Down the Fishing Hole

         When I used to work for broadcasting back in college, there were several shows I enjoyed during prime time. I will define prime time as from 8 pm to midnight. This block contained classics such as I Love Lucy, My Three Sons, Perry Mason, etc. There were enough of them that it was impossible to fit them all into a 4-hour block.

         There was one show that always appeared in the 11:30 pm spot. That was The Andy Griffith Show. Due to this time slot, the details were often fuzzy to me. It was not because it was a bad show, but rather the transition into the next broadcasting day required more attention. But, the opening of The Andy Griffith Show was memorable.

         The full version of the opening was over 2 minutes long. Well, there were lyrics to that theme song as well. I didn't know any of that while I worked in college.

         The premise of the show revolves around Andy Griffith, who played himself. The show portrayed the slice of life of a small-town sheriff raising his son as a widower. The show often framed him as the only "sane man" in the community.

         Of course, this show is supposed to be a comedy, so the townsfolks were more like goofballs than malicious actors. The chief source of entertainment often came from Barney (played by Don Knotts), who was Andy's deputy.

         All of that aside, the most notable thing about Andy Griffith's character I could remember was this: he was a sheriff without a gun. It seemed counterintuitive for his profession, especially in America. But, he was a man respected by the community, and the setting for the show is fiction.

         Overall, The Andy Griffith Show was a family-friendly production that ran for eight seasons. The show started in black and white back in 1960 and eventually in color in 1965. I have never seen any of the colorized episodes. I might revisit the series at some point. It is available on YouTube, so it's not too difficult to access anyhow.