good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. we were all saddened to learn the passing of mary tyler moore. tonight, be in conversation with her tv husband dick van dyke will will share personal memories and foe from his six decade long friendship with mary tyler moore and i except he'll have something to say about this fine mess that president trump hat gones us into. we're glad you joined us, dick van dyke in just a moment.

and by contradictions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. what else can you say about the multitalented award winning dick van dyke? 91 years old and still doing his thing. and he's just an all around good guy and always honored to have him on this program. before we start our conversation with mr. van dyke, first, a clip of carl rooider who created this show. the dick van dyke show 50 plus years ago now. carl was on this program just last year talking about the

relationship the on-screen magic between dick van dyke and mary tyler moore. it starts by talking about a conversation he was having with one of the other stars of the show, rose marie. take a look. >> look magazine had a picture of mary on the cover, she said to me, why do you always have mary, you push mary, i said -- and this is what i said to her, i said, in the room i said, look, rosemary, the picture of mary on the cover was not my -- i didn't ask anybody to do anything. look magazine has a constituency and they -- they love to see mary's legs. i used worse words than that. and if you can't buy that and the show is about the family. and if you can't buy that, don't come back to this second year. but that's what the show's about. you were misinformed. and she bought it.

and we -- the second year was heaven. to this day, we call each other on the phone, we're best friends. >> that's amazing how he took that in stride. a lot of stars, throw them out of the room, cuss you out, quit. you know. >> but she knew that. i was being honest and if you're honest with people, they'll accept it? >> yeah, since you went there, how much of -- how smart a decision was it in retrospect to have cast such a beautiful mary tyler moore and such a handsome dick van dyke? they were such a lovely couple. just to look at. >> and dick van dyke, he said her, he said she's too young for me. she's 11 years younger. i said, nobody ever noticed it, i said you are a couple. and they were. as a matter of fact, they both admitted later that if they both hadn't been married, they would have become a real couple. but they were very concerned about not ever, on the air they kissed and that was it.

>> what was it like to work with her so early on in her career? >> well you know, finding her -- i looked at 25, actually, 23 girls before. i said to sheldon, i don't know what i'm looking for. and he said you'll know when you see her. and one day this girl comes in the office, and she didn't want to come in because she had a couple of interviews that day and failed. and she says i don't want to. she came in little -- you know -- reluctant visitor, and she came in the door and i gave her a line to read from -- she read the first line. and i heard a ping in her voice. that's the way i described it. and my hand became one of those claws that's in the machine at the arcade that picks candy up. she got scared. i grabbed her by the top of her head and i says come with you young lady. and i walked down the hall. and into sheldon's office and says, and i said, i said i found

her. and that was mary. >> literally, just on one read. >> and she had never done comedy before. and she says i don't know how to laugh funny. she says, she said to me, how do you laugh funny. she says show me and i laugh funny. it was the last time we showed her anything. she took -- she's the genius performer. and when she does her own show, you know, for years and years, she set the tempo for all women. >> what was it about her do you think that made her take to the comedy so easily? >> she was a dancer. she was totally coordinated. >> right. >> everything about her was coordinated. her mouth, she was one of these extraordinary people. when you see her early dancing, you realize she was really a put together, complete from head to toe. >> so, sorry to see her leave us, dick van dyke, but i look at that clip and she's gone, but you're still here at 91 and

still dancing. >> still dancing, yeah. >> what do you make of that? you've cheated death two or three times. >> car caught on fire one time. >> oh yeah. >> crashed, missed airplanes that went in the gulf of mexico even. i've missed the bullet a lot. so i hope i'm not running out of luck. you remember the last time i was on your show, we were living in a democracy. >> ouch. ouch. >> last year. >> i didn't ask the question yet. we will get to that, i promise, but for all of these dick van dyke -- i said that in the open. didn't i tell you, i suspect knowing him as i do, we will get to that. and he wouldn't even wait. we'll get to it. for all those fans watching tonight, you heard carl's reflections, i was honored. been here a number of times, just talk about your friendship with mary tyler moore. >> well, it was -- as he said, we really had a crush on each

other. and a lot of people thought we were married in real life. and i think it was that chemistry that we had. when i first saw her, she was talking like katherine hepburn, kind of a mid-atlantic -- she admitted, that's who he was doing. and i said, can she do comedy? and about two episodes later, i found out, i always felt that our show was kind of a training ground for the mary tyler moore show. she just cut her teeth in our show. marie and rosie and everybody was born with razor sharp timing. she had the sense of humor and she was bright as could be. and she surprised me. within a couple of shows, she had us laughing. she was just insane. yeah. so good. >> how do you -- you hit on it a moment ago. it's like you can't make that happen. that chemistry, tell me more about the chemistry. >> i don't know. i think for everyone, that year

was -- like fortuitous, serendipity for everybody, everybody fell in place. the cast was perfect. picture us all separately, but we turned into an improv almost immediately. mary and i could -- if somebody suggested that the first scene, we could improv is for them. we could just do it. it was the most fun creatively in every other way i've ever had. >> she won her first two emmies on the dick van dyke show. >> yes. i was nominated the first year, there was no comedy capital at all. >> wow. that's way back. >> yeah. now there's too many. >> yeah, too many comics. too many comic categories now. tell me about your friendship and how it lasted. it's been six decades. tell me about the friendship when the show was no longer. your friendship. >> well, mary moved to upstate new york, so i didn't get to see

her. in an awards show or something talking on the phone once in a while. i didn't get to see her. we did a special together. after the van dyke show, dick van dyke and the other woman to show them what she could do. when the show went off the network, the wife who brought the coffee. you know, it was -- she was their sitcom wife. they didn't see what she could do. we had her sing, dance, and do everything, and that woke the network up. and she fell on the hands of tim brooks. just terrific. and they had a lot of women writers. i was so happy for her and so proud of her to see what she became. >> in 2012, you gave her that big sag award. >> yes. >> that had to be special. >> yeah, even then she was having trouble seeing. she had to be brought on stage in the dark. she was having trouble then. so her passing wasn't a shock because -- but we had been dreading it for so long.

>> yeah. >> i saw your tweet when she passed. she was the best. >> yeah, she was the best. >> absolute best. >> one of the few comedians who could be broadly funny and feminine. yeah, she was the greatest. and she learned from it. funny thing that no one has ever known, i'll tell on her. it was during the camelot years. we were all -- we didn't know that mary was very conservative, mind you. she never said a word. not in five years. constantly saying how great things were and look what he just did, and she never said anything. all those years. >> just stayed quiet. >> right. >> but she didn't even argue with it. >> there's a wisdom in that. >> i think so. >> she knew where she was. that was a wise decision. nowadays, people put their views in your face whether you want to hear them or not. >> that's fascinating. you knew at the end i was ill. >> robert had called me and said

she was on a reps rater for almost two weeks. so he wasn't hopeful at all. he was really broken up. he took such good care of her in her late years. it's just a shame. well she fought that diabetes. she did movies and that series with diabetes. incredible. she was a woman of iron. she had a will. and people said well did she ever act like a diva? only one time, when she tried to quit smoking. and every day i saw her face getting a little whiter, a little more -- i said mary, please for god sake, go outside and smoke a cigarette. it was a funny show where she was in the bathtub and her toe was stuck in the faucet. and she couldn't get it out. and she realized she wasn't on camera. and she got really mad about that. and she finally woke up and the back of the show was about her.

only time i've ever seen her lose her temper or anything. >> how are you processing to the extent that you are, i don't know what goes on inside your head, but when we keep losing these great icons. you're still here, carl ryder's still here, mel brooks, thank god some of you still here. how are you processing the fact that you're still here and you're losing friends? >> all of my contemporary friends are gone. everyone. my contemporary is not in talent, but in age, paul newman, rock hudson, jack lemon, they're all gone. i remember my mother who lived until 96, lives with my brothers family, she was with family, but she talked about how lonely she was. there was no one talk to. no one who remembered what she remembered. and i'm going through that now. >> and how are you navigating that? >> i have a few friends i get together with who are closer to my age and we go over the past and relive it. funny feeling.

i feel lucky and almost guilty somehow that i've outlived everybody. >> but you stay busy too. >> oh sure, yeah. i'm going to be in the remake of mary poppins, the sequel. >> i read that. >> next month. >> i'm going to play the sun of the old banker. >> yeah. >> only this time i don't have to go to make-up. i grew into the part. >> you grew into the part. >> that's got to be exciting to be a part of that. >> yeah. >> to be a part of that -- >> oh yeah. i got to be apart of it. >> you were kind enough to bring -- i love this, and i asked you, you were so kind to bring photos from your personal collection. and i love this. these are, you know, dick van dyke, these are his personal photo albums. i want to run through the photos right quick and show you the stuff in his collection that you didn't see in the media and other places, but here's i'll run through and take my time. >> who are those kids? >> yeah. look at that.

do you remember these? >> i don't remember that particularly. obviously it was a new year's event. >> yeah, pull through these. >> there's a dvd out of all the song and dance numbers we did. there's about 30 of them over the five years. >> 30 different song and dance numbers. >> there she is. you know what i can never figure out, we both said we should do a musical. someone should write us a musical. and we never got to do one. we would have great. >> that would have been amazing. why do you think that didn't happen? >> i don't know. >> yeah. somebody slipped on that. oh i love this.

>> oh no, wasn't she something? >> glad you kept all of these. >> that's beautiful. >> all right. >> it's like going to a party every morning. you're going to work. >> isn't that the best way to do? i think about that sometimes. i read this in a survey not too long ago that the majority of americans don't like their jobs. >> i know. >> it's like a slight job they go to every day. >> said what most people live lives of quiet desperation. >> yeah. >> true. >> you got the fun though. >> that was the special we did. >> uh-huh. i wish they'd rebroadcast it. we played the couple on the wedding cake. >> uh-huh. >> that get put in the freezer. and they bring us out every year and we get older and older. that was a good one. >> good one. that's on the special.

>> walking down memory lane with you, man. >> our timing together during scenes when we danced together. it was almost without rehearsal. we moved almost as one. that was a great experience. >> look at this, i le this. look at this. look at this move. >> she was always dieting. >> most women are, aren't they? >> once in a while she put on a few pounds and i would comment. i would say, hey, you look kind of curvy today. they would send her right back to the diet again. >> i like that. you look kind of curvy today. yeah, she didn't like that. i always kept on encouraging her. you look voe line up chew white house. she wore cat pri pants. >> those are nice. >> and the network finally came and said they're tucked under a little too much.

you're going to have to let them out. can you believe that? we had twin beds because we weren't allowed to sleep in the same bed. >> yep, y'all missed that. they need to be coupled up just a little bit. >> she was so -- yeah, in the rear in the leg. >> the rear. >> on the rear. >> oh, look, she's hiding. >> little bit too tight. can you believe that? we couldn't say the word pregnant. on a show about pregnancy. i used to get mad at bob newhard because they had a double bed. >> yeah. >> and we weren't allowed to have one. >> modesty -- my how tv has changed. i love this. he was kind to take this off the wall to bring this in. i love this portrait. >> looeb wits, they took two shots. one was never used. the other one was -- both in leather and she was on my back

clipping me. and that was the one they printed. >> i'm sure. see how things have changed. >> that one i love. >> i love that one. and you can't get much better than annie. >> no. >> she's an amazing photographer. it sounds like you have nothing but fond memories of this experience. >> oh -- >> and that relationship. >> it was the most fun i ever had and the most creative time. carl, you know, as great a writer as he was was never written in stone. all week long, we would throw lines, rewrite and play it, even throw in during the broadcast sometimes. it was always -- kept so free. and we had 28 minutes. now they have 20. >> yeah. >> before i move on, what is your -- what do you think her legacy is? >> well, i think that her show was an inspiration to young women. i think that was -- although she claims -- we were just telling a story. that wasn't the point. that wasn't their mission, but

so many young girls got inspired by her independence and her not looking for a husband, and it was, it was great. >> jane pauly in "new york times" last sunday did a wonderful op-ed -- >> on mary? >> did she. jane pauly, she's a wonderful op-ed about what mary tyler moore meant to her as he was a budding journalist. >> oprah we know fri just worshiped mary. she was that much younger she grew up watching that show. wonderful. ed asner tells the story. and they said thank you and walked outside, and he said i did that wrong. and he went back in. and said, can i do that again? and he played like little grant, but he really wanted that part. >> who gets a chance to do that? i screwed that up, let me do that. can i get one more take and he got the part. and the rest is history.

you can't imagine anybody but ed playing that part. >> no. it was like our part. you can't imagine anyone else playing the parts. >> all right. i got five minutes to go. i can let you loose now. you ready to go? you started this conversation. last year we lived in a democracy. what did you make of this place called the usa now? >> it's kind of -- you know what i think happened, i think so many people voted not out of the interest for their future of the country or out of concern for their grandchildren, they voted their own interests, money. i have a feeling that's what happened. did we discuss the lewis powell memorandum? >> we touched on it. we didn't go too deepen to. >> followed right up until this moment. achieving in a country. man named roid, his lectures

back in the '90s, and in it he predicts there will be a strong man who comes along and promises to take care of everything. and he describes trump. >> to a t. >> yeah. when i was a kid, growing up in the '30s, i was interested in the news and what was happening. the standings revolution and i went to hear wendel. >> yeah. >> he came through the town. and i remember the newsreels, they used to have in the movies that shows musa leeny talking. and it was -- >> subtitles. >> yeah. >> and he said, i'm the only one who can save you. and i remember because as a kid, i said he thinks he's jesus. and low and behold, who's at it again? donald trump. i am the only one that can save you. i'm very frightened. >> what did you make -- many of us are.

what did you make of the protests? were you heartened by the women's march. >> no one's ever made the point that it was all over the world. that's never happened in the history of civilized human being. it was all over the world. >> yeah. >> that's important. stlost many things they missed. one of the koch brothers said please vote for hillary bright guys like george will host a republican. wanted everybody to vote for hillary. so many things they missed. it was a badly run campaign. generally. >> do you think though that given the response that we see to his overreach, are you at least hopeful that he can be reigned in over the next couple years? >> i was hoping that people like graham and mccain and some of the sensible ones would. >> they spoke up on the muslim

ban. >> they did. after i feeling he's going to go so far he's going to have to be reigned in. i always said we have enough stin gent laws, i think the court of public opinion is saying that. >> it is fascinating to watch people how quickly this -- i've never seen in my lifetime at least, a presidency -- of course we saw this on inauguration day, we knew that he had the lowest proovl ratings of anyone in office, but i can't imagine -- i mean, i never imagined in my lifetime i'd see the pushback to a president so early on. i mean, this guy had no honey moon at all. >> no. >> the first week -- >> never happened before. i'll go back to the coolidge administration. i've never seen this. not an entire world population standing up. so i have hopes that somebody will come to their senses. >> yeah. >> i wanted to -- how does it feel when you live so long where

you've seen this thing ebb and flow. you've seen democracy at it's best. >> yes, during the '60s. >> and the worst. >> how do you process seeing it ebb and flow? >> i don't know. the '60s of course was an american people ran the country. civil rights and -- >> voting rights. >> yeah. >> but we had miss merkel, we have what's her name -- england -- >> theresa may. >> and it was natural that we would have hillary. we were headed in that direction and all the sudden everything turn a big turn right. unexpected. i am afraid so many people vote because they thought hillary was a shoo-in. i'm afraid. >> starting with the hillary campaign. >> yes. didn't go to michigan when they should have been there. make sure they didn't lose michigan. people felt that way. >> the bernie still out there. >> he's fighting. >> we're still here. >> i'm glad that we're still here and i'm glad you're still here.

>> me too. first i said, i close where i began, i am always honored to talk about anything but the weather. but thank you. for bringing these photos. >> my pleasure. >> and sharing the memories. >> you can thanks my wife. >> thanks honey. >> thank you so much. >> i love you dick van dyke. >> i love you. that's our show tonight. thanks for watching. and as always, keep the faith. for more information on today's show, visit taste smiley at pbs.org. hi, i'm tavis smiley, join me next time for moonlight director, barry jenkins. that's next time. we'll see you then.

and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. in light of the litany of executive orders that donald trump signed last week and all the attendant pushback and protests, it's hard to know exactly where to start tonight. we'll try to unpack the long-term cost to the soul and safety of our national with the head of maldef thomas saenz, maldef president thomas saenz coming up in a moment. ♪