Anyone watch "The Dick Van Dyke Show" in color?

[mattl]

CBS ran the colorized version of a couple of classic Dick Van Dyke shows the other night. No comments of the colors used?  Overall it looked good, except for one thing I found a bit annoying.  They colored the kitchen appliances a kind of power blue, I think they should have been more a true aqua.  Another interesting thing was they seemed to NOT color the cabinets around the oven and fridge, they looked kind of black and white gray.

 

The tech has really progressed, I recall early colorization and thought it was awful.  If I did not know it was originally B&W I would not have guessed unless i really studied it.  The one thing I found to be poorly done was the brick wall behind the fireplace in the living room.  The bricks were a decent color, but they did not bother to make the mortar gray, it was brick color. Perhaps it took too much computer time to color all the tiny gray lines.

 

The wall and furniture colors did seem close to a 60's look, but I felt they were a bit off too.  I'm sure a casual viewer would not have given a second thought.  Anyone else watch?

 

[rp2813]

I guess I missed it.  I wanted to check out the job they did.

 

[wayupnorth]

I watched it and especially liked the original CBS presenting this program in color at the beginning. I didnt critique the colors. But the end credits said 2016. Too bad more old good prime time shows were not brought back instead of all this drama, cop, reality crap on today.

 

[mixguy]

Caloric Appliances

At the time the show was created Powder Blue was an available color option. They offered more colors than the white, coppertone, pink, yellow and turquoise that most manufactured at that time.

 

[petek]

Apparently they used vintage color slides taken of the set to go by...   I think they did a pretty decent job, like you say, not anywhere near as bad as those original colorizations years ago. 

 

 

[lordkenmore]

I didn't watch it. I don't have broadcast TV (over air doesn't work well/at all in my specific area, and I'm too cheap for cable). That said, I guess I prefer it when black and white stays black and white.  But I'm not bothered by black and white. Some people, I gather, can't stand black and white. It may help that my family never had a color TV, so this folks is what I grew up with, whether it was a 1960 Perry Mason episode, or a 1980s Perry Mason movie. The only difference you could see on screen was style of clothes/houses/cars/etc, and how close to "Dirty Laundry" type references they could get away with...

 

Sometimes, now, I also think black and white adds something... I like old Perry Mason TV shows, and one thing I like is the black and white, which seems to work well for the show.

 

 

[lordkenmore]

vintage color slides taken of the set

I guess I can see using those slides. That said...the actual set colors were probably chosen simply for practical reasons of what would work for black and white filming. I can't imagine that anyone gave any thought to what would be right for this family's character? For example, were they a powder blue appliance family, or not?

 

They did one episode of Perry Mason in the 60s that was in color. It was apparently a trial run--if the series had lived another year, it would likely gone color. (As much as I like the black and white, I wish they'd done one year in color. Just that one episode is fun seeing everyone in color!) But apparently that resulted in a great deal of work, because everything was geared for black and white. Color imposed different requirements.  IIRC, it meant even tinkering with sets and the like. It was more--a lot more--than slapping a roll of color film in the camera that week.

 

[frigilux]

I love the look of black-and-white vintage TV and films, but am also very aware that makes me the old man who stands in his driveway shaking his cane. "You keep your damn Cadillac; nothing compares to my horse and buggy!"

Many people younger than me have no history with b & w.  They grew up with color, so I understand why they shake their heads and wonder why anyone would want to watch something they consider visually neutered.

 

As several have mentioned, colorization has come a long way in the last 15 years.  I no longer have cable and watch CBS on an app.  Have been so busy at work (musicians and caterers have to make every buck they can during the Christmas season) that I haven't checked to see if the colorized versions of I Love Lucy and the Dick Van Dyke Show are available to watch on demand.

 

 

 

[lvbearam]

The Good And The Bad

Of course, the "Dick Van Dyke" episodes were classic ("Coast to Coast Big Mouth" is one of my all-time favorites), but I don't think colorizing enhanced the experience. Plus, why did CBS cut scenes from both episodes? Couldn't they have eliminated a few commercials instead? Memo to Les Moonves: Next time, extend the running time to fit both the episodes and ads, and include some bonus features. That would solve the problem nicely, and my DVR wouldn't mind.
Kudos to CBS for starting the show with its 1960's "presents this program in color" opening! Nice touch, and one this unofficial TV historian appreciates greatly.

 

[countryguy]

I watched the episodes as well as the colorized Christmas episodes of I Love Lucy that were on a few days ago.

 

[supersuds]

So the built in wall ovens were Caloric? I was guessing either that or Hardwick.

What brand of fridge was it?

 

[circlew]

Didn't see Dick, but caught a bit of the colorized "I Love Lucy" the Sun. before last. I went on a Christmas open house tour in a town about 30 miles away. At one house, the lady had recorded the show, and had it playing. It didn't look too bad, but Lucy's hair sure was orange! Guess they matched it to the shade she had it on "The Lucy Show". I've seen earlier pics of her, and it was more of a darker shade, like in the movie linked below - one of my favorites with Lucy.

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pdo_QP22QU