The best part about being Rob Petrie

I wanted to become a comedy writer because of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW.  I wanted to be Rob Petrie when I grew up.  The idea of being in a great marriage with a son and writing television comedy seemed like the dream life. When my partner, David Isaacs and I were starting out, writing spec scripts, we would watch reruns of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW every afternoon for inspiration. We became such aficionados that we would try to guess who wrote each episode. Unlike today, the writing credits were at the end.

Our favorites -- and the easiest to identify -- were always the ones written by the team of Garry Marshall & Jerry Belson. They were just a little more off-beat, a tad sharper and funnier. Our goal was to become the next Marshall & Belson – to have people think that our scripts were just a slight cut above all the rest.

I can’t say for sure that we accomplished that goal, but I did become a comedy writer. And I did get to work with the great Jerry Belson. I was writing and producing CHEERS and he was consulting. And then, 29 years ago today, my son Matthew was born and I realized, “Ohmygod, I am living THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW.” The only difference is this: on the show, their kid is just a side character. In my real life, kids are the whole world. Awards and credits on the various “Alan Brady Shows” I’ve worked on pale in comparison to raising two spectacular kids.

Jerry Belson sent Matt a baby gift along with the following touching note:

Dear, Matthew,

Always remember I was funnier than your father.

He was, but then so were most of the writers on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW.

Happy Birthday, Matt. Thanks for being my “Richie” but not nearly as dopey. I love you.

There’s a great new book out called THE OFFICIAL DICK VAN DYKE SHOW BOOK by Vince Waldron. I’m guessing it’s about the show.

In my recent poll of your all-time favorite sitcoms, THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW was number one. What makes that all the more remarkable is…

It’s fifty years old.

It’s in black-and-white.

Rob’s job no longer exists. There are no primetime variety shows starring nightclub comics.  Are there even nightclub comics?

Not everyone in the cast was twentysomething and hot.

Writers had to bang out 39 episodes a year. At the most today shows produce 25.

The mores were so different back then. For standards & practice purposes, Rob & Laura (a married couple) slept in separate beds.

So why does THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW still resonate today? Because Carl Reiner created a show about real people, facing relatable problems, and behavior that is as true today as it was back in 1961. The comedy comes out of the characters, astute observation, and human nature not high-concept ideas or stylized formats. It seems like such a no-brainer but you’d be surprised. When the DICK VAN DYKE SHOW premiered it was considered positively ground-breaking. People acting like people was ground-breaking? Yep, when you consider this was the comedy era of talking animals, flying nuns, witches, bimbo robots, genies, Munsters, affluent Hillbillies, and favorite Martians.

It’s scary how fast time flies. I still can’t believe it – not that the DICK VAN DYKE SHOW is fifty. It’s timeless. How can my son be 29??? In any event, Carl Reiner and I are two proud parents. Although  how can Carl Reiner be 89???

the unknown star of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW

Most primetime scripted series today have “pod” producers attached. These are non-writing producers who are usually former executives who received producer deals after their executive services were no longer, uh… required. Golden parachutes is another way to describe it. But they have now so ingrained themselves into the system (since current executives would rather communicate with them than writers) that writer/producers are practically forced to partner up with them if they hope to get a project off the ground. The truth is most writer/producers don’t need a non-writing producer. Especially if the writer is already an experienced showrunner. The poor writer is forced to give up part of his ownership to someone who basically has no real creative function. Sounds kind of like paying someone for “protection”, doesn’t it?

I suppose if the pod producer came to the writer with a piece of talent attached or a commitment he's laying off then I could see the value. He’s bringing something tangible to the project. But all too often these pod producers bring nothing. They give you notes you don’t need, provide yet another layer of bureaucracy, and for the privilege, they take a piece of your backend profits.

So it might surprise you to learn that I believe the success of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW – arguably one of the greatest sitcoms in history – was directly as a result of a pod producer. Everybody knows that Carl Reiner was the brilliant creative force behind that show. But how many people outside of the television industry know the major contribution of Sheldon Leonard?

Sure, the name looks familiar. You’ve seen it on the credits. And a few of you may even remember him as an actor. But without Sheldon Leonard there would be no DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, and even if there were, there would be no DICK VAN DYKE SHOW after the first season.

So what all did he do? Just this:

Carl Reiner created the series and did the original pilot with himself starring as Rob Petrie. The pilot tanked, primarily because Reiner was not right for the role. Leonard convinced Reiner to re-cast the lead.  How'd you like to be the one making that suggestion to an actor?

Leonard convinced Reiner to do the show in front of an audience.

Leonard showed Reiner how a multi-camera format worked.

Leonard suggested Dick Van Dyke for the lead.

Leonard suggested Rose Marie for Sally.

Sponsors held sway over network shows back then. Leonard arranged for mighty Proctor & Gamble to sponsor THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW.

When the series struggled out of the gate, Leonard lobbied hard for a time slot change, which the show got.

After the first season, the show was all but canceled. Leonard took the unheard of step of flying to Cincinnati and convincing Proctor & Gamble to stay aboard.

When P&G decided to only sponsor half the show, Leonard then went to Lorillard Tobacco and got them to commit to the other half. All of this within a matter of days.

And when the CBS president still wouldn’t renew the show (based on a personal grudge), Leonard got P&G to threaten to pull their business off the CBS daytime schedule unless they found a place for THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW. It was the Hail Marys of Hail Marys.

And along the way he offered great creative input, shielded Reiner from network bullshit, and gave Reiner the resources he needed to produce his classic show.

Now THERE’S a pod producer.

I got the chance to meet him once.  He guested on an episode of CHEERS.  It was a true honor.

And one final note:  Don't know if they did this on purpose or not but the two main characters on THE BIG BANG THEORY are named Sheldon & Leonard. 

If you’re interested in THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, there’s a great book out called THE OFFICIAL DICK VAN SHOW BOOK by Vince Waldron. It goes into wonderful detail on the show, all the behind-the-scenes dirt, creative decisions, people involved. And it’s a fun read. No slogging involved. More tomorrow on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW and a very special birthday greeting.