MovieChat Forums > Mayberry R.F.D. (1968) Discussion > how did a great show go down so fast

how did a great show go down so fast

posted 14 years ago by doodlkatz-1
14 replies | jump to latest

if the producers of TAGS had any brains they would have shut the show down when Don Knotts left and I guess had Knotts thought ahead he would have never left. When he left & the show went to color the all the humor seemed to vanish. The last year or so of TAGS and the entire run of rfd ,the show was just not any good. Howard was an annoying sissy ,Goober was an idiot and Sam was as bland and boring as any character on any tv show ever made they should have quit while they were ahead. Color TAGS & rfd classic example of "jumping the shark" rfd=real freaking disaster

the more people I meet, the more I prefer the company of my cats

[–] kwo_bubba 13 years ago

While I would agree that the show went downhill after Knotts left, I don't think it was a disaster. I think a lot of what contributed to its downward slope also was because of the other characters that disappeared when it went to color. The Darlings, Ernest T Bass, Otis (who disappeared after the first color season), and Floyd. Also, being in color, Mayberry seemed to lose some of its magic. Although I used to avoid the color episodes, I've since come to appreciate them a bit more, and have enjoyed RFD as well. Even though its a different Mayberry, its still Mayberry. I purchased an RFD set a couple years ago, after having not seen them in years, and was a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed them. The first episode featured Andy and Helen's wedding, and some of Barney's funniest moments, so that alone made it worth watching.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] kwo_bubba 13 years ago

Yeah, I thought they should have kept Warren around too. Andy did seem much more short tempered. I'm not sure why. It could be that it just seems worse in the color episodes because he didn't have the comic relief of Knotts to play off of. I have heard that Jerry Van Dyke was considered for Knotts's replacement as well. He guest starred in one of the later season 5 episodes. Why he wasn't given the part, I dunno. He was pretty funny, and might have worked out well.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] kwo_bubba 13 years ago

Come to think of it, I think the show you're referring to with Jerry Van Dyke is why he didn't take the Andy Griffith show part. As for Warren, I agree, he would've added at least some comedy relief in the place the deputy. I think I had read somewhere that the scripts he was in, were actually written for Knotts before they knew he was leaving. Of course, I'm sure they were reworked some to fit Burn's style.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] eloiseockertt 8 years ago

I did.not like Warrens character thought Barney was a better fit.

[–] daryavaush 13 years ago

I wish this series was available on DVD!

But like the later seasons of "The Andy Griffith Show", "Mayberry RFD" also explored social issues of the day (the most relevant one I can think of is when Goober's brother Braden comes to visit him; his family originally wanted Braden to get involved in the garbage business after he got out from the military but instead Braden got a job as an aerospace engineer. Very reminiscent of Hollinghead's study on class division and social mobility)

[–] hifijohn 9 years ago

you're right about howard being an annoying sissy, hes fine in a few episodes in a very minor role but to base so many episodes around him was a bad idea.

[–] matt_oshkosh 8 years ago

While Don Knotts and the Barney Fife character were very good, I really don't get all the "Barney Love". I think that most of the better episodes of TAGS were in color sans Barney.

[–] eloiseockertt 8 years ago

Howard always came on like that a Mamas Boy even after Mom was marrisd and left. Goobef was always stumbling around like as you say an 'idiot,'but he was a fun character...
Do fans realize this showwas a sitcom?
Geesh..

[–] eloiseockertt 8 years ago

Yes Zam was bland as well always bland. Whoever told Ken Berry he could act?

[–] eloiseockertt 8 years ago

Apologize but you all get my drift?

[–] eloiseockertt 8 years ago

For the.misspellings...