Two of the most popular programs produced during the early generation of television were I Love Lucy (1951-7) and The Andy Griffith Show (1960-8). Looking back at these programs from over a half century after they originally aired, it may seem easy to combine the two as one artifact of “a simpler time” in American life and entertainment history. However, there are substantial differences between the programs. Interestingly, despite these differences, both programs remain popular in reruns today, both here and in other countries as well.
Clearly, the biggest difference between the two programs is the situation and subject matter that each uses for the basis of its weekly episodes. I Love Lucy takes place in the fast-paced, relatively sophisticated setting of the entertainment world in New York City in the early- and mid-1950s. For those living in cities, nightclubs featuring shows with popular singers were important entertainment venues, providing exposure and livelihoods for many employed in show business. Against this backdrop, America came to know and love Lucy and Ricky, based somewhat on the real lives of the show’s stars, American actress Lucille Ball and her husband, Cuban bandleader and singer Desi Arnaz. The plots of most episodes are based on the ongoing gag about Lucy’s desire to become a star (despite her obvious lack of talent) and Ricky’s determination to keep his wife out of “show biz.” The weekly adventures were complicated by the inclusion of the Ricardos’ somewhat older landlords and best friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz (William Frawley and Vivian Vance), who had previously been in vaudeville. Added comic material came from various misunderstandings caused by Ricky’s struggles as a non-native English speaker.
Fictional Mayberry, North Carolina, was a much different place than New York City. Though the plot lines of The Andy Griffith Show episodes were contemporary to the show’s 1960s run, most could have just as easily have been set 20 or 30 years earlier, owing to the slower pace of this show’s rural setting and the focus of the episodes on the mundane events of everyday life. Rather than shopping for new hats, trying to wrangle a big break with an agent or to be “discovered” as a star, or engaging in hilarious layers of harmless deception to get close to celebrities, the folks in Mayberry spend their days much more simply. Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) is a widower raising his young son (Ronnie Howard) with the help of his own Aunt Bea (Frances Bavier). He keeps law and order with the help of his hapless and neurotic deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts). Their main concerns are giving Otis, “the town drunk,” a place to sleep and sober up, and catching the occasional speeder or chicken thief. Once in a while there is a more threatening situation, but these are usually simply misunderstandings, and there are no serious crime waves or shootouts in Mayberry. In Mayberry, helping and getting along with one’s neighbors is the norm and the goal, and community is the way to achieve this. Home, school, church, community events, and socializing with friends and family are the norm, and The Andy Griffith Show’s community-centered, outward-looking values and activities are very much in contrast to the narrow, self-centered, fame-seeking attitudes that drive many/most of the plots on I Love Lucy. For the most part, the folks in Mayberry are happy with their simple, wholesome lives, and the homespun humor and gentleness of the various characters rang true with many viewers during and since the series’ run.
Looking back from 2014, this is not to say that there were no troubling aspects of either I Love Lucy or The Andy Griffith Show. Both shows are grounded in very traditional patriarchies: men run things in both worlds, and women are expected to know and stay in their proper place. However, the way the two shows address this male-dominated world is very different. The humor in Lucy usually comes from Desi’s orders being disobeyed by his rebellious wife, and many episodes end with Lucy in tears, admitting that Desi had been right. Often, Ethel tries to warn Lucy that she needs to do as Desi wishes, or there will be trouble; almost as often, the older woman is enticed to join her friend in the fun of trying to prove “the boys” wrong, and almost without fail, Ethel and Lucy have to concoct elaborate and hilarious deceptions to try to hide the evidence that they’ve gone beyond their expected bounds. There is far less rebellion among the women in Andy Griffith’s world, but that acceptance of gender roles seems similarly dated to today’s viewers. Aunt Bea and the other mother figures in Mayberry seem generally happy to remain in their domestic spheres, busying themselves with cooking, cleaning, and raising the children. Their pursuits outside the home involve extensions of this domesticity: civic clubs, school activities, and church events, all offer ways these women can make Mayberry a happier, more wholesome place for their families.
There are some exceptions, of course, but even those women are kept within narrow confines: a young woman can be a school teacher or work at the local store or the diner, but not for long—marriage will mean a shift out back into the home for these, soon enough. Interestingly, one other aspect of gender can be seen between the two programs: in I Love Lucy, Fred, Desi, and other male characters are masculine, strong, and protective, and they have clear ideas about how to treat “the little women” (usually involving condescension and patronizing attitudes). Similar attitudes are seen in The Andy Griffith Show, although it must be said that Andy and the other men are a bit gentler in “laying down the law” with the female characters. However, much humor comes from the character of Barney Fife and the mixed messages he sends. There is no hint of homosexuality about the character, but Don Knotts’ physical appearance and mannerisms as Barney—his slight build, the nervousness conveyed by the way he shivers and jumps when startled, his high-pitched voice when afraid—all read as much closer to feminine traits than those expected of a “real man.” That Barney is completely unsuited for a role in law enforcement (particularly when compared with other popular portrayals of such characters at the time the program aired) is a further source of humor: in real life, no one would feel safe or protected by a deputy who is allowed to carry only one bullet, in his shirt pocket, for fear he will accidentally shoot himself or someone else. Such humor is only funny
because Barney, a man, is so unmanly.
I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show are two of the most enduringly popular television shows from the mid-twentieth century. Both represent a much simpler period of American life, but the settings and situations shown in the two shows reveal many differences between urban and rural life.
