History YMMV / TheDickVanDykeShow

** When Rob and Laura pitch competing children's books to a publisher, Rob asks him if he notices the symbolism in his own story: "I tell you I can see symbolism even when it isn't there. Now, you take this character Rollie on Fire Island. If people knew what he was really writing about, we'd all be in jail."

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: In "My Husband Is Not a Drunk," Rob becomes a HypnoFool, with a bell making him act like a falling-down drunk. In 1974, Dick Van Dyke publicly admitted to having had a serious drinking problem for the preceding 25 years.
** In "The Sam Pomerantz Scandals," a comedian friend of Rob's does an impression of Jimmy Cagney as John F. Kennedy including the line: "You dirty rat! You're the guy that gave it to my brother, Bobby!" This, of course, was long before Bobby Kennedy was shot for real.

** Howard Morris directed five episodes and guest starred in "The Masterpiece." The same year, he began his recurring guest role on Series/TheAndyGriffithShow as rockthrowing hick Ernest T. Bass (and lent his voice to many cartoon characters).

** In the fourth episode Sally starts crying the day after a date where again her aggressive sense of humor and BrutalHonesty scared off her date.

** Howard Merrill wrote eight episodes. Merrill is best known for co-creating ''Series/IveGotASecret''.

** Howard Morris directed five episodes. A veteran of the classic SketchComedy series ''Your Show of Shows'', Morris was also known for voicing Gopher in ''Disney/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'', Hamburglar and Mayor [=McCheese=] for UsefulNotes/McDonalds, Carl Sweetchuck and The Professor in ''WesternAnimation/PoliceAcademyTheAnimatedSeries'', and Wade Duck in ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends''.

** In the episode "Go Tell the Birds and the Bees," Richie asks Rob whether a fox and a rabbit could fall in love. Rob says no, but come 2016 [[Disney/{{Zootopia}} and lo and behold...]]

* NightmareFuel: The final shot of Rob's nightmare in "It May Look Like a Walnut", with him being cornered by the crazed-eyed Laura, Mel, and Buddy (who possibly are actually aliens[=/=]transformed), is surprisingly freaky.

** Norm Liebmann and Ed Haas wrote two episodes. Both are best known for creating ''Series/TheMunsters''.

** Bill Persky and Sam Denoff wrote 30 episodes. Both men are best known for creating ''Series/ThatGirl''.

** One episode had the Petries set Sally and one of Laura's friends up with the same guy, and consequently Rob and Laura get frustrated when he doesn't commit to either of them. Then, in a conversation with the man over coffee, he reveals that he's been married three times before, two of those times with the same woman -- this utterly stuns them. Although the man doesn't seem to think it's a big deal, he goes on to admit that he divorced those women (and tends not to date in general) because he has a bad temper [[DomesticAbuse and tends to, specifically, hit people he loves when angry.]] Not only is the fact that he's been married before treated as almost equally bad as his tendency to hit his wives, but the show has the man come off as an oddball for not thinking it strange. Laura and Rob then joke about him after he leaves (although specifically joking about his phrasing, that he "hits people he loves".)

** One episode had the Petries set Sally and one of Laura's friends up with the same guy, and both of them get frustrated when he doesn't make a commitment to either of them. When asked, he reveals that he takes it slow with dating because he's been married twice before- [[DomesticAbuse but they left because he used to hit them]]. This is portrayed as if it were just some little flaw. Rob and Laura don't react much to this news; comparatively, they're ''stunned'' when they hear he was married before -- this also forms the basis of the fairly serious episode "Divorce" where Buddy believes Pickles is cheating on him because she's too ashamed to tell him that the man she's sending money to is a former husband, who's blackmailing her with the threat of revealing their past marriage (albeit part of her shame also came from the fact that said former husband was a "jailbird.")

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: As mentioned under RuleAbidingRebel and FairForItsDay, it's hard to believe this show was pushing any envelopes for its day. Similarly, this was one of the first shows to do a CouchGag - it's hard to believe how big a deal this after ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Creator/NickAtNite and Creator/TVLand even had a promo pointing this out as part of "Our Television Heritage".

** One episode had the Petries set Sally and one of Laura's friends up with the same guy, and both of them get frustrated when he doesn't make a commitment to either of them. When asked, he reveals that he takes it slow with dating because he's been married twice before- [[DomesticAbuse but they left because he used to hit them]]. This is portrayed as if it were just some little flaw. Rob and Laura don't react much to this news; comparatively, they're ''stunned'' when they hear he was married before -- this also forms the basis of the fairly serious episode "Divorce" where Buddy finds out the same about Pickles, wants to leave her, and Rob sympathises with him completely.

** During much of this show's early run, the actor who played Mel Cooley, Richard Deacon, simultaneously played Ward Cleaver's co-worker Fred Rutherford on ''Series/LeaveItToBeaver''.
** [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Harry Mudd]] heads up Alan's Payroll Department in the episode "It Wouldn't Hurt Them To Give Us a Raise".
** [[Series/MissionImpossible Barney Collier]] is both Mr Peters, and one of Rob's Army buddies "Sticks".
** [[Series/HogansHeroes Corporal Newkirk]] is Racy Tracy Rattigan.
** [[Series/HogansHeroes Colonel Hogan]] is Harry Rogers.
** [[Series/TheBradyBunch Sam the butcher]] shows up in several episodes.
** [[Series/{{MASH}} Corporal Klinger]] makes some restaurant deliveries to the writers' office a few times.
** [[Series/TheManFromUNCLE Napoleon]] [[Creator/RobertVaughn Solo]] is Laura's former beau Sam Darling.
** One episode featured [[Series/GetSmart the Chief of CONTROL]].
** When Rob decides to run for Councilman, his opponent turns out to be a real WesternAnimation/{{Underdog}}.
** Also applies behind the scenes as well.

** Dale [=McRaven=] co-wrote 9 episodes. [=McRaven=] is best known as creator, executive producer, and executive consultant of ''Series/PerfectStrangers'' and as co-creator, producer, and supervising producer of ''Series/MorkAndMindy''.
** Howard Merrill wrote 8 episodes. Merrill is best known for co-creating ''Series/IveGotASecret''.
** Norm Liebmann and Ed Haas wrote 2 episodes. Both men are best known for creating ''Series/TheMunsters''.
** Howard Morris directed 5 episodes. A veteran of the classic SketchComedy series ''Your Show of Shows'', Morris was also known for playing for voicing Gopher in ''Disney/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'', Hamburglar and Mayor [=McCheese=] for UsefulNotes/McDonalds, Carl Sweetchuck and The Professor in ''WesternAnimation/PoliceAcademyTheAnimatedSeries'', and Wade Duck in ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends''.

** One episode had the Petries set Sally and one of Laura's friends up with the same guy, and both of them get frustrated when he doesn't make a commitment to either of them. When asked, he reveals that he takes it slow with dating because he's been married twice before- [[DomesticAbuse but they left because he used to hit them]]. He is portrayed as if this were just some little flaw. Rob and Laura don't react much to this news; comparatively, they're ''stunned'' when they hear he was married before -- this also forms the basis of the fairly serious episode "Divorce" where Buddy finds out the same about Pickles, wants to leave her, and Rob sympathises with him completely.

** Though the show as a whole ZigZagged the sexist StayInTheKitchen trope, some episodes especially in early seasons played it perfectly straight (such as "Washington and the Bunny," "To Tell or not to Tell," and "The Bad Old Days").

** [[Series/HogansHeroes Colonel Hogan]] is Harry Rogersr.

** [[Series/TheManFromUNCLE Napoleon Solo]] is Laura's former beau Sam Darling.

** When Rob decides to run for Councilman, his opponent turns out to be a real [[WesternAnimation/{{Underdog}} Underdog]].

** Howard Morris directed 5 episodes. Morris is best known for playing for voicing Gopher in ''Disney/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'', Hamburglar and Mayor [=McCheese=] for UsefulNotes/McDonalds, Carl Sweetchuck and The Professor in ''WesternAnimation/PoliceAcademyTheAnimatedSeries'', and Wade Duck in ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends''.

** In the fourth episode Sally starts crying the day after a date where again her aggressive sense of humor and brutal honesty scared off her date.
** In the episode "Where You Been, Fassbinder?", Sally is humiliated when the old high school flame she thinks is there for a dinner date turns out to only be there to sell insurance. Although later in the episode, things get sorted out and he *was* hoping for a date, but he overheard Sally talking about a made up boyfriend.
* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Creator/NickAtNite and TVLand even had a promo pointing this out as part of "Our Television Heritage".

** The episode where Sally is set up with a guy, and Rob complains about the society rule that men are intimidated by funny women, is at the same time dated and relevant to this day, as a commentary on male competitiveness.

** Though the show as a whole ZigZagged the sexist StayInTheKitchen trope, some episodes especially in early seasons played it perfectly straight (such as "Washington and the Bunny," "To Tell or not to Tell," and "The Bad Old Days").

* ValuesDissonance: One episode had the Petries set Sally and one of Laura's friends up with the same guy, and both of them get frustrated when he doesn't make a commitment to either of them. When asked, he reveals that he takes it slow with dating because he's been married twice before- [[DomesticAbuse but they left because he used to hit them]]. He is portrayed as if this were just some little flaw. Rob and Laura don't react much to this news; comparatively, they're ''stunned'' when they hear he was married before -- this also forms the basis of the fairly serious episode "Divorce" where Buddy finds out the same about Pickles, wants to leave her, and Rob sympathises with him completely.

** Laura seems like a fairly normal housewife now, but at the time it was apparently a big deal that she was regularly shown wearing ''pants''. Amusingly, Creator/LucilleBall, who along with her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, owned the studio facilities where ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' was taped, had previously worn capris on her own show, ''Series/ILoveLucy''.

** Howard Morris directed 5 episodes. Morris is best known for playing Ernest T. Bass on ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow'' and for voicing Wade Duck on ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends''.
** James Komack directed 2 episodes. Komack is best known for creating ''Series/ChicoAndTheMan''.

** Dale [=McRaven=] co-wrote 9 episodes. [=McRaven=] is best known for co-creating ''Series/MorkAndMindy'' and creating ''Series/PerfectStrangers''.

** Creator/GarryMarshall and Jerry Belson wrote 18 episodes. Belson later co-developed ''Theatre/TheOddCouple'' for television alongside Marshall.

* ValuesDissonance:
** One episode had the Petries set Sally and one of Laura's friends up with the same guy, and both of them get frustrated when he doesn't make a commitment to either of them. When asked, he reveals that he takes it slow with dating because he's been married twice before- [[DomesticAbuse but they left because he used to hit them]]. He is portrayed as if this were just some little flaw. Rob and Laura don't react much to this news; comparatively, they're ''stunned'' when they hear he was married before -- this also forms the basis of the fairly serious episode "Divorce" where Buddy finds out the same about Pickles, wants to leave her, and Rob sympathises with him completely.
** It's taken for granted throughout the show (and several episodes address it specifically) that [[StayInTheKitchen a woman's place is in the home]] being a HouseWife. On the other hand, though, a major character, Sally, is a working single woman who is considered the equal of any of her male peers in her office, and this is also taken for granted despite being [[FairForItsDay a rather progressive feminist statement for its day]]. On the ''other'' hand, Sally is portrayed as very eager to find a man and "settle down", with the assumption that she'll give up her career after she does.

* ValuesDissonance: One episode had the Petries set Sally and one of Laura's friends up with the same guy, and both of them get frustrated when he doesn't make a commitment to either of them. When asked, he reveals that he takes it slow with dating because he's been married twice before- [[DomesticAbuse but they left because he used to hit them]]. He is portrayed as if this were just some little flaw. Rob and Laura don't react much to this news; comparatively, they're ''stunned'' when they hear he was married before -- this also forms the basis of the fairly serious episode "Divorce" where Buddy finds out the same about Pickles, wants to leave her, and Rob sympathises with him completely.

* ValuesDissonance: One episode had the Petries set Sally and one of Laura's friends up with the same guy, and both of them get frustrated when he doesn't make a commitment to either of them. When asked, he reveals that he takes it slow with dating because he's been married twice before- [[DomesticAbuse but they left because he used to hit them]]. He is portrayed as if this were just some little flaw. Rob and Laura don't react much to this news, and the end of the episode ends with them playfully hitting each other.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Richard Dawson, Gavin [=MacLeod=] and Jamie Farr all appeared well before they were stars.

** Laura seems like a fairly normal housewife now, but at the time it was apparently a big deal that she was regularly shown wearing ''pants''. Ironically, Lucille Ball, who along with her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, owned the studio facilities where ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' was taped, had previously worn capris on her own show, ''Series/ILoveLucy''.

* RuleAbidingRebel: Laura seems like a fairly normal housewife now, but at the time it was apparently a big deal that she was regularly shown wearing ''pants''. Ironically, Lucille Ball, who along with her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, owned the studio facilities where ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' was taped, had previously worn capris on her own show, ''Series/ILoveLucy''.

* TearJerker: In the fourth episode Sally starts crying the day after a date where again her aggressive sense of humor and brutal honesty scared off her date.