Quote:
Originally Posted by Stewie
It's a curious question.
The series was shot with one camera for at least the first five years. Can you imagine all the shots and continuity it took to put that show together?
Rance Howard (Ron's father) put the kibosh on Opie being smarter than the adults. "That's not real life." The first two episodes show Opie being smart beyond his years. That changed immediately. Too bad the premise of smart kids vs. stupid adults still lives today.
Andy refused to shoot the series in front of a live audience. He said there's no need and it screws up timing. (See Ed O'neill's abhorrence to shooting in front of a live audience in Married with Children).
Most of the main actors were college graduates. That was an oddity in 1960.
Andy Griffith: Grad of North Carolina University (started as a HS teacher)
Don Knotts: Graduate of West Virginia University
Jim Nabors: Grad of Alabama University (1st job editing news video)
George Lindsey: Grad of Alabama University (HS Chemistry teacher)
Ron Howard: Attended USC, didn't graduate. Probably too rich at that point.
Frances Bavier: Tell me a woman born in 1905 that graduated college.
Bob Newhart took Andy Griffith's advice about "smart" kids in a TV show. Newhart never had any kids in any of his series, ever.
If you look at the influence of that show it's quite amazing. From writers, producers, directors and actors there's nothing that compares. Who knew this show (that barely made it on the air) would give us so many great artists.
Who knew?
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So it changed TV by not having "too-smart" kids and not having a studio audience? Since those things existed prior to Andy Griffith and persisted decades after the show, I guess it didn't change TV.