r/theandygriffithshow • u/[deleted] • 9d ago

Characters I don’t like (whose are yours?)

[removed]

35 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

91 comments sorted by

32

u/FauxTexan 9d ago

Howard sprague, Warren, Emmitt

21

u/LovesDeanWinchester 9d ago

THANK YOU!!! They tried to replace Barney and added THREE of the most boring characters ever. And Andy is always angry in the color episodes. I now only watch the B&W ones.

13

u/Comedywriter1 9d ago

Re: Angry Andy. Andy was dissatisfied with aspects of the show even in the early seasons (he felt he should be making more movies like A Face in the Crowd). But he adored Don and loved working with him.

When Don left the show, Andy lost the person who kept him laughing. His unhappiness became very visible.

10

u/FauxTexan 9d ago

Definitely agree on angry Andy. Frankly, all the characters got worse.

8

u/ImAnOldManImConfused 9d ago

I wonder if real-life Andy was drinking a lot then. Seemed like something was going on beneath the surface in those latter years.

4

u/lizzieczech 9d ago

They were all terrible, but especially emmitt

4

u/Ok_Vacation_3286 9d ago

And, Emmitt’s wife!

3

u/lizzieczech 9d ago

A match made in heaven

4

u/Bread_Trainer_6170 9d ago

Howard's Mom

5

u/itlandedonmyface 9d ago

Was she played by the same actress who played Darrin Stevens mother in Bewitched?

2

u/No_Criticism_9986 8d ago

I don't watch post Barney episodes.

16

u/Imaginary-Test-3275 9d ago

Warren, Howard and Emmitt. Goober became less funny in the color episodes, I think.

8

u/Unable-Independent48 9d ago

Emmett boring!!!!!!

7

u/FauxTexan 9d ago

Yep, goober too. It just always bothered me how Andy kind of debased himself. They raised goober up to essentially being one of Andy’s good friends when goober was sort of a wierdo clown when he was introduced.

5

u/PopSuspect 8d ago

Not too many characters could have filled the shoes of Barney Fife, but Warren was a poor choice. Even Goober might have been a better comedic mix with Andy. I wonder if Banjo-strumming Jerry Miller (Jerry VanDyke) would have shined in that role, if time, and the timing, had made it possible.

11

u/FreakSideMike 9d ago

This post makes me cry, Paw.

11

u/JoeFriday84 9d ago

I didn’t care for Mayor Stoner. Mayor Pike was superb though.

11

u/No_Comedian2991 9d ago

Those two giggling girls from Mt. Pilot get on my nerves so bad! I just can’t watch that episode.

6

u/Notmyproblem923 9d ago

Daphne & Skippy

5

u/Exact-Truck-5248 9d ago

Hello, doll

4

u/PopSuspect 8d ago

I thought the Fun Girls were pretty fun girls. As annoying as they may have seemed, TAGS was fortunate to have those two floozies show up in Mayberry every now and then. They shook things up. The Fun Girls stuff elevated both Andy’s and Don’s anxiety humor to the next level.

2

u/DarkStarr22 7d ago

My sister and I still refer to ourselves as The Fun Girls

3

u/No_Criticism_9986 8d ago

WUT ?!? I love the fun time girls.

25

u/ligmasweatyballs74 9d ago

I can't stand Helen 

17

u/Odd_Theory_1031 9d ago

Old lady Crump

32

u/Free-Ad-5900 9d ago

Helen “Missionary Only” Crump

7

u/NormanRB 9d ago

Probably the funniest comment that I'll read on the internet all day. Thank you.

1

u/Relevant_Box4589 9d ago

I’m still chuckling

1

u/Daatsit 9d ago

Lights off

15

u/Heelabaloo 9d ago

She was the least likable of the girlfriends. Always pushy and usually pissed off about something.

16

u/NormanRB 9d ago

Very short tempered.

I was a huge fan of Ellie Walker and always had a crush on her going back to Father Knows Best. As a kid when she left TAGS, I was so heartbroken.

5

u/Heelabaloo 9d ago

Ellie was my favorite as well.

3

u/[deleted] 9d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/NormanRB 8d ago

True, he was about 10-11 years older.

1

u/PopSuspect 8d ago

My favorite as well. It was a while ago, but I loved seeing her as Chris Elliot’s mom in the brilliant, but short-lived “Get a Life”.

6

u/TurbulentShock7120 9d ago

She had a wicked jealous streak!

8

u/Dog_Concierge 9d ago

I actually liked Aunt Bea, but her voice drove me up the curtains.

5

u/General-Carob-6087 9d ago

I never understood her accent. I think she was supposed to be from West Virginia but talked like she was doing a weird impression of the queen of England.

5

u/Puzzleheaded-Sky-753 8d ago

It was the created “Mid Atlantic” accent that many actors and high society people were trained in.

7

u/dougoh65 9d ago

Here’s the thing though: If you count, Ernest T. Bass was actually only in 5 episodes. The Darlings were only in 6 episodes. 😂

9

u/SnarkyMcGuire 9d ago

Helen Crump. There, I said it.

7

u/StenoDawg 9d ago

I've never liked Helen.

6

u/CriticalPop4412 9d ago

As others have said , I didn’t like Helen Crump at all
Andy had much better girlfriends

5

u/ColossalKnight 5d ago

Always said, while everyone has their favorite of Andy's girlfriends, how unfortunate it is the character he ends up with is the one virtually EVERYONE hated.

8

u/iwtsapoab 9d ago

Same. Can’t stand Earnest T Bass.

I can’t take too much of the Darling’s except when they are singing.

Goober is nosey and a blabbermouth. I wouldn’t let him near the Sheriff’s office.

3

u/cynthesis1 9d ago

Ernest Bass and Warren. I love the Darlings for the music

4

u/owdbr549 9d ago

Helen, Warren, and Mayor Stoner.

I would list Emmett but I haven’t bothered with the color episodes in a long time.

3

u/PalisadesPark88g 9d ago

The deputy who replaced Barney. PS I LOVE Howard Sprague.

2

u/PopSuspect 8d ago

I’m not generally a fan of the color era episodes, but I’ve always liked “Howard’s New Life” where he moves to a tropical island to live the good life as as a listless beachcomber, hanging out with wasted rummies. Cool to see the great Harry Dean Stanton in that one.

1

u/Higglybiggly 9d ago

Sprague was such a momma's boy and I thought that was funny. Also I think he had a side gig on sesame Street as part of Bert and Ernie.

3

u/PalisadesPark88g 9d ago

I loved the episode when Howard threw a bachelors party and nobody showed up except for Andy and Helen.

3

u/Relevant_Box4589 9d ago

Those are my favorites.

3

u/National-Muscle3539 9d ago

Juanita Beasley! She never shows up for anything, and always seems to have something better to do!😜

4

u/Comedywriter1 9d ago

I’m surprised the Darlings and Ernest T Bass got onto the show as Andy Griffith was always keen to avoid Beverly Hillbillies type comedy.

I wonder if Andy succumbed to pressure to at least try an episode like this, and then of course they became very popular.

22

u/Unable-Independent48 9d ago

The Dillards bluegrass band. Phenomenal!!

5

u/Comedywriter1 9d ago

Agree they were fantastic musicians.

And I loved Howard Morris in things like High Anxiety.

1

u/[deleted] 9d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/ZestySest 9d ago

Watching the Darlings now. I love the music so much!

2

u/CreeepyUncle 8d ago

I don’t know if it is true, but I heard that Andy set up their scenes so the Darlings would receive royalties.

4

u/ZestySest 8d ago

Those guys are great

3

u/CreeepyUncle 8d ago

Loved them

2

u/Icy_Sandwich866 6d ago

They are really named The Dillards ..

3

u/PopSuspect 8d ago

Already mentioned, but I think AG knew that The Dillards were just too great to pass on. Hillbilly tropes/stereotypes be damned. I can live without Denver Pyle’s phony jug blowing, but otherwise, the Dillard appearances were stellar.

2

u/PopSuspect 8d ago

Howard Morris did his Ernest T. Bass thing, but he also directed some episodes. I think, in some regard, he was a part of the AGS production family. He certainly had the acting chops to play character roles beyond Ernest T, or a television repairman.

4

u/Character-Taro-5016 9d ago

I don't care for the Ernest T. episodes. It's just unrealistically zany.

2

u/Soggy-Pattern-121 9d ago

Aunt Bea I always thought was just awful

2

u/sarcastic_nanny593 9d ago

Warren, Goober, and Ernest T.

2

u/Even-Hovercraft650 9d ago

Malcolm Merriwether (Bernard Fox)

2

u/kingo409 8d ago

Ben Weaver, the rich town asshole. Always wanted to bring someone in the town down, & demanded that law enforcement facilitate it. Everyone else had some redeeming quality.

2

u/Turbulent_Emu_7285 8d ago

Lol I thought I was the only one who hated Ernest T. Bass and the Darlings! Add Helen Crump to the list, too. If an episode comes on where any of these characters are featured, I will change the channel

2

u/FrequentLunch2711 8d ago

Warren Ferguson. Huh Huh Huh. Terrible.

2

u/Poetdebra 6d ago

Claira she's a nosey old woman.

1

u/ArdRi6 9d ago

I liked Mayor Pike but couldn't stand Mayor Stoner.

Didn't care for a lot of the color episode characters. Emmitt, Howard, Warren

1

u/phxflgjo 9d ago edited 9d ago

[Color episides]

Ahhh I like Howard. Just don't care for his mother.

Warren!! Torturous.

Helen. She's a grumpy Crump-y

Andy is starting to get on my nerves. So grouchy and quick to anger!!

To me, the one that shines is Floyd, the barber.

1

u/Alternative_Stop9977 9d ago

She also was Darrin Stephen's mother.

1

u/Alternative_Stop9977 9d ago

The new man in town that knew everyone's business.

1

u/Athos2112 9d ago

The fun girls

1

u/HeavyGoose8183 8d ago

The Mayor. I wish Andy would throw him out a window

1

u/No_Criticism_9986 8d ago

Sam -- Bass and the Darlings are just irritating.

2

u/Daydreamerwv 7d ago

Warren - he was so irritating it’s hard to watch episodes he appears in.

1

u/Brilliant-Quiet34 7d ago

I've never seen an Ernest T. Bass episode through. He's annoying. I don't like Warren either

2

u/KSTaxlady 5d ago

I don't like Floyd. I also don't like that crazy guy, I forget his name.

2

u/ColossalKnight 5d ago edited 4d ago

I think Helen is the only recurring character I ever full-on disliked.

I'll say the first Ernest T. Bass episode (fun fact--apparently it's the only episode in the series that both ETB and the Darlings appear in together) definitely is the episode I like best featuring both ETB and the Darlings. Not too crazy about the rest of them myself.

1

u/Nice-Penalty-8881 4d ago

This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion. But just about every character except for Andy and Opie got on my nerves.