The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book: The Definitive History of Television's Most Enduring Comedy

by Vince Waldron, Dick Van Dyke (Introduction), Dan Castellaneta (Foreword by)

Overview

The most acclaimed comedy of TV's golden age comes to life in The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book. The only authorized "biography" of the show, this volume — packed with rare photos and exclusive backstage anecdotes from Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore and the rest of the show’s cast and crew — puts you behind the scenes at the making of the show.

In the dawning days of the Kennedy Administration, The Dick Van Dyke Show's deft blend of slapstick and sophistication captured America's heart. By the end of its five seasons on the air, the fifteen-time Emmy winner had set a new standard for quality. This suspenseful show-biz saga reveals how the show rose from humble origins as a sitcom vehicle for a struggling actor named Carl Reiner to become one of the most popular and critically lauded TV shows of all time. This ultimate companion also features the only complete viewer's guide to all 158 episodes.

This edition has been completely revised and updated, with more than 100 brand new images, many of them never before published.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781569768396
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/01/2011
Edition description:	Revised and updated edition
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	287,388
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Vince Waldron is an Emmy-winning writer and author of Classic Sitcoms, which has been hailed as the definitive study of the genre. With pop legend Ronnie Spector, he coauthored Be My Baby, which Blitz magazine called “one of the three greatest rock’n’roll memoirs.” 

Editorial Reviews

“It was the very best time of my life and Vince's book helps me recall every treasured moment. Thanks, Vince!"   —Dick Van Dyke

"Wonderful. You got all the facts down in the right order.  No embellishments.  All the truth.  Somebody finally got the whole story right.”  —Rose Marie

“The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book is the best reference book on my shelf.  It makes it even more fun to watch the show, if that's possible.” 
—Morey Amsterdam

“What an unexpected pleasure to read a book on a subject about which I thought I knew everything, only to find out that I didn’t. A very serious contribution to understanding what really were the best years of my theatrical life. I’d say it was a wonderfully scholarly work--but I won’t, because I don’t want to scare people away from a book that’s as much fun to read as this is.” —Carl Reiner, producer/creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show

“Vince's tribute to our show offers as accurate a snapshot of the series—and the era that begat it—as any I've seen.”  —Sheldon Leonard, Executive Producer

“A compelling narrative. . . . Waldron waltzes through the series’ story as gracefully as Van Dyke sidestepped his living room ottoman.” —Entertainment Weekly

“Vince Waldron lovingly and very thoroughly recounts the history of The Dick Van Dyke Show." —Los Angeles Daily News

"The definitive history...offers a wealth of backstage anecdotes."           

—Emmy Magazine

From the Publisher