Shark Bytes

I am sooooooooo glad someone pointed out this obsession fundies have with this show.

In the color episodes, I notice not only does Andy lose much of his accent, but he and Goober seem to be the only ones in the whole town with anything closely resembling a southern drawl. Everybody sounds like they just came from up North. Strangely enough, I believe this show was at #1 in the Nielsons, or close to it, in it's last - and worst - season. Go figure.

Another thing I liked better about the earlier episodes - all the funny cameo characters - farmers/moonshiners living outside of town, guys sitting around playing checkers, the 2 mayors, etc. It really had that southern, small town feel to it. The B&W episodes are a true delight to watch over and over.

I grew up watching the TAGS, and it was one of my mother's favorite shows. When I grew up I still watched many of the episodes and enjoyed them. I do think the early episodes are far superior in terms of writing and comedy.
Then I moved below the Mason-Dixon line.
People here take this show WAAAAAAAY more seriously than what was intended. Preachers down here actually teach Sunday School lessons and preach sermons based on the show (not making that up). One church meets every Wednesday night to watch TAGS and connect the episodes with passages of the Bible. Fundamentalist christianity is OBSESSED with the show. They really honestly believe it portrays reality. Don't get me wrong, I am a Christian and I believe in conservative values. But this borders on the psychotic.

The show should have ended with the b&w episodes: a double ceremony, with Barney and Thelma Lou moving to the big city, Andy marrying Helen and staying in Mayberry. The color episodes weren't funny in the least: Opie's rock and roll band, Howard's pad, Warren has ESP, Goober and his talking dog, the list goes on. Helen was an absolute bitch, and Andy lost all of his original Southern charm.

I was watching the Andy Griffith show recently in color and just wish Andy could have realized at the time - "You look like you hate being there!" & it shows on camera! - didn't he watch his own show and see his pained expressions? I know he didnt realize we'd be watching this show for the next 45 - 50 years but seriously you signed on for the show and it has your name on it.

I know when Barney/Don Knotts left it of course went downhill, but there were a few b/w episodes that Barney wasnt in that were still good - the one where Floyd pretends to be a rich widow & Andy pretends to be his son to fool a conniving "rich" widow is one that comes to mind, so of course when Barney left it went jts but they could have still put funny shows on.

The show JTS when even Andy got tired of it. You could tell every time he wined and said "Oh come on" every time the family wanted to do something.

To tell you the truth I always thought Aunt Bee was nasty and a pain in the rump. No wonder she wasn't married.

I too would have liked to see the 'lost episodes' with Andy and Charlene. But when the Fun Girls were on, wasn't Barney's girl, Dafney, much better looking than Andy's girl, "Hi Doll!" This is the second case of a second banana Barney in a sit-com getting the better looking girl. The first one was Barney Rubble of the Flintstones. I thought Betty was much better looking than Wilma.
Folks, I have way too much time on my hands. I think I'll nip it in the bud!

Has anyone else noticed that when the show became color, Andy lost his southern accent? He suddently started talking proper. I hate those shows. He wasn't the same country, wise sherrif as in the older shows.

Aunt Bee got nastier than ever in COLOR !

To Otis:

Having Andy Taylor meet the Beverly Hill Billies would have been one hell of a lot better than how the show was at the point it ended.
I know what you mean and it would have taken some care to avoid what you are getting at, but it could have opened good story lines.
So, I'll repeat, having Andy with Charlene would have been infinitely better than having him with Helen Crump. You know, even that name suggests a blah individual.

I still go ahead and watch some of the color episodes with the same dynamic as looking at a car wreck. I know it's going to be so bad that I have to look anyway. It's like some of them are so bad they become good. Make sense? (Probably not.)

What are you smoking? Andy and Charlene Darling would have been Andy Taylor meets the Beverly Hillbillies ever week. Of course that show sucked. Andy hates those Huge Jethros so I don't know why he'd shack up with one. Enerst T Bass and Gober have a realationship would be funnier and more likely.

To Sherman.
I agree and stated so in an older post. The writers should have let Andy and Charlene Darling become a couple. A lot of good story lines could have been realized. Maybe the best of which would have been putting Helen on the next bus out of town. Let Raleigh or Mt. Pilot have her. Helen had the personality of the Wicked Witch in OZ

Never in the history of television sitcoms has there been so clear a delineation between classic television and contrived sitcom. Watching the color vs black and white episodes is like watching two different TV shows. The main appeal of the Andy Griffith Show was the obvious chemistry between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. When somebody decided to replace multi-faceted Barney Fife with a one-note character like Deputy Warren, they clearly "Jumped The Shark".