Dick Van Dyke recently admitted that his beloved sitcom had a rough start.
When asked how “The Dick Van Dyke Show” was created, the 99-year-old actor shared that he nearly lost his famous show after facing tough competition from another Hollywood star.
“I was doing ‘Bye, Bye Birdie’ for a year, and the pilot came up . . . my agent told me it was between me and Johnny Carson,” he shared on Ted Danson’s “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast.
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Famed actor Dick Van Dyke reflected on his beloved sitcom and how it was nearly axed from television. (Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images)
He continued to explain that after working on “Bye, Bye Birdie,” he took a week off, “flew out here and did a pilot with Carl [Reiner], came back . . . he called me and said it sold . . . and then the end of the first season we got canceled.”
Van Dyke explained his show was up against Perry Como on NBC, and “he beat us every night.”
Perry Como was one of the most beloved and successful entertainers of the 20th century. The American singer and actor was known for his popular songs, including the holiday hit, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and “Catch a Falling Star.”
“I was doing ‘Bye, Bye Birdie’ for a year, and the pilot came up . . . my agent told me it was between me and Johnny Carson.”
Van Dyke said executive producer Sheldon Leonard traveled to Cincinnati to pay Van Dyke’s corporate sponsor, Procter & Gamble, a visit and convinced the network to continue airing “The Dick Van Dyke” show.
Leonard produced “The Andy Griffith Show” along with “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”
Cast of the Dick Van Dyke Show, circa 1965. (Getty Images)
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“He said this show deserves another chance, and they gave us another chance. . . . Then we ran for five years.”
The Hollywood actor also spoke about working with one of his “heroes,” the creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” Carl Reiner.
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Van Dyke was honored with a television special in 2023. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images)
“He was not only a great talent, he was one of the nicest people I ever knew. He was an angel, that guy. Loved him.”
In June 2020, legendary actor, director and producer Reiner died at the age of 98. Reiner died of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills, California.
Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner (R) pose with their Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album for “The 2000 Year Old Man In The Year 2000.” (Reuters)
Throughout his legendary career in showbusiness, Reiner earned countless awards, including several Emmys and a Grammy for best spoken comedy album alongside Mel Brooks for their album “The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000.”
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Reiner was best known for co-starring in “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” which he also created. He played comedian Alan Brady on the fictional TV show.
The 99-year-old actor shared how he almost missed out on his famous role to another Hollywood star. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
In 2019, Reiner told Fox News that working on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” was his favorite.
“When asked, ‘Of all the theatrical projects you’ve done in your life, what are you most proud of?’ I always say, hands down, it’s creating and producing ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show.’ It was a labor of love.”
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