The Dick Van Dyke Show Trivia


  • The Show had two pilot episodes. It is one of only a few shows, including the original Star Trek, that had a second chance.

  • "Head of The Family" was the first pilot episode. It starred Carl Reiner as Rob Petrie in 1958.

  • For the second pilot the producers of the show originally considered casting Johnny Carson as Rob Petrie.

  • More than 60 actresses were interviewed before settling on Mary Tyler Moore.

  • "The Sick Boy and The Sitter" was the 2nd pilot episode. It was filmed on Jan. 20, 1961. The same day that JFK was inaugurated as 35th President of the USA.

  • TDVDS's first episode aired on October 3, 1961.

  • At first the series aired at 8 p.m. on Tuesday nights. However Sheldon Leonard thought the show was too early for an "adult" sitcom and convinced CBS to move it to Wednesdays at 9.30 p.m.

  • The Show was cancelled after it's first season, but there are two different versions of the show's stay: Sheldon Leonard convinced the network to let the show go on and that Proctor and Gamble threatened to pull all of its daytime advertising off CBS soap operas unless the network found a spot for the program on the fall 1962 schedule.

  • In the opening, when Dick Van Dyke doesn't trip over the ottoman, he shakes Buddy's hand two times.

  • "The Gunslinger" was the last episode. It was filmed on March 22, 1966--two days before your webmaster was born.

  • The last episode aired on CBS on June 3, 1966.

  • There are 158 episodes.

  • Became part of Nick at Nite on October 1, 1991.

  • Became part of TVLand in Sep. of 2000.

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