It didn't take me long to decide where I wanted to take you all strolling today. With the recent passing of Don Knotts there was only one place to go, Mayberry. So come along and visit Andy and the gang and say hello to our old pal Barney.

Take a stroll down Main Street and stop for a haircut or some local stories at Floyd's Barber Shop. Shopping is a pleasure at Walker's Drug Store or Weaver's Department where locals shop for everything from school clothes to that perfect outfit for the Chamber of Commerce dance.

The Andy Griffith Show means different things to different people, but everyone can relate to the simple pleasures of a time gone by, a time that never really existed except in the imgination. We get to experience the warmth of Aunt Bee's Kitchen, Andy's easy-going style, and Barney's wacky attempts to keep crime off the peaceful streets.


The Andy Griffith Show ran for 8 years from 1960 to 1968 on CBS television. It was never out of the Top 10 in ratings and only ended its run because Andy Griffith decided to move on to other projects. Its final season was rated number 1 and it went out on top. The show featured widower Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) raising his young son Opie (Ron Howard) in the small North Carolina town of Mayberry.


With a stellar cast (Don Knotts as Deputy Barney Fife, Frances Bavier as Aunt Bee, Betty Lynn as Thelma Lou, Aneta Corsaut as Helen Crump, Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle, George Lindsey as Goober Pyle as well as memorable characters like Ernest T. Bass, The Fun Girls and Rafe Hollister) the show is still enjoyed today as one of the best sitcoms ever made.


We all had our favorites on the show. I just loved old Otis, the town drunk. Remember him? Otis Campbell.

You can't help but smile when Otis stumbles into the courthouse with a "snoot-ful". He's notorious for checking himself in and out of jail on an as-needed basis.

And who would have thought that Opie, Ron Howard, would grow up to be the talented director he is today. He has given us some great movies over the years. I was watching a talk show once where, Goober, George Lindsey, was asked did he know back then that Opie would have such great success. His answer with a grin, was, "No, or I would have been nicer to him!"


Down-home humor and an endearing cast of characters helped to make The Andy Griffith Show one of the most beloved comedies in the history of television. Introduced as a spinoff from The Danny Thomas Show in 1960, The Andy Griffith Show ran for eight seasons in prime time.


Widower Andy Taylor divides his time between raising his young son, Opie, and his job as sheriff (and Justice of the Peace) of the sleepy North Carolina town, Mayberry. Andy and Opie live with Andy's Aunt Bee, who serves as a surrogate mother to both father and son. Andy's nervous cousin, Barney Fife, is his deputy sheriff whose utter incompetence is tolerated because Mayberry is virtually crime-free.

The Andy Griffith Show halted production while it was still number one in the ratings. When Andy Griffith exited the series in 1968, Councilman Sam Jones (played by Ken Berry) took over as the sheriff of Mayberry. Re-christened Mayberry, R.F.D., the series ran for three seasons. The town of Mayberry retreated into the world of reruns, where it has remained pleasantly unchanged ever since.
Through re-runs and dvds fans can enjoy getting to know the folks of Mayberry all over again.
Let's also take a moment to pay our respects to a man who gave us laughter for so long.
Mr. Don Knotts...so long Barney, we will miss you.


That's our Stroll Down Memory Lane today... It brought back some great memories and we can now look forward to our next Stroll with the images of a more carefree life and times... Take Care!


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Theme from "Theme from The Andy Griffith Show"

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