Two Chairs No Waiting

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Host: Allan Newsome
Running time: 0:15:48

Two Chairs No Waiting

The time between Christmas and New Year is normally a very slow time for podcast listeners so I thought I’d focus on something that you might enjoy but that isn’t part of Mayberry.

The NEW Andy Griffith Show debuted January 8, 1971 and was Andy Sawyer rather than our beloved Andy Taylor.  This was Andy’s second try at returning to television after leaving The Andy Griffith Show/Mayberry R.F.D.

The first being “The Headmaster,” a half-hour drama from the fall of 1970 where Andy played the character Andy Thompson and was headmaster of a prestigious private school located in California. Headmaster ran until January 1, 1971 and was cancelled.

One week later, Andy Sawyer appeared as the focus of The NEW Andy Griffith Show. Sawyer was a man returning home to Greenwood following time spent in state government.  The mayor of Greenwood was retiring and the town wanted Sawyer to return to be the mayor. Andy Sawyer has 2 children and a wife named Lee played by Lee Meriwether.

The pilot episode was written, produced and created by Aaron Ruben how had lead the creation of the first five years of The Andy Griffith Show.  Andy Griffith also brought in Lee Phillips, who had been the director for most of the last two seasons of The Andy Griffith Show, to direct the pilot and Earl Hagen to create the theme song and music for the NEW show.

To kick off the first eisode, they also brought in George Lindsey as Goober Pyle and Paul Hartman as Emmett Clark both of whom were currently a part of Mayberry, R.F.D.  This was confusing because it was Andy “Sawyer” and not Andy “Taylor” yet the two of them knew Sawyer like they were old friends.

Emmett and Goober has traveled to Greenwood to ask Sawyer to try to have the city rezone some land they wanted to use to start a business.

Don Knotts showed up as “an old friend” on that pilot episode as well. It was a nice scene between Griffith and Knotts but one could only wish it was Fife and Taylor rather than Sawyer and “old friend.”

The show was cancelled on May 21, 1971. This was the same year that Mayberry, R.F.D. went off the air and was the first time in eleven years that some form of Mayberry was not on CBS on Monday nights.

Don’t forget to leave comments or ask questions on the Mayberry.com/podcasts website or using the contact information given in the podcast. We’d love to have you be a part of our next feedback episode.

Related Links:

• Mayberry R.I.P. – TVParty.com has a wonderful history of The Andy Griffith Show and all that followed.  Drop by for a look at the several pages of information and a nice history lesson.
• The New Andy Griffith Show – Wikipedia’s entry on The New Andy Griffith Show is a situation comedy broadcast in the United States by the CBS television network in 1971.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Host: Allan Newsome
Running time: 0:12:01

Two Chairs No Waiting

Christmas time is here so I thought I’d discuss the one and only Christmas episode of The Andy Griffith Show.

“Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board?” Chapter member, Janet brought to our attention recently an inconsistency in the Christmas episode that I’d never noticed so I thought I’d share it with you.  You’ll want visit the Photos link over on our Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/twochairs) to see screen shots of the things I’m talking about in this episode when you have a chance. The magical card switch is easy to see (time 1:51 into episode on season DVD) when you watch the episode so pay attention when you watch the episode this Christmas.

Since next week is Christmas week, I’m going to play Miss Ellie singing “Away in a Manger” to close out to the show.

I hope you enjoy it.

Don’t forget to leave comments or ask questions on the Mayberry.com/podcasts website or using the contact information given in the podcast. We’d love to have you be a part of our next feedback episode.

Related Links:

• Who’s Been Messing Up the Bulletin Board? Chapter – Sign up for the WBMUTBB Digest. The Digest is an automated daily mailing list about The Andy Griffith Show and things related to Mayberry.
• Two Chairs No Waitng Facebook Fan Page – Become a fan of Two Chairs No Waiting on Facebook. Photos related to podcast episodes are posted here along with comments from fellow fans.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Host: Allan Newsome
Running time: 0:11:58

Two Chairs No Waiting

I have been looking around the Internet for podcasts to listen to and I found The Great Gildersleeve Replay. Said to be both the first spin-off program, and one of the first situation comedies, The Great Gildersleeve was a spin-off from Fibber McGee and Molly. The radio show ran for 16 years (1941-1957) on NBC Radio.

What does any of this have to do with The Andy Griffith Show? Well, I was listening recently and noticed two names that were used on The Great Gildersleeve that will draw the attention of Mayberry fans.  The Great Glidersleeve is set in the town of Summerfield  and Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve is the main character. I had noticed that one of the supporting characters is Floyd Munson and that he is the barber in Summerfield.  They even call him “Floyd the barber” but while I notice the name and smiled it wasn’t until I heard the episode titled “Sleigh Ride” (Feb 6, 1944) that I really took notice.  It turns out Floyd’s brother is mentioned and his name is Otis.

I started digging to try and see if this show might have been where Andy and the writers of The Andy Griffith Show (TAGS) came up with the names Floyd the barber and Otis.  I spoke with Jim Clark and Ken Beck recently and neither had heard about Gildersleeve being a source for the names.  I checked the writers to see if there were any in common between the Gildersleeve and TAGS but could find none.

I did find that the person who played Floyd on Gildersleeve was Arthur Q. Bryan.  Mr. Bryan, it turns out, was the voice of Elmer Fudd on the Warner Brothers cartoons.  When Mr. Bryan passed away onNovember 18, 1959, Hal Smith (Mayberry’s Otis)assumed the voice of Elmer Fudd in later Looney Tunes productions.

I can’t say for sure what the tie in between the towns of Summerfield and Mayberry might be but there seems to be enought there to make it worth continuing to dig.

Don’t forget to leave comments or ask questions on the Mayberry.com/podcasts website or using the contact information given in the podcast. We’d love to have you be a part of our next feedback episode.

Related Links:

• The Great Gildersleeve Replay – Said to be both the first spin-off program, and one of the first situation comedies, The Great Gildersleeve came a long way from his Fibber McGee and Molly origins. Lets hear these shows once again, and replay 16 years worth of comedy gold!
• The Great Gildersleeve – Wikipedia story with background on The Great Gildersleeve.
• Arthur Q. Bryan – Voiced “Floyd the Barber” on The Great Gildersleeve. Wikipedia has a very nice write-up.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Host: Allan Newsome
Running time: 0:16:34

Two Chairs No Waiting

We’ll be talking about The Andy Griffith Show episode The Bookie Barber this week and we’ll hear some feedback from your fellow listeners.

What got me thinking about The Bookie Barber was the current episode (#67) of the Burke on Mayberry podcast in which that episode was the topic. Kevin Burke, the host, did a fun review of the episode and I thought it would be nice tie in to tell you folks about some strange and curious happenings in Mayberry during that episode.

I hope you enjoy that as well as the feedback about past Two Chairs episodes from listeners.

Don’t forget to leave comments or ask questions on the Mayberry.com/podcasts website or using the contact information given in the podcast. We’d love to have you be a part of our next feedback episode.

Related Links:

• Burke on Mayberry – Dr. Burke provides tidbits, discuss insights into TAGS episodes, and test your knowledge of TAGS with a trivia question at the end of each podcast.
• Mayberry.info – Page at Mayberry.info that contains events that happen in Mayberry that are not as they should be. The events are pointed out not in an attempt to tear apart “our home town” but because we love the show so much that we have studied each episode and have become “trained noticers.”
• Two Chairs No Waitng Facebook Fan Page – Become a fan of Two Chairs No Waiting on Facebook. Photos related to podcast episodes are posted here along with comments from fellow fans.
• The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club Facebook Page – TAGSRWC has just opened a fan page on Facebook for another way to keep up-to-date with the goings-on in and around Mayberry.

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