After being associated with CBS his entire career, Dick Van Dyke moved to NBC in 1976, but his comedy-variety series, Van Dyke & Company, failed, and not for a lack of trying. It just happened that NBC had it on the wrong night and/or at the wrong time.
First, the show aired at 10 (ET), which on Thursdays meant it was opposite a pair of competing Quinn Martin crime dramas, Barnaby Jones and Streets of San Francisco. But, after Gemini Man, a reworking of Harve Bennett's adaptation of The Invisible Man, flopped, Van Dyke was moved into the 8 pm (ET) berth, opposite The Waltons and ABC's sitcom combo of Welcome Back, Kotter & Barney Miller. Ballgame over.
Creatively, Van Dyke & Company seemed to be in capable hands, too, with veteran producer Allan Blye at the helm, partnered with Bob Einstein, whose alter ego of Super Dave Osborne was a regular on the show. The repertory company also included eccentric performance artist/comedian Andy Kaufman in one of his first TV gigs. Blye's former partner, Chris Bearde, was collaborating with Chuck Barris on The Gong Show at the time.
The title card offers a sketch of Van Dyke that recalls his impersonation of comedy legend Stan Laurel. The following sample clip features Lucille Ball:
In my house, Thursdays meant CBS or ABC, depending on what the parents wanted to watch, which was usually a mixed bag, including Barney Miller and Streets. No rating.
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