The Reason The Andy Griffith Show Could Never Be Made Today And Its Not Why You Think
The Andy Griffith Show isn’t one of my favorite television shows, but I have deep respect for the shows, the actors, and the legions of rabidly loyal fans (here’s looking at you Daryl). It represents not only a different time and place in American culture but also a time when entertainment choices were different. After my friend Sharon and I began discussing It Happened One Night, the Andy Griffith Show was mentioned. That’s when she mentioned something that started me on the path to the shocking realization they could never make the show today.
Sharon — and most people I know — have seen many more episodes than I have, but even I recognized the validity of the subject she mentioned: the absence of Sherrif Andy Taylor’s first wife, Opie’s mother. A little Internet research revealed that her backstory was revealed on a “backdoor pilot episode from The Danny Thomas Show.” (Thank you Wikipedia.) Evidently she had died when Opie was a mere infant, probably right after his birth. But her absence from the rest of the show backs up my theory the Andy Griffith Show could never be made today, since I believe today’s writers could not let her rest in peace.
That single fact — a dead wife and mother — would change the tenor of the entire show. Think about it: a law enforcement officer whose wife had died. Anyone who’s seen the pilot for Supernatural knows how important this element plays in the plot. My hypothesis is that in the day of intricate subplots that we live in, no self respecting writer could leave a dead wife resting in peace. And however they took that story I firmly believe it would end only in rival motorcycle gangs shooting it out in downtown Mayberry.
In conclusion, I’m a huge fan of today’s television writing. I believe the intricate plots and subplots — just look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe — have created the greatest storytelling since the Bible. But I also have a deep respect, appreciation, and even affection for programming like The Andy Griffith Show. And its sad that shows like that — even if they were made — would have a very hard time competing in today’s labyrinthine plotlines.