American Masters Honors Dick Van Dyke’s 100th Birthday with New Documentary on PBS

PBS is celebrating one of Hollywood’s most beloved performers with American Masters – Starring Dick Van Dyke, a star-studded documentary debuting Friday, December 12th. Arriving just one day before the Disney Legend’s 100th birthday, the film explores the legendary entertainer’s unparalleled eight-decade career across stage, television, and film. Fans can get a first look at the new documentary with a brand-new trailer released today.

What's Happening:

• American Masters – Starring Dick Van Dyke premieres nationwide on December 12 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS App, with streaming available the same day on all station-branded platforms.
• The film debuts just one day ahead of Dick Van Dyke’s 100th birthday on December 13, positioning the documentary as a celebratory career tribute.
• The documentary includes extensive rare and never-before-seen footage, giving fans new insight into Van Dyke’s creative process and personal journey.
• Julie Andrews and Karen Dotrice, who costarred with Van Dyke in Disney’s Mary Poppins, appear in a new interview reflecting on their partnership and the enduring legacy of the film.
• Comedic legends Steve Martin and Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building, Father of the Bride) also provide new interviews discussing Van Dyke’s influence on modern comedy.
• Additional interviewees include Carol Burnett, Jim Carrey, Conan O’Brien, Ted Danson, and more, offering a multi-generational portrait of Van Dyke’s impact.
• The film features archival interviews with Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Walter Cronkite, Sheldon Leonard, and Carl Reiner, preserving first-hand accounts of Van Dyke’s early television era.
• The documentary chronicles Van Dyke’s entire career, from his beginnings as a radio DJ and nightclub performer to his Broadway success and breakthrough television stardom.
• Significant attention is given to his film roles, including Disney's 1964 Oscar-winning classic Mary Poppins, and Van Dyke's reunion with the Sherman Brothers on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
• Director John Scheinfeld, known for American Masters: This Is… Bob Hope, leads the project, with original production funding provided by Walter E. Disney Miller and the Diane and Ron Miller Charitable Fund.
• The special is part of the long-running American Masters series, now in its 39th season and celebrated for its award-winning profiles of cultural icons.
• Check out the brand-new trailer below.