The Andy Griffith Show: An Observation

My favorite episode is the one where Otis comes in to the jail to lock himself up and the moonshiners had been caught by Andy. They were out to get Otis since he had changed suppliers and they thought he had ratted on them. Andy couldn't put Otis in the cell so he had to take him home. Of course Aunt Bee put Otis to work and Otis kept getting caught trying to escape. He told Andy that being at his house was like being at "The Rock."


Otis kept singing "The Dipsy Doodle" when he was hammered.

Aunt Bee the Warden - Mayberry Wiki
 
Aunt Bea and Andy did not get along off camera but you would never know that watching the show.

attachment.php
 
If you get the chance visit Mt. Airy NC, the town it was based on. They have a cool meuseum with the same jail and Ford patrol car.

And you can get directions to the very modest house down the street, where Andy once lived. No sign or anything on it; it's someone's residence now. But cool anyway.
 
While I have never used it there was at one time a bible study based on the show.

I assume it was watch an episode and apply biblical principles to the life lessons in the show.
 
I enjoyed the show, but it was already an exercise in nostalgia when it first ran. Less and less of the country's population was living in places like the idyllic Mayberry. Even then it was, for much of the viewing public, an homage to "the America that once was".

Don Knotts will always be the ridiculously swaggering Barney Fife, determined to nip things in the bud, for me. And like many of us, I knew at least one Floyd and many renditions of Aunt Bee.


Wow, do you enjoy telling kids there's no Santa as well?

Barney Fife has to be one of the most memorable characters of all time.

"You have not seen the last, of Ernest T. Bass!"
 
Andy was my fifth cousin on my Dad's Mom's side of the family and yes there is a Snappy Lunch and also a for real Floyd's Barber shop. He also based a lot of the characters on real life people he grew up with. Otis Campbell's first name was taken from my Dad (also mine) and, there are some Campbells in the area I think. He and my Dad played together as Kids.

I saw the program so much when I was a kid growing up I can't hardly bear to watch them now.

If you have never been, there is what they call an Autumn Leaves festival each year as best I recall it's late Sept. or early October. They close off Main street and have a huge street fair with all kinds of crafts and there is plenty of great music both from professional and non professional groups. Best part is it's all free except for what food and crafts that you buy.
 
Though I've never been a big fan of TV or the dramatic art in general, it seems to me that this show was the best I've ever seen, and I find it really entertaining. It's cast superbly, but the thing which stands out to me is the brilliance of the writing. A lesson or two in every episode and consistently funnier than any comedy show I can recall.

One of my favorites: Andy has to spend most of a day out of town and puts Barney in charge, who takes things so seriously that he arrests all the major characters(including Aunt Bea) for dubious offenses. When Andy gets back he notices the streets are unusually quiet. He walks in the door and everybody's packed in the cell and yelling at Andy to get him/her out. Hilarious!

Regards,
Andy
 
Here is something to think about. I sure ain't opposed to bein' married. Am happily so myself for nearly 50 years, but when I read the following, I had to stop and think about it. Made me grin!!!! See what you think ...

Did you ever wonder why Mayberry was so peaceful and quiet? ....nobody was married. Here are the single people that come to mind. Andy, Aunt Bea, Barney, Floyd, Howard, Goober, Gomer, Sam, Ernest T Bass, the Darlin family, Helen, Thelma Lou, Clara...

In fact, the only one married was Otis and he stayed drunk most of the time!!!
 
Wow, do you enjoy telling kids there's no Santa as well?

Barney Fife has to be one of the most memorable characters of all time.

"You have not seen the last, of Ernest T. Bass!"

You completely missed my point, which was that I loved Barney's ridiculous swagger and the rest of his quirks, as most of America did. Knotts made him a truly memorable character who still makes me laugh today. Nobody else could have played the part.
 
My Wife went to the Town They used for Mayberry and She said it was just like the Show,They even had the Theme song being played over a Speaker.
The funny thing I found out was Aunt Bea actually did not like Andy in real Life and in a interview He was asked about it and He said He never figured out what it was She didnt like.
All in All that had to be the best show ever next to I love Lucy.
 
It's my favorite show of all time. No cussing, no nudity and no real violence. Just a homey little town I would love to live in.
My favorite characters are Rafe Hollister for one. I had a comment on doctors yesterday about the episode where Ainge took the county nurse up to his farm to give him a tetanus shot. He said we don't need no doctors, as nobody gets sick up there. "When I was born I had my Momma, when I die I'll have the undertaker, don't see any need to mess things up in between".:eek: They showed him a thermometer. He says he has one on the barn, only bigger. They said it showed how hot HE was. He said "I know how hot I am...DANG hot". They reminded him he said nobody gets sick up there. He responded "Balls a'fahr, Ma'am, bein' hot ain't sick, sooner or later you're bound to get cold agin'".:cool: We need more guys like Rafe.
Then there was Ainge's girlfriend, Peggy McMillan. She was a BABE! Looked remarkably like my first real girlfriend.:cool:
They made 249 episodes. About 20 years ago I taped 'em all.
Still watch 'em.:cool:
Jim
 
Back
Top