Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman

After her smashing success on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW as Laura Petrie, a role that did win her two Emmys, Mary Tyler Moore attempted to carve out a movie career. She had a significant role in the 1967 Julie Andrews musical THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE and a couple of other more forgettable films before it became apparent that her dreams of being a movie star were not to be. At the same time, Dick Van Dyke's career had stalled as well and he was also having difficulties when he would go out in public with his real life wife because his association with Mary Tyler Moore was so strong, that the public actually believed that he and Moore were married in real life. These seemingly separate events became the genesis of Van Dyke's idea for a television variety special that would reunite him with Moore and make it clear that they were not really a couple. This CBS special, DICK VAN DYKE AND THE OTHER WOMAN was one of the highest rated specials of 1969, which featured Van Dyke and Moore joking about how they can't go out in public with their real spouses as well as showcasing their musical talents in several musical numbers including a cute opening number called "Life is Like a Situation Comedy." Van Dyke basically takes a backseat to Moore in this special, giving her the majority of the spotlight, allowing her to showcase her often overlooked talents as a singer and, especially, a dancer. The special was such a ratings smash that it actually led CBS to offering Moore her own sitcom where she created a character we all came to love named Mary Richards. I don't know if this special is available on DVD, but if it is, snatch it up because it's a rare chance to see a pair of TV legends at the top of their game doing what they do best.