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Here’s what Dick Van Dyke thought made his series so special
He knew the secret formula but left out one key ingredient.
There's no doubting The Dick Van Dyke Show's success. It had an all-star cast, plenty of funny moments and five seasons under its belt. But for many shows, the question is always the same: What made it a success?
Well, Dick Van Dyke had an answer.
According to a 1966 interview with The Buffalo News, the show's popularity could be boiled down to a couple of things, one of them being series creator Carl Reiner.
"First, Carl Reiner, who conceived it and who set the tone," Van Dyke said. "Second, the lucky combination of cast. Everyone cared. We wouldn't let it go on the air if it wasn't right. We'd work many a night till midnight to get it right."
The Dick Van Dyke Show filmed on Tuesday evenings before a live audience of 300 people who waited weeks for the chance to score a free pair of tickets. The cast endured long days of rehearsal, sometimes with more tears than laughter, just to be ready for Tuesday night.
Van Dyke had his reasons for the show's success, but he left out one key ingredient: himself.
For a show named after him, you might expect him to give himself a little more credit. But Van Dyke was far too humble to do that.
His co-star Morey Amsterdam was quick to come to his rescue and give him the much-needed credit he deserved.
"You have to keep telling this guy he's a star," Amsterdam said. "He doesn't know it yet."
In fact, even Reiner wanted Van Dyke to realize that he was much more than an average actor. He was The Dick Van Dyke Show's secret weapon. While Van Dyke gave Reiner credit for the show's success, Reiner was more than happy to return the favor.
"He's the greatest single male performing talent working today," Reiner said. "He's so good it's sickening to us actors who watch him work every day. It's terrible to realize that no matter what you do, he can do it better. He's jack of all trades, and master."
So while Van Dyke may have said it was the cast and the scripts, his co-stars gave him credit where credit was due. After all, the series was literally named after him. Maybe that humility was part of the magic.
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