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How are the Dick Van Dyke sets? (1 Viewer)

Larry Geller

Supporting Actor
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Jan 10, 2002
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the tv dials on the boxes have stations numbered 1-12 and then UHF. Ain't no channel 1 nowhere, notime, nohow.
My aunt had a TV, well into the 60's, that had channel 1. The mistake was having UHF & not having channel 13. UHF replaced channel 1 on the dial.
 

Seymour Uranowitz

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The frequencies that were assigned to Channel 1 were originally allocated for "land mobile" use (taxi, police, etc.) in the 1940's. The full story can be found here.
 

David Von Pein

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the tv dials on the boxes have stations numbered 1-12 and then UHF. Ain't no channel 1 nowhere, notime, nohow.
Just now took note of why Image did this on the box spines. The "Channel" number is supposed to correspond to the Season # of that boxed set.

"Channel 1" is shown selected (straight up) for the Season 1 set; and Channel 2 is "selected" on the dial for S.2. :)

"Yeah, he's experimenting. He's thinking of buying mink towels." -- Jerry Helper, upon witnessing Rob burying face in Laura's mink coat in "Gesundheit Darling" :)
 

David Von Pein

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For you eagle-eyed Van Dyke Show trivia experts ..... Did you notice the error in the Petrie address on the package that Laura "accidentally" opens in "The Curious Thing About Women" (Season 1)?

The Petrie address is shown on box as "468 Bonnie Meadow Rd.", instead of one of the two variants we're given throughout the show's run -- either "148" or "448". :)

Just thought I'd toss that meaningless hunk o' trivia into the pot. :D
 

Paul Drake

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It's taken a long time, but I finally made it through both boxes. I am very impressed that A/V quality was uniformly very good to excellent throughout. I can only recall a couple of rough looking scenes and they only lasted a few seconds each.

Speaking of bloopers, I got a kick out of seeing the shadows of the boom mike and cameras move in the background in several episodes. I guess the extra detail and clarity of DVD can be too good sometimes. :)

In addition to the address David VP mentioned above, another blatent continuity inconsistency was the changing of Laura's maiden name (Meeker to Meehan). From what little I know I suspect this change was intentional. MTM's married name when the show debuted was Meeker. Unfortunately that marriage ended in divorce soon after. I would guess that the change was done to avoid making MTM uncomfortable.

Be sure to listen to the full commentary on the last show of season 2. At the end, Rose Marie tells a funny story about a couple of well known guest actors on the show. Her story actually lasts about 2 minutes after the end credits finish.

I hope Image runs rebates on Seasons 3 - 5, although considering that they're spread out over several months, I doubt it. Even if they don't, the excellence of these first two sets has convinced me that S3-S5 are worthy of purchase.
 

DanFe

Second Unit
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Sep 15, 2003
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And for those who want Seasons 1 & 2 at a much discounted price, make sure and go to deepdiscountdvd and enter usatoday as a code and it will give you 20% off (until December 5) extra.
 

David Von Pein

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And for those who want Seasons 1 & 2 at a much discounted price, make sure and go to deepdiscountdvd and enter usatoday as a code and it will give you 20% off (until December 5) extra.
PLUS: FREE Shipping!
PLUS: NO Tax (Unless you're in Illinois)!
PLUS: ANOTHER $20 off when you mail in the 2 rebate coupons!

(And don't forget about those cool Easter Eggs too!)

Gee, I've just about talked myself into ordering these again myself! :) :D :)
 

David Von Pein

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Meeker to Meehan ... From what little I know I suspect this change was intentional.
Yes, it definitely WAS intentional. Due to, like you eluded, Mary's failed marriage in 1962 to Richard Meeker.

But there were a few "unintentional" (I would imagine) name inconsistencies on the show. Such as "Sol Pomeroy" becoming "Sam Pomerantz" or "Sol Pomerantz" on occasion.

And Alan Brady's wife's name changes a couple times during the series.

Not to mention the different actors that were used on occasion to play the same character. Veteran crusty-faced actor Will Wright ("Ben Weaver" on "The Andy Griffith Show") plays Rob's father in the "Carlotta's Necklace" episode, but then we find J. Pat O'Malley playing the part in later shows. And Pickles Sorrell is played by two different people.
 

Casey Trowbridg

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I had only sort of scimmed these sets until this Thanksgiving break I had, and then I really sat down and got in to them. My praise for these sets is still just as high as before when I had only sampled a few episodes.

Bring on seasons 3-5.

Which season has the episode where they're arguing about burrial plots?
 

David Von Pein

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Which season has the episode where they're arguing about burial plots?
Looks like we'll be getting that in the late-February Season 3 set. It's called
"The Plot Thickens" (3/18/1964).

Rob ends up with a healthy (or unhealthy :)) total of four cemetery plots.
 

David Von Pein

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Do the sets have to be purchased at the same time (or from the same place) to be eligible for the rebate?
No, I don't think so.
Just make sure you send in BOTH of the receipts for the products.

I think you have to purchase them by December 31st however. And you must send in rebate certificates by February 1st (if memory serves).

(If my dates are incorrect, perhaps someone else can chime in with corrections.)
 

Rob Ray

Agent
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Jul 1, 2002
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Speaking of bloopers and such, I found an interesting blooper in the "All About Eavesdropping" episode which concludes the second season:

Clearly, the Petrie's kitchen set was revamped to serve as the Helper's living room for this episode. Because of this, there is one very brief shot of Rob coming out of the Petrie kitchen (which is obviously not shown in this episode) into the living room where you can see the foliage on Helper's porch where the oven area should be. Also in this same shot you can see an overhead light above the "bushes". Dick Van Dyke obviously threw open the kitchen door just a bit too wide and the camera briefly caught the set change in the "kitchen" area.
 

David Von Pein

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Good catch, Rob. (BTW, do you have a fetching wife named Laura?? :D)

There's also the Petrie piano, which "comes & goes", seemingly at will, depending upon whether it's needed that week or not. :)

Fans of the show will also note the subtle changes to the Petrie kitchen set during just the premiere episode, "Sick Boy And The Sitter". And how Ritchie's bedroom is located off the "other" side of the kitchen in the debut, rather than the little entry hall behind the oven/range. :)
 

David Von Pein

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Paul D., Perry's inimitable sidekick :D, kindly answered me with ......

Another blooper from the Walnut episode: Rob has supposedly lost his thumbs, but when he's laying on floor watching Laura slide out of the closet, his thumbs are clearly visible.
:eek: You're kidding me, Paul!! I thought they REALLY cut Dick's thumbs off for that episode (then sewed them back on after the taping). :eek:

j/k ... I noticed the "folded thumbs" too. :)

This one isn't really a gaffe, but I noticed it anyhoo....The 2nd-Season ep., "The Foul-Weather Girl", has a noticeable "jump cut" when Laura is yelling at Rob for just having smooched the "Foul-Weather Girl". They obviously needed to edit a portion of the scene with Laura's line "She let you kiss her ten seconds longer than she had to!"

Please note the "cut" between the words "seconds" and "longer". They're two different pieces of film.

Even though we're nit-picking these shows to death, it should be noted here for the "official" record :) .... that, despite the occasional very minor PQ annoyance and/or blemish, these DVD-on-DVD boxed sets remain the best-quality TV-on-DVD product out there today. (IMO, of course.)

Perry, next witness, please. :)
 

Paul Drake

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Dave Lambert posted this over on the tvshowsondvd site. Looks like the industry is giving this set some well earned kudos as well.

You're kidding me, Paul!! I thought they REALLY cut Dick's thumbs off for that episode (then sewed them back on after the taping).
That is too funny :) Thanks for getting my day off to a great start. Your witness counselor.
 

Dane Marvin

Screenwriter
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Jul 21, 2003
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Excellent selection by the voters, although the season 2 is actually better equipped with special features than the season 1 set. Curious. There are (I believe) at least twice the commentary tracks, easter eggs featuring original Kent Cigarette ads, and the full-length classic gameshow appearance by the cast.

Paul Brownstein Prods. seriously needs to license The Andy Griffith Show and work their mojo.
 

Randy A Salas

Screenwriter
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Apr 25, 2002
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1,348
Dane, I faced the same dilemma when voting on some DVD awards that will be handed out at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The Dick Van Dyke Show was my hands-down pick for best TV show (although Battlestar Galatica was a worthy second), but I was torn about which season to pick. I feel, as you do, that Season 2 is better. But since Season 1 is the first foray and makes a strong statement setting the tone for the rest of the releases--and because everyone else would probably be voting for the "first" release of the series, even though both sets came out together--I made my actual pick for Season 1.

I imagine the same thing happened with the DVD Exclusive Awards.
 

David Lambert

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Randy, perhaps you know. Incredibly, I was never able to find out what other TV shows were nominated. Any ideas? It boggles the mind that I can't find this info anywhere, before or after the presentation! I guess I could just call Scott Hettrick (editor of the trade magazine behind the awards), but I'd rather not just for something like that.
 

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