What is Starring Dick Van Dyke (docuseries) all about? Explained

American Masters - Starring Dick Van Dyke is PBS's newest documentary to celebrate the legendary actor's life and career. Dick Van Dyke turns 100 years old on December 13 and the Hollywood legend is celebrating that milestone with a docuseries that features his prolific career on stage, television, and film. 

According to his IMDb page, Van Dyke has been hard at work since 1956 and has worked on over 80 projects on TV and film. That doesn't include his work entertaining audiences on the radio and in the theater, like his Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway, which won four Tony Awards in 1961. 

Starring Dick Van Dyke director John Scheinfeld called the actor "a national treasure," per PBS. He added that Van Dyke is unique in the entertainment history, "and so is this film."

What is Starring Dick Van Dyke all about

American Masters - Starring Dick Van Dyke chronicles the legendary actor's eight decades of career, starting from the beginning. It will feature his time as a radio DJ host and his stint as a slapstick nightclub act before getting a breakthrough on TV and movies. 

But according to John Scheinfeld, the film will not gloss over Van Dyke's expansive career. It will also tackle the less-than-stellar parts of his life over the decades, including what he calls the actor's "personal demons with alcohol" at the height of his fame. He told The Post ahead of the film's release: 

"We do touch on a number of things along the way, primarily his battle in the '60s and '70s with alcoholism. He has spoken about it, but it is something that not everyone knows a lot about."

The Post also teased one of the most revealing parts of the documentary - the actor candidly talking about his addiction on The Dick Cavett Show in 1974. Starring Dick Van Dyke will also feature the actor's thought-to-be-lost film, for which he got an Emmy nomination. 

Scheinfeld also told The Post that the documentary film was created as a tribute to the Hollywood actor for his 100th birthday. It will feature rare and never-before-seen footage of the actor's life and career, including performance clips.

There will also be archival interviews from Dick Van Dyke's colleagues and former costars, including Sheldon Leonard, Rose Marie, Walter Cronkite, Carl Reiner, and Mary Tyler Moore. Julie Andrews, Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, Carol Burnett, Ted Danson, Martin Short, and Conan O'Brien have also given exclusive interviews for the film, among others. 

Scheinfeld told The Post that it took some three months to create the film, which he calls a "love letter" to the actor and his career. 

Where to watch Starring Dick Van Dyke

Viewers will get an advanced screening of American Masters - Starring Dick Van Dyke ahead of the Hollywood actor's 100th birthday. The documentary film will premiere exclusively on PBS on Friday, December 12, at 9:00 pm Eastern Time.

It's the season 39 episode 8 of the American Masters series and lasts around an hour and 53 minutes. It will be available for streaming on PBS.org or the PBS App until midnight on January 9, 2026.

The LA Times also reported that the documentary features some promotional pieces for the charities that Dick Van Dyke supports. 

Starring Dick Van Dyke director John Scheinfeld is also the one behind another American Masters film, This Is...Bob Hope, and theatrical documentaries like Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary.