I don't watch the Andy Griffith Show past season 3. I have watched nearly all the episodes at one time or another. I never cared for the eipodes that were in color. Warren was plum awful and when Opie grew up he changed into someone I didn't care much for.
I'm an 'Old School' Andy Griffth Show fella. The 'Christmas' Episode is Mayberry to me. I liked Ellie. I liked Barney--to bad Thelma Lou wasn't cast as his girlfriend by then. Thelma Lou made the show, too.
But what about Andy Griffith? Andy's character was good up until Barney left the show. He and Barney made a good team. But when Barney left the show and moved to Raleigh...that was a sad day in Mayberry.
In reality Don Knotts was told the show wasn't going to carry on to a new season so he signed on to start making movies. The show ended up carrying on. I always joke around and say: "Andy Griffith got jealous because Don Knotts was the star and he came up with a lie to run Don Knotts off."
Without Barney, Mayberry suffered. Without Thelma Lou Mayberry suffered. When Floyd's barberyshop was changed into the repair shop Mayberry suffered.
In my opinion Warren, Howard and Helen were not able to replace the quaility of Barney, Thelma Lou and Floyd. Maybe some people like the colored episodes?
I think what appealed to many, including myself, was how Mayberry was portrayed in the early episodes. A simple, cozy, small town that rarely had any serious crime problems. A place where children could play outside and family dinners mattered. A place where Barney could keep law and order in how own silly way with Andy keeping everything in tact. A family town.
There are no Mayberry's today and many of us return back to the Andy Griffith Show to find Mayberry and say hello to our old friends. In my mind Barney never left Mayberry and the 'Christmas' Episode is how Mayberry stayed forever.
Does anyone else feel this way? Or do you think the show carried on good without Don Knotts?
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