>>>I believe there is too much drama being imagined in the so-called gentle >>>sheriff versus the short-tempered sheriff episodes. These had to change in >>>order to keep things interesting. I can only imagine how hard it was to >>>keep coming up with a new script week after week year after year, and to >>>keep it interesting throughout.<<<
Jimmy, I agree with you. Someone else pointed out a connection between the change in Andy's character and an increase in conflict between Andy and Barney. Actually, this had to do, first, with the decision to switch Andy from the comic role to the straight-man role. As a result, Andy moved away from being a jovial hayseed to becoming a more serious, understated character. Second, it had to do with the development of Barney's character. In the first part of the first season, Barney is a secondary character. He is more laid back and compliant. We often see him placidly cleaning his gun in the office. This is when Andy has the stronger comic role. As Barney's character gradually develops and contributes more of the comedy, we begin to see emerge his trademark swagger, his temper flare-ups, his revealing facial expressions, his high-strung nature, his sensitivity, his vulnerability, etc.--in essence, he becomes more like the Barney we all know and love. Thirdly, this seeming increase in conflict between Andy and Barney is related to plot development. Every good plot has some type of conflict (problem or complication) which comes to a climax and is then resolved. Without conflict of some sort, there is really no story. Therefore, as Barney becomes a primary character in the series, it is only natural that many story lines are built around some type of conflict between Andy and Barney. Rather than signaling the beginning of the decline of the show, I believe this period of greater tension between Andy and Barney marks the heyday of the series. Remember, Ellie had a prominent role in the first season. Many of those story lines were based on some conflict between Ellie and Andy. Now, in an episode where the problem to be resolved stems from Andy's and Ellie's relationship, there is no need to create a conflict between Andy and Barney (other than for a sub-plot). So it's only logical that in the second season (after Ellie is gone) we see more of the story-line complications stemming from the relationship between Andy and Barney. Hope I'm not intellectualizing this issue too much. But I think it helps to look at things from a writer's perspective. Thelma Lou (Janet) "Make's ya think!" _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list [email protected] http://mail.wbmutbb.com/mailman/listinfo/wbmutbb_wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
