![]() Lucille Ball starred as a fictionalized version of herself, Lucy Ricardo, a young middle-class housewife living in New York City with her husband Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz). ![]() I Love Lucy is one of the most influential shows of all time. And that’s partially because there’s almost always a little bit of I Love Lucy sprinkled into every sitcom. While The Dick Van Dyke Show makes up most of episode 1 and 2’s settings and vibes, there is also a little bit of I Love Lucy sprinkled in there. The importance of opening with a setting as grounded and recognizable as The Dick Van Dyke Show therefore cannot be overstated. WandaVision is dealing with fantastical circumstances to begin with…and that’s before little “glitches” in its characters’ reality suggest that none of this is real. Watch everything Marvel and more on Disney+, right here! Viewers can accept pratfalls over Ottomans or even tea saucers flying via ESP as long as the characters feel grounded. But it’s the second part of Van Dyke’s message that matters. Imagine Shakman’s heart dropping during the first part of Van Dyke’s quote, realizing that he was about to make a sitcom about a magic-user and her android boyfriend. If you’re drawing something that’s grounded and it’s real and it’s resonating with everyone’s experience at home, you can do crazy things.” “We asked him, ‘What was the sort of governing principle behind the Dick Van Dyke Show? Why did it work so well?’ And he said if it couldn’t happen in real life, it can’t happen on the show. “That remains one of the great afternoons of my life,” Shakman told reporters about meeting the comedy legend. In fact, as part of their aforementioned “sitcom school” the producers had lunch with the still sprightly and energetic 95-year-old Van Dyke to discuss the finer points of sitcoms. This modeling of the Van Dyke Show home for WandaVision’s main dwelling was clearly no accident. Van Dyke would step off that landing and theatrically pratfall over an Ottoman in the show’s opener.Įven Wanda and Vision’s kitchen appears to be modeled after the Petrie’s, with ample counter space and shuttered windows leading out into the living room. Right inside the entrance of the front door is a small landing leading to a lowered living room floor. ![]() Wanda and Vision’s home appears to be at least partially modeled off of the Petrie’s abode. The first episode in particular closely resembles the aesthetic of the classic Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore-starring show. The Dick Van Dyke Show is the clearest influence on WandaVision’s first two episodes. ![]() Given that Feige, Schaeffer, Shakman, and company went to such efforts to create as “sitcom-y” experience as possible, it’s only fair that we delve into the episodes and identify all the sitcoms it’s paying homage to. The franchise is beginning its future on television by looking to the medium’s past. This is a bold new direction for Marvel’s storytelling. In the second, the pair must concoct a magic show for Westview’s kids…all while Vision is basically drunk on chewing gum. In one, Wanda and Vis endure many classic sitcom misunderstandings as the latter’s boss makes an unexpected appearance at dinner. Save for a handful of moments that suggest all is not what it seems, WandaVision’s first two episodes are made up entirely of classic sitcom plots. Still, even with all that forewarning, it’s hard to contain one’s surprise at just how seriously and literal WandaVision takes its sitcom mission. Producer/Marvel head Kevin Feige, head writer Jac Schaeffer, and director Matt Shakman all went through what they describe as a “sitcom school.” In the show’s posters, Wanda, Vision, and other characters like Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) are made up of literal TV sets. The show’s trailers revealed its concept of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and The Vision (Paul Bettany) living a classic sitcom lifestyle, laughtrack and all. Marvel was never shy about promoting that its first Disney+ series, WandaVision, was inspired by classic TV sitcoms.
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