Just before Christmas, lovers of classic television will be treated to a special called “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years Of Magic,” which looks back on the screen legend’s storied career.
According to Deadline, the show will air on December 21st, just a week and a day after Dick celebrates his 98th birthday.
Fans can watch the special on CBS, the same network that aired his popular sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show” in the 1960s.
In fact, the old set of The Dick Van Dyke Show will be revived for the birthday special, a variety spectacle with singing, dancing and special guests.
“I started at CBS under contract in 1955, with the CBS Morning Show, then The Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis Murder,” Dick reflected in a statement. “I’ve been part of the CBS family for nearly 70 years and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Celebrated: Just before Christmas, lovers of classic television are treated to a special called “Dick Van Dyke 98 Years Of Magic”; He is pictured receiving his 2021 Kennedy Center Award
Duo: Fans can watch the special on CBS, the same network that aired his beloved sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” in which he stars with Rose Marie
He added, “I’m incredibly honored that CBS will be hosting a special for my 98th birthday. ‘I can’t wait to be a part of the show!’
The special will also feature old footage that includes some of the highlights of his diverse career on stage, film and television.
Dick began his acting career during World War II, dropping out of high school to join the U.S. Army Air Corps and eventually ending up in the military as a radio announcer and entertainer for the troops.
He worked as a nightclub performer in the 1950s and then moved to television – eventually starting his career at CBS in 1955, when he was hired to replace Jack Paar as host of The Morning Show.
However, he first became a big name on Broadway as the lead actor in the successful 1960 stage musical Bye Bye Birdie.
Featuring music by Charles Strouse, of later Annie fame, “Bye Bye Birdie” satirized the enthusiasm of Elvis Presley fans and won Dick a Tony Award.
His appearance on stage also caught the attention of Carl Reiner, who took him to Hollywood, where The Dick Van Dyke Show began.
An instant classic, The Dick Van Dyke Show ran from 1961 to 1966 and made its namesake and its leading lady, Mary Tyler Moore, a national star.
Home broadcaster: He began his career at CBS in 1955 when he was hired to replace none other than Jack Paar as host of The Morning Show, on which Dick is featured
Review: Dick first became a star in 1960 with the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie, in the film adaptation of which he appeared alongside Psycho star Janet Leigh
Chimney: Dick’s Hollywood career skyrocketed in the 1960s, landing him in movie musicals like “Mary Poppins,” in which he stars with Oscar-winning actress Julie Andrews
Remember: During the glorious 1960s, when he produced his sitcom and his most popular films, he also starred in the classic Hollywood musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (pictured).
Laurels: In recent years he has been showered with lifetime achievement baubles, including a Kennedy Center award (pictured)
Dick’s Hollywood career skyrocketed in the 1960s, landing him appearances in movie musicals such as “Mary Poppins,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and the film adaptation of “Bye Bye Birdie.”
He took on more dramatic roles in the 1970s, playing alcoholics in “The Comic” and “The Morning After” and then confessing that he had acted out in real life.
He became a regular on The Carol Burnett Show and alternated between guest roles on the top TV shows of the 1970s and 1980s, from Columbo to The Golden Girls.
Dick and his son Barry Van Dyke then starred together in Diagnosis: Murder, a hit crime comedy that ran for eight seasons from 1993 to 2001.
A classic showbiz guy, he continued to work throughout his 70s and 80s, including in the 2018 film Mary Poppins Returns with Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In recent years, he has been showered with accolades for his life’s work, including a Kennedy Center award and being named a Disney Legend.
But despite plenty of laurels to rest on, he has stayed in the game, appearing on The Masked Singer and Days of Our Lives this year.
“I don’t think I’ll ever retire,” he told Al Roker on the Today show at the time of his Kennedy Center honor, adding wryly, “Unless they make me.”