The Dick Van Dyke Show (TV Series) Baby Fat (1965) User Reviews

Very good.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 15 December 2023]

Alan is going to be starring in a Broadway play but he thinks some of the dialog stinks. So, he asks Rob to do some ghost writing...to improve the play without anyone knowing he's doing it. It's a pretty thankless job, as he can't even tell Buddy and Sally what he's doing. And, Alan certainly is a bit of a weasel in this one! He introduces Rob as his tailor...and this results in all sorts of confusion and a few funny moments.

So is it any good? Yes...very good. However, I was not bowled over like the other reviewers. It's good...I just don't consider it among the best shows in the series. It has a few laughs and is well worth seeing...and not much more.

Astounding that I'm the first to comment on this great episode

[lrrap · 10/10 · 1 September 2021]

"Baby Fat" HAS to be one of the top 5 Best Dick van Dyke episodes, brilliantly, deftly written, impeccably, expertly timed and delivered by the cast, beautifully directed and paced...it's a "Practically Perfect" show in every way. Van Dyke and especially Carl Reiner are amazing in their continuous, zippy banter, and Dickie Erdman has a brief but hilarious walk-on as a fey costume designer. Then there's Strother Martin's sly, subtle tribute to Tennessee Williams. It's all priceless.

The fact that a routine, labored, UN-funny episode like "Ghost of A Chantz" (go ahead and hit the "Not helpful" button; I don't care) rates a 9.1 on IMDB while a truly outstanding show like "Baby Fat" gets only a 7.6 is really unfortunate; I thought the Van Dyke audience was much better attuned to and appreciative of first-rate comedy such as this...EXACTLY the sort of explosively witty, fast-paced, high energy show that the series was expected to do better than any other.

"Baby Fat", oddly enough, seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle and was barely remembered by the cast and production crew; but thank goodness it's been rescued and can be enjoyed as the truly excellent comic gem that it is. LR.

Mr. Ben

[dicklynch-79647 · 9/10 · 1 June 2022]

It's great to see Dick van Dyke and Carl Reiner playing in so many scenes together. And it's one of those episodes that has a character that represents a real-life person: Strother Martin as Tennessee Williams (other great examples: Lee Phillips plays 'Drew Patton'---Hugh Hefner in disguise. And Paul Winchell playing 'Claude Wilbur').

I, too liked Richard Erdman's walk-on as a gay designer. (but I also liked "A Ghost of A. Chance"--a great episode---I remember it from when I first saw it back in the 60s. A 'funny-scary' episode.) And there's even a skateboard --Ritchie's---this show has aged well.

Intelligent with great dialogue.

And if you like German Shepards, you'll like 'Baby Fat'.

Rob, that's cruel

[mary-hanvik · 9/10 · 9 August 2022]

One of the best lines in any sitcom ever, "Rob, that's cruel! He's a widower!" I don't know why that makes me fall out, but it does every time I watch this episode.