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Ernest T. Bass: Why the mountain madman was only in a few episodes
An Ernest T-spoon was plenty!
The Andy Griffith Show was never afraid to try something new. Luckily, in the 1960s, television shows were allowed to be patient and develop into something great. Nowadays, if a show doesn't connect immediately, it risks cancellation. However, The Andy Griffith Show was given the time to mature throughout its first two seasons. While Sheriff Taylor's character began as more of a caricature, the creators and star later grew to realize the perfect way to present him. Andy wasn't meant to be the comedic relief; he was the voice of reason off of whom the wackier characters bounced.
Because the show had 30+ episodes per season, a sort of trial and error took place, making the show the best it could be. Ellie Walker was axed. Opie was given more stories. And when characters like Gomer Pyle connected with audiences, they were given space to highlight what was special about them.
That tinkerer's spirit guided The Andy Griffith Show's best seasons. It was as if scientists were working hard in a lab, finding the perfect formula for sitcom excellence.
With some of the show's more eccentric characters, the creators found truth in the adage that "less is more."
Ernest T. Bass, the rock-throwing menace, would descend from the mountains to wreak havoc on Mayberry. But he never became a proper Mayberry fixture. Instead, the character was used sparingly, appearing in only five of the show's 249 episodes. Lest we consider this a mistake, series producer Sheldon Leonard set the record straight in Richard Michael Kelly's 1981 book The Andy Griffith Show.
Leonard described Ernest T. as "a mad kind of hillbilly character who was very funny but who had to be used very sparingly because of his exotic, eccentric nature. Like too much garlic, he would become a liability rather than an asset."
As any ingredient could overpower a dish, Howard Morris's performance risked overshadowing his costars. So, he was only seen onscreen occasionally, because too much of a good thing— even Ernest T. Bass— risks spoiling the stew!
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