Mount Airy, North Carolina, is gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “The Andy Griffith Show.” Andy was born in Mount Airy, and he patterned his fictional Mayberry after the small town. He even used the same street names and the Snappy Lunch restaurant – still on Main Street. Over the last two decades, factories in Mount Airy closed down, but tourism came to replace them. The Andy Griffith museum is a big draw and nostalgic tourists pump millions into the economy. (Yes, there is still a Floyd’s Barbershop.) Three 1960’s Ford Galaxies painted like Andy’s cruiser drive around town, giving rides to tourists. Believe it or not, 50,000 visitors are expected this October to celebrate the TV show’s 50th anniversary. Most of the cast members coming were extras playing kids on the show. But they all have memories.
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Time marches on, doesn’t it? I’ll always love Ron Howard tho and his career is fabulous and he’s intelligently picked projects that are interesting and he does his job very well. I only wish he’d still continue to act as I’ve always enjoyed seeing him on the scree as well as his movies which as so good. I wish he’d come back to acting and really get into it again, I think he’d be brilliant as a charactor actor and really bring a lot to whatever role he would play. Maybe someone could start a facebook thing like they did with Betty White?!
Loved that show, such an innocent time. And now we have Jersey Shore
I remember the episode when Ron Howard’s character – Opie, was it? – killed the bird. Howard gave an award-worthy performance – as he confessed, his sense of guilt and regret smacked the viewer right in the face. That episode must have left a deep impression on millions of kids over the years, and saved the lives of countless small animals.
Shows now are either void of values or annoyingly preachy.
…….Ronald Reagan either.
Everyone should have an Aunt Bee (Bea?).
Loved this show, still do. Especially when Opie was really little and was needin’ to learn about the world. I’m glad Mount Airy has taken the show to heart and is keeping it as a living museum of sorts. I wish times were simpler like back then, when sherriff’s didn’t carry guns (Barney’s one bullet was kept in his pocket), and the worst thing that happened in a day was someone stealing the apple pie off the window sill…
…and the local pastor invited the boys into the woods for a circle jerk, and there were no social services to stop the guy living on the edge of town from molesting his daughters, and the klan came to town and burned down a house or two. Ah, good times.
I know for a fact that Aunt Bea was very big into anal sex. Floyd the barber told me that he had caught Ernest T Bass giving it good to Aunt Bea up the old turd tube so he apparently lined up some friends including Gomer,Goober,Emmett the fix it man and even Howard Sprague and they all waited until Andy went over to Mt Pilot one day and they surprised Aunt Bea by stopping over and gave her a couple of drinks and wam,bam thank you mam they all corn holed her. Clara even stopped by & had a little lesbo action with Bea after the guys were all done.
LOL Zippy!!!!!