Now Performing in the Red Skelton Tribute Theater 167 East Wears Valley Road Suite #17 (Shops of Pigeon Forge) Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968, The show is about a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina. Andy Griffith played the part of sheriff Andy Taylor who has a deputy named Barney Fife who was played by Don Knotts.
The series was a major hit, never placing lower than seventh in the Nielsen ratings and ending its final season at number one. Even though Andy Griffith nor the show won awards during its eight-season run, series co-stars Don Knotts and Frances Bavier accumulated a combined total of six Emmy Awards.
The show materialized when Sheldon Leonard, producer of The Danny Thomas Show and Danny Thomas, hired veteran comedy writer Arthur Stander to create a pilot show for Andy Griffith which featured him as justice of the peace and newspaper editor in a small town. Andy Griffith was interested in attempting a television role, and the William Morris Agency told Leonard that Andy Griffith's rural background and previous rustic characterizations were suited to the part.
The show was filmed at Desilu Studios, with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City, CA. Woodsy locales were filmed north of Beverly Hills at Franklin Canyon. The Andy Griffith show's theme music, "The Fishin' Hole", was composed by Earle Hagen and Herbert Spencer, with lyrics written by Everett Sloane.
The Andy Griffith show's plot revolves around Sheriff Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith) and his life in sleepy, slow-paced fictional Mayberry, North Carolina. Sheriff Taylor's level-headed approach to law enforcement makes him the avenger of local moonshiners and out-of-town criminals, while his abilities to settle community problems with common-sense advice, mediation and conciliation make him popular with his fellow citizens.
Andy's deputy, Barney Fife is portrayed as Andy's cousin in the first, second, and sixth episodes, but is never referenced as such in the later episodes. Andy socializes with male friends in the Main Street barber shop and dates various ladies until a schoolteacher becomes his steady interest in the third season.
Here is a partial list of characters from the Andy Griffith Show:
Andrew Jackson Taylor, aka Andy Taylor played by Andy Griffith who was the Sheriff of the town of Mayberry.
Opie Taylor, played by Ron Howard was the son of Andy Taylor.
Deputy Barney Fife played by Don Knotts, was the Deputy of the town of Mayberry.
Beatrice "Aunt Bea" Taylor played by Frances Bavier was Andy's paternal aunt who was come to live with him and Opie as their housekeeper.
Gomer Pyle played by Jim Nabors was the dim-witted mechanic at Wally's Filling
Station.
Goober Pyle played George Lindsey was Gomers cousin who replaced him when Gomer went off to the Army.
Floyd Lawson played by Howard McNear was the barber.
Helen Crump played by Aneta Corsaut was a school teacher and Andy's love interest.
Thelma Lou Beasley played by Betty Lynn was Barney's love interest.
In 1964, daytime reruns began airing and the show was retitled Andy of Mayberry to distinguish the repeat episodes from the then-new episodes airing in prime time; this alternate title continued to turn up in syndication over the ensuing decades. Reruns continue to be seen on many local television stations to this day.
If you grew up watching the Andy Griffith show before it was reruns, then you probably tuned into The Red Skelton Show. Come see the only Pigeon Forge Red Skelton impersonator performing Afternoons in Pigeon Forge.
CLICK HERE on the Show Schedule above to see dates and make reservations to see the show. "Goodnight for now and may God bless".
