When the “The Andy Griffith Show” debuted, its creators had no idea it would have a monumental impact on the entertainment industry.
The show followed a group of easy-to-love characters that made audiences appreciate the joys and simple nature of country life.
Unbeknownst to the creators, “The Andy Griffith Show” was a refuge for people in rural America. Finally, rural Americans could turn on their televisions and see their lives represented in the characters such as Andy, Barney, and the other Mayberry townspeople.
Furthermore, “The Andy Griffith Show” kicked off a television trend in the ’60s and ’70s. Similar sitcoms took the industry by storm in a movement called the “rural revolution.”
Shows such as “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Petticoat Junction” followed a similar model to the “The Andy Griffith Show.” With their southern accents and small-town problems, the show couldn’t have been more different from other sitcoms.
“The Andy Griffith Show” Reflected on By Andy Griffith
Before his death in 2012, the Television Academy Foundation interviewed Andy Griffith about his decades-long career. In the clip, Griffith revealed, he and the creators weren’t focused on creating a ground-breaking show. Rather, they just wanted to make good tv.
“We didn’t know that when we started it that it was going to last that long or influence so many people, Griffith said. “We were just trying to do a good show.”
When the creators laid down the blueprint, they knew Andy Griffith would be the perfect person to play Andy Taylor. Audiences already knew him for his roles on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” A Face in the Crowd, and No Time for Sergeants.
While some may argue the show lacks cosmopolitan sophistication, you can’t argue with the fact that its influence was colossal. The show remains an enduring favorite among all generations, and fans can travel back to Mayberry in its syndicated episodes.
