TV Land Acquires Broadcast Rights for "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TV Land has acquired the broadcast rights for the Emmy® Award-winning comedy "The Dick Van Dyke Show," Jaclyn R. Cohen, executive vice president, programming and acquisitions, TV Land, announced today. Now considered a classic television staple, the show is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The show will premiere on TV Land on October 3rd – the same date that "The Dick Van Dyke Show" premiered on CBS in 1961.

To commemorate the golden anniversary of one of the most beloved television shows of all time, TV Land will be airing 36 of the best episodes of "The Dick Van Dyke Show."  From October 3rd to October 7th, TV Land will air the show from 6-9pm ET/PT, and will marathon the episodes during the weekend of October 8th and 9th from 12-9pm ET/PT. After the special anniversary event, the sitcom will settle into its regular spot on the TV Land schedule, airing weekdays at 7pm ET/PT.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' back in our line-up," said Cohen. "From Carl Reiner's creation of the incomparable 'Dick Van Dyke show' to his recurring guest star role in TV Land's own original sitcom 'Hot in Cleveland,' TV Land is dedicated to showing the best in sitcoms throughout the decades. The Petries were a mainstay of the network for quite some time so we're so glad to welcome them home."

"The show started with Carl's writing and just got better as it went along because the formula was perfect," explains Dick Van Dyke. "During those five years - the happiest ever - we were like otters at play. Carl chose to wrap it while we were on top. Who does that today? And how many fifty-year old shows still get this much attention?"

Starring Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" ran on CBS for five seasons from 1961 to 1966. The sitcom revolved around Rob Petrie (Van Dyke), a comedy writer for the fictional "The Alan Brady Show," and his life at home with wife Laura (Moore) and his life at the office with his wacky coworkers Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam). Carl Reiner, was the creator, head writer and producer for the series.

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SOURCE TV Land