FINALLY! MAYBERRY R.F.D. The Complete Series is going to be released DVD only on 6/13/2023 along with Night Court. Details below. (1 Viewer)

[ponset]

 

[Mr. Handley]

Just ordered my copy on Amazon. Looks like stock may be already running low.

 

[Harry-N]

With the Catchy Comedies binge running MAYBERRY RFD all weekend I happened to tune into a couple of these episodes. As I'm more of a casual ANDY GRIFFITH fan and was there for the original CBS runs of his show and MAYBERRY RFD, I found myself pretty unimpressed with the show in general from what I saw.

The usual trope is that THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW just wasn't the same after Don Knotts left - and the quick way to define that is to say that the color episodes just aren't as good. The writing - and acting - all took a hit when they went to color. And as I witnessed last night, the MAYBERRY episodes are really just a continuation of the not-so-great color ANDY GRIFFITH SHOWs.

Last night I stumbled into the episode where Andy and Helen's son was being Christened, and the four regular "clowns" were all trying to be the Godfather, acting stupid and falling all over each other with Andy standing there with disdain. I knows that he appeared in a few episodes, but was not the main focus. Another ep had a visiting female Russian come to study US farming. Naturally Sam and Milly were about to set her up as a date with someone. I fell asleep. When I awakened, son Mike was competing with a girl over their common birthday parties, a kid-centered episode. I was amused to see a very young Danny Bonaduce among the male kids.

Anyway, I don't think this series is for me - it was all a little too milquetoast-y for me - just a mindless way to kill a half hour. But I can surely understand those of you who have this as a Holy Grail show and am happy that you finally will be rewarded for your patience.

 

[Harry-N]

Question re Frances Bavier as Aunt Bee.

As I watched that Andy's Baby episode, I noticed an odd filming technique, where every time Aunt Bee was pictured in the church, she was all alone in the frame. In the longer shots, Ken Berry and Arlene Golonka (I think) were seated next to her in the pew, but we only saw Aunt Bee's flowered dress. I'm guessing that she was either ill or unavailable for the main filming, so they did some insert shots of her reacting in order to include her.

I'm forgetting just what happened to her and how they handled it on the series. And I can't find anything quickly through web searches to explain it. Did she fall ill and have to be replaced? Was it an announced thing on the show - I noticed a different housekeeper in a couple of other S2 episodes I peeked in on last night.

I think I recall Alice Ghostley replacing her as housekeeper at some point, yes?

 

[timk1041]

Question re Frances Bavier as Aunt Bee.

As I watched that Andy's Baby episode, I noticed an odd filming technique, where every time Aunt Bee was pictured in the church, she was all alone in the frame. In the longer shots, Ken Berry and Arlene Golonka (I think) were seated next to her in the pew, but we only saw Aunt Bee's flowered dress. I'm guessing that she was either ill or unavailable for the main filming, so they did some insert shots of her reacting in order to include her.

I'm forgetting just what happened to her and how they handled it on the series. And I can't find anything quickly through web searches to explain it. Did she fall ill and have to be replaced? Was it an announced thing on the show - I noticed a different housekeeper in a couple of other S2 episodes I peeked in on last night.

I think I recall Alice Ghostley replacing her as housekeeper at some point, yes?

Not sure if she left due to health reasons, but she did leave after the 2nd season of RFD and was replaced by Alice Ghostley in Season 3.

 

[Mr. Handley]

I recently watched Season 1 and while I agree that it's not even close to prime Andy Griffith Show territory, it does have its own quiet charms. A lot of it is pure nostalgia, as it's one of the first TV shows I remember watching as a young child. Looking forward to watching the rest of it this summer.

 

[Harry-N]

Not sure if she left due to health reasons, but she did leave after the 2nd season of RFD and was replaced by Alice Ghostley in Season 3.

Thanks. Do you know if it was mentioned within the show as part of the story (like Bea Benaderet's departure from PETTICOAT JUNCTION).

 

[sjbradford]

Frances Bavier was never a full time cast member on RFD. From what I could tell, she appeared in about two thirds of the episodes from the first two seasons, and her credit was removed from the intro for the episodes in which she didn’t appear. During season 1, I don’t recall them mentioning her absence when she wasn’t in an episode. During season 2, I remember Mike explaining that “Aunt Bee’s sister is sick” for a string of episodes where she wasn’t around. And in the third season, Sam said, “We’re sure gonna miss her” in the season premiere when asked about her.

 

[morasp]

I received the set this week and couldn't be happier. All of the episodes on the season 3 disc I sampled were over 25 minutes and the picture and sound were much better than the broadcast episodes I watched on MeTV and Catchy. I must be getting older but as far as the show itself I'm a big fan. The easy going small town slow pace is relaxing to me but not boring and it's fun to watch their take on rural America's response to the changing social movements of the late 60s and early 70s. At just over $0.50/episode it's good value theses days.

 

[RobertMG]

Not sure if she left due to health reasons, but she did leave after the 2nd season of RFD and was replaced by Alice Ghostley in Season 3.

There is an interview on line I posted where she is interviewed in N Carolina when she retired

 

[Ron Lee Green]

The easy going small town slow pace is relaxing to me but not boring and it's fun to watch their take on rural America's response to the changing social movements of the late 60s and early 70s.

I like Petticoat Junction for the same reason. Are you a fan of that show, too?

 

[morasp]

I like Petticoat Junction for the same reason. Are you a fan of that show, too?

definitely.

 

[Harry-N]

I tend to agree with both shows. I find them both passive entertainment that can result in some laughs - or at least smiles, and both without anything harsh or controversial. A decent way to spend a half-hour - although not something I would ever need on a DVD or Blu-ray.

 

[Tom St Jones]

Mayberry RFD was not a CBS production. Andy Griffith and his production partners produced it independently and contracted with Telepictures to distribute it in syndication. For the original Andy Griffith Show, I don’t know if CBS had an ownership stake or just got distribution rights to the reruns. But presumably they had more clout to dictate those terms to the producers in 1960 than they did in 1968 when Mayberry RFD premiered.

I think it’s somewhat akin to the Paul Henning shows. CBS coproduced both Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction and still has distribution rights. But CBS was not a production partner in Henning’s Green Acres, so they have never distributed it in syndication or on home video.

Hence why "Green Acres" was released on DVD by MGM ---whose Tv-on-DVD releases have run the gamut in terms of PQ --- and later by (MGM via) ShoutFactory in less--than stellar transfers, as opposed to CBS/Paramount who released pristine fully--remastered season sets of both "The Beverly Hillbillies" (first 5 seasons) and "Petticoat Junction" (first 3 seasons).

 

[Dan McW]

Mayberry RFD began doing something I think partway through season 3 that I've always liked in TV shows and movies--showing picture credits of the supporting cast in the end credits. I speculate that that was because only a couple or three people were credited at the beginning, and this was a way to highlight supporting players who usually appeared in every show but got relegated to the end credits.

Picture credits were used in the end credits by MTM Productions in their best-known sitcoms perhaps for the same reason--only one or two actors were credited at the beginning, and the supporting players and guest stars were highlighted in a special way at the end.

Like with Quinn Martin shows' guest-star shots at the beginning of episodes, picture credits at the end help me associate a name with a face.

 

[bmasters9]

Mayberry RFD began doing something I think partway through season 3 that I've always liked in TV shows and movies--showing picture credits of the supporting cast in the end credits. I speculate that that was because only a couple or three people were credited at the beginning, and this was a way to highlight supporting players who usually appeared in every show but got relegated to the end credits.

Picture credits were used in the end credits by MTM Productions in their best-known sitcoms perhaps for the same reason--only one or two actors were credited at the beginning, and the supporting players and guest stars were highlighted in a special way at the end.

Like with Quinn Martin shows' guest-star shots at the beginning of episodes, picture credits at the end help me associate a name with a face.

And Taxi from Paramount Television (on ABC from 1978-82, NBC for 1982-83) did the same thing-- here is a third-season (1980-81) end title clip to illustrate:

 

[jayembee]

Like with Quinn Martin shows' guest-star shots at the beginning of episodes, picture credits at the end help me associate a name with a face.

The other way that the QM helped was in the voice-over letting you know how the actor's name is pronounced. If it wasn't for that, I'd never had guessed that Alf Kjellin's surname was pronounced "Shell-een" (as I much later discovered would be the correct pronunciation in Swedish).

 

[MartinP.]

^^^

Although, and I can't remember the name, earlier this year when I was watching 12 O'Clock High on Amazon Prime, there was a guest star who appeared in (at least) two episodes, different roles, and each time in the credits I noticed his name was pronounced differently.

By the way, Alf Kjellin was in a two-parter and a third episode later on.

 

[Dan McW]

I've heard Ramon Bieri's first name pronounced two different ways by QM announcers. His last name is "beer-eye," but one announcer said his first name like "RAY-muhn" and one like "RAY-mahn."

 

[Harry-N]

The announcer on BARNABY JONES changed the way he pronounced Lee Meriwether slightly over the years. Some of the time he said "merry-weather". other times it was more "merr-uh-wether".