This nascent version of The Dick Van Dyke Show is fascinating on many levels-- however, it isn't an entertaining show at all.
It's not good because we know all these characters subsequently with different actors who in every case are superior to what we see here.
It is not good because even if we didn't know these characters we would not want to get to know them: Rob (Reiner) is flat and plays every line with the same tone. Laura (Britton) is passable, but always "on stage." Ritchie is downright awful-- unpleasantly loud and unattractively toothy. The worst of the lot are Buddy and Sally (Gunty and Miles) who come across as unfunny and uninteresting to the point of being sullen and mean.
The reason to watch this show-- and watch it you should if you ever enjoyed TDVDS-- is to see that this mess somehow morphed so marvelously. Reiner took a seat behind the camera for the most part writing and not starring in the show. They got good actors to portray interesting characters. Moreover they put Dick Van Dyke opposite Mary Tyler Moore and the magic began to flow.
So watch this program, but don't expect much of it-- except to be amazed.
It's not good because we know all these characters subsequently with different actors who in every case are superior to what we see here.
It is not good because even if we didn't know these characters we would not want to get to know them: Rob (Reiner) is flat and plays every line with the same tone. Laura (Britton) is passable, but always "on stage." Ritchie is downright awful-- unpleasantly loud and unattractively toothy. The worst of the lot are Buddy and Sally (Gunty and Miles) who come across as unfunny and uninteresting to the point of being sullen and mean.
The reason to watch this show-- and watch it you should if you ever enjoyed TDVDS-- is to see that this mess somehow morphed so marvelously. Reiner took a seat behind the camera for the most part writing and not starring in the show. They got good actors to portray interesting characters. Moreover they put Dick Van Dyke opposite Mary Tyler Moore and the magic began to flow.
So watch this program, but don't expect much of it-- except to be amazed.