One of the common thread topics is what would've happened had Don Knotts stayed on past Season 5. While there have been a few vague answers, I decided that I would test this theory by both looking at the color episodes and others shows later seasons. After researching and writing out my ideas I came up with the following:

Season 6:

Obviously the Return of Barney Fife and the Legend of Barney Fife do not happen. The majority of the Warren episodes are the exact same except with Barney instead of Warren episodes "A Warning from Warren" "Otis the Artist" and "Girl Shy" are instead retitled "A Warning from Barney Fife" "Barney's New Hobby" and "Fife, Bernard Fife." While "A Warning from Barney Fife" and "Barney's New Hobby" are the same as A Warning from Warren and Otis the Artist, "Fife, Bernard Fife" differs from Girl Shy by being more similar to the Gomer Pyle USMC episode Welsh Rarebit Fiend (It is eating Welsh Rarebit that convinces Barney he's a secret agent in love with Helen after a bad breakup with Thelma Lou). Other changes include Howard Sprague not being introduced, it being Barney that Flora falls in love with as opposed to Andy and Goober's Replacement is instead replaced with Barney's Replacement where Thelma Lou becomes successful as a Deputy after Barney is forced to go on leave due to getting injured on the job.

Season 7:
Obviously A Visit to Barney Fife does not happen and Barney Comes to Mayberry is rewritten for Barney falling in love with a movie star while on a breakup with Thelma Lou. Speaking of breakups, one episode this season is the infamous Andy and Thelma Lou. After Thelma Lou and Barney break up (again) Andy takes Thelma Lou out for dinner. This makes Helen angry and as a result she takes Barney out to dinner. After a series of mishaps the two couples get right again. Other differences include Barney being the one to mix up the Spaghetti dinner orders, Goober being blackballed from the lodge Helen becoming a Deputy for an episode and Barney and Thelma Lou marrying for the two-part season finale.
Season 8:
Barney hosts a summit meeting is rewritten so Barney is asked by his cousin Virgil (who now works as a deputy up in New Jersey) to find a place for the Russian-American diplomats. Other differences include Barney becoming more serious and Andy becoming more angrier. This reaches its climax with a different version of Suppose Andy Gets Sick where a sick overworked Andy has a meltdown that results in him cussing out the whole town and then playing a mocking version of you get a line, I'll get a pole which Barney is forced to put a stop. After that happens Andy decides that he's had enough and that it's time for the change the last few episodes are being set up for a different version of Mayberry R.F.D with Barney Fife finally becoming Sheriff of Mayberry and Ken Berry becoming his new deputy. The last three episodes of the show are Andy and Helen getting married, Barney and Thelma Lou becoming parents and the final episode is Andy, a pregnant Helen and Opie saying goodbye and leaving town for Andy's new Detective Job.

There would have to be other rewrites if there's no Howard, like who goes off to the Caribbean island, who comes close to bowling the 300 game, etc.

Also, try this: Barney goes with Andy to Raleigh, to see attorney Lee Drake and becomes so flustered he falls into the pool. He's the one who eventually gets the sunburn and makes up all the lies, but of course to Thelma Lou. Or they both get a sunburn and both lie.

With Barney around, the episode with Helene Alexian DuBois (Helen writes a book) could be funnier, with Andy becoming fed up just as in the original script, but he says to Barney, I've had it with Helen and her so-called fame, I'm just about ready to go dancin' with them girls from Mt. Pilot. He goes out on patrol and Bernie goes to Mt. Pilot and rounds up the fun girls, etc. Mavis Neff was pretty funny but the fun girls are funnier.

Also at what point did Barney and Thelma Lou get married, so they would become parents? This is 1968, after all.

And Thelma Lou and Helen as temp. deputies? I think Goober does OK in those settings.

Also I like the changes to kick off MRFD, but instead of Barney becoming the Sheriff, maybe there could be a special election, with maybe Goober and Emmett (assuming there is an Emmett, or Floyd if not) pushing Sam to run against Barney. Sam wins. I think Barney really fits as a deputy. But I'm for anything that would get rid of that stupid last episode. It's so bad I won't watch it, so all I remember is those stereotypical foreigners with the fake dialect, I guess relatives of Sam.

There would have to be other rewrites if there's no Howard, like who goes off to the Caribbean island, who comes close to bowling the 300 game, etc.

Also, try this: Barney goes with Andy to Raleigh, to see attorney Lee Drake and becomes so flustered he falls into the pool. He's the one who eventually gets the sunburn and makes up all the lies, but of course to Thelma Lou. Or they both get a sunburn and both lie.

With Barney around, the episode with Helene Alexian DuBois (Helen writes a book) could be funnier, with Andy becoming fed up just as in the original script, but he says to Barney, I've had it with Helen and her so-called fame, I'm just about ready to go dancin' with them girls from Mt. Pilot. He goes out on patrol and Bernie goes to Mt. Pilot and rounds up the fun girls, etc. Mavis Neff was pretty funny but the fun girls are funnier.

Also at what point did Barney and Thelma Lou get married, so they would become parents? This is 1968, after all.

And Thelma Lou and Helen as temp. deputies? I think Goober does OK in those settings.

Also I like the changes to kick off MRFD, but instead of Barney becoming the Sheriff, maybe there could be a special election, with maybe Goober and Emmett (assuming there is an Emmett, or Floyd if not) pushing Sam to run against Barney. Sam wins. I think Barney really fits as a deputy. But I'm for anything that would get rid of that stupid last episode. It's so bad I won't watch it, so all I remember is those stereotypical foreigners with the fake dialect, I guess relatives of Sam.

For the Howard-Centric episodes for the majority I would imagine Barney would take his place (since Howard was the new Barney). The only episodes that would not be made in this timeline would be Old Sam and the Barbershop Quartet as Barney is a proficient fisherman and doesn't have the voice for a Barbershop Quartet.

Barney and Thelma Lou finally getting married would be the Season 7 Finale. It would be a two part episode with the first part being Barney struggling to say the four words and then the second part would be the actual wedding ceremony which would work as a clip show of the previous time.

While I would agree Helen would be a bad deputy Thelma Lou being a deputy could provide some funny comedy, particularly if she uses one of Barney's lines on him (Nip it Mr. Fife or you're getting written up for committing a 712)

I do like the idea of the fun girls being in Helen the Authoress. That would be funny as would both Andy and Barney getting sunburns.

I'm not sure I could see Barney going to a Caribbean island, but I could see him in the bowling episode. But Goober could fit in the isle one.

Sorry I missed the S7 finale--originally just scanned it and missed that, and just now noticed it. I think the isle is an S8 ep., so being married, he definitely wouldn't do it. Maybe the bachelor pad episode could go to Goober, too.

I wonder if Barney could help some of the bad scripts in the color years, like that horse that wouldn't eat after the milkman got the truck (recycled on Gomer Pyle, as others were). That one would be hard to save. As Opie gets older they could have more funny scenes with Barney giving his sage advice to Opie on women/girls. He could try to help Opie with dancing--that could be funny.

Fun thread!

I'm not sure I could see Barney going to a Caribbean island, but I could see him in the bowling episode. But Goober could fit in the isle one.

Sorry I missed the S7 finale--originally just scanned it and missed that, and just now noticed it. I think the isle is an S8 ep., so being married, he definitely wouldn't do it. Maybe the bachelor pad episode could go to Goober, too.

I wonder if Barney could help some of the bad scripts in the color years, like that horse that wouldn't eat after the milkman got the truck (recycled on Gomer Pyle, as others were). That one would be hard to save. As Opie gets older they could have more funny scenes with Barney giving his sage advice to Opie on women/girls. He could try to help Opie with dancing--that could be funny.

Fun thread!

During my researching session I decided to drop that episode (because nothing could save it) and instead had the season opener be an episode about Opie and a "fun" girl (I.E. a fourteen-year-old Skippy or Daphne) falling in love which would result in Andy trying to lay the law down while Barney gives his pointers on having a good time at the duckpond. This would also start a bit of a role reversal (something that happens for eighth seasons of sitcom) which would have Barney as the voice of reason (Telling Andy that there's no harm in what Opie's doing and to have confidence that he found a good girl) and Andy going to great lengths to spy on Opie to make sure he doesn't have a "Good time" with the girl. Said spying results in him getting in serious trouble. My idea was Andy follows them to the Mount Pilot Duckpond and spies on them from an old rusted truck parked on a nearby hill. When he sees them kissing he gets so mad that he hits the truck roof hard enough that the brakes fail and the truck ends up rolling backwards down the hill into the town dump where Andy is ticketed by the Mount Pilot Police (alternatively he could go into the drink)

Andy gets ticketed, and like another episode he says, I don't suppose it would help to tell you I'm the Sheriff over in Mayberry? To which the MP cop says something like, Uh-huh, and what is the good Mayberry Sheriff doing in this old truck over here in MP? Then Opie and the "fun" girl walk up, and Opie says, Yeah, paw, what were you doing here?

This episode sounds hilarious!

Andy gets ticketed, and like another episode he says, I don't suppose it would help to tell you I'm the Sheriff over in Mayberry? To which the MP cop says something like, Uh-huh, and what is the good Mayberry Sheriff doing in this old truck over here in MP? Then Opie and the "fun" girl walk up, and Opie says, Yeah, paw, what were you doing here?

This episode sounds hilarious!

Yes just like that!

Floyd would most likely still be gone in season 8 due to Howard McNear’s health. Howard Sprague was a better character than Emmett, so maybe that’s when he is introduced. It doesn’t give much time to develop his character though.

Floyd would most likely still be gone in season 8 due to Howard McNear’s health. Howard Sprague was a better character than Emmett, so maybe that’s when he is introduced. It doesn’t give much time to develop his character though.

My plan would've been to replace Floyd with Earl played by Alan Melvin. For those who don't know Earl (also played by Melvin) was the Barber on Mayberry RFD. In this continuity Earl would come to the show a season early. Earl would be a barber who was a former convict (playing on how Alan Melvin was often the bad guy on TAGS) who would provide humor by Barney (and later Andy) would think he was up to something nefarious when in reality it would be something the exact opposite. This would also help with the transition to the new Mayberry R.F.D as Earl would be the one to give Barney encouragement to run in the election and become Sheriff.

Earl had a one-episode stint as the barber, when Emmett got a toupee. And that would be a great move to bring him in, and even give Floyd an official sendoff, with Earl coming in to rent the space, and Floyd having doubts about him due to his background.

Come on now, we can't get rid of Howard!

Mayberry RFD was doomed for choosing Ken Berry to play dry as dust Sam Jones. I like Ken Berry in other roles, but Sam Jones was a unfunny lite version of funny Andy Taylor. Would of liked to see MRFD without the Sam and Mike characters.

I would definitely get rid of Emmet. He was not needed at all.

Mayberry RFD was doomed for choosing Ken Berry to play dry as dust Sam Jones. I like Ken Berry in other roles, but Sam Jones was a unfunny lite version of funny Andy Taylor. Would of liked to see MRFD without the Sam and Mike characters.

Who would you have used instead?

How about Jonathan Winters with his adult son, Ken Osmond?

It's kind of difficult to accept your "doomed" categorization. Although I personally started liking the franchise less and less from the second Warren Ferguson bumbled onto the stage. TAGS was in the ratings top 10 during it's final three years, as was Mayberry RFD during it's first 2 seasons, and it still rated in the top 20 during it's final season.

So, it's really difficult to tab this show as a "failure"

Who would you have used instead?

How about Jonathan Winters with his adult son, Ken Osmond?

It's kind of difficult to accept your "doomed" categorization. Although I personally started liking the franchise less and less from the second Warren Ferguson bumbled onto the stage. TAGS was in the ratings top 10 during it's final three years, as was Mayberry RFD during it's first 2 seasons, and it still rated in the top 20 during it's final season.

So, it's really difficult to tab this show as a "failure"

It's not difficult, it's impossible. The show was a hit, retaining almost all the audience that watched TAGS. The show ranked in the top 5 its first two seasons. There was a drop-off in season 3 when it fell to number 15, but that can be accounted for, 70-71 was the premiere season of Monday Night Football. The audience drop-off was consistent with the rest of the CBS line-up that competed with Monday Night Football. Mayberry RFD should have been given a chance, it really wasn't a country show in the same sense as the other series that were part of the rural purge. In 1971-72 CBS wasted the 8:00-8:30 Friday time slot on The Chicago Teddy Bears, a series that had flop written all over it. The David Janssen series, O'Hara, United States Treasury which followed the Chicago turkey at 8:30 might have had a fighting chance with a stronger lead-in.

Mayberry RFD might have been a ratings success. But, it was a comedic failure for the most part.

Personally, I doubt that RFD would have been even half the success it was, if it wasn't riding on the coat tails of TAGS.

Fans simply didn't want to "leave" Mayberry.

Mayberry became an institution for many of us conservatives who believed we saw the rest of the world going to pot, right in front of us. It became a refuge.

But, you still can't knock RFD's success. Making money is why that entire industry exists, no denying that.
LOL, I used to enjoy taunting my more "progressive" co-workers. I'd come in on a Monday and they would ask "what did you do all weekend?"

And I'd reply "Oh ,...just the usual....listening to oldies radio and watching Andy Griffith re-runs"

They realized that was "code" for 'missing the goode olde days'

Emmett and Howard were awesome.