The Dick Van Dyke Show : Never Name a Duck (1962)
Directed by John Rich
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
In the first episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show's second season (and the first with the famous "falling over the furniture" opening), Rob (Dick Van Dyke) brings home two live ducklings, left over from a sketch on "The Alan Brady Show." Son Ritchie (Larry Mathews) instantly falls in love with the ducklings, naming them Oliver and Stanley. Eventually Oliver dies, whereupon Ritchie obsessively clings to Stanley, and refuses to entertain the thought of letting his pet out of his sight -- which causes no end of trouble for Rob and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), since Stanley has grown too large (and too hungry!) to remain a part of the Petrie household!