The Dick Van Dyke Show: The Sitcom That Knew Exactly What Was Funny

The Dick Van Dyke Show is one of the greatest sitcoms in television history—and more than 60 years after it premiered, its comedy still works. Starring Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie and Richard Deacon, the classic CBS sitcom turned a television comedy writer's life, a suburban marriage and the chaos of a writers' room into endlessly inventive television. Created by Carl Reiner, The Dick Van Dyke Show debuted in 1961 and became a landmark of American television comedy. Dick Van Dyke played Rob Petrie, a writer for the fictional Alan Brady Show, while Mary Tyler Moore played his wife, Laura Petrie. Along with Buddy Sorrell, Sally Rogers and Mel Cooley, they created one of television's most memorable ensembles. From the legendary living-room trip over the ottoman to the outrageous antics of the Alan Brady writers' room, The Dick Van Dyke Show demonstrated how much comedy could come from great writing, timing, character and physical performance. It also helped establish a model for the sophisticated sitcoms that followed. Tom Gulley takes a look back at The Dick Van Dyke Show, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner and the remarkable cast and writers behind a television classic that remains funny, influential and remarkably modern. #DickVanDyke #TheDickVanDykeShow #ClassicTV #ClassicTelevision #TVHistory #Sitcom #TelevisionHistory #MaryTylerMoore #CarlReiner #TomGulleyShow thetomgulleyshow.com