One of the best TV comedy hours of the 1960’s The Dick Van Dyke Show: Season 5 comes to Blu-ray and the well written sitcom still provides some of the funniest sketches ever shown. With an excellent transfer from original film stock the black and white production still has the zing that it did when it originally hit the TV airwaves.
If you are not familiar with the show, Dick Van Dyke plays Rob Petrie who writes for the popular television show the Alan Brady Hour. His two sidekick writers Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) and Sally (Rose Marie) help establish the ideas for the script and act them out as they go along. Rob’s wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) has to keep on her toes with him around because she never knows when her husband is serious.
The cast has an amazing comedic chemistry bouncing off a lot of tongue in cheek one-liners and getting themselves in trouble with their boss Alan Brady (Carl Reiner). In season 5 I especially like the skit where Laura gives away the fact on national TV that Brady wears a wig. It gets really fun when there’s another unknown fact that’s even more damaging waiting in the wings.
There’s 31 episodes in Season 5 that aired from 1965-66 with each providing more laughter than each previous show. As the season goes on the subjects become more relevant to modern day and I became mesmerized wanting to see more of their foolish antics. Van Dyke known to today’s families for films like Mary Poppins and Bye Bye Birdie started his career in Television on the “Phil Silvers Show” playing Pvt. Bilko before getting a break with Bye Bye Birdie. From there it was upward in the business taking on roles ranging from “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and then the “Carol Burnett Show” even appearing in the box office hit Night in the Museum in 2006 as Cecil.
His co-star Mary Tyler Moore started in Television on the “Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” then getting a break on “The Dick Van Dyke Show”. She appeared in all 158 episodes becoming a house hold word and even getting her a role opposite Julie Andrews in Thoroughly Modern Millie and as Sister Michelle in Change of Habit opposite Elvis Presley. In the 1970’s she helmed the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” for 168 episodes before getting an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Beth Jarrett in Ordinary People.
This blast from the past makes for good family viewing, even in Black and White because all the skits are no stronger than a soft PG content. Most of the comedy that may be considered adult is never flagrant and rises way above youngster understanding.
The list of shows would be too long to provide here, but some of my favorites are “Coast to Coast Big Mouth”, “The Ugliest Dog in the World”, “Body and Sol”, “Fifty-Two, Forty-Five or Work”, “The Bottom of Mel Cooley’s Heart”, “Day in the Life of Alan Brady” so make sure you check these out and let me know if you agree.
The series comes with some very good special features that are more nostalgic than educational and entertaining. The following are a list of bonus extras:
- “TV Academy Tribute to Carl Reiner featuring Garry Shandling”
- “Audio Commentaries with Carl Reiner & Dick Van Dyke”
- “Audio Commentary with Rose Marie, Larry Mathews & Bill Idelson”
- “Don Rickles Remembers His Two-Part Episode”
- “Clip from TV Land Awards Featuring the Cast”
- “Emmy Award Telecast Clips Featuring the Cast”
- “Cast Reunion from 1992’s Comic Relief”
- “A Scene from CBS Special Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman”
- “Theatrical Trailer: The Art of Love”
- “Interviews with Cast and Producers”
- And more!
The video quality emulates the TV showings with a crisp black and white presentation. The shows are in their original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 that fit square screen televisions but those with 16×9’s will still get the full picture with sidebars.
The sound quality is very good even though it’s monaural with no stereo content. Since most of the dialogue surrounds comedy, the monaural track serves the show well providing crisp and clear conversations.
Specifications and additional film information:
Cast: Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner, Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie
Directed by: Jerry Paris
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 775 min
Video Release Date: August 6, 2013
Original Television Release Date: 1966
Language: English
Format: Blu-ray
Audio: DTS HD Master Audio 1.0
Video: Full 16×9 with aspect ratio 1.33:1
Subtitles: None
Number of Discs: 3 Discs
Distributed by: RLJ Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
