The New Dick Van Dyke Show
Encyclopedia
The New Dick Van Dyke Show is an American sitcom starring Dick Van Dyke
that aired on CBS
from 1971 to 1974. This was Van Dyke's first return to series television since The Dick Van Dyke Show
.
at the time and did not want to move back to Hollywood. So the network agreed to film the show at Southwestern Studio on Stage 1 in nearby Carefree, Arizona
. Dick Van Dyke Show creator Carl Reiner
wrote and directed numerous episodes also serving as creative consultant
.
host in Phoenix, Arizona
. Like Van Dyke's previous series, this show divided its time between Dick's job in television and his home life with his wife and child. The show also featured Hope Lange
as his wife, Jenny; Arizona native Angela Powell as their daughter, Annie; Fannie Flagg
as his sister, Mike; David Doyle
as his boss, Ted; and Marty Brill
and Nancy Dussault as the Prestons' friends, Bernie and Carol Davis. The Prestons also had a son, Lucas, who was away at college and seen occasionally.
were good during the first season. The show had a timeslot in CBS
's highly-rated Saturday night lineup which included All in the Family
, Funny Face
and The Mary Tyler Moore Show
(which starred Van Dyke's former co-star). The ratings, however, were much lower than the shows surrounding it. In its second season, the show was moved to the network's low-rated Sunday night lineup and the ratings fell tremendously. CBS
wanted to cancel the show but they had Van Dyke under a three-year contract. The network decided to retool the show.
called Those Who Care in which he played Dr. Brad Fairmont. New cast members included Dick Van Patten
as the show's producer, Barry Gordon
as the show's writer, Henry Darrow
as the stage manager, Barbara Rush
as the show's star, and Richard Dawson and Chita Rivera
as the Prestons' neighbors. In the fall of 1973, the beginning of its third year, CBS gave the series another time slot, this time on Monday nights at 9:30 P.M. immediately following Here's Lucy
starring Lucille Ball
. The network felt that Ball's series would provide a strong lead-in for The New Dick Van Dyke Show.
An episode produced for the third season, "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry," included an off-camera scene in which Dick and Jenny's daughter walked in on them while they were having sex. CBS refused to air the episode, claiming it was incompatible with Van Dyke's family-friendly image. This so incensed Carl Reiner that he refused to continue on the show beyond the third season, citing the network's hypocrisy. Notably, CBS at this time was allowing a number of other shows, such as All in the Family
(starring Reiner's son, Rob
) to deal openly with much more controversial topics. Reiner promised never to work in television (particularly CBS) again. (In 1976, Reiner returned as star of the popular but short-lived ABC
sitcom, Good Heavens
; in 1981, Reiner appeared in an episode of CBS's Walt Disney
and the CBS TV-movie Skokie
. He also has appeared in a few episodes of the 2010 TVLand sitcom Hot in Cleveland
.)
Some sources have inaccurately reported that the controversial unaired episode was produced during the second season, and that Carl Reiner quit the series before the start of the third season. In fact, the episode, was produced during the third season and Carl Reiner remained as producer of the series until the final episode produced which he also wrote and directed.
Although the show's ratings improved, Van Dyke no longer enjoyed working away from his home and did not want to continue the show without Reiner. He chose not to renew his contract and moved back to Arizona
.
, though various local networks aired it occasionally in the 1970s. In the early-1990s, reruns aired briefly on TNT
. In 2004, the show aired on GoodLife TV Network. The reruns included the previously unaired episode "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry".
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
that aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from 1971 to 1974. This was Van Dyke's first return to series television since The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
.
Production
CBS was so eager to have Van Dyke return to their network that they signed him to a three-year contract. Van Dyke was living in Cave Creek, ArizonaCave Creek, Arizona
Cave Creek is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona in the United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town was 4,951.-Geography:...
at the time and did not want to move back to Hollywood. So the network agreed to film the show at Southwestern Studio on Stage 1 in nearby Carefree, Arizona
Carefree, Arizona
Carefree is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 3,799.-History:...
. Dick Van Dyke Show creator Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
wrote and directed numerous episodes also serving as creative consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
.
Premise
Van Dyke played Dick Preston, a local television talk showTalk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. Like Van Dyke's previous series, this show divided its time between Dick's job in television and his home life with his wife and child. The show also featured Hope Lange
Hope Lange
Hope Elise Ross Lange was an American stage, film, and television actress.- Early life :Lange was born into a theatrical family in Redding, Connecticut...
as his wife, Jenny; Arizona native Angela Powell as their daughter, Annie; Fannie Flagg
Fannie Flagg
Patricia Neal , known professionally as Fannie Flagg, is an American actress, comedienne and author. She is perhaps best-known for the 1988 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was adapted into the 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes; Flagg was nominated for an Academy Award for...
as his sister, Mike; David Doyle
David Doyle
David Fitzgerald Doyle was an American actor.-Early life:Doyle was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Mary Ruth and Lewis Raymond Doyle, an attorney. His maternal grandfather, John Fitzgerald, was a prominent railroad builder and banker in Nebraska...
as his boss, Ted; and Marty Brill
Marty Brill
Martin Brill was a professional football coach with the Staten Island Stapletons of the National Football League during the 1931 season. He also coached college football at Columbia University as an assistant. However he later become a head coach at La Salle University and at Loyola Marymount...
and Nancy Dussault as the Prestons' friends, Bernie and Carol Davis. The Prestons also had a son, Lucas, who was away at college and seen occasionally.
Reception
The show's Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
were good during the first season. The show had a timeslot in CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's highly-rated Saturday night lineup which included All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
, Funny Face
The Sandy Duncan Show
Funny Face and The Sandy Duncan Show are two sitcoms aired by CBS starring Sandy Duncan as part of its 1971 and 1972 fall lineups, respectively...
and The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
(which starred Van Dyke's former co-star). The ratings, however, were much lower than the shows surrounding it. In its second season, the show was moved to the network's low-rated Sunday night lineup and the ratings fell tremendously. CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
wanted to cancel the show but they had Van Dyke under a three-year contract. The network decided to retool the show.
The final season
For the third season, the setting and production of the show moved to Hollywood. Dick and his family move there after he lands a role in a soap operaSoap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
called Those Who Care in which he played Dr. Brad Fairmont. New cast members included Dick Van Patten
Dick Van Patten
Richard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten is an American actor, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television sitcom Eight is Enough. He began work as a child actor and was successful on the [New York] stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager...
as the show's producer, Barry Gordon
Barry Gordon
Barry Gordon is an American film, television and voice actor and political talk show host and producer. He was the longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, having served from 1988 to 1995.-Biography:...
as the show's writer, Henry Darrow
Henry Darrow
Henry Darrow is a prolific Puerto Rican-American character actor of stage and film. Darrow is probably best remembered for his role as Big John Cannon's teasing brother-in-law, and Buck Cannon's favorite ranch hand, and best friend, Manolito Montoya, in the 1960s television series The High...
as the stage manager, Barbara Rush
Barbara Rush
Barbara Rush is an American stage, film, and television actress.-Career:A student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Barbara Rush performed on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse before signing with Paramount Pictures...
as the show's star, and Richard Dawson and Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera is an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theater. She is the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award...
as the Prestons' neighbors. In the fall of 1973, the beginning of its third year, CBS gave the series another time slot, this time on Monday nights at 9:30 P.M. immediately following Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
starring Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
. The network felt that Ball's series would provide a strong lead-in for The New Dick Van Dyke Show.
An episode produced for the third season, "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry," included an off-camera scene in which Dick and Jenny's daughter walked in on them while they were having sex. CBS refused to air the episode, claiming it was incompatible with Van Dyke's family-friendly image. This so incensed Carl Reiner that he refused to continue on the show beyond the third season, citing the network's hypocrisy. Notably, CBS at this time was allowing a number of other shows, such as All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
(starring Reiner's son, Rob
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
) to deal openly with much more controversial topics. Reiner promised never to work in television (particularly CBS) again. (In 1976, Reiner returned as star of the popular but short-lived ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
sitcom, Good Heavens
Good Heavens
Good Heavens was a comedy anthology produced by Columbia Pictures Television that aired between February 29 to June 26, 1976. It ranked #17 in the Nielsen ratings during the 1975-76 television season....
; in 1981, Reiner appeared in an episode of CBS's Walt Disney
Disney anthology television series
The Walt Disney anthology television series refers to a television series which has been produced by the Walt Disney Company under several different titles from 1955 to 2008...
and the CBS TV-movie Skokie
Skokie (film)
Skokie is a 1981 television movie directed by Herbert Wise, based on the real life NSPA Controversy of Skokie, Illinois, which involved the National Socialist Party of America.The film premiered in the U.S. on November 17, 1981...
. He also has appeared in a few episodes of the 2010 TVLand sitcom Hot in Cleveland
Hot in Cleveland
Hot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The...
.)
Some sources have inaccurately reported that the controversial unaired episode was produced during the second season, and that Carl Reiner quit the series before the start of the third season. In fact, the episode, was produced during the third season and Carl Reiner remained as producer of the series until the final episode produced which he also wrote and directed.
Although the show's ratings improved, Van Dyke no longer enjoyed working away from his home and did not want to continue the show without Reiner. He chose not to renew his contract and moved back to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
Syndication
The show was rarely run in syndicationTelevision syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
, though various local networks aired it occasionally in the 1970s. In the early-1990s, reruns aired briefly on TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
. In 2004, the show aired on GoodLife TV Network. The reruns included the previously unaired episode "Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry".