Richard Kelly elaborates on the involvement of all of the cast, Andy in particular, in avoiding any comedy based on snappy, forgettable one liners. The crew recognized that any show so produced is doomed to failure; it's just impossible for any writer to continually churn out pithy, timely punch lines. The human condition, conversely, provides unlimited material.
The series clearly evolved over time. The first episode set the stage by explaining how Aunt Bee came to live with Andy and Opie. The absence of Opie's mother was never explained, in fact the mother wasn't even mentioned the first couple of seasons. The second episode aired tonight on TV Land. "Manhunt" developed the characters by showing the practical wisdom of the small town sheriff. Despite extreme condescension by the state police, Andy traps an escaped convict into using his boat, knowing that the boat has a leak. When the boat sinks, Andy and the state police capture the convict without firing a shot. This episode includes two outstanding character actors, Ken Lynch and Cheerio Meredith.
Andy thus becomes a real person, unlike the lead characters on Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Adams Family, The Munsters, or Jerry Seinfeld.
My favorite episodes: Dogs, Dogs, Dogs; Man in a Hurry; Opie the Birdman. More on these later.
Opie's mother ran shine out of Mount Pilot before taking up with a mulatto trombone player. She dropped Opie off with Andy on her way to New Orleans. There she became pregnant and delivered Opie's half brother, Opinius. Aunt Bee was a hideous distant relative from Connecticut who tried in vain to cure Opie and Andy from speaking in a Southern dialect. She was later crushed by a load of huckleberries. No one came to the funeral.
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ReplyDeleteMrs. Taras insisted the other night that we watch the latest installment in terror; "Real Housewives of New York." It's ghastly. These are some of the worst human beings alive and make watching one of those "life in prison" documentaries seem like Barney and Friends. Horrible.
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