When network presidents announce their fall television schedules later this month, note how many series are reboots of old franchises.
Like “Matlock,” which has been successful on CBS, they tap into a proven concept and give audiences a way in.
But producers would be smart to go a bit further – look at the 1960s series that pulled families together after dinner. The trend continued into the 1980s and ‘90s, but those ‘60s shows had a certain allure.
In reruns, “The Andy Griffith Show” is a truth teller. It may seem like a laconic sitcom with classic characters, but it’s a behavior lesson that has resonance.
Sheriff Andy Taylor showed son Opie (and deputy Barney Fife) how to treat others. He had a way with elected officials and put the Mayberry mayor in his place more than once. Andy was the kind of “adult in the room” we could use today.
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Watch an episode, and you’ll be surprised at how much you learn from Andy Griffith’s low-key approach. He’s not someone screaming to be heard. He’s a quiet force in a world filled with noisemakers.
A return to Mayberry? It’s time.
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Bruce Miller, former editor of the Sioux City Journal, has covered entertainment for more than 40 years.
Bruce Miller
Entertainment writer
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