Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic

This special just aired on CBS on June 2 2024. Dick's 98th birthday was in December, 2023. So I wonder if there are 2 more big parties the next 2 years. Dick is a survivor of an era from the great depression through to now.

All the resume is here from Mary Poppins to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Amazingly Dick's energy seems really great for a 98 year old. He recently became the oldest sing unmasked on the Masked Singer. What is amazing is how sharp he is at this advanced age.

It was great that so many stars were gotten to appear either live or video clip. Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett appear via remote feeds. Dick's second wife is the one who is said to have arranged this. Considering she is in her early 50's, Dick even proves he has energy for younger women.

He has outlived so many that Rob Reiner appears as Carl is gone. Other than Dick, the only person in the main cast of the TV sitcom who does not appear is Larry Mathews who played little Rickie Petrie. That is because he has kept a low profile since he was on the show (born 1955, 30 years younger than Dick).

Larry and Dick are the last 2. The footage of Sally, Maurey, Richard Deacon, and Carl Reiner are reminders that as you near 100, a lot of the people you were closest too have left the party. This is one big party.

Touchingly at the end, Dick says "I hope wherever they are that Morey and Sally could see this." We hope Mary could too. Dick and Carl were mentors to Mary Tyler Moore who then went on to her own great career.

I doubt that a full list of everyone Dick helped would be easy to assemble. While he could not help Jason Alexander's voice, at least because his career is so expansive, that Jason does not sing for the entire show.