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Hey Dick, Look Out for that Ottoman: Celebrating a Classic TV Moment
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" is the kind of classic television you used to tune in to Nick at Nite for (before they went pseudo-retro with reruns of "The George Lopez Show," WTF?). But if you've never actually seen the show, you probably still know just one moment from its beloved and goofy opening, when Van Dyke takes a pratfall over the ottoman in the Petrie living room.
Your video lunch today? You guessed it: That moment, and one of its best spoofs courtesy "The Family Guy." Because? "The Dick Van Dyke Show" premiered 50 years ago today, on October 3, 1961.
The opening where Rob Petrie takes the tumble wasn't the original opening to the show, and wasn't always used. IMDB explains:
* The most famous image of the opening credits is of Van Dyke falling over an ottoman as he enters his living room. However, a second version, showing him sidestepping the piece of furniture instead, was also used. The two openings were filmed back to back and were used randomly throughout the last four seasons of the series. The first season used a completely different opening credits sequence featuring still pictures.
* A third version of the opening credits gag was seen occasionally beginning in the third season: Rob avoids falling over the ottoman (as in the second version), but then stumbles.
Here are 3 versions of the opening:
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