Do you remember Ron Howard? We probably all remember him for something he did, whether it was playing Richie Cunningham on Happy Days or Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show.

Recently Ron Howard was on the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast and spoke about The Andy Griffith Show. He spoke about the humor of the show and how wholesome it was.

When you hear Howard talking about his years on the show, you can really feel the emotion he has for it and those who played on it. It was the beginning of his career that has taken him to much success as an actor and director.

The Andy Griffith Show was on the are at the same time as other classics, such as Petticoat Junction, Gilligan’s Island, and Green Acres. Those other shows were different however because they relied on slapstick comedy.

Ron Said: “Andy used to kill jokes if they were too broad. He just kept saying, ‘The south is plenty funny on its own without having to reach for it.’ He didn’t like Petticoat Junction… and Beverly Hilbillies because they were doing sketch, basically.”

Conan went on to say: “I have this theory that comedy has been increasingly compressed to the point now that when any series starts, they have to start at the most dramatic moment, and then that turns out it’s a flashback because they can’t start slowly. People can flip to another streaming platform too quickly. Just the idea that one of the most popular shows in television history could often consist of people playing things in that [slow] pace”

Ron agreed and said that is why the show endured. Even 55 years later, it is still a popular choice to watch.