCED (6) - Rob and Laura explain to Ritchie how they met. *** (NOTE: In this episode, Laura's maiden name is Meeker, which was the last name of Mary Tyler Moore's first husband. In Episodes 59, 87, 131 and 156, it's Meehan. Rob also says he doesn't smoke, but in several other episodes, he is clearly seen with a cigarette.) THE UNWELCOME HOUSE GUEST (7) - Rob takes care of Buddy's dog for the weekend. *** HARRISON B. HARDING OF CAMP CROWDER, MO (8) - An old army buddy of Rob's shows up, but Rob doesn't remember him. *** MY BLONDE-HAIRED BRUNETTE (9) - Laura bleaches her hair when she thinks Rob has lost interest in her. *** FORTY-FOUR TICKETS (10) - Rob forgets that he promised the PTA tickets for the Alan Brady show. *** TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL (11) - Rob worries that Laura will want to go back to her dancing career. *** SALLY IS A GIRL (12) - Laura notices that everybody treats Sally like one of the guys, including Sally herself. (We meet Pickles Sorrell for the first time!) *** EMPRESS CARLOTTA'S NECKLACE (13) - Laura pretends to love the hideous necklace that Rob bought for her. *** (This one only makes sense if you assume that Rob has absolutely NO taste. Also note that Rob's parents are played by a different actor and actress than usual, and that Rob's father's name is Edward instead of Sam.) BUDDY, CAN YOU SPARE A JOB? (14) - Buddy asks to be released from his contract so he can take a higher-paying job. *** (NOTE: Sally clearly states that Mel married Alan's sister! In Episodes 146 and 153, it's the other way around.) WHO OWES WHO WHAT? (15) - Rob isn't sure whether Buddy paid back the money he borrowed. *** SOL AND THE SPONSOR (16) - Rob's army buddy Sol Pomeroy invites himself to dinner the night that Rob is entertaining his stuffy sponsor. *** (NOTE: Interesting casting here... The sponsor's wife is played by the actress who sometimes plays Rob's mother, and Sol PomerOY is played by Marty Ingels, whereas in certain other episodes, the character's name is Sol PomerANTZ and is played by Allan Melvin.) THE CURIOUS THING ABOUT WOMEN (17) - Rob gets mad at Laura for opening his mail. **** PUNCH THY NEIGHBOR (18) - Jerry goes too far when he needles Rob about the Alan Brady Show. *** (NOTE: Rob says that Alan Brady's wife's name is Barb. In Episode 153, Mel says that her name is Margaret.) WHERE DID I COME FROM? (19) - Rob tells Ritchie the story of the day he was born. *** THE BOARDER INCIDENT (20) - Buddy stays at Rob's house while Pickles is out of town. *** A WORD A DAY (21) - Ritchie starts using naughty words. *** THE TALENTED NEIGHBORHOOD (22) - Rob ends up auditioning every kid in town when the Alan Brady Show announces a talent contest. *** FATHER OF THE WEEK (23) - Ritchie doesn't want Rob to talk to his class at school. *** (NOTE: Ritchie's teacher is played by the actress who often appears as Rob's mother.) THE TWIZZLE (24) - Sally discovers a new dance craze. ** ONE ANGRY MAN (25) - Rob is called for jury duty, and he's the only one who thinks the defendant is innocent. *** WHERE YOU BEEN, FASBINDER? (26) - An old high school classmate of Sally's shows up, and she misinterprets the reason for his visit. *** (NOTE: Pickles Sorrell shows up again.) THE BAD OLD DAYS (27) - Rob begins to think that Laura has robbed him of his masculinity. *** I AM MY BROTHER'S KEEPER (28) - Rob's brother Stacey comes to visit, with a bizarre secret. *** (NOTE: In Episode 11, Rob tells Sally that his brother is married. In this episode, Rob tells Sally that Stacey is engaged. In Episode 111, Stacey announces he is about to BECOME engaged. Also, Stacey says that he remembers Laura from the wedding, but considering the circumstances under which Rob and Laura got married, it's highly unlikely that Stacey was present.) THE SLEEPING BROTHER (29) - Stacey performs for Alan Brady at Rob's house. **** (NOTE: It is stated that Mel married Alan's sister. In Episodes 146 and 153, it's the other way around.) THE RETURN OF HAPPY SPANGLER (30) - Rob gives his old mentor a comedy writing job. ***
Rating:
Summary: The Ottoman Collection
Review: These terrific DVDs are enhanced by vintage clips -- promos and commercials with the stars; a half-hour cast guest spot on "Stump the Stars"; Carl Reiner and company gleefully receiving some of their 15 Emmys. Hidden features show the cast selling cigarettes for Kent, a loyal sponsor. Stars of the time such as Joey Bishop, Lucille Ball, Sebastian Cabot, Bob Crane and Jane Wyatt pop up, making the sets delightful time capsules. Dick Van Dyke and Reiner do leisurely commentaries on a handful of key episodes, spending a lot of time on what happened to the cast and crew -- especially who is "still with us," and who is not. They swap a few great stories, and have vivid memories of making the episodes. "Stan Laurel should have sued me," Van Dyke says as he watches himself do a bit. "If only life could be so simple," Reiner sighs as one plot unfolds. Co-star Rose Marie, ex-child actor Larry Mathews and "neighbor" Ann Morgan Guilbert chat over a few other shows. In one case, Rose Marie plows ahead with a hilarious story long after the episode has ended. While the audio commentaries are new, other recollections come via footage from what must have been a terrific 1994 TV special about the show. Executive producer Sheldon Leonard and "human joke machine" Morey Amsterdam, both of whom have since passed away, have their say in these clips. Images and sound are surprisingly good. The restored video has decent contrasts over a pleasing gray scale, with minor wear surfacing here and there. The look falls comfortably between flat and silvery. The 2.0 mono ably conveys dialog, canned laughter and Earle Hagan's bouncy theme music. The first DVD set includes "Head of the Family," Reiner's flat, almost surreal 1960 pilot for the show, in which he played the lead against a different cast. No network was buying. "The reason Carl Reiner's show failed was Carl Reiner," hot-handed producer Leonard recalled in 1994. The world-famous ottoman pratfall appears on season 1's cover, in one of those almost 3-D moving photos. Trivia comes in segments called "Ottoman Trippers."
Rating:
Summary: Long before there was Seinfeld
Review: Think about it... A group of comedy writers working for a variety show (led by Carl Reiner) decide to write a sitcom about... comedy writers working for a variety show. A brilliant idea which was brilliantly executed. The casting was as brilliant as the idea - a current star (Van Dyke), the as yet undiscovered future star (Moore), and the non-TV industry stars (Amsterdam et al). And tying it all together is Carl Reiner, as innovative as he is funny. Thanks Carl, for creating this television high water mark.
Rating: 
Summary: Still funny after all these years
Review: This holds up lots better than most shows that were from the 50s. It features one of the great casts ever, an hilarious Van Dyke, a radiant MTM. Season 1 did have some kinks worked out. The fascinating pilot, on the DVD as an extra, was written for Carl Reiner to star and called "Head of the Family." The Season 1 Dick Van Dyke show episodes retain a lot of that sensibility, though are much funnier. As time wears on in this series, it exploits the talents of the adult cast far more. In Season 1 it sometimes seems like Richie is the center of every episode, in keeping with the original concept. Oh, the first classic MTM "Oh, Rob..." can now be documented to occur early in Season 1, on Disc 2. ;)
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