THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW

“The Dick Van Dyke Show” was inspired by Carl Reiner’s experiences as a writer for Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” in the early 1950’s. Johnny Carson was among those considered for the main role, but Sheldon Leonard, the show’s executive producer, suggested Dick Van Dyke for the role. Robert Petrie was lead writer for the fictional “Alan Brady Show,” featuring an egocentric, difficult, toupee-wearing star, played by Carl Reiner. Many of the characters were based on the writers Reiner worked with on Caesar’s show, among them Mel Brooks, Selma Diamond, Neil Simon, and later Woody Allen. A slow starter, the show did not break the top 30 shows in ratings in its first season, but rose to single digits in seasons 2-4, and the show won a collective 15 Emmys over its life. This image promoted the show before it went on the air in its first season.