Mayberry R.F.D.

Mayberry R.F.D. (1968) was one of CBS's victims of the network's infamous "rural purge" in the early 1970s, along with such shows as The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), Petticoat Junction (1963), and Green Acres (1965). At the time, close analysis of demographics indicated that these shows appealed only to those who lived in rural areas and older people. Then head of CBS and his new chief of programming Fred Silverman decided to cancel them, even though they were all still hugely popular and got high ratings, in favor of more politically correct shows that were targeted toward a younger, more hip audience. An often-told joke that passed into legend is that "CBS cancelled every show with a tree in it."

Followed by The New Andy Griffith Show (1971)