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According to Morey Amsterdam, before it became a TV classic, The Dick Van Dyke Show was a slow starter
The series was hilarious, but the ratings were no laughing matter at first.
While we may think of The Dick Van Dyke Show today as one of those classic sitcoms that was a hit in living rooms across the country, it had a surprisingly slow start.
Today, the series is considered a television classic, and Dick Van Dyke is somewhat of a TV institution. But when the show first premiered in 1961, it wasn't exactly a ratings hit. In fact, its first season finished No. 80 in the Nielsen ratings.
According to a 1963 interview with the Houston Chronicle, Morey Amsterdam, who played Buddy Sorrell, Rob Petrie's wisecracking friend and fellow comedy writer, believed the series had plenty more to give.
"We were a slow starter, but now we're going strong," Amsterdam said. "I travel a lot around the country, and everywhere I go, people tell me they like us. We have a good clean show. That helps. And even the kids like it—that helps too."
Amsterdam brought plenty of experience to the role of Buddy, who was frequently referred to as the "human joke machine."
Before joining The Dick Van Dyke Show, his career had included writing gags, performing in nightclubs, working in radio and appearing in movies. Despite his long resume, however, The Dick Van Dyke Show was his first regular role in a weekly television series.
"I love doing this show," Amsterdam said. "And the funniest thing about it is that we all have fun. Believe me, in Hollywood, that's really something."
A slow start in the ratings didn't mean the show lacked devoted fans. The Dick Van Dyke Show was filmed in front of a live studio audience, and getting a ticket to a taping was a hot commodity.
The tickets were free, and audiences were guaranteed three solid hours of laughter. Sounds like a bargain to us!
"The show runs only 30 minutes on TV, but it takes us from 7 to 10 p.m. to film it in sequence," Amsterdam said. "Everybody entertains between the scenes, and by the time we finish, the audience has seen a regular variety show. They have a ball."
The ratings may have taken their time, but the laughs clearly didn't.
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