Well, I'm into season 3 and Aunt Bee is now gone off into the sunset. Though she will be missed, I have to admit that Alice Ghostley does a fine job as the new housekeeper to Sam and son. She's a good actress and I really enjoy seeing her in this role that is much different from her Esmerelda role in Bewitched. Here she plays a smart and thoughtful character and I am all for it!

Well, I'm into season 3 and Aunt Bee is now gone off into the sunset. Though she will be missed, I have to admit that Alice Ghostley does a fine job as the new housekeeper to Sam and son. She's a good actress and I really enjoy seeing her in this role that is much different from her Esmerelda role in Bewitched. Here she plays a smart and thoughtful character and I am all for it!

She continued to play Esmerelda in season 7 of Bewitched which coincided with her part on Mayberry RFD, she appeared in three season 7 episodes. A great hire in my opinion, Ghostley was a solid comedienne and a very fine actress.

Mayberry RFD was stuck in the shadow of TAGS afraid to break the very successful inherited model. If the show had distinguished itself a little more from the mother series it might have survived the purge of 71. The business manager for the series was also manager of The New Andy Griffith Show and Jim Nabors Show, he felt RFD was the only one of the three with a fighting to survive. He flew to New York on his own dime to make the case, it came down to a choice between Arnie and Mayberry RFD with the network deciding at the last minute to go with Arnie.

The talent on the show was underutilized, Berry is funny, a great physical comedienne, Arlene Golonka was a major upgrade over Aneta Corsaut, Ghostley brought a great deal to the table and an energy and vitality to the housekeeper role, a lot more could have been done with this series.

She continued to play Esmerelda in season 7 of Bewitched which coincided with her part on Mayberry RFD, she appeared in three season 7 episodes. A great hire in my opinion, Ghostley was a solid comedienne and a very fine actress.

Mayberry RFD was stuck in the shadow of TAGS afraid to break the very successful inherited model. If the show had distinguished itself a little more from the mother series it might have survived the purge of 71. The business manager for the series was also manager of The New Andy Griffith Show and Jim Nabors Show, he felt RFD was the only one of the three with a fighting to survive. He flew to New York on his own dime to make the case, it came down to a choice between Arnie and Mayberry RFD with the network deciding at the last minute to go with Arnie.

The talent on the show was underutilized, Berry is funny, a great physical comedienne, Arlene Golonka was a major upgrade over Aneta Corsaut, Ghostley brought a great deal to the table and an energy and vitality to the housekeeper role, a lot more could have been done with this series.

Excellent insight. Yes, I agree this show could have and should have continued beyond the rural purge of '71. All the characters of season 3 were really talented and I would like to have seen more of Alice Ghostley in this role as well as Buddy Foster start to grow up and hit puberty. Also, really like Ken Berry in this role. I've read on this forum where some believe he is too bland, but Andy Griffith was the executive producer of this show and he wanted a character who was similar in nature (solid, salt-of-the-earth sage) to his Andy Taylor character was and I think he found a good steady hand in Berry. Of course, Arlene Golanka was not only talented but great eye candy. Wish it could have lasted longer. Never heard of the show "Arnie". Boy did CBS really pull a boner on that decision!

Just watched The New Housekeeper. The guys and Arlene Galonka had a nice chemistry bailing out some weak scripts. Even Frances Bavier and the fill-in generic housekeepers blended in well. But, Alice Ghostley took a sledgehammer to the show's chemistry. At least in her debut episode where she dominated screentime. Hopefully, her contribution is cut back like they did with Sam & Mike. This episode was a time waster baaaaaddd.

I mentioned this in another post: Alice had a difficult time fitting in, in that first appearance in season 3 (if she couldn't bake a cake, go to the bakery and buy one!). Yet a few episodes later, somehow she is sitting on what appears to be the town council.

Something just doesn't add up...