American Masters Celebrates Dick Van Dyke’s 100th Birthday with Star-Studded Documentary. Starring Dick Van Dyke explores how the prolific performer became a star on stage, television and film for nearly eight decades.
Over the course of his life, Dick Van Dyke has dazzled audiences in many iconic works, from his Broadway debut in Bye Bye Birdie to his sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show and his silver screen performances in such beloved films as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Along the way, he has influenced many of today’s entertainers and his performances have stood the test of time. Discover the career of the Emmy, Tony and Grammy-winning star and hear how he continues to inspire the biggest acts in show business in American Masters – Starring Dick Van Dyke, premiering nationwide Friday, December 12 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/americanmasters and the PBS App. The film premieres ahead of Van Dyke’s 100th birthday on December 13.
Starring Dick Van Dyke chronicles the star’s career over eight decades, beginning with his stint as a radio DJ and slapstick nightclub act and through his breakthrough television gigs and movie roles. In addition to his memorable work, the documentary features rare and never-before-seen footage and performance clips, as well as new, exclusive interviews with Julie Andrews, Carol Burnett, Jim Carrey, Ted Danson, Steve Martin, Conan O’Brien, Martin Short and more. Also featured are archival interviews with Van Dyke’s former costars and colleagues, including Walter Cronkite, Sheldon Leonard, Rose Marie, Mary Tyler Moore and Carl Reiner.
“Dick Van Dyke is a national treasure,” says filmmaker John Scheinfeld. “It’s been an absolute joy to come to work every day on a documentary that can be seen for free on PBS across the entire country in advance of his 100th birthday. Dick is unique in entertainment history, and so is this film.”
Van Dyke was born in 1925 in West Plains, Missouri and grew up in Danville, Illinois, where he participated in choir and drama club as a high school student. While he was a local radio DJ in Danville, Van Dyke formed a comedy duo with Phil Erickson called The Merry Mutes. They toured the nightclub circuit across America until Van Dyke launched his television career with various gigs around the country, including The CBS Morning Show, which he co-anchored with revered journalist Walter Cronkite.
During those early days, Van Dyke experienced both high and low points, but finally hit the big time with a successful run as Albert Peterson in the Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie. However, believing that he wouldn’t be able to support his growing family with a career on the stage, Van Dyke kept searching for the ideal television vehicle to utilize his talents. In 1961, he landed his own sitcom, The Dick Van Dyke Show, which also starred comedy legend Mary Tyler Moore. He continued his Hollywood success in beloved classics such as the film adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Since then, Van Dyke has continued to reinvent himself in countless film and television roles, in both comedy and drama, including the lead role in the mystery series Diagnosis: Murder. He has won 6 Emmys (the most recent in 2024), one Grammy and one Tony Award. Ahead of his 100th birthday, Starring Dick Van Dyke honors Van Dyke’s extraordinary career and how he became a star in nearly every form of mass entertainment.
The filmmaker behind Starring Dick Van Dyke is John Scheinfeld, whose previous work includes writing, producing and directing the American Masters film This Is…Bob Hope, as well as theatrical documentaries The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, The Happy Days of Garry Marshall and What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears?.
