Who Knew? Andy Griffith Played a Small-Town Sheriff In A TV Series That Flopped?!? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 05-16-2012, 11:09 PM

Let us stop to consider one of television’s most notorious flops, the famed failure in which Andy Griffith played a small-town sheriff. Wait, what? No, not The Andy Griffith Show — the other series in which Andy Griffith played a small-town sheriff. The former Andy Taylor left his eponymous series in 1968 (it was renamed Mayberry RFD and ran for three more seasons), but his film roles and subsequent series went nowhere, so in 1974, he did a TV movie called Winter Kill (above) in which he played Sam McNeill, sheriff of a small resort town. That movie was meant as the pilot for a serious mystery series, but when it wasn’t picked up, the show was reworked, the character was renamed Sam Adams, and Adams of Eagle Lake went on the air in January 1975.

Despite a solid supporting cast (including a young Nick Nolte as one of Griffith’s officers), only two episodes made it to air. Griffith, undeterred, tried again, playing another small town sheriff (renamed for the third time, now Sheriff Abel Marsh) in two 1977 TV movies called The Girl in the Empty Grave and Deadly Game. It wasn’t meant to be, though certainly not for lack of trying. Griffith finally had another TV hit a decade later, with the Abe Simpson-beloved Matlock.

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dwayne986 · 05-20-2012, 07:05 PM

I actually remembered seeing one episode of "Adams of Eagle Lake" on ABC. It bored me senseless. Nice seeing him in uniform again driving around in a cruiser (this time either a Ford Bronco or Chevy Blazer).

Yong Fang · 05-28-2012, 01:20 AM

The 1970's by and large were not kind to Andy Griffith, although he got to expand his range a bit.

Andy Griffith did a show called "The Headmaster" in the early 1970's. Griffith played a high school headmaster and the show was more relevant to 70's television, and Griffith stated himself that he was out of his element playing the role and the show failed.

Then there was the New Andy Griffith Show where he played a mayor of another North Carolina town and it failed also.

This to me was a very interesting article of Griffith's TV career from 1960 until Matlock.

http://www.tvparty.com/andy.html

magellan333 · 06-03-2012, 10:42 AM

I've seen Winter Kill and it was a good made for TV movie, but I never knew it was the pilot for a failed TV Show.

DJM77 · 11-25-2012, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Griffith finally had another TV hit a decade later, with the Abe Simpson-beloved Matlock.

"MAAAATLOOOOOOOCK!"

MrCleveland · 11-25-2012, 05:56 PM

I never knew that, but there was ONE silver lining for Andy Griffith in the 70's...when he was the narrator of "Frosty's Winter Wonderland".

treky · 11-26-2012, 03:55 AM

he was GREAT as a J.R. Ewing-type character in a made for TV movie in the 80s called "Murder in Cowatta County".

bookandfilmnut · 11-29-2012, 04:00 PM

The only one of these I have ever seen was The Girl in the Empty Grave, which I caught one day on a rerun in the late 1980's, and I recall it being a pretty decent mystery, though nothing exceptional.

05-16-2012, 11:09 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Who Knew? Andy Griffith Played a Small-Town Sheriff In A TV Series That Flopped?!? Let us stop to consider one of television’s most notorious flops, the famed failure in which Andy Griffith played a small-town sheriff. Wait, what? No, not The Andy Griffith Show — the other series in which Andy Griffith played a small-town sheriff. The former Andy Taylor left his eponymous series in 1968 (it was renamed Mayberry RFD and ran for three more seasons), but his film roles and subsequent series went nowhere, so in 1974, he did a TV movie called Winter Kill (above) in which he played Sam McNeill, sheriff of a small resort town. That movie was meant as the pilot for a serious mystery series, but when it wasn’t picked up, the show was reworked, the character was renamed Sam Adams, and Adams of Eagle Lake went on the air in January 1975. Despite a solid supporting cast (including a young Nick Nolte as one of Griffith’s officers), only two episodes made it to air. Griffith, undeterred, tried again, playing another small town sheriff (renamed for the third time, now Sheriff Abel Marsh) in two 1977 TV movies called The Girl in the Empty Grave and Deadly Game. It wasn’t meant to be, though certainly not for lack of trying. Griffith finally had another TV hit a decade later, with the Abe Simpson-beloved Matlock. http://flavorwire.com/289888/tvs-mos...-lived-shows#3
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11-25-2012, 05:56 PM	#6
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,222	I never knew that, but there was ONE silver lining for Andy Griffith in the 70's...when he was the narrator of "Frosty's Winter Wonderland".
	__________________ Thank God for kids that love Obscure Things. Lee Hazlewood (1929-2007) You ARE Special to God! Rev. Ernest Angely (August 1921-May 2021)

11-26-2012, 03:55 AM	#7
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	he was GREAT as a J.R. Ewing-type character in a made for TV movie in the 80s called "Murder in Cowatta County".
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05-20-2012, 07:05 PM	#2
dwayne986 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 20, 2012 Location: Alabama Posts: 20	I actually remembered seeing one episode of "Adams of Eagle Lake" on ABC. It bored me senseless. Nice seeing him in uniform again driving around in a cruiser (this time either a Ford Bronco or Chevy Blazer).

05-28-2012, 01:20 AM	#3
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	The 1970's by and large were not kind to Andy Griffith, although he got to expand his range a bit. Andy Griffith did a show called "The Headmaster" in the early 1970's. Griffith played a high school headmaster and the show was more relevant to 70's television, and Griffith stated himself that he was out of his element playing the role and the show failed. Then there was the New Andy Griffith Show where he played a mayor of another North Carolina town and it failed also. This to me was a very interesting article of Griffith's TV career from 1960 until Matlock. http://www.tvparty.com/andy.html

06-03-2012, 10:42 AM	#4
magellan333 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 26, 2003 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 822	I've seen Winter Kill and it was a good made for TV movie, but I never knew it was the pilot for a failed TV Show.

11-29-2012, 04:00 PM	#8
bookandfilmnut Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 20, 2012 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 157	The only one of these I have ever seen was The Girl in the Empty Grave, which I caught one day on a rerun in the late 1980's, and I recall it being a pretty decent mystery, though nothing exceptional.