And by contradictions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. What else can you say about the multitalented Award WinningDick Van Dyke . 91 years old and still doing his thing. And hes just an all around good guy and always honored to have him on this program. Before we start our conversation with mr. Van dyke, first, a clip of carl rooider who created this show. The Dick Van Dyke show 50 plus years ago now. Carl was on this program just last year talking about the relationship the onscreen magic between Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It starts by talking about a conversation he was having with one of the other stars of the show, rose marie. Take a look. Look magazine had a picture of mary on the cover, she said to me, why do you always have mary, you push mary, i said and this is what i said to her, i said, in the room i said, look, rosemary, the picture of mary on the cover was not my i didnt ask anybody to do anything. Look magazine has a constituency and they they love to see marys legs. I used worse words than that. And if you cant buy that and the show is about the family. And if you cant buy that, dont come back to this second year. But thats what the shows about. You were misinformed. And she bought it. And we the second year was heaven. To this day, we call each other on the phone, were best friends. Thats amazing how he took that in stride. A lot of stars, throw them out of the room, cuss you out, quit. You know. But she knew that. I was being honest and if youre honest with people, theyll accept it . Yeah, since you went there, how much of how smart a decision was it in retrospect to have cast such a beautiful Mary Tyler Moore and such a handsome Dick Van Dyke . They were such a lovely couple. Just to look at. And Dick Van Dyke, he said her, he said shes too young for me. Shes 11 years younger. I said, nobody ever noticed it, i said you are a couple. And they were. As a matter of fact, they both admitted later that if they both hadnt been married, they would have become a real couple. But they were very concerned about not ever, on the air they kissed and that was it. What was it like to work with her so early on in her career . Well you know, finding her i looked at 25, actually, 23 girls before. I said to sheldon, i dont know what im looking for. And he said youll know when you see her. And one day this girl comes in the office, and she didnt want to come in because she had a couple of interviews that day and failed. And she says i dont want to. She came in little you know reluctant visitor, and she came in the door and i gave her a line to read from she read the first line. And i heard a ping in her voice. Thats the way i described it. And my hand became one of those claws thats in the machine at the arcade that picks candy up. She got scared. I grabbed her by the top of her head and i says come with you young lady. And i walked down the hall. And into sheldons office and says, and i said, i said i found her. And that was mary. Literally, just on one read. And she had never done comedy before. And she says i dont know how to laugh funny. She says, she said to me, how do you laugh funny. She says show me and i laugh funny. It was the last time we showed her anything. She took shes the genius performer. And when she does her own show, you know, for years and years, she set the tempo for all women. What was it about her do you think that made her take to the comedy so easily . She was a dancer. She was totally coordinated. Right. Everything about her was coordinated. Her mouth, she was one of these extraordinary people. When you see her early dancing, you realize she was really a put together, complete from head to toe. So, sorry to see her leave us, Dick Van Dyke, but i look at that clip and shes gone, but youre still here at 91 and still dancing. Still dancing, yeah. What do you make of that . Youve cheated death two or three times. Car caught on fire one time. Oh yeah. Crashed, missed airplanes that went in the gulf of mexico even. Ive missed the bullet a lot. So i hope im not running out of luck. You remember the last time i was on your show, we were living in a democracy. Ouch. Ouch. Last year. I didnt ask the question yet. We will get to that, i promise, but for all of these Dick Van Dyke i said that in the open. Didnt i tell you, i suspect knowing him as i do, we will get to that. And he wouldnt even wait. Well get to it. For all those fans watching tonight, you heard carls reflections, i was honored. Been here a number of times, just talk about your friendship with Mary Tyler Moore. Well, it was as he said, we really had a crush on each other. And a lot of people thought we were married in real life. And i think it was that chemistry that we had. When i first saw her, she was talking like katherine hepburn, kind of a midatlantic she admitted, thats who he was doing. And i said, can she do comedy . And about two episodes later, i found out, i always felt that our show was kind of a Training Ground for the Mary Tyler Moore show. She just cut her teeth in our show. Marie and rosie and everybody was born with razor sharp timing. She had the sense of humor and she was bright as could be. And she surprised me. Within a couple of shows, she had us laughing. She was just insane. Yeah. So good. How do you you hit on it a moment ago. Its like you cant make that happen. That chemistry, tell me more about the chemistry. I dont know. I think for everyone, that year was like fortuitous, serendipity for everybody, everybody fell in place. The cast was perfect. Picture us all separately, but we turned into an improv almost immediately. Mary and i could if somebody suggested that the first scene, we could improv is for them. We could just do it. It was the most fun creatively in every other way ive ever had. She won her first two emmies on the Dick Van Dyke show. Yes. I was nominated the first year, there was no comedy capital at all. Wow. Thats way back. Yeah. Now theres too many. Yeah, too many comics. Too many comic categories now. Tell me about your friendship and how it lasted. Its been six decades. Tell me about the friendship when the show was no longer. Your friendship. Well, mary moved to upstate new york, so i didnt get to see her. In an awards show or something talking on the phone once in a while. I didnt get to see her. We did a special together. After the van dyke show, Dick Van Dyke and the other woman to show them what she could do. When the show went off the network, the wife who brought the coffee. You know, it was she was their sitcom wife. They didnt see what she could do. We had her sing, dance, and do everything, and that woke the network up. And she fell on the hands of tim brooks. Just terrific. And they had a lot of women writers. I was so happy for her and so proud of her to see what she became. In 2012, you gave her that big sag award. Yes. That had to be special. Yeah, even then she was having trouble seeing. She had to be brought on stage in the dark. She was having trouble then. So her passing wasnt a shock because but we had been dreading it for so long. Yeah. I saw your tweet when she passed. She was the best. Yeah, she was the best. Absolute best. One of the few comedians who could be broadly funny and feminine. Yeah, she was the greatest. And she learned from it. Funny thing that no one has ever known, ill tell on her. It was during the camelot years. We were all we didnt know that mary was very conservative, mind you. She never said a word. Not in five years. Constantly saying how great things were and look what he just did, and she never said anything. All those years. Just stayed quiet. Right. But she didnt even argue with it. Theres a wisdom in that. I think so. She knew where she was. That was a wise decision. Nowadays, people put their views in your face whether you want to hear them or not. Thats fascinating. You knew at the end i was ill. Robert had called me and said she was on a reps rater for almost two weeks. So he wasnt hopeful at all. He was really broken up. He took such good care of her in her late years. Its just a shame. Well she fought that diabetes. She did movies and that series with diabetes. Incredible. She was a woman of iron. She had a will. And people said well did she ever act like a diva . Only one time, when she tried to quit smoking. And every day i saw her face getting a little whiter, a little more i said mary, please for god sake, go outside and smoke a cigarette. It was a funny show where she was in the bathtub and her toe was stuck in the faucet. And she couldnt get it out. And she realized she wasnt on camera. And she got really mad about that. And she finally woke up and the back of the show was about her. Only time ive ever seen her lose her temper or anything. How are you processing to the extent that you are, i dont know what goes on inside your head, but when we keep losing these great icons. Youre still here, carl ryders still here, mel brooks, thank god some of you still here. How are you processing the fact that youre still here and youre losing friends . All of my contemporary friends are gone. Everyone. My contemporary is not in talent, but in age, paul newman, rock hudson, jack lemon, theyre all gone. I remember my mother who lived until 96, lives with my brothers family, she was with family, but she talked about how lonely she was. There was no one talk to. No one who remembered what she remembered. And im going through that now. And how are you navigating that . I have a few friends i get together with who are closer to my age and we go over the past and relive it. Funny feeling. I feel lucky and almost guilty somehow that ive outlived everybody. But you stay busy too. Oh sure, yeah. Im going to be in the remake of mary poppins, the sequel. I read that. Next month. Im going to play the sun of the old banker. Yeah. Only this time i dont have to go to makeup. I grew into the part. You grew into the part. Thats got to be exciting to be a part of that. Yeah. To be a part of that oh yeah. I got to be apart of it. You were kind enough to bring i love this, and i asked you, you were so kind to bring photos from your personal collection. And i love this. These are, you know, Dick Van Dyke, these are his personal photo albums. I want to run through the photos right quick and show you the stuff in his collection that you didnt see in the media and other places, but heres ill run through and take my time. Who are those kids . Yeah. Look at that. Do you remember these . I dont remember that particularly. Obviously it was a new years event. Yeah, pull through these. Theres a dvd out of all the song and dance numbers we did. Theres about 30 of them over the five years. 30 different song and dance numbers. There she is. You know what i can never figure out, we both said we should do a musical. Someone should write us a musical. And we never got to do one. We would have great. That would have been amazing. Why do you think that didnt happen . I dont know. Yeah. Somebody slipped on that. Oh i love this. Oh no, wasnt she something . Glad you kept all of these. Thats beautiful. All right. Its like going to a party every morning. Youre going to work. Isnt that the best way to do . I think about that sometimes. I read this in a survey not too long ago that the majority of americans dont like their jobs. I know. Its like a slight job they go to every day. Said what most people live lives of quiet desperation. Yeah. True. You got the fun though. That was the special we did. Uhhuh. I wish theyd rebroadcast it. We played the couple on the wedding cake. Uhhuh. That get put in the freezer. And they bring us out every year and we get older and older. That was a good one. Good one. Thats on the special. Walking down memory lane with you, man. Our timing together during scenes when we danced together. It was almost without rehearsal. We moved almost as one. That was a great experience. Look at this, i love this. Look at this. Look at this move. She was always dieting. Most women are, arent they . Once in a while she put on a few pounds and i would comment. I would say, hey, you look kind of curvy today. They would send her right back to the diet again. I like that. You look kind of curvy today. Yeah, she didnt like that. I always kept on encouraging her. You look voe line up chew white house. She wore cat pri pants. Those are nice. And the network finally came and said theyre tucked under a little too much. Youre going to have to let them out. Can you believe that . We had twin beds because we werent allowed to sleep in the same bed. Yep, yall missed that. They need to be coupled up just a little bit. She was so yeah, in the rear in the leg. The rear. On the rear. Oh, look, shes hiding. Little bit too tight. Can you believe that . We couldnt say the word pregnant. On a show about pregnancy. I used to get mad at bob newhard because they had a double bed. Yeah. And we werent allowed to have one. Modesty my how tv has changed. I love this. He was kind to take this off the wall to bring this in. I love this portrait. Looeb wits, they took two shots. One was never used. The other one was both in leather and she was on my back clipping me. And that was the one they printed. Im sure. See how things have changed. That one i love. I love that one. And you cant get much better than annie. No. Shes an amazing photographer. It sounds like you have nothing but fond memories of this experience. Oh and that relationship. It was the most fun i ever had and the most creative time. Carl, you know, as great a writer as he was was never written in stone. All week long, we would throw lines, rewrite and play it, even throw in during the broadcast sometimes. It was always kept so free. And we had 28 minutes. Now they have 20. Yeah. Before i move on, what is your what do you think her legacy is . Well, i think that her show was an inspiration to young women. I think that was although she claims we were just telling a story. That wasnt the point. That wasnt their mission, but so many young girls got inspired by her independence and her not looking for a husband, and it was, it was great. Jane pauly in New York Times last sunday did a wonderful oped on mary . Did she. Jane pauly, shes a wonderful oped about what Mary Tyler Moore meant to her as he was a budding journalist. Oprah we know fri just worshiped mary. She was that much younger she grew up watching that show. Wonderful. Ed asner tells the story. And they said thank you and walked outside, and he said i did that wrong. And he went back in. And said, can i do that again . And he played like little grant, but he really wanted that part. Who gets a chance to do that . I screwed that up, let me do that. Can i get one more take and he got the part. And the rest is history. You cant imagine anybody but ed playing that part. No. It was like our part. You cant imagine anyone else playing the parts. All right. I got five minutes to go. I can let you loose now. You ready to go . You started this conversation. Last year we lived in a democracy. What did you make of this place called the usa now . Its kind of you know what i think happened, i think so many people voted not out of the interest for their future of the country or out of concern for their grandchildren, they voted their own interests, money. I have a feeling thats what happened. Did we discuss the lewis powell memorandum . We touched on it. We didnt go too deepen to. Followed right up until this moment. Achieving in a country. Man named roid, his lectures back in the 90s, and in it he predicts there will be a strong man who comes along and promises to take care of everything. And he describes trump. To a t. Yeah. When i was a kid, growing up in the 30s, i was interested in the news and what was happening. The standings revolution and i went to hear wendel. Yeah. He came through the town. And i remember the newsreels, they used to have in the movies that shows musa leeny talking. And it was subtitles. Yeah. And he said, im the only one who can save you. And i remember because as a kid, i said he thinks hes jesus. And low and behold, whos at it again . Donald trump. I am the only one that can save you. Im very frightened. What did you make many of us are. What did you make of the protests . Were you heartened by the womens march. No ones ever made the point that it was all over the world. Thats never happened in the history of civilized human being. It was all over the world. Yeah. Thats important. Stlost many things they missed. One of the Koch Brothers said please vote for hillary bright guys like george will host a republican. Wanted everybody to vote for hillary. So many things they missed. It was a badly run campaign. Generally. Do you think though that given the response that we see to his overreach, are you at least hopeful that he can be reigned in over the next couple years . I was hoping that people like graham and mccain and some of the sensible ones would. They spoke up on the muslim ban. They did. After i feeling hes going to go so far hes going to have to be reigned in. I always said we have enough stin gent laws, i think the court of Public Opinion is saying that. It is fascinating to watch people how quickly this ive never seen in my lifetime at least, a presidency of course we saw this on inauguration day, we knew that he had the lowest proovl ratings of anyone in office, but i cant imagine i mean, i never imagined in my lifetime id see the pushback to a president so early on. I mean, this guy had no honey moon at all. No. The first week never happened before. Ill go back to the coolidge administration. Ive never seen this. Not an entire World Population standing up. So i have hopes that somebody will come to their senses. Yeah. I wanted to how does it feel when you live so long where youve seen this thing ebb and flow. Youve seen democracy at its best. Yes, during the 60s. And the worst. How do you process seeing it ebb and flow . I dont know. The 60s of course was an American People ran the country. Civil rights and voting rights. Yeah. But we had miss merkel, we have whats her name england theresa may. And it was natural that we would have hillary. We were headed in that direction and all the sudden everything turn a big turn right. Unexpected. I am afraid so many people vote because they thought hillary was a shooin. Im afraid. Starting with the hillary campaign. Yes. Didnt go to michigan when they should have been there. Make sure they didnt lose michigan. People felt that way. The bernie still out there. Hes fighting. Were still here. Im glad that were still here and im glad youre still here. Me too. First i said, i close wh