Neal Brower - Mayberry 101: Behind the Scenes of a TV Classic

M AYBERRY 101

BEHIND THE SCENES
OF A TV CLASSIC

JOHN F. BLAIR, PUBLISHER

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

Copyright 1998 by Neal Brower

Printed in the United States of America

All Rights Reserved

Seventh Printing

DESIGN BY DEBRA LONG HAMPTON

COVER DESIGN BY LIZA LANGRALL

The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence
and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines
for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Brower, Neal, 1954

Mayberry 101 : behind the scenes of a TV classic / by Neal Brower.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 13: 978-0-89587-218-0

ISBN 10: 0-89587-218-8

1. Andy Griffith show (Television program) I. Title.

PN1992.77.A573B76 1998

791.45'72dc21 9828733

For Toni and Keaton

May our lives together be full of days as happy as time spent in Mayberry and nights as serene as an evening on Andys front porch.

CONTENTS

Barney Fife had it right. Its big!

After spending every season in the Nielsens Top Ten, The Andy Griffith Show was the Number One show in prime-time television when Andy Griffith decided that eight years was enough in 1968.

But eight wasnt enough for the rest of us. By the millions, we have continued to watch this wonderful show every week in reruns. (O.K., for many of us, its often several times every day, but I didnt want you to think I was some kind of a compelsion nut.) I wonder what causes that?

Indeed, what does cause that? As Presiding Goober of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC) for nearly two decades, Ive participated in many discussions and received thousands of letters from fans about why The Andy Griffith Show remains so popular.

Some folks speculate that its the shows nostalgiathat people yearn for a simpler time that maybe never was. Mayberry provides a happy, thirty-minute escape from the difficulties of the real world, they say.

Others say that they think the shows appeal is its wholesomenessthat its a show the entire family can watch together without being concerned about inappropriate language, violence, or sexual situations. (Parents often tell me that when they encounter a challenging parenting situation, they ask themselves, What would Andy do?)

I agree that the shows warm nostalgia and gentle wholesomeness are parts of its allure. But we wouldnt be watching the same episodes over and over if they were just nostalgic and merely wholesome. Theres something else at work.

I believe what has made The Andy Griffith Show an evergreen of popularity in reruns is that it is truly outstanding storytelling. The high quality of all aspects of the shows production rarely has been equaled (and, to my mind, never surpassed) in all of television. It is that superior craftsmanship that has allowed the show to stand the test of time through generations.

Ive never watched a finer ensemble of actors. Just think of all of those fabulous characters. Why, theyre so real that they could be our neighbors and best friends. And behind every one of those characters was a marvelous actor at work. Youll find similar genius in the shows music and its artful direction. The entire production, quite simply, was done with extraordinary skill.

We should salute executive producer Sheldon Leonard for putting together the winning creative team behind it all. With writer/producer Aaron Ruben (and later Bob Ross) as the head coach, the writers seldom came up with a play that didnt work. And with Andy Griffith as the star quarterback, the talented team rarely fumbled.

Whenever I watch episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, I am awestruck by the utter brilliance of the writing. I would consider my career as a writer to be a success if I were to come up with just one turn of phrase as good as any line in Harvey Bullocks The Pickle Story or Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzells Convicts at Large or Bill Idelson and Sam Bobricks The Shoplifters. (One need only look at how many of the names of the thousand-plus chapters of TAGSRWC are inspired by references and dialogue from just these three episodes to know that many other fans share this enchantment.)

And so it is that Neal Brower has prudently organized this books discussion around the writers. By doing so, he gives the reader an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of each of the episodes written by three of the best writing teams in the history ofwell, in history.

Just as scientists use the Hubble Telescope to see back to the birth of the universe, Mayberry 101 is our humble time machine for catching a glimpse of each episodes own Big Bang (and no, thats not just the sound that inevitably occurs when Barney fails to keep his bullet in his left shirt pocket).

On just about every page of this book, youll learn about fascinating things that youve never noticed beforeeven if youve seen a particular episode fifty or a hundred times. (Its O.K. to admit that youve seen episodes that many times. Youre among fellow Goobers now.) Neals thoughtful examinations of each episode will bring new depth and perspective to how you watch an episode. Youre guaranteed to have a better understanding of how the episodes were conceived and produced.

Whether youve watched The Andy Griffith Show all of your life or are just starting to watch it, the information and insights in this book are sure to enrich your enjoyment and appreciation of watching the show.

Mayberry 101 is a dream come true for those of us who, since 1991, have enjoyed Neals regular column for The Bullet (thats the official newsletter of TAGSRWC) or who have had the pleasure of attending sessions of his 10-week continuing education course on the show. And even if this is your first exposure to Neals discussions of Mayberry, youll find that his deep passion for The Andy Griffith Show is highly contagious! (Its what you might call Mayberry Fever, and if youve read this far, youve probably already got it.)

Were all entertained by The Andy Griffith Show. We know why its enjoyable to watch. We know why its funny. Now we have Mayberry 101 to help us discover some of the mysteries and mechanics of how it was that The Andy Griffith Show became what many of us consider to be the greatest show on earth.

If only all homework was this much fun!

Jim Clark

The address for The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club is:

9 Music Square South

Suite 146

Nashville, Tennessee 37203-3203

My thanks go out to everyone who helped make this book possible: Jeanne Swanner Robertson for giving me the pep talk that finally convinced me I should and could write this book; Jim Clark for helping me make contacts, providing pictures, writing the foreword, and allowing me to share my interest in The Andy Griffith Show with other fans through my column in The Bullet; Jim Ballance, who was my traveling companion to California and prepared the books index; Don Teague, who provided a listening ear throughout the writing process; and The Barney Chapter of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club for their friendship and mutual love of Mayberry.

Thanks to John F. Blair, Publisher, for taking an interest in this project. A special thank you is due Carolyn Sakowski. She was my editor. Her comments were gentle and wise and made the book better.