Dick Van Dyke Show, The
by Ginny Weissman, Coyne Steven Sanders
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Book Summary Information
Author: Coyne Steven Sanders, Ginny WeissmanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1993-02-15
ISBN: 0312087667
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780312087661
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Dick Van Dyke Show, The
Book Review: Lighthearted & Fun Volume! Heaps Of Excellent Pics!
Summary: 5 Stars
This 172-page volume isn't as detailed as Vince Waldron's "Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book", but it serves as a very nice companion piece to both that Waldron book and to the 5 full-season DVD boxed sets of the Van Dyke Show that were released via Image Entertainment, Inc., in 2003 and 2004 (all five of which sparkle brightly in every respect). Placing those DVDs next to this publication (and the book by Mr. Waldron as well) would certainly serve as an unsurpassable batch of Van Dyke Show video and printed material, providing the owner of said products with just about all he/she could ever need with regard to this never-tiresome CBS-TV sitcom.
The 8.5" x 11.0" paperback book (which was originally released in 1983 and revised in 1993) is crammed with many, many top-notch black-and-white photographs; and the colorful front cover (featuring five main members of the show's cast) perfectly captures the fun and spirit of this classic sitcom.
Plenty of quotes from the show's cast and crew members are on tap here too, as they reflect back on the making of the series. An abundant amount of behind-the-camera information is mixed in amongst the wealth of photographs on these pages.
Synopses of all 158 Dick Van Dyke Show episodes are also included in a separate chapter. Plus there's a chapter entitled "That's My Boy?? -- A Milestone In Television History", which includes the entire script of the 64th filmed episode in the series ("That's My Boy??"), which is one of the funniest of all the Van Dyke scripts (which is really saying something, because they're all pretty darn good). That episode, which was expertly written by Bill Persky and Sam Denoff on May 22, 1963, has Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) practically beside himself with worry in the days following his son Ritchie's birth, as he thinks the hospital gave him the wrong baby. A great episode indeed!
This book also contains a 4-page "Awards" section, which details all of the various awards (mostly "Emmys") that "The Dick Van Dyke Show" won, and was nominated for, during its successful five-year tenure on network TV.
There's also "The Dick Van Dyke 500" -- which is a 500-question trivia quiz. Some real brain-busters here, including Question #41: "How much money had Laura put away in her secret bank account (in the episode 'Bank Book 6565696')?" .... Was it: A.) $294.12; B.) $451.02; C.) $378.16; or D.) $398.26? .... Now THAT'S what I call "trivia"! Can you guess the answer? (I knew the answer to that one right off the bat, which probably makes me a certifiable "Van Dyke Show Geek" of the first order. LOL!) :)
This entire volume is very fun to glance through, with the ultimate prize in the package (in my estimation) being the oodles of great pictures (many of which depict "behind-the-scenes" shots of the cast and crew).
Looking through this book again prompted me to type up the following list of some of my all-time favorite "Dick Van Dyke Show" episodes (every single one of which can be purchased on DVD in the previously-mentioned Image Entertainment seasonal boxed sets of the series).
My Top 20 "Most Watched Episodes" list would look like this (what would your own personal list look like?):
1.) "All About Eavesdropping" (Season 2 boxed set).
2.) "Harrison B. Harding Of Camp Crowder, Mo." (S.1).
3.) "The Curious Thing About Women" (S.1).
4.) "My Husband Is A Check-Grabber" (S.2).
5.) "Empress Carlotta's Necklace" (S.1).
6.) "Never Bathe On Saturday" (S.4).
7.) "A Nice, Friendly Game Of Cards" (S.3).
8.) "Punch Thy Neighbor" (S.1).
9.) "Ray Murdock's X-Ray" (S.2).
10.) "The Sick Boy And The Sitter" (S.1).
11.) "The Night The Roof Fell In" (S.2).
12.) "The Ghost Of A. Chantz" (S.4).
13.) "A Man's Teeth Are Not His Own" (S.2).
14.) "The Case Of The Pillow" (S.4).
15.) "The Two Faces Of Rob" (S.2).
16.) "Pink Pills And Purple Parents" (S.4).
17.) "That's My Boy??" (S.3).
18.) "The Impractical Joke" (S.4).
19.) "Coast-To-Coast Big Mouth" (S.5).
20.) "My Blonde-Haired Brunette" (S.1).
Overall Favorite Seasons -- Season 1 and Season 2. (Although all 5 seasons are excellent, as all Van Dyke Show fans can attest.) :)
Post-Script
Something I thought of recently while watching the "Vic Damone"/"Ric Vallone" episode (titled "Like A Sister") --- during the entire course of the Dick Van Dyke Show series, creator/writer/producer Carl Reiner (plus the other top execs, Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard) never once exploited the "showbiz" angle of the Van Dyke series. What I mean by that is -- Carl & Company never felt the urge to cave in to the "Lucy Show Syndrome", and therefore very seldom brought in major movie stars of the day as guest stars to play off of the rest of the cast.
The "Let's get a big-name guest star on the show every week" scenario could have easily been done (and with a built-in "realism" as well, due to main character Robert Petrie working in show business on a popular variety show). From what I've read regarding the series, many big stars would drop by the show's soundstages to shoot the breeze. It seemed to be the "in" place to be in Hollywood. Well, at least one of the "in" places at any rate.
And I'm guessing that if he would have wanted to bow down to such ratings pressures, Mr. Reiner (et al) would have had no trouble at all garnering many major movie stars as guests on "TDVDS".
I'm very glad, however, that Reiner decided not to go the "Lucy Show" route for bigger ratings or for prestige value (or whatever) -- because relying on the great regular cast was a much better plan, IMHO.
And I find it interesting, too, to note that even when "TDVDS" *did* occasionally include a guest star to sing or dance on the fictional "Alan Brady Show", you'll note that the guest actor was always of a somewhat lesser-known stature, with character names created for them -- such as the aforementioned "Ric Vallone" used instead of Vic Damone's real name. ... And "Jacques Savon", and "Tracy Rattigan", and "Paula Marshall".
I often wonder how good the show would have been if Carl Reiner *had* decided to include huge-name guest stars each week (playing themselves), like on Lucille Ball's shows -- with people like John Wayne, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Sammy Davis, and Jerry Lewis popping in every week to make an "Alan Brady Show" appearance.
I, for one, am just as content and satisfied with the likes of "Janie Layton", "Henry Walden", "Jim Darling", "Valerie Blake", "Max Calvada", "Randolph Eisenbauer", and "Harper Worthington Yates". Plus, of course, the first-rate regular cast members, who didn't need to play second banana to anybody, IMO. :)
In closing, let me just state --- "I haven't had this many laughs since the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre!" ** :)
** = Dialogue from the episode "All About Eavesdropping".
Summary of Dick Van Dyke Show, The
In the history of television, there are very few shows that can truly be called "classics." The Dick Van Dyke Show is one of those few. Weissman and Sanders have succeeded in capturing the unique flavor of the appealing, warm comedy that went straight to the heart of the American public, in this inside story of the situation comedy that has found an eager new audience on Nickelodeon. 100 photos.Television Books
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