Rating: Summary: A wonderful show that deserves to be on DVD! Review: Dick Van Dyke Show is one of the most classic TV shows ever, and it is wonderful that someone had the idea of putting it on DVD. Dick Van Dyke is a comedic genius, as are Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie and Maury Amsterdam. The story lines are brilliantly subtle and intense at the same time. This show blends wit and physical humor making a style all its own. The episodes, masterfully chosen demonstrate some of the best episodes. Dick Van Dyke as Rob Petrie is amazing. He becomes the character. Mary Tyler Moore, getting her start on this show, has the talent and verve of a pro. Rose Marie and Maury Amsterdam master their characters. This super collection is prized in my collection, and will be in yours as well. It has the controled, seemingly reckless wit with the physical marvel that only Dick Van Dyke can do. A great addition to any DVD collection!
Rating: Summary: Not As Good As The "Image" Boxed Sets -- But Still Good Review: Hey, this disc has *got* to be pretty good (no matter what the video quality). Why? Because it contains episodes of the very best situation comedy ever made in TV history (in my own opinion, mind you). :)
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" ran for five seasons on CBS-TV from 1961 to 1966, with 158 episodes produced and aired. And there are very few misfires in the whole lot, if you ask me. They are all very well-written and acted. The show exhibited (and still does in re-runs or on VHS video or DVD) a "timeless" quality, with very likeable characters and realistic situations -- situations that could just as easily be occurring today rather than in the early to mid-1960s when the show was made. Best yet, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" is just flat-out fun to watch, time and again! The "re-watchability" factor on this TV series is very high, making ANY Van Dyke Show video or DVD you might purchase a true collectible in my view, and a bargain, especially considering how often you'll end up replaying the video product.
This bargain-priced, one-disc DVD collection houses 6 of the "public-domain" episodes of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (all six of which aired during the second season of the series [1962-1963]) ............
1.) "Never Name A Duck"
2.) "Bank Book 6565696"
3.) "Hustling The Hustler"
4.) "The Night The Roof Fell In"
5.) "A Man's Teeth Are Not His Own"
6.) "Give Me Your Walls"
My favorites from the above batch of programs are: "The Night The Roof Fell In" and "A Man's Teeth Are Not His Own". .... In "Roof", Rob and Laura Petrie, the show's normally-congenial husband-and-wife duo, have a rare spat; and each one tells friends and neighbors very different versions of the squabble. When Rob brings home Laura's favorite Chinese take-out dinner to try and mend fences, another fight just might erupt, because Laura's attempt at making up is going to clash with Rob's -- she has prepared an elaborate dinner for two!
In the "Teeth" episode, Rob busts a tooth on a bone hidden in his "soft chicken sandwich" while his dentist (neighbor Jerry Helper) is out of town. .... "You broke your tooth on a bone?", inquires Sally Rogers. "Well, I don't think he broke it on the mayonnaise!", Buddy Sorrell replies. (LOL!)
This episode prominently features actor/director Jerry Paris on screen. Paris would go on to direct most of the Van Dyke Show episodes in the latter years of the series. Which, in a way, is kind of a shame, because it limited (to an extent) the amount of on-screen air time given Paris during the later seasons of the show. I've always enjoyed greatly watching the "Jerry Helper" character as portrayed by Jerry Paris. He and Rob/(Dick) worked very well together; there was a genuine bond of friendship between these two neighbors that came across on the TV screen.
Even if the video quality on this disc is a bit on the rough side in spots and not equal to the pristine discs put out by Image Entertainment/Paul Brownstein, the high quality of the episodes themselves, IMO, trumps any video defects seen here. After all, we're talking about Rob and Laura and Company -- so you know the shows are gonna be tops!
And always remember, my Van Dyke Show-loving friends --- "A second with you (Mel Cooley) is like a year with an angry mob!" :-)
Rating: Summary: Oh, Rob....... Review: I agree with all of the reviews, in that I would like to have seen many, many more episodes. The Dick Van Dyke Show is absolutely the best way to get that "feel good" feeling. An added bonus is that I can watch it with my children and not cringe wondering what sexual inuendo will be next. The worst thing "Nick at Night" ever did was removing Dick Van Dyke from it's rosters. THIS is classic television!
Rating: Summary: Who cares if it's public domain or not.... Review: I quite enjoyed this video. The picture and sound quality are fine, and the episodes vary between a little weak to brillient.... If they bring the whole series out I will be happy to buy it, but in the mean time at least I have half-dozen episodes to enjoy.
Rating: Summary: Great - But where's the rest! Review: It's good to see DVD on DVD. The quality of this DVD is decent, however, I'm not sure how or why they chose the six episodes. "The Night the Roof Fell In" and "Never Name a Duck" are the two best on the DVD. I would have preferred more of the classic episodes such as Ghost of A. Chanz, or Coast to Coast Big Mouth. Looking forward to the entire 158 episode set to be released. In the mean time, this one will do!
Rating: Summary: Great - But where's the rest! Review: It's good to see DVD on DVD. The quality of this DVD is decent, however, I'm not sure how or why they chose the six episodes. "The Night the Roof Fell In" and "Never Name a Duck" are the two best on the DVD. I would have preferred more of the classic episodes such as Ghost of A. Chanz, or Coast to Coast Big Mouth. Looking forward to the entire 158 episode set to be released. In the mean time, this one will do!
Rating: Summary: This DVD is of public domain episodes only Review: Let me answer everyone's question as to why only these episodes were chosen....the producer of this DVD did NOT pay any royalties on these episodes!!! Due to an error many years ago, these episodes slipped into the public domain, as therefore, are being produced without any authorization or payment of royalites to the owners of the show. Let me tell you that each and every episode will be available in the next several months - created from original copies of the show for the highest quality...and they will be produced will the full knowledge of Carl Reiner and Dick Van Dyke. So, don't lose your sense of humor or your thumbs!! But keep an eye out for the entire collection of 158 shows sometime very soon.
Rating: Summary: This DVD is of public domain episodes only Review: Let me answer everyone's question as to why only these episodes were chosen....the producer of this DVD did NOT pay any royalties on these episodes!!! Due to an error many years ago, these episodes slipped into the public domain, as therefore, are being produced without any authorization or payment of royalites to the owners of the show. Let me tell you that each and every episode will be available in the next several months - created from original copies of the show for the highest quality...and they will be produced will the full knowledge of Carl Reiner and Dick Van Dyke. So, don't lose your sense of humor or your thumbs!! But keep an eye out for the entire collection of 158 shows sometime very soon.
Rating: Summary: great show, poor copy Review: there's no question that The Dick Van Dyke Show will always be a landmark in Television Comedy. The stories and characters are as timeless today as when the show premiered 40 years ago. Our only complaint about this Canadian DVD is that the quality is not very good. It seems to be copied from 16mm prints, rather than the original film. It's also only 6 episodes. We have heard that the authorized anniversary edition of all 158 episodes is being released soon and it will be great to see DVD on DVD.
Rating: Summary: Six fairly representative episodes of DVD on DVD... Review: This DVD has six fairly representative but certainly not classic episodes from the second season of the "Dick Van Dyke Show." While "The Beverly Hillbillies" was finishing #1 in the Nielsens, this was the sitcom that was picking up the Emmys. Included on this disc are: (1) "Never Name a Duck" (Episode #31, September 26, 1962), where Richie (Larry Mathews) is grief stricken over the death of his pet duck, thus the sage advice of the title of this episode, written by series creator Carl Reiner; (2) "Bank Book 6565696" (Episode #34, October 17, 1962), in which Rob (Dick Van Dyke) becomes too suspicious for his own good when he discovers Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) has a secret bank account with a nice little balance in it; (3) "Hustling the Hustler" (Episode #35, October 24, 1962), has Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) worried that his brother (Phil Leeds), the reformed gambler, is going to take Rob for big bucks during a friendly little game of pool; (4) "The Night the Roof Fell In" (Episode #39, November 21, 1962) does an homage to "Rashomon" as Rob and Laura tell their very different accounts of the marital fight that led to him storming out of the house; (5) "A Man's Teeth Are Not His Own" (Episode #43, December 19, 1962), another Reiner gem, has Rob convinced his best friend and neighbor Jerry Halper (Jerry Paris) will never forgive him for letting another dentist perform emergency dental work on his teeth; and (6) "Give Me Your Walls!" (Episode #53, February 27, 1963) has Laura hiring a flamboyant artist (Vito Scotti) to paint the walls in the living room and becoming worried when it looks like a con man is taking over her home. I have no idea why whoever put this collection together looked only at the show's second season or picked these particular episodes. I mean, they could have done the one where Rob and Laura get married, Richie finds out his middle name is "Rosebud," Buddy and Sally disappear every weekend, Rob becomes allergic to Laura, or Rob's classic nightmare about an alien invasion headed by someone who looks a lot like Danny Thomas and has a thing for walnuts. So this collection could have been a whole lot better. Clearly it is time that this show was given the same sort of treatment when it comes to DVD/Video that are accorded all of the other classic sitcoms.
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