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Andy Griffith on his show's most enduring and endearing quality: ''kindness comes through''
The Golden Rule made for a ratings smash!
If you think back, chances are that while growing up, you may have heard about the so-called "golden rule." This rule of thumb dictated that we should, each of us, treat others the way we'd like to be treated. It's a great code of conduct in any of life's junctures and serves users well wherever they are.
It seems like Mayberry residents were nearly all practitioners of this golden rule, as many of the show's characters lead first with being nice. This wasn't mere coincidence, as this sense of kindness was core to The Andy Griffith Show from the beginning. It was a north star for a show that struggled in its first season to establish a distinct identity.
In a 1965 interview, Andy Griffith was asked about his show's durability. The answer he gave The New York Times' George Gent reveals that the actor understood, inherently, what would set his show apart for years to come.
"I think it is because we — everyone on the show — have a real sense of community, of kindness toward one another," Griffith said.
"The basic rule by which we live comes through on the program, kindness comes through. The show also has a number of featured performers, each with a definite character we can write around for any episode. But equally important is the character of Mayberry itself. We try to make it a real little community with its small problems and those of its people put forth comedically."
So, while people continue to praise the show's writing, and we all remember how funny the characters were, the true connective thread that has kept The Andy Griffith Show relevant across the decades is this sense of kindness.
Especially compared to other, more modern shows, The Andy Griffith Show is a great example of a program where the plot doesn't put its characters at constant odds. Stories need conflict, and today a lot of writers think that means the main cast of a show needs to fight and dislike each other. The Andy Griffith Show proves that we'll tune in for exciting episodes where everybody still gets along the whole time.
Watch The Andy Griffith Show on MeTV!
Weeknights at 8 & 8:30, Sundays at 12 & 6 PM
*available in most MeTV markets
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