Though The Dick Van Dyke Show was wildly successful during its initial run from 1961 to 1966, the attention the series received from fans decades later was what truly cemented its position as a classic sitcom.

Despite the series ending, audiences frequently flock to The Dick Van Dyke Show as a source of laughter and even comfort. It’s a feeling that audiences cherish, no matter how old they are or where they live.

Morey Amsterdam, who played Rob Petrie’s co-worker and friend, Buddy Sorrell, said that across the world, he was approached by fans of The Dick Van Dyke Show.

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“People come up to me in Hong Kong, or Turkey, or wherever,” said Amsterdam during an interview with The Houston Chronicle. “[They] say ‘Hi, Morey.’ I’ve seen myself in seven different languages. When I watch it in a foreign country, I watch the people, and I’m always glad to see that even with the translation to their native tongue, they still laugh in all the right places. It proves again that humor is universal.”

As to The Dick Van Dyke Show’s lasting impact, Amsterdam credits the show’s relatability. No matter the decade, audiences everywhere can see themselves in Rob and Laura Petrie.

“People everywhere identify with it because the people in it were real human beings,” said Amsterdam. “The thing that always surprises me about it is that it appeals to so many children. It wasn’t aimed at children at all.”