The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Sick Boy and the Sitter
Season 1, Episode 1 · Aired 1961-10-03
Synopsis
Head comedy writer Rob Petrie talks his wife Laura into leaving their slightly sick son Ritchie at home with a babysitter while they attend a party at the home of his boss.
Pilot desk note
From the desk: The Dick Van Dyke Show opens its catalog run with “The Sick Boy and the Sitter” (1961-10-03). Modern workplace/home hybrid sitcom DNA starts in that New Rochelle living room. Mary Tyler Moore's ascent and industry gender politics simmer under the laughs.
In the series
This episode is part of The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966) on CBS.
Writers' room meta-comedy with dance breaks and perfect timing.
Key cast
- Dick Van Dyke as Rob Petrie
- Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie
- Rose Marie as Sally Rogers
- Morey Amsterdam as Buddy Sorrell
- Carl Reiner as Alan Brady