# Which Episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 29, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-episode-of-the-dick-van-dyke-show/648680 "2013-01-29T02:40:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-episode-of-the-dick-van-dyke-show/648680/21 "2013-01-30T00:38:54Z")
Rob was usually level headed. That’s what made it funny the few times such as this when he went off the deep end, like in this episode. Another was when he was obsessed with the idea he was going bald. Laura was the same way. She was usually quite level headed, but was rather high strung, which led to stuff like the disaster when she tried to dye her hair or when she gave away Alan Brady’s baldness on television. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-episode-of-the-dick-van-dyke-show/648680/22 "2013-01-30T05:48:19Z")
> [@pricciar](#): > > Did Sheldon Leonard have anything to do with writing the scripts? I know he produced the show, and directed many episodes. But, Carl Reiner was the driving creative force. I would give him almost all credit for the overall tenet of the show. I hadn’t heard that Leonard did any writing. Without Sheldon Leonard the show would never have existed. Reiner had already put together a pilot for the show with a totally different cast and playing the lead himself. Sheldon Leonard convinced Reiner to cast Dick Van Dyke as Rob Petrie, to shoot the show in front of a live audience and to do it with a multi-camera set up. He also found Mary Tyler Moore and suggested Rose Marie be cast. After the first season the network wanted to cancel the show but Leonard fought until they changed their minds. According to Reiner, he also offered constant creative input on the scripts, shielded Reiner from network politics and gave him the resources needed to make TDVDS happen. Carl Reiner was indeed the driving force behind the show but he was powered by Sheldon Leonard. > [@Bumbershoot](#): > > I see Kolak has not posted a photo of himself in the Portrait Gallery. Is it because he bears a striking resemblance to… Danny Thomas? All I will say about that is that I do in fact possess perfect 20/20/20/20 vision. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-episode-of-the-dick-van-dyke-show/648680/23 "2013-01-30T05:59:39Z")
Yes. Leonard had plenty to do with the show. I was just talking about RealityChuck’s comment that made it seem like Leonard wrote episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-episode-of-the-dick-van-dyke-show/648680/24 "2013-01-31T15:23:32Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > What is a _Danny Thomas?_ First, you get coffee table with glass tabletop… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-episode-of-the-dick-van-dyke-show/648680/25 "2013-01-31T16:05:17Z")
> [@pricciar](#): > > Your point is well made, and I agree with it. But, as a nitpick. Did Sheldon Leonard have anything to do with writing the scripts? I know he produced the show, and directed many episodes. But, Carl Reiner was the driving creative force. I would give him almost all credit for the overall tenet of the show. I hadn’t heard that Leonard did any writing. The writers’ credits for “That’s My Boy?” are for [Bill Persky and Sam Denoff.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0559810/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_wr#writers) As for who came up with the original story idea, that’s anyone’s guess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-episode-of-the-dick-van-dyke-show/648680.md?page=1)