Banjo-Playing Deputy
- Episode aired May 3, 1965
- 30m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
340
YOUR RATING
A destitute banjo player fills in for Barney.A destitute banjo player fills in for Barney.A destitute banjo player fills in for Barney.
Ron Howard
- Opie Taylor
- (as Ronny Howard)
Don Knotts
- Barney Fife
- (credit only)
Walter Bacon
- Carnival Patron
- (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers
- Carnival Patron
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Bob Ross
- Sheldon Leonard(uncredited)
- Aaron Ruben(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJerry (Jerry Van Dyke) tells Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) that he is from Morgantown, WV, the same city that recently departed Don Knotts (Barney Fife) was born and raised in.
- GoofsThe character played by Hope Summers is listed in the credits as 'Miss Bedloe.' However, when she goes into the courthouse to complain to Andy about the dancing at the carnival, he greets her as 'Ms Edwards.' Her character's name in some previous and later episodes was Clara Edwards.
Featured review
TAGS Jumps The Shark Episode
True Barney wasn't in the previous episode, but he wasn't as missed as he would be here. This is the episode the producers tried Jerry Van Dyke out in a kind of experimental try at replacing Barney. While I would say nobody could replace Don Knotts as Barney, Van Dyke pretty much fails on multiple levels. He is first off way too "Ivy League" looking, and, second he just hasn't got the physical humor Don Knotts was blessed with in facial expressions alone. Add in the absent minded personna thing with the searching for words (which isn't too funny one time) over and over. Well, it was almost scary how the show could fall apart so catastrophically all at once. While Knotts would re-appear sporadically, things were just not the same. In fact, a replacement would have only been right if that actor could be almost all the things the Barney character possessed without inviting direct comparison. In simple terms, a great and unique schtick find as impossible as that sounds. I also think the writing took some ill-advised turns that can only be described as weak, which is on display right here. Folks like me probably never wanted Opie to grow up either though in all fairness. This makes the former Ellie over Helen controversy look as nothing to even ponder. TAGS would never hit as high again yet as a loved show lingered on even spinning off a ill-advised successor I think we all agree was more lame than TAGS without Barney.
helpful•02
- AudioFileZ
- Dec 26, 2023
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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