Houston Mitchell.
Why do you think classic shows like Andy Griffith and MASH play endlessly in syndication and had strong DVD sales and classic shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show And The Bob Newhart Show struggle to find an audience?
First off, they’re timeless. THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW is set in small town America where the wardrobe is somewhat generic.
MASH is a period piece set in the army so the wardrobe is standard military. (We had a costume director who would get so uptight whenever we asked for something specific and we would think to ourselves: “you have the easiest job in Hollywood. Everyone wears the same thing every episode.”)
THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW and THE BOB NEWHART SHOW look dated. You’re not hearing the jokes. You’re saying, “Look at how wide that tie is,” and “Check out those bell bottoms.”
They were smart sophisticated shows of their time and if you’re a student of television you’ll find that the content, for the most part, still holds up beautifully. Unlike MURPHY BROWN which relied on political references of the day, both MARY TYLER MOORE and BOB NEWHART were about relationships with sharp writing and jokes that are still funny today.
I believe the appeal of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW is nostalgia for a time in America that unfortunately is lost. It was a much kinder, gentler America. We cared for each other. We valued decency — all of us.
MASH also celebrates humanity. And each episode is so packed with jokes and stories and texture that you can watch the same episode repeatedly and still find new things each time.
MASH was also unique. It was built on an existential dilemma. Doctors were trying to save lives in an environment where the goal was to kill as many people as possible. You don’t get that with THE BOB NEWHART SHOW (but maybe RHODA).
I also feel MASH’S themes resonate. Anti-war, inclusion, tolerance, and maybe service to the country. No one wanted to be in Korea but they served. Protecting the United States and Democracy was important. Here too is nostalgia. We long for a time when Democracy was cherished.
What’s sad is this: Frank Burns was a buffoon, and the big complaint was that no one would be that clueless. And now we find this country is filled with millions of Frank Burns. Worse than Frank Burns. Even Frank Burns would take the vaccine. Where are the Sherman Potters to put Frank Burns in his place?
Anyway, those are my thoughts. What are yours as to why those two shows remain so popular decade after decade? And please, keep watching. Those $.02 residuals are a great buffer against inflation.
from By Ken Levine
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