September 25, 1963: The Dick Van Dyke Show Begins Its Third Season with a Most Memorable Episode

Adorable Baby, Doubting Dad, Teachable Moment.   Revisiting ‘That’s My Boy??’ on ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’.  (The New York Times, 9/24/2013)

Excerpt:   A half-century ago television was generally not nearly as brave or inclusive. The 1950s, with the medium still experimenting, had seen some ambitious programs like the series “Playhouse 90,” but by the early 1960s, especially on the sitcom side, things had become pretty tame. The audience was not expecting to be jostled out of its comfort zone, and on Sept. 25, 1963, that gave “The Dick Van Dyke Show” the opportunity to be slyly, hilariously subversive in its Season 3 premiere.

The fun begins when Rob opens the front door at 6:31.


"The Dick Van Dyke Show" was the 3rd most popular program during the 1963-64 television season.  It was also one of the most critically acclaimed shows, sitcoms and otherwise, of its time.  The show was awarded  Emmys on May 25, 1964.

• Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Comedy
• Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Series (Lead):  Dick Van Dyke
• Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead):  Mary Tyler Moore
• Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy or Variety:  Carl Reiner, Sam Denoff, and Bill Perksy, The Dick Van Dyke Show
• Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy:  Jerry Paris, The Dick Van Dyke Show.