When I think about the premise of TAGS, it seems like a totally original concept. I can't think of any precedent for its eclectic blend of police show with rural and domestic comedy. I wonder how the show was perceived at the time, and were there actually any shows that you can point to that were forerunners of TAGS?

My sense is that The Danny Thomas Show/Make Room for Daddy pointed toward both the Andy Griffith and The Dick van Dyke shows. I'm not criticizing them, but it seems the humor in shows like Lucy, Burns and Allen, and Jack Benny was intended to be a little cornier than in the Thomas show. I think the big difference between Thomas and Griffith/van Dyke is the latter shows had a very strongly developed work life which allowed the star to do a wider variety of things.