The Andy Griffith Show - General Discussion

[Egg McMuffin]

You’re right, and Barney would have benefitted from Andy protecting his feelings fewer times. But in RTM Andy says something about how he doesn’t imagine Barney has had many high points in his life over the years. It’s coming from a place of compassion at least.

I didn’t realize that Janet Waldo, who I agree was a great VO actress, did Aunt Bee’s voice in RTM. It was still a bad impression, though. They should have done something else.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Yup. Andy Junior was erased out of existence in this movie.

I hate that they also used the theme music from Mayberry, R.F.D.😒😒

Sometime in the 18 years of marriage, Andy got himself a wedding ring!😂 Something he didn’t have when he married Helen.

I don’t know when this aired, Andy would return to series television as Ben Matlock in the same year in Matlock.

[Egg McMuffin]

Keep in mind that the “Mayberry RFD” theme - called “The Mayberry March” - was used as incidental music for years on “The Andy Griffith Show” before it got promoted to the main theme for the sequel series. CBS was determined that the transition would be as seamless as possible and that included using familiar music as the theme. Hey - just be thankful Ken Berry didn’t show up in RTM.

After RTM aired to blockbuster ratings, there was talk of a “Christmas in Mayberry” follow up movie. I think Andy’s involvement in “Matlock” in part helped prevent that, which was probably a good thing.

 

 

[Blergh]

Let's not forget that the recently deceased Mr. MacLeod played the actor Bryan Bender playing Sheriff Andy Taylor himself (in a very obvious toupee)  in 'The Taylors Go to Hollywood' (1965) in which Mr. Bender deliberately hammily played Sheriff Andy under siege from a criminal gang in his own house but got rescued by a very fetching, young blonde . . .Aunt Bee (?!?) (June Vincent) who smashed the windows to shoot at the gang with her own rifles to protect her family! Of course, not only did this satisfy the real Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) who was watching the production  while embarrassing the real Andy (Mr. Griffith) but it also showed the director A.J. Considine (Hayden Roarke) getting to placate Aunt Bee,via making his own magic (something Mr. Roarke never got to do while playing Dr. Bellows on IDOJ). Yep, that with all those current and future sitcoms celebs in one spot, that was one Twilight Zone-y ep!  

[Browncoat]

I'm watching the episode now with,

Andy:  "One and a half boys per square mile."

Opie:  "I ain't never seen one."

A:  "One what?"

O:  "Half a boy."

A:  "It's not really a half a boy, it's a ratio."

O: "Horatio who?"

A:  "Not Horatio, a ratio.  Mathematics!  Just forget about the half a boy."

O:  "Pretty hard to forget a thing like that."

A:  "Well, try!"

O:  "Poor Horatio."

 

It's all in the way Opie says "Poor Horatio."  I say that a lot.

 

[GHScorpiosRule]

11 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I'm watching the episode now with,

Andy:  "One and a half boys per square mile."

Opie:  "I ain't never seen one."

A:  "One what?"

O:  "Half a boy."

A:  "It's not really a half a boy, it's a ratio."

O: "Horatio who?"

A:  "Not Horatio, a ratio.  Mathematics!  Just forget about the half a boy."

O:  "Pretty hard to forget a thing like that."

A:  "Well, try!"

O:  "Poor Horatio."

 

It's all in the way Opie says "Poor Horatio."  I say that a lot.

 

"Opie's Charity"! One of my top five! Especially in the way that Andy says "Halfa boey"😂 And so naturally done, considering Ronnie couldn't read yet!

[Browncoat]

I recently had to create a cloud account for a piece of equipment at work.  One of my options for a security question was the name of my first child.  I chose that one, even though I don't have any children, and I named him Horatio.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I had quoted the entire scene a few pages back, but found the clip, because it's so much more enjoyable and funnier! Opie enjoyed giving Jimmy a sock in the head! He didn't charge him nuthin'!

 

[Browncoat]

1 minute ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I had quoted the entire scene a few pages back, but found the clip, because it's so much more enjoyable and funnier! Opie enjoyed giving Jimmy a sock in the head! He didn't charge him nuthin'!

 

I forgot you had quoted it!  If I'd remembered, I would have gone back and quoted you. 

It's a great scene.  

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 minute ago, Browncoat said:

I forgot you had quoted it!  If I'd remembered, I would have gone back and quoted you. 

It's a great scene.  

It is! I crack up when Andy starts talking about how Horatio isn't the only poor boy before realizing what he's doing! Hee!

[Browncoat]

Even though Andy comes around in the end, I really hate how he treats Ellie in the episode where Ellie decides to run for town council.  It's like he forgot that she's a damn pharmacist when he tells her not to worry her pretty little head about anything but shopping and trying on clothes and other woman-things.  And they were standing in the drug store!  

I liked Ellie a lot.

[mmecorday]

Quote

I liked Ellie a lot.

I did too. She was so much nicer than Helen. Helen could give Andy a look like she was thinking "You are so close to being castrated right now, it's not even funny" when he so much as looked at another woman.

[CrazyMoon]

Helen & Thelma Lou were both stupidly jealous...it shows up awful in "Return of the Fun Girls". Helen always realizes after that she's being ridiculous, but it never stops her from doing it again...

[Blergh]

15 minutes ago, CrazyMoon said:

Helen & Thelma Lou were both stupidly jealous...it shows up awful in "Return of the Fun Girls". Helen always realizes after that she's being ridiculous, but it never stops her from doing it again...

 I never got why Andy and Barney preferred Helen and Thelma Lou to the Fun Girls. I mean, the only real hash mark the girls had was their unconventional voices but they were fun and enjoyed flirting while Helen especially seemed to be a pill more often than not. No, I can't imagine Andy marrying Daphne nor Barney wedding Skippy but, oddly enough, neither of them seemed to want to have anything deeper than a flirtatious, fun bond rather than wanting to marry the  Mayberry lawmen (and, truly, did either Andy or Barney have any urgent need to get married?).  Now, if Ellie were still in the picture, the Fun Girls could take a long walk off a short pier, AFIAIC. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

Barney was no catch, that's for damned sure. While he kept insisting that Thelma Lou was his girl in episodes where she was featured, he was always on the phone, flirting with and making plans with Juaaaaaaneeeeeeeeeta. So he wasn't faithful to her.

And while I liked Ellie okay, she also bugged me sometimes when she insisted she was right and butting her nose in stuff that was, well, none of hers. 

Blasphemous! I know to not Love Ellie completely!

[Browncoat]

Ellie wasn't perfect, but she was miles better than Helen.

[GHScorpiosRule]

13 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Ellie wasn't perfect, but she was miles better than Helen.

That I will agree with.

[BigBingerBro]

I love the Fun Girls episodes.  The one where they end up with Goober and Gomer at the dance is hilarious

[Gemma Violet]

RIP Arlene Golonka.  She played Millie in Mayberry RFD and was a character actress who appeared in many shows in the 60s and 70s.

[BigBingerBro]

1 hour ago, Gemma Violet said:

RIP Arlene Golonka

One of my favorite episodes is when Millie and Howard get engaged and they both go on the train with Andy and Helen to West Virginia for the wedding.  They end up getting on each other's nerves and call off the wedding.  I love the golden age of the railroads.

Edited June 4, 2021 by BigBingerBro

[Maverick]

 Howard and Millie together didn't work.   I remember their trip on the train being cringy.  Not as cringy as when she started dating Sam and they all hung out together but still.

 Ellie as a capable intelligent woman had to put up with a lot of crap in that era.  Still, she could be a pain sometimes.   She wouldn't administer a placebo without a prescription?  Really?  Yes she took an oath but I don't think it applies to sugar pills.   Otherwise she shouldn't have been serving up those ice cream cones without a prescription.  And then at the end of the episode she gives it to her anyway.   I too preferred her over Helen but I still think Peggy was the best of Andy's girlfriends we saw.  I think Elanor Donahue left the series because she was uncomfortable in the role, being so much younger than Andy.  

 Andy and Barney were the quintessential mid century guys next door.   A night at  the movies, something to eat at the diner and then guitar on the porch.  The Fun Girls were not their speed.  At all.  Barney may have been sucked into that lifestyle for a bit (he did like getting his pancakes served by  Playboy Bunny knockoffs in peek-a-boo tops) but not Andy.  

[Egg McMuffin]

You can keep Ellie and sourpuss Helen. I’ll take Nurse Peggy any day.

[Gemma Violet]

3 hours ago, Maverick said:

I think Elanor Donahue left the series because she was uncomfortable in the role, being so much younger than Andy.  

Didn't she leave because Andy Griffith was putting the moves on her?  I read that somewhere.  

Edited June 5, 2021 by Gemma Violet

[Maverick]

 From a quick Google search I found this on the Mayberry Wiki:

After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. Griffith later admitted that it was his own fault. He often had a hard time showing affection on-screen and as a result, the relationship didn't appear real or believable.

 

 I don't recall any stories of Andy coming on to anyone on set (doesn't mean there aren't or it didn't happen) but I do remember hearing he could be short tempered behind the scenes and his attitude was part of what he and Frances Bavier had friction behind the scenes. 

[Browncoat]

I liked Nurse Peggy, too.  

[sATL]

On 6/5/2021 at 1:53 AM, Maverick said:

 From a quick Google search I found this on the Mayberry Wiki:

After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. Griffith later admitted that it was his own fault. He often had a hard time showing affection on-screen and as a result, the relationship didn't appear real or believable.

 

 I don't recall any stories of Andy coming on to anyone on set (doesn't mean there aren't or it didn't happen) but I do remember hearing he could be short tempered behind the scenes and his attitude was part of what he and Frances Bavier had friction behind the scenes. 

Now I am confused.. A 25 minute airtime weekly comedy show filmed and set in the early 1960s, main characters are law enforcement, Rural North Carolina, single widowed dad, that lives with his aging aunt from a prior old-old school generation, and who has a sidekick never-married silly deputy..

Then there's a young, but highly educated pharmacist, who managed to land her 1st job , as the only/head pharmacist in her uncle's soda shop.  

Just how much romantic chemistry Donahue wanted to have, show and act out - in the show's 1st season?

What was Griffith's real-life relationship status at the time -long term married? That could be a part of why he wasn't believable to act like a love-stricken-leading man, as that was unnatural to him. Or maybe the real Mrs. Griffith put her foot down, on how much she wanted to see a  "Hollywood"   love-man in her real life.

With that said, I did prefer Ellie  to Helen, until later in the series. Took me longer to get used to Helen.

Edited June 7, 2021 by sATL

[BigBingerBro]

I watched an interview that Elinor Donahue did for the Television Academy Foundation and she said her personal life was a mess at the time as well which contributed to her leaving the show.

https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/elinor-donahue

[Gemma Violet]

The first-season episode about the stranger coming to town and knowing all about Mayberry played today (can't think of the name of it).  I wish I would have counted how many times Andy says "nary a bit" as in "I wouldn't blame you nary a bit..."  I'd guess at least six times if not more.  

[Browncoat]

If Aunt Bee knows what a good pickle tastes like (Clara's), why doesn't she know what a bad pickle tastes like?  And just how bad her own pickles are?

[chessiegal]

On 6/14/2021 at 6:06 PM, Browncoat said:

If Aunt Bee knows what a good pickle tastes like (Clara's), why doesn't she know what a bad pickle tastes like?  And just how bad her own pickles are?

Didn't Andy or Barnie say they tasted like kerosene? Or is my old brain making that up?

[Browncoat]

26 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Didn't Andy or Barnie say they tasted like kerosene? Or is my old brain making that up?

Not only did Andy and Barney say they tasted like kerosene, the judges at the fair said the same thing!  Seems like Aunt Bee might notice a thing like that.

[BigBingerBro]

I got the impression that Bee didn't actually eat the Karosene Cucumbers but she made them for Andy and Opie.  Why she never actually tried them is beyond me.

[Katy M]

5 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

I got the impression that Bee didn't actually eat the Karosene Cucumbers but she made them for Andy and Opie.  Why she never actually tried them is beyond me.

That would have made more sense to me if she just messed up that one batch. But, apparentl her pickles always tasted like crap.  Maybe she doesn't like pickles. But, then why make them?

[Browncoat]

I don't think she dislikes pickles.  She tasted and liked Clara's award-winning pickles, and she liked the store-bought pickles Andy and Barney replaced her bad home pickles with, but somehow never recognized that her pickles were bad.

[sATL]

On 6/6/2021 at 9:05 AM, sATL said:

Now I am confused.. A 25 minute airtime weekly comedy show filmed and set in the early 1960s, main characters are law enforcement, Rural North Carolina, single widowed dad, that lives with his aging aunt from a prior old-old school generation, and who has a sidekick never-married silly deputy..

Then there's a young, but highly educated pharmacist, who managed to land her 1st job , as the only/head pharmacist in her uncle's soda shop.  

Just how much romantic chemistry Donahue wanted to have, show and act out - in the show's 1st season?

What was Griffith's real-life relationship status at the time -long term married? That could be a part of why he wasn't believable to act like a love-stricken-leading man, as that was unnatural to him. Or maybe the real Mrs. Griffith put her foot down, on how much she wanted to see a  "Hollywood"   love-man in her real life.

With that said, I did prefer Ellie  to Helen, until later in the series. Took me longer to get used to Helen.

Back to this side conversation-episode "Ellie comes to Town" aired yesterday. I saw another point of why the relationship b/w Andy  and Ellie didn't come off quite right for an extended period of time. Andy while he notices her "toothy smile", he is about 10 yrs older than her, and it shows on screen. She fresh out of Barnard college  and he has a 6-7 year old son.

He seems more like a big brother, when looking at the two together. Maybe the producers should have chosen someone  who portrayed themselves as little older.

Still enjoyed the episode. 10 cent sugar pills w/ no script (Ellie really could have called her ailing uncle to clear up the matter sooner),  lady tries to steal them, everyone brings her heavy homecooked meals to soothe her make-up illnesses, and wind up getting a stomach ache. Then Ellie kinda uses Andy's words against him to get out of a parking ticket.😂

Edited June 24, 2021 by sATL

[Gemma Violet]

One thing I noticed on a Season 4 episode that aired this week:  Andy referred to himself as the 'sheriff of this county.'   Good to see them acknowledge that.  I always wondered why they portrayed Andy as being the sheriff of the town of Mayberry when towns normally have a chief of police, whereas counties have sheriffs.   

[sATL]

Just saw two back-to-back classics aired today that had me rolling , helping me forgot about the work day.

First episode where a dead man is alive, after telling the widow she had the best funeral the town ever saw.

 Second two long-time feuding fathers try to prevent a wedding. Andy's rendition of Romeo and Juliet made me want to pick up the cliff notes..

And after my tears dried up - no Barney in either episode.

 

[GHScorpiosRule]

10 minutes ago, sATL said:

Just saw two back-to-back classics aired today that had me rolling , helping me forgot about the work day.

First episode where a dead man is alive, after telling the widow she had the best funeral the town ever saw.

 Second two long-time feuding fathers try to prevent a wedding. Andy's rendition of Romeo and Juliet made me want to pick up the cliff notes..

And after my tears dried up - no Barney in either episode.

 

“Opie’s Charity” which we were talking about a few weeks ago. I love Andy’s take on Romeo and Juliet in the second one.

[Gemma Violet]

2 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

“Opie’s Charity” which we were talking about a few weeks ago. I

I love it when Andy says, "Opie, you never told me that's what you were going to do with the money," and Opie responds, "You never asked me." 🙂

[CrazyMoon]

If you can find Andy Griffith's comedy albums you will find these "interpretations" of classic stories....Romeo & Juliet, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, etc. They are hysterical. 

 

[Gemma Violet]

1 hour ago, icemiser69 said:

Andy never evolved, Barney didn't either.  That is a problem with this series and so many other comedies.  The characters don't evolve.  On occasion, by the end of an episode they may have learned something.  But, as soon as the next episode airs, they are back to their original level of ignorance. 

 

I think the character of Andy did evolve to a certain extent.  There's a Youtube channel I watch regarding old TV shows that spoke to this very thing.  I've always noticed that in the first season, Andy could be country-bumpkin-ish and silly, but later, not so much.  This Youtube guy thinks the first two seasons are that way and he avoids those two seasons.  I personally think that some of the best episodes are in the first two seasons so I enjoy watching them, but I see his point.  As time went on, Andy did sort of become more of a straight man to Barney and a serious and sensible character and not so much a country bumpkin. 

Here's the Youtube: 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_eXWt1_dfM

 

[GHScorpiosRule]

3 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

Andy never evolved, Barney didn't either.  That is a problem with this series and so many other comedies.  The characters don't evolve.  On occasion, by the end of an episode they may have learned something.  But, as soon as the next episode airs, they are back to their original level of ignorance. 

Andy expected the worst from Opie, and he may have admitted that he had jumped to conclusions about Opie's behavior on one ocassion, but that didn't stop him from doing the same thing in future episodes.

I disagree that Andy never evolved.

[GHScorpiosRule]

“Andy, The Marriage Counselor” is on right now!😂😂🤣😂😂😂

”Mornin’ Honeeeeeeey…Mornin’ Deeeeeeaar.”

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[Maverick]

 TV Land had the episode where Flora takes over the gas station and is a huge success, causing Goober to feel useless and quit.  

 Andy is such an ass.  His solution was to tell Flora some cockamamie story about a woman he knew who was very successful at business but couldn't get a man because she worked so hard.  Of course Flora decides she should go back to the diner so she doesn't end up an old maid.   Just.... shut the fick up Andy.   

[Browncoat]

The sexism was rampant in this show, and in that way, Andy never progressed.

[CrazyMoon]

 In 1967 sexism WAS rampant...TAGS was a show of it's time, nothing more. There are a few flashes of feminism (Helen saying she hoped to still be teaching after marriage, Aunt Bee learning to fly)...Where the show excelled for me was the relationship between Andy & Opie...

 

[sATL]

On 6/26/2021 at 7:37 AM, icemiser69 said:

Andy never evolved, Barney didn't either.  That is a problem with this series and so many other comedies.  The characters don't evolve.  On occasion, by the end of an episode they may have learned something.  But, as soon as the next episode airs, they are back to their original level of ignorance. 

Andy expected the worst from Opie, and he may have admitted that he had jumped to conclusions about Opie's behavior on one ocassion, but that didn't stop him from doing the same thing in future episodes.

Three's Company was that way for practically its entire run.  Their characters didn't evolve until the last few episodes of the series.

I read this Andy Griffith article.

I agree that Matlock was a much better character than Andy Taylor.  I know I am in the minority on that.   I think Matlock was a more rounded character.  He at least evolved a little bit over time, I don't think that can be said about Andy Taylor.

 

This analysis  explains why I never cared for Threes Company. John Ritter was better on the Waltons. And maybe why I enjoyed the two episodes of Andy I mentioned.  some comedy laughs/situations  get old. Seeing  two episodes without silly  Barney was refreshing.

What is the difference in a comedy and a sitcom? Reason I ask is there will be a special on CNN about the history of sitcoms on CNN 7/11/21 @ 9 pm EST. The little preview had actors ( mostly from current mainstream) singing a few bars from the opening theme song. Not sure if Andy will make the cut. But the opening whistling definitely leaves a mark on ones memory.  I was mostly surprised to see a couple of actors  ( from other sitcoms/comedies) still alive-at least when they filmed the special.

Edited July 5, 2021 by sATL

[CrazyMoon]

21 hours ago, sATL said:

 I was mostly surprised to see a couple of actors still alive-at least when they filmed the special.

The only original/regular cast member left is Ron Howard, who played Opie from age 5-14, he's now 67. Elinor Donahue (pharmacist Ellie Walker, season I) & Maggie Peterson (who played Charlene Darling Wash) are still living as is Rodney Dillard who played one of the "Darling Boys", playing guitar & singing leads.

 

[magicdog]

I happened to come across one of my favorite YT channels when the host spoke about some serious health issues bedeviling actress Maggie Peterson (best known as Charlene Darling) and her husband.  He's been suffering from Alzheimer's and Maggie was his caregiver, but she developed health troubles of her own.

Things have become so bad, her family set up a gofundme page to help!  

[Magnumfangirl]

On 7/3/2021 at 3:52 PM, CrazyMoon said:

The only original/regular cast member left is Ron Howard, who played Opie from age 5-14, he's now 67. Elinor Donahue (pharmacist Ellie Walker, season I) & Maggie Peterson (who played Charlene Darling Wash) are still living as is Rodney Dillard who played one of the "Darling Boys", playing guitar & singing leads.

 

Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou) is still with us.