TV from the 1950s and 1960s means more to me than almost anything, and ironically for something filmed primarily in black and white, it has colored my view of the world and how things should be. The innocence, the good manners, the look, the sets, the style- I love it all! And let's not forget the fabulous casts! The Dick Van Dyke Show was one such show that has all of those aforementioned elements, plus some!
This is truly one of my most favorite viewings of 2022, and one of the best, most clever reunion specials I have ever seen! Most reunion specials give me a sense of melancholy, but not this one! It's a funny and feel-good tribute to a very funny and feel-good show. It's a reminder of what TV once was, and why it was so special.
I loved this special so much! And what makes it stand out from the heap of other such reunion specials is that it felt authentic to the tone of the original DVD Show. It didn't try to be something it wasn't, like a lot of The Brady Bunch reunion movies and specials did with all the drama and tear-jerker elements those would bring in. Instead, this was hopeful and happy, just like the show itself, complete with audience laughter! It felt like a genuine, updated episode of the TV series, but with the runtime of a mini-movie.
Despite its almost hour-long runtime, this just breezes along like a 25 minute sitcom episode. I am so impressed with this, and I don't think we'll ever see the likes of it again, as I can't imagine reunion specials for any show from recent years being as wholesome and sweet as this one! They truly don't make'em like they used to! And the way Ray Ramano opens the show by walking out in color against a b&w background was magical and made me think of that short-lived 1990s show "Hi, Honey I'm Home!" It's magical!!
This special was so good, it felt like the pilot to a new season of The Dick Van Dyke Show! I loved seeing all the surviving cast together again- and the storyline between Rob's brother and Millie Helper was adorable! I would have loved to keep watching that, and Laura and Rob's life together. But, if all we got was this one special, I am still glad. As of the date of this review, it is available to watch on YouTube, thanks to a generous user, who even left all the original 2004 commercials in-tact. Thank you, pianopappy! Bonus points for how the show "Joan of Arcadia" was advertised" during this, which was kind of a personal sign to me, as well as the fun Carol Burnett Reunion Special being advertised as debuting the night after. Wow, 2004 was a year of loving and honoring 1960s TV, apparently! Like I said at the start, watching it feels like Christmas or Thanksgiving- and I am so thankful for it!
This is truly one of my most favorite viewings of 2022, and one of the best, most clever reunion specials I have ever seen! Most reunion specials give me a sense of melancholy, but not this one! It's a funny and feel-good tribute to a very funny and feel-good show. It's a reminder of what TV once was, and why it was so special.
I loved this special so much! And what makes it stand out from the heap of other such reunion specials is that it felt authentic to the tone of the original DVD Show. It didn't try to be something it wasn't, like a lot of The Brady Bunch reunion movies and specials did with all the drama and tear-jerker elements those would bring in. Instead, this was hopeful and happy, just like the show itself, complete with audience laughter! It felt like a genuine, updated episode of the TV series, but with the runtime of a mini-movie.
Despite its almost hour-long runtime, this just breezes along like a 25 minute sitcom episode. I am so impressed with this, and I don't think we'll ever see the likes of it again, as I can't imagine reunion specials for any show from recent years being as wholesome and sweet as this one! They truly don't make'em like they used to! And the way Ray Ramano opens the show by walking out in color against a b&w background was magical and made me think of that short-lived 1990s show "Hi, Honey I'm Home!" It's magical!!
This special was so good, it felt like the pilot to a new season of The Dick Van Dyke Show! I loved seeing all the surviving cast together again- and the storyline between Rob's brother and Millie Helper was adorable! I would have loved to keep watching that, and Laura and Rob's life together. But, if all we got was this one special, I am still glad. As of the date of this review, it is available to watch on YouTube, thanks to a generous user, who even left all the original 2004 commercials in-tact. Thank you, pianopappy! Bonus points for how the show "Joan of Arcadia" was advertised" during this, which was kind of a personal sign to me, as well as the fun Carol Burnett Reunion Special being advertised as debuting the night after. Wow, 2004 was a year of loving and honoring 1960s TV, apparently! Like I said at the start, watching it feels like Christmas or Thanksgiving- and I am so thankful for it!