The State from Columbia, South Carolina • 168

Cover Story The shows that seem to go on forever By DOUG NYE Television Editor Cynics may call them the television shows that won't go away. But television station program directors call them "evergreens." Those are the series that ended their network runs years ago, but continue to draw nice ratings in syndication no matter how many times they are re-run. Columbia CBS affiliate WLTX-19 is one station that has done quite well with these evergreens. Several years ago, WLTX had an 11 p.m. newscast that was getting clobbered in the ratings by "The Eleven O'Clock Report" on WIS-10.

When WLTX made the decision to discontinue its 11 p.m. newscast, program director Gene Upright decided to try something some saw as a desperate strategy. He moved "The Andy Griffith Show" into that 11 p.m. slot. Success was almost instant.

WLTX's ratings rose high enough in the time period that during at least one ratings sweep month, "Andy" tied "The Eleven O'Clock Report" for first place. By now you've probably figured out that "The Andy Griffith Show" is one of the evergreens. It has enjoyed phenomenal success in syndication all over the country ever since it ended its eight-year stay on CBS in 1968. "No matter how many times we run those kinds of shows, we always get calls from viewers complaining if we decide to take them off the air for a few months," Upright said. No danger of Upright doing that with Andy, nor will he do it with his 11:30 p.m.

evergreen, "Sanford and Son." That's another one that continually plays to big audiences in practically every American TV market. This past week, WLTX started running back-toback episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies" each morning at 6 o'clock. Who, you may ask, watches television at 6 a.m.? Probably more people than you think. "We had 'Little House on the Prairie' and our contract with it was about to end," Upright said, "so we decided just to run out the episodes with no plan to renew the contract. We moved it to 6 a.m.

for that purpose. We were amazed when the ratings came in. They had more than doubled with 'Little House' there. So we renewed it." By the way, WLTX has moved "Little House" to 5 p.m. to replace "Star Trek," which will return there in the fall.

What makes these old shows so appealing? Well, the Griffith show is a good example. Its case is a good representative of all evergreen shows. Familiarity has a lot to do with Andy's appeal. You always know that bungling Barney Fife is going to be seeking Thelma Lou's affections or trying to sweet talk Juanita down at the diner. And you know that Gomer or Goober are working for Wally down at his service station.

The Darlings. Mrs. Mindlebright. Ernest T. Bass.

Floyd the Barber. All are characters locked in a time warp and we can visit them there just about any night we choose. Too, the evergreen shows usually are well-written and the humor is timeless. DON KNOTTS is Barney Fife. on "The Andy Griffith Show," one of television's popular "evergreens." Here's a checklist of the all-time champions: "I Love Lucy" (1951-56, CBS) Bob Hope once joked that probably every minute of every day somewhere in the world, Lucy is running.

That probably isn't a joke. One of the most-watched network programs of the 1989-90 season was the first airing of the long lost "I Love Lucy" pilot. Everybody still loves Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz. It airs weekday locally on WLTX at 10:30 a.m. "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960-68, CBS) See above.

Airs weekdays at 2 p.m. on WGN, 6:35 p.m. on TBS and at 11 p.m. on WLTX. "Sanford and Son" (1972-77, NBC) Another one that brings laughter no matter how many times you have seen it.

Red Foxx and Demond Wilson are Fred and Lamont Sanford, junk dealers in the Los Angeles area. Fred's main aim in life is to avoid work and just enjoy his color TV. The show is filled with marvelous characters such as Bubba, Aunt Esther, Grady, Rollo, Julio and Ah Chew. Memorable quote: "This is the big one. Elizabeth, I'm coming to join you honey." Airs weekdays at 7:35 p.m.

on TBS and 11:30 p.m. on WLTX. I "Gomer Pyle" (1964-70, CBS) Dopey Gomer, played by Jim Neighbors, was a regular on the Griffith show until he joined the Marines and got his own series. He spends most of the time driving Sgt. Vince Carter (Frank Sutton) nuts.

Memorable quote: "Shazam!" Airs weekdays at 6 a.m. on Columbia's WOLO25. "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962-71, CBS) Buddy Ebsen as Jedd Clampett moved his Ozark hillbilly family to rich Beverly Hills after striking oil. Their backwoods ways obviously clash with the uptown Beverly Hills style. Some wonderfully stupid humor here.

Airs weekdays at 6 a.m. on WLTX and 6:05 p.m. on TBS. "The Brady Bunch" (1969-74) This one may surprise some people but it continues to be very strong. Although he premiered in the late 1960s during peace marches and draft card burning, it was a throwback to the 1950s; a show that featured family life the way we'd like it to be.

Airs weekdays at 4:35 p.m. on TBS. TV Weekly, June 10-June 16, The State 19.