To
any self-respecting fan of pop culture/entertainment, just the sheer
utterance of the show’s title, The Dick Van Dyke Show, conjures
up a baby boomer television classic.
Airing only five seasons (1961-1966), The Dick Van Dyke Show,
created by Carl Reiner, chronicles the home/work life of the fictional
Alan Brady Show chief comedy writer Rob Petrie.
Boasting an extraordinarily talented cast numbering Dick Van Dyke, Mary
Tyler Moore (Laura Petrie), Rose Marie (Sally Rogers), Morey Amsterdam
(Buddy Sorrell), Richard Deacon (Mel Cooley), Ann Morgan Guilbert
(Millie Helper), Jerry Paris (Jerry Helper) and Carl Reiner (Alan
Brady), the show’s impeccable writing, electrifying ensemble chemistry
and rapid-fire comic timing are the stuff of legend and helped establish
the series as one of television’s finest.
Now
with the entire series newly available on Blu-ray, fans of classic TV,
young and old, can revel in the comedic brilliance of The Dick Van
Dyke Show. More than 50 years since it first premiered on CBS, the
show is universally hailed among critics and the public as among the
greatest television series ever created, garnering a whopping 15 Emmys
during its five year run.
The
writing is uniformly strong and inspired, thanks to brilliant wordsmiths
like Carl Reiner, Bill Persky, Sam Denoff and Garry Marshall among
others. Whether deftly examining family/social life or taking you
behind-the-scenes of a working comedy TV show, the show eschews farcical
buffoonery and thrives in its relative normalcy.
Take
a gander at a classic episode like “It May Look Like a Walnut!” or “The
Sleeping Brother” (guest starring Van Dyke’s brother, Jerry) for just
two prime examples and you’ll discover that the show remains fresh,
inventive, funny and timeless.
Looking and sounding better than ever, this Blu-ray edition contains all
158 episodes of the show and is packed with hours of bonus features.
These include audio commentaries from Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner and
others, rehearsal footage, interviews with cast and producers, original
network promo spots and commercials. The set also has “Head of the
Family,” the original series pilot episode, a TV Academy tribute to Carl
Reiner, a 50th anniversary Q&A with Dick Van Dyke, Carl
Reiner and Garry Marshall, “It May Look Like a Walnut!” color test,
photo galleries and much more. Essential.
