Why wasn't Return to Mayberry aired on CBS? I've heard some said it was aired on ABC, and some said it aired on NBC. It would've made sense to have aired it on the same network that The Andy Griffith Show came on.
shareIt was NBC. And it had monster ratings. At the time it was one of the 10 highest rated tv movies ever, had like a 60 share.
This is just a guess, but I think the decision to run the movie on NBC was possibly due to CBS's decision in 1971 to discontinue any "Rural-oriented" shows.
shareIt might have been because Andy was getting ready to do Matlock on NBC the next season and this could have been away of building up to his return to television.
shareIt was on NBC and I guess whoever would pay the most to air it won.
share...Actually, ejarrebear, "Matlock" had already been on the air for two or three years prior to RTM...
shareActually, vinidiciX2...you are wrong. "Matlock" premiered a full five months and a week after the airing of "Return To Mayberry".
"You always have a choice"
Actually the Matlock pilot movie ran March 3rd 1986, the Return to Mayberry ran in April of '86. The Matlock series started in September of '86.
shareOf course, we're talking about the same network that gave the world "The Dukes of Hazzard" eight years later. :P
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I don't know one way or the other but I assume that this was done by a production company that sold it to an outlet.I assume that most shows are contracted out. I remember that when the anniversary of the show roots ABC made no plans to do a special. They weren't interested and saw no commercialvalue to the project. I think that some program was done and aired on another network.
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Not to mention that the network greenlit The Waltons even before The Dukes of Hazzard was even conceived.
shareThis was likely part of Andy's deal that landed him on "Matlock." So CBS would've been out of the loop all the way around.
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