The actors who played the town’s residents became as attached to the series as the viewers.
Chances are if you were a fan of The Andy Griffith Show, you spent the entirety of that series wishing that you could live in a place like Mayberry. Maybe you admired the tight-knit community or the zany townsperson you have no doubt would be your best friend if you ever had the opportunity to meet. While the town of Mayberry itself was fictional, the love that viewers had for the show was real and kept them tuning in episode after episode.
The show has the kind of appeal that almost feels universal. The water is wet, the sky is blue, and The Andy Griffith Show is amazing. It’s an understanding that is shared by many, including the townspeople of Mayberry themselves. Betty Lynn, best known for playing Barney’s long-term girlfriend, Thelma Lou, explained that she believed the appeal of the series lay in its ability to make you feel the whole spectrum of human emotion. In an interview with The Evening Sun, Lynn stated, “That’s the kind of comedy I like, where one minute you’re laughing and the next minute there’s a tear in your eye or a little catch in your throat.”
Jack Dodson, otherwise known in Mayberry as Howard Sprague, believed that the evergreen appeal of the series must have something to do with the wholesome tone the show maintained throughout its run. He said, “We didn’t have sex and violence. We had checkers, haircuts, and choir practice.”
Moreover, Dodson argued that what made The Andy Griffith Show special wasn’t what was said between characters, but rather, what wasn’t. He stated, “We had something you rarely see on television anymore, pauses. Pauses have as much to do with the show as lines. People listened to each other. Now in comedy, they fire one-liners back and forth.”
So, for whatever reason, The Andy Griffith Show has remained as timeless as apple pie, and we’re mighty grateful for it either way.
