Just before Christmas, classic TV fans are treated to a special called Dick Van Dyke 98 Years Of Magic, which looks back at the screen legend’s storied career.
According to Deadline, the show will air on December 21, just a week and a day after Dick celebrated his 98th birthday.
Fans can watch the special on CBS, the same network that aired his popular sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show” in the 1960s.
In fact, the old set of The Dick Van Dyke Show is being revived for the 98th anniversary special, a variety show with singing, dancing and special guests.
“I started at CBS in 1955 under contract with the CBS Morning Show, then The Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis Murder,” Dick said in a statement. “I’ve been a part of the CBS family for nearly 70 years and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Celebrate: Just before Christmas, classic TV fans are treated to a special called “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years Of Magic”; He is pictured receiving his 2021 Kennedy Center Award
Duo: Fans can watch the special on CBS, the same network that aired his beloved sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” in which he co-stars with Rose Marie.
He added: “I’m incredibly honored that CBS is putting on a special for my 98th birthday. I can’t wait to be a part of the show!”
The special will also feature vintage footage showing some of the highlights of his diverse career on stage, film and television.
Dick began his career as an actor during World War II, dropped out of high school to join the US Army Air Corps, and eventually received military service as a radio announcer and entertainer for the troops.
In the 1950s he worked as a nightclub performer and moved into television. He finally began his career at CBS in 1955 when he was hired to replace none other than Jack Paar as host of The Morning Show.
But it wasn’t until Broadway that he became a big name as the lead actor in the 1960 hit musical “Bye Bye Birdie.”
With music by future Annie star Charles Strouse, “Bye Bye Birdie” satirized the enthusiasm of Elvis Presley fans and earned Dick a Tony Award.
His appearance on stage also caught the attention of Carl Reiner, who took him to Hollywood, where The Dick Van Dyke Show began.
An instant classic, The Dick Van Dyke Show ran from 1961 to 1966 and made its namesake a national star—as well as its leading lady, Mary Tyler Moore.
Home network: He began his career at CBS in 1955 when he was asked to replace none other than Jack Paar as host of the Morning Show, on which Dick appeared.
Review: Dick first became a star in the 1960 Broadway musical “Bye Bye Birdie” and starred in the film adaptation opposite “Psycho” star Janet Leigh
Chimney: Dick’s Hollywood career took off in the 1960s, landing him in movie musicals like “Mary Poppins,” in which he starred opposite Oscar-winning lead Julie Andrews.
Remember: During the glorious 1960s, when he starred in his sitcom and his most popular films, he also starred in the classic Hollywood musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (pictured).
Laurels: In recent years he has been showered with accolades for his life’s work, including a Kennedy Center Award (pictured)
Dick’s Hollywood career began in the 1960s and landed him in movie musicals such as “Mary Poppins,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and a feature film “Bye Bye Birdie.”
He took on more dramatic roles in the 1970s, playing alcoholics in “The Comic” and “The Morning After” and then confessed to acting in real life.
He became a regular on The Carol Burnett Show and made guest appearances on some of the best TV shows of the 1970s and 1980s, from Columbo to The Golden Girls.
Dick and his son Barry Van Dyke next starred together in Diagnosis: Murder, a hit crime comedy that ran for eight seasons from 1993 to 2001.
A classic showbiz man, he continued to work well into his 70s and 80s, including in the 2018 film Mary Poppins Returns with Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In recent years, he has been showered with lifetime accolades, including a Kennedy Center Award and a Disney Legend Award.
But despite plenty of laurels to rest on, he stayed in the game, appearing on “The Masked Singer” and “Days of Our Lives” this year.
“I don’t think I’ll ever retire,” he told Al Roker on the Today show at the time of his Kennedy Center honor, adding wryly, “Unless they make me.”
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Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
