The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season 1 (1961)

Rob is torn between going to Washington, DC on business and attending Ritchie's school play.

While clearing out the bedroom closet, Rob finds his old army boots, bringing back memories of how he and Laura first met.

Harrison B. Harding stops by the office and claims he's an old Army buddy of Rob from Camp Crowder. Rob pretends to recognize Harrison, but he doesn't really recognize him (Harrison says he lost 57 pounds). Rob doesn't even remember anybody with that name. Rob tries to get rid of Harrison, but winds up inviting Harrison and his wife home for dinner. He then starts to suspect that Harrison is a con man with embarrassing results.

Jerry plants seeds of mistrust in Laura's mind when he learns that Valerie Blake, the beautiful movie star, will be guesting on The Alan Brady Show. Laura doesn't listen to him until Rob begins a string of late night work sessions. Soon Laura's jealousy begins to grow and Rob will have to work just as hard to convince Laura that nothing is going on between he and Valerie Blake.

Complications ensue when Mel tells Rob that he wants Laura to dance on "The Alan Brady Show".

Buddy and his wife can't take their German Shepherd, Larry, with them on a three-day weekend. Buddy wants Rob to keep Larry for the weekend, but Rob refuses because he hasn't talked it over with Laura. The next time we see Rob, he's trying to sneak Larry into the house. Ritchie is afraid because he thinks that Larry is a wolf and Laura can't sleep because Larry is crying. What is Rob to do?

Rob's not as impressed with Buddy's new Meershatz pipe as he is with the fact that it was a gift from Alan Brady. Not just impressed but envious as well. After all, he is the head writer of the show and begins to feel as if he isn't needed. Getting sick and having to miss work for several days doesn't help his insecurities.

Rob complains about Ritchie's forgetfulness, but suddenly realizes he forgot to reserve 44 tickets for the PTA to see The Alan Brady Show. Rob begs and borrows some tickets; Buddy and Sally try to steal some tickets for him. An unexpected twist occurs at the last moment.

Rob buys Laura a hideous necklace but Laura can't bring herself to tell Rob how she really feels about it. When Rob invites his parents to see the necklace, his mother has a surprising reaction.

Rob and Buddy treat Sally as "one of the guys", even in the presence of Sally's date. Laura wants Rob to treat Sally like a lady. Mel and Buddy get the wrong idea.

Buddy has a chance for a head writer job. Rob and Sally help Buddy get released from his contract to "The Alan Brady Show". The plan backfires, so Rob and Sally have to find an ingenious way to get Buddy re-hired.

Rob recalls the hilarious events leading up to Ritchie's birth when Ritchie asks the inevitable question.

Laura opens and reads Rob's mail, she giving him a Reader's Digest version of it, and even throwing away what she considers unimportant. Rob is not angry that Laura opened his mail, but he is angry that she read it before he did. Laura doesn't understand why Rob is so upset as he always lets her read his mail anyway. After apologies are made, the issue is resolved. Or is it? Out of general chit-chat, Rob tells Sally and Buddy about the event. Buddy thinks the situation is ripe for a comedy sketch for the show, to which Sally and Rob concur. Before the show airs, Laura...

Rob's dentist pal, Jerry, strains the friendship when he starts knocking Rob's television show in public.

Rob remembers $25 he lent Buddy. Laura doesn't think he will collect. Rob is too embarrassed to remind Buddy and tries many ways to drop hints to Buddy. Buddy remembers something that Rob overlooked.

When his show announces a talent contest, Rob finds himself besieged by the parents of neighborhood prodigies.

Ritchie is starting to learn some new words. He says a bad word to Laura in the car. She thinks ignoring it is the best course, but Rob wants to have a "man-to-man" talk with Ritchie. Rob also wants to confront the family that he assumes is responsible for Ritchie learning the bad words, but that could prove embarrassing.

While his wife is away, Buddy moves in with the Petries and quickly wears out his welcome.

Rob is Father of the Week at Ritchie's school. Ritchie is afraid that Rob will embarrass him. How can Rob show a class of first graders what a comedy writer does? (What's he gonna do - type?)

Sally drags the entire gang to a bowling alley when she discovers a new dance sensation that's sure to sweep the nation.

Rob gets called for jury duty; unbeknownst to him, Laura attends the trial. The defendant is an exotic dancer. Is she really innocent as only Rob believes? Will Rob be in major trouble when he gets home?

Romance enters Sally's life in the form of an insurance salesman named Leo Fassbinder.

Rob's brother Stacey has a two week furlough and sends Rob a telegram that he's coming for a visit. Rob (whom Stacey calls "Burford") isn't thrilled. He explains to Laura that his shy brother has a problem.

Rob's shy brother Stacey has a problem. He's a somnambulist! And Stacey's a great performer when he's asleep. How can Rob get Stacey to perform a great audition for Alan Brady while Stacey is awake?

Buddy laments the decline of the American male and yearns for the "good old days". Rob starts to feel he does too much housework. He has a nightmare about the bad circumstances of the "old days".

Rob faces a dilemma when a rambunctious old army pal must be told he cannot attend a special dinner party that the Petries are throwing to make an impression with an Alan Brady Show sponsor.

Rob runs into Happy Spangler, the fellow who gave him his first break to get into show business. Learning that writing jobs have been a little lean of late for Spangler, Rob decides to repay the debt to his old mentor by agreeing to take him on temporarily as a writer for the Alan Brady Show. Rob soon comes to regret his act of kindness, however, as he realizes that Spangler is much more interested in telling stories that distract his writing staff, preventing them from getting their work done.