Some may say never, others say when it went to color but for me, it's open and shut when Barney left. They definitely should have quit at that moment because there was no one who could capture the chemistry Don Knotts had with Andy, or any of the other cast members! Glad to see that his leaving the show didn't hurt the real life friendship he had with Andy (and that Andy visited him on his deathbed).

The show was not the same when Barney left at least not for me. I don't like the color episodes but their watchable when nothing else is on

The show wasn't the same when it went to color but the show was still good. I'd watch them over most of today's sitcoms.

Glad to see that his leaving the show didn't hurt the real life friendship he had with Andy (and that Andy visited him on his deathbed).

Don Knotts had been under the impression that the TAGS series was ending, so he signed a movie contract with Disney (IIRC). I'm sure Andy understood his situation.

Anyway, don't forget that Don and Andy appeared together many times on Andy's later series Matlock, with Don in a recurring role! They did a lot together prior to Don's passing.

I wrote a piece on this topic about a month ago entitled the Deconstruction of the Final Three Seasons. You could make the case that TAGS was the best sit com in the history of television through the 5th season. The final three seasons represent the greatest single collapse of a series in the long history of television. The only show close is Bewitched that tanked after Dick York left the series. The key problem with the final three seasons is Griffith himself. His basic performance was either "Angry Andy" or "Tranquilized Taylor".

Some of the episodes are difficult to watch especially in view of the both funny and warm hearted episodes of the first five seasons. I don't know what was going on with Griffith those final three years but to me it is simply a different show. You have the first five seasons, the shockingly bad next three seasons and then on to RFD which to me was actually a relief, Ken Berry certainly not the on screen personality that Griffith was still brings the show back a bit and to some extent redeems it.

Don Knotts had been under the impression that the TAGS series was ending, so he signed a movie contract with Disney (IIRC). I'm sure Andy understood his situation.

Anyway, don't forget that Don and Andy appeared together many times on Andy's later series Matlock, with Don in a recurring role! They did a lot together prior to Don's passing.
he did? I never knew that; I always knew he guest-starred on "MATLOCK" once, but I always thought that was the only time.


And Don signed a movie contract with Universal; not Disney.

Thank you for the correction re: Universal vs. Disney

Don appeared in 15 episodes of Matlock as Ben's friend Les.

Also appearing at times: Aneta Corsaut, Betty Lynn, Arlene Golonka, and Jack Dodson, all formerly from TAGS. Most though made few appearances. I thought Arlene's guest spot was terrific. And IIRC, Aneta played a judge!!

Sad to say most of the jumptheshark.com no longer exist much as a separate webpage. It is now part of TV Guide's webpage and it seems mostly just for current shows now. You can go to internetarchive.com and see the old stuff (ending around 2007). As for TAGS jumping well it was duller in color. Andy's a fair deal grouchier in those later eps!

Once Barney left it was over for me.

Some may say never, others say when it went to color but for me, it's open and shut when Barney left. They definitely should have quit at that moment because there was no one who could capture the chemistry Don Knotts had with Andy, or any of the other cast members! Glad to see that his leaving the show didn't hurt the real life friendship he had with Andy (and that Andy visited him on his deathbed).

I totally agree. While the show wasn't horrible afterwards, it was never able to accomplish that special relationship or dynamic again, and that deficiency affected the entire raison de etre of the show. There are definitely occasions when a show should be canceled if a character whose presence is central to the show's success leaves, and this is one of those occasions.

Don Knotts had been under the impression that the TAGS series was ending.

I'd like to know where you heard this, I've known for many years that Don left the show because he wanted to try other things but I have never heard that he left because he thought the show was going to be canned which doesn't make sense because it was still highly rated at the time.

I'd like to know where you heard this, I've known for many years that Don left the show because he wanted to try other things but I have never heard that he left because he thought the show was going to be canned which doesn't make sense because it was still highly rated at the time.

I read this too, Andy either said or gave the impression that he wasn't going to do a sixth season but changed his mind after Don had already signed a movie contract. It's too bad that Don wasn't able to stay on and do half a season.

Andy either said or gave the impression that he wasn't going to do a sixth season but changed his mind after Don had already signed a movie contract.

Thanks, This does sound very familiar.

I agree, when Don Knotts left and the show went to color,they were finished.

I agree with everyone who said it was when Barney left. There were still some good episodes, but, you know... Barney was one of the best, if not the best, character(s) on the show.

I did a thread titled, "Deconstruction of the Final Three Seasons", which covers what I am about to say in more detail. Knotts leaving the show was a big part of the show's decline but that's not close to the whole story. Every facet of the show went down. Griffith lost his feel for the Andy character, often sleepwalking through episodes while other times raging his his way through. The writing was substandard. The show really wasn't funny anymore. If this show had been made up of only the final three seasons with the first five never having happened it would have been long forgotten about.

Not only did Barney the character leave, so did other characters that made the show, Gomer, Floyd (after the actor's stroke), and Betty Lou were no longer there. That's a lot of the show.

I never, ever liked Helen Crump. Just something about the actress. The character herself was from an entirely different place, lacked an accent, was more educated than the rest of the town, and just did not fit into the dynamic of the series. I really liked Elinor Donahue and wished she would of stayed.

Jack Burns was an awful replacement, probably the worse that could have been made. Nothing against Jack Burns, but he was really wrong for the show. The later ABC sketch show FRIDAYS was where Burns really shined. I mean, George Carlin wouldn't have worked either. A good replacement would have been Jerry Van Dyke, and he was almost on the show. Jerry's characters are usually lovable but slightly stupid guys and somewhat slack jawed.

What was funny was that the color episodes scored higher in the ratings than the B&W shows, and in 1969 was the #1 show on T.V. when Griffith wanted out, so they replaced him with Ken Berry and kept the same show going for another three years.

Yong Fang wrote "...A good replacement would have been Jerry Van Dyke, and he was almost on the show..."

Huh? Maybe you meant to say he was almost a regular on the show, because JVD was in the last episode of season five (159), "Banjo-Playing Deputy", as the title character. This was his audition and he was offered the part but turned it down to do "My Mother the Car" instead.

I agree, when Don Knotts left and the show went to color,they were finished.

I'm no insider or anything...but I think Don Knotts simply left the show for more money. I think he could get much more money doing movies and you can't blame him. TAGS was not a big budget show like Sienfeld. I remember seeing a TAGS documentary where Thelma Lou admitted that she wanted to ask for a raise but she was afraid that they would just write her out of the show altogether...and she was probably right...they wrote people out of the show all the time.

Some may say never, others say when it went to color but for me, it's open and shut when Barney left. They definitely should have quit at that moment because there was no one who could capture the chemistry Don Knotts had with Andy, or any of the other cast members! Glad to see that his leaving the show didn't hurt the real life friendship he had with Andy (and that Andy visited him on his deathbed).

When Don Knotts was unable to rejoin the show because of contract problems is when the show jumped the shark. It was never the same and once it went to color that was it! I mean Warren as Deputy? Now that was rich!

I would have to agree. When Don Knotts left, the show faded. He was one of the best second bananas in TV history. Right behind Art Carney.

it sure did but i think the shark jumping started in season 4 when aaron ruben left as head writer and they started bringing in freelancers to writers wich led to incosistant script quality don kontts leaving after season 5 only made it worse

Not only did Barney the character leave, so did other characters that made the show, Gomer, Floyd (after the actor's stroke), and Betty Lou were no longer there. That's a lot of the show.

I never, ever liked Helen Crump. Just something about the actress. The character herself was from an entirely different place, lacked an accent, was more educated than the rest of the town, and just did not fit into the dynamic of the series. I really liked Elinor Donahue and wished she would of stayed.

Jack Burns was an awful replacement, probably the worse that could have been made. Nothing against Jack Burns, but he was really wrong for the show. The later ABC sketch show FRIDAYS was where Burns really shined. I mean, George Carlin wouldn't have worked either. A good replacement would have been Jerry Van Dyke, and he was almost on the show. Jerry's characters are usually lovable but slightly stupid guys and somewhat slack jawed.

What was funny was that the color episodes scored higher in the ratings than the B&W shows, and in 1969 was the #1 show on T.V. when Griffith wanted out, so they replaced him with Ken Berry and kept the same show going for another three years.i couldnt stand helen or howard also in later years they had waaay too many eps centered around aunt bea and for me anyway a little of aunt bea goes a very long way

The show was different after Don Knotts left, but it still had a lot of good episodes left in it.

I can tolerate the first color season (6), but it definitely should have ended after that. The Andy character became too "mellow" after that, he was just boring without Don Knotts. The last season, especially, was too much Opie/Howard/Emmett and other "outsiders" for me. I love TAGS, but do not like S8 at all.

It's just that Don Knotts set the bar so high that we as fans became spoiled. There were still some great episodes during the "color" seasons. One of my favorite episodes of all time is the one where Howard caught "Old Sam" and then he and Opie ended up letting him go back in Mayberry so the fish could see all his old friends again!

I also like the one where they first met Howard Sprague and his mother went with them on the date!

The Taylors in Hollywood was great also. I like the one where Emmitt tried to sell insurance.

One of my other all time favorites was when Goober and Andy went to the car show and Goober saw his big talking buddy under a car getting grease all over him and Goob decided not to embarrass him. Andy said , "Don't worry about becoming a man.....you made it!" That is a great episode.

Overall, certainly not as good as the b&w episodes, but still better than just about anything else out there.

I admit I'm very much of a newcomer to this Board, but I'd like to offer a few contrary thoughts.

First, while I certainly agree that Don Knotts' departure from TAGS totally changed the series (and not for the better!), that's not really an example of "jumping the shark". That phrase (which was invented when "Happy Days" became desperate to revive its sagging ratings) is meant to identify a moment in the life of a series when the show does something ridiculous just to generate viewer interest.

Here's where I have to disagree with the previous post. I think TAGS jumped the shark with its 3-episode Taylors in Hollywood arc. While I don't think it was a ridiculous storyline, I do think it was only written to amp up viewer ratings and was the first of what became too many very contrived episodes during those last three seasons.

But I also agree with whoever said even a bad TAGS episode is a lot more watchable than many of today's prime-time sitcoms! :)

The loss of Barney pretty much sums it up. The few episodes that Don Knotts came back to do show that, as they outshine any of the other color episodes.
The loss of Floyd was a secondary blow to the show.

The loss of Barney pretty much sums it up. The few episodes that Don Knotts came back to do show that, as they outshine any of the other color episodes.
The loss of Floyd was a secondary blow to the show.

I agree about the loss of Floyd the Barber (can't think of the actor's name right now) - but he was actually a very good physical comedian/actor before his stroke confined him to sitting down shots. I loved Floyd in the Mayberry Band episode (Floyd: "Change uniforms?...Andy: "Alright Floyd, you can march but don't play") - the "Floyd the Gay Deceiver" episode - and the times Floyd would half-heartedly get involved in police work. Afterwards they did a pretty good job of including his character in non-moving shots but it wasn't the same.

Part of me is sad that Don Knotts left the show - but on the other hand - now my kids know who he is (we used to watch the "Ghost and Mr. Chicken" every Halloween when they were young).

I also agree with another poster above that the writing went downhill after Don left - of course that's like blaming the coach when a star player leaves the team :)