The Dick Van Dyke Show was an American television situation comedy which initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, created by Carl Reiner and starring Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. Totalling 158 episodes and five seasons, the show was also produced by Reiner, who wrote many episodes and played the part of Alan Brady. Reiner based the main character on himself and the Brady character on his former boss Sid Caesar. Many of the show's plots were inspired by Reiner's experiences as a writer for Your Show of Shows