(the ridiculous and the sublime . . . you choose)
(http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Trivia/TheDickVanDykeShow)
Actor-Shared Background: Jerry van Dyke's childhood sleepwalking became Stacy's adult sleepwalking.
Rob used to entertain his fellow troops in the Army, just like Dick Van Dyke.
The Danza: Jerry Paris as next door neighbor Jerry Helper.
Development Gag: "The Last Chapter" ends the show with one recalling its origins. Rob completes a manuscript about his various experiences as a writer, but the publisher rejects it. However, Alan loves it and intends to turn it into a TV series, where he'll play Rob.
Directed by Cast Member: Jerry Paris took over as the show's chief director during the third season, leading to his acting role in the show being cut down.
Executive Meddling:
Carl Reiner wrote the role of Rob Petrie for himself (sensibly, considering the show was based on his experiences writing Your Show Of Shows), but the studio rejected him in the role and instead cast Dick Van Dyke. In fact, there exists a pilot of Carl in the role of Rob Petrie called "Head of the Family". It actually aired in the summer of 1960. The whole cast - including Reiner - consider this a rare case of Good executive meddling.
Marathon Running: Nick@Nite's The Dick Van Dyke Collection.
Real-Life Relative: Jerry Van Dyke appears in a few episodes as Rob's brother Stacey.
Special Effects Failure: The scene with the kangaroo in Never Name a Duck is obviously the available footage of the man controlling the 'roo run back and forth.
Un-Cancelled: CBS officially cancelled the show after its first season, and the cast had even had a farewell party before Procter & Gamble threatened to yank all their popular soap operas (As the World Turns, The Edge of Night, Guiding Light and Search For Tomorrow) off of the network's daytime schedule if the series wasn't renewed.
What Might Have Been: Johnny Carson was the runner-up for the role of Rob.
If not for the influence Procter & Gamble had with CBS, the show would have been A One Season Wonder.
Write Who You Know:
Carl Reiner based Buddy and Sally on fellow comedy writers Mel Brooks and Selma Diamond.
Write What You Know:
The entire basis of the show. Carl Reiner has said that he was a New York comedy writer who lived in New Rochelle with his wife and son, so he decided to write a show about a New York comedy writer living in New Rochelle with his wife and son.
Reiner carried this over into running the show, insisting that the plots should be based not on old sitcom tropes but on real things that happened to the writers in their family or work lives. Ironically, many of these stories have themselves become stock sitcom plots thanks to their use on this show.
The Petries even live on the same street as the Reiners did (Although Carl DID add a 1 to the house number).
You Look Familiar: Greg Morris guest starred in two episodes as two different characters.
Van Dyke's stand-in Frank Adamo often turned up in various supporting parts.
Carl Reiner played several different guest parts in addition to his recurring role as Alan Brady.
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