Review of The Dick Van Dyke Show (DVD)

In the fall of 1961, CBS first aired The Dick Van Dyke Show, one of the funniest sitcoms in television history. Similar to I Love Lucy, but with tamer and less eccentric characters, the show became a mainstay in Nielsen’s top 10 ratings during its first four seasons. When the show’s ratings dropped in the fifth season, the network canceled the show. But in the four decades since, The Dick Van Dyke Show has continued to entertain its fans and their children (and their children’s children) through syndicated reruns…

The Dick Van Dyke Show centers on the life of Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke), a family man living in suburban New York. As the head writer of the fictional “Alan Brady Show,” he works with co-writers Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam) and Sally Rogers (Rose Marie). Rob’s work life is always interesting given Buddy’s constant pranks, Sally’s endless search for a husband, and the trio’s unified stalking of Alan Brady’s brother-in-law, Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon). At home, Rob’s loving but overly nervous wife, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), stays home with the couple’s son, Ritchie (Larry Mathews). Surrounded by all these unique characters, Rob is always caught up in someone’s plan, fantasy or mischief…

The Dick Van Dyke Show DVD features several hilarious episodes, including the season premiere “The Sick Boy and the Sitter,” in which Rob convinces Laura to go to a party at Alan Brady’s house, despite than his five-year-old son. Richie is sick. The two get a babysitter, but Laura’s maternal instincts don’t go away… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “Jealousy,” in which Laura becomes jealous of Rob’s working relationship with a beautiful TV star, and “Where Do I Come From?” in which Ritchie asks Laura and Rob about their origins, and they struggle to come up with the right answer…

Below is a list of episodes included on The Dick Van Dyke Show (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (The Sick Boy and the Nanny) Air Date: 03-10-1961

Episode 2 (The Blonde-Haired Brunette) Air Date: 10-10-1961

Episode 3 (Sally and the Lab Technician) Air Date: 10-17-1961

Episode 4 (Washington vs. the Bunny) Air Date: 10/24/1961

Episode 5 (Oh, We Met The Night We Danced) Air Date: 10/31/1961

Episode 6 (Harrison B. Harding of Camp Crowder, Mo.) Air Date: 1961-06-11

Episode 7 (Jealousy!) Air Date: 07-11-1961

Episode 8 (To Say or Not to Say) Air Date: 11-14-1961

Episode 9 (The Unwelcome Guest) Air Date: 11-21-1961

Episode 10 (The Meershatz Pipe) Air Date: 11-28-1961

Episode 11 (Forty-Four Tickets) Air Date: 1961-05-12

Episode 12 (Empress Charlotte’s Necklace) Air Date: 12-12-1961

Episode 13 (Sally is a Girl) Air Date: 12-19-1961

Episode 14 (Dude, can you do without a job?) Air Date: 12-26-1961

Episode 15 (Where Do I Come From?) Air Date: 03-01-1962

Episode 16 (The curious thing about women) Air date: 01-10-1962

Episode 17 (Hit Your Neighbor) Air Date: 01-17-1962

Episode 18 (Who owes whom what?) Air date: 01-24-1962

Episode 19 (The Talented Neighborhood) Air Date: 01-31-1962

Episode 20 (A Word a Day) Air Date: 07-02-1962

Episode 21 (The Border Incident) Air Date: 02-14-1962

Episode 22 (Father of the Week) Air date: 02-21-1962

Episode 23 (The Twizzle) Air Date: 02-28-1962

Episode 24 (An Angry Man) Air Date: 03-07-1962

Episode 25 (Where Have You Been, Fassbinder?) Air Date: 03-14-1962

Episode 26 (I am my brother’s keeper) Air date: 03-21-1962

Episode 27 (The Sleeping Brother) Air Date: 03-28-1962

Episode 28 (The Bad Old Days) Air Date: 04-04-1962

Episode 29 (Sun and the Sponsor) Air Date: 1962-11-04

Episode 30 (The Return of Happy Spangler) Air Date: 04-18-1962

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