''Mayberry R.F.D.'' (abbreviation for Rural Free Delivery) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

television series produced as a

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...

continuation of ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...

''. When star Andy Griffith decided to leave his series, most of the supporting characters returned for the retitled program, which ran for three seasons (78 episodes) on the CBS Television Network from

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

. During the eighth and final season of ''The Andy Griffith Show'', widower farmer Sam Jones (

Ken Berry Kenneth Ronald Berry (November 3, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American actor, dancer, and singer. Berry starred on the television series ''F Troop'', ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and ''Mama's Family''. He also appea ...

) and his young son Mike (

Buddy Foster Lucius Fisher "Buddy" Foster IV (born July 12, 1957) is an American former child actor. Beginning his professional acting career at the age of eight, Foster is known for his roles in various television series throughout the late 1960s and early 1 ...

) are introduced and gradually become the show's focus.

Sheriff Andy Taylor A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

takes a back seat in the storylines, establishing the new premise. Sheriff Taylor and newlywed wife Helen made guest appearances on ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' until late 1969 before they relocated with Opie. ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' was popular throughout its entire run, but was canceled after its third season in CBS's "

rural purge The "rural purge" of American television networks (in particular CBS) was a series of cancellations in the early 1970s of still-popular rural-themed shows with demographically skewed audiences, the majority of which occurred at the end of the ...

" of 1971.

Plot and characters

Andy Griffith Ken Berry Mayberry RFD 1968

Father and son stories involving Sam and Mike Jones are reminiscent of the episodes that starred Andy Griffith. Both characters are introduced in the last season of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' (''TAGS''), beginning with Sam's election as head of the town council. Most of the town folk from ''TAGS'' continued their roles. Loyal Mayberry citizens

Goober Pyle Goober Pyle is a fictional character in the American TV sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and its sequel series ''Mayberry RFD''. He was played by George Lindsey. Lindsey first read for the part of Gomer Pyle, Goober's cousin, which went to acto ...

(

George Lindsey George Smith Lindsey (December 17, 1928 – May 6, 2012) was an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his role as Goober Pyle on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and his subsequent tenure on '' Hee-Haw''. Life and ...

), Clara Edwards ( Hope Summers), Emmett Clark (

Paul Hartman Paul Hartman (March 1, 1904 – October 2, 1973) was an American dancer, stage performer and television actor. Early years Born in San Francisco, California, Hartman was the son of Ferris Hartman, who was sometimes called the "Ziegfeld of ...

) and

Howard Sprague Howard Sprague is a fictional character on the CBS television sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', and its spin-off ''Mayberry R.F.D.''. He was played by Jack Dodson from 1966-71. He was characterized by his milquetoast demeanor, moustache, bow tie ...

( Jack Dodson) are seen regularly. Sheriff Andy Taylor and his sweetheart,

Helen Crump Helen Crump is a fictional dramatic character on the American television program ''The Andy Griffith Show'' (1960–1968). Helen made her debut in the third-season episode "Andy Discovers America" (1963). Helen was a schoolteacher and became mai ...

(

Aneta Corsaut Aneta Louise Corsaut (November 3, 1933November 6, 1995) was an American actress and writer. She is best known for playing Helen Crump on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' (1963–1968), Judge Cynthia Justin on '' Matlock'' (1991–1992), and Jane in ' ...

), marry in the new title's first episode. Both Andy and Helen make additional appearances during the first season (mostly Andy, who remains Sheriff of Mayberry in the early appearances.) Griffith and Coursaut leave the series for good in late 1969 with a move to

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, as the explanation. Aunt Bee (

Frances Bavier Frances Elizabeth Bavier (December 14, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American stage and television actress. Originally from New York theatre, she worked in film and television from the 1950s until the 1970s. She is best known for her role o ...

) becomes Sam's housekeeper but leaves after the second season to be replaced by Sam's cousin, Alice Cooper ( Alice Ghostley).

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...

Barney Fife Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program ''The Andy Griffith Show'', portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow-paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North C ...

and

Ronny Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of ''The Twilight Zone''. He ...

Opie Taylor Opie Taylor is a fictional character played by Ron Howard in the American television program ''The Andy Griffith Show'', which was televised on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968. Opie Taylor appeared in 209 of the 249 episodes of ''The ...

both appear in the first episode, with Barney serving as Andy's best man for the wedding. Actress

Arlene Golonka Arlene Leanore Golonka (January 23, 1936 – May 31, 2021) was an American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Millie Hutchins on the television comedy ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and Millie Swanson on ''Mayberry R.F.D.'', and often ...

(who played Howard Sprague's sweetheart Millie Hutchins/Swanson in the Griffith show) becomes Sam's love interest in the retitled seasons. A recurring character named Ralph (

Charles Lampkin Charles Lampkin (1913–1989) was an American actor, musician and lecturer. Early life Charles Lampkin was born on March 17, 1913 in Ward 4 of Montgomery, Alabama. He was the third son of Edgar Lampkin and Sarah Bidell. His paternal lineage is ...

) lives with a teen daughter and pre-teen son next to the Jones farm. Mary Lansing appeared occasionally as Emmett's wife, Martha. As with its predecessor, Mayberry R.F.D. continued under the sponsorship of General Foods and its products.

Notable guest stars

Farrah Fawcett Farrah Leni Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she playe ...

played a showgirl in "Millie the Model" (October 20, 1969). * Jodie Foster, sister of regular cast member Buddy Foster, played a fairy in "The Church Play" (November 18, 1968) and a little girl in "All for Charity" (October 12, 1970). * Teri Garr played a cashier in "Miss Farmerette" (December 23, 1968). *

Will Geer Will Geer (born William Aughe Ghere; March 9, 1902 – April 22, 1978) was an American actor, musician, and social activist, who was active in labor organizing and other movements in New York and Southern California in the 1930s and 1940s. In Ca ...

played Captain Wolford in "Aunt Bee's Cruise" (part one on January 13, 1969; part two on January 20, 1969). * Natalie Schafer played Cornelia Willoughby in "Goober the Housekeeper" (November 9, 1970). An NBC reunion movie, ''

Return to Mayberry ''Return to Mayberry'' is a 1986 American made-for-television romantic comedy film based on the 1960s sitcoms ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and ''Mayberry R.F.D.''. The film premiered on April 13, 1986, on NBC, and was the highest- rated television ...

'', was produced in 1986 and featured many original performers from ''TAGS''. Ken Berry, Buddy Foster and Arlene Golonka don't appear in the movie, nor do ''TAGS'' regulars Frances Bavier,

Elinor Donahue Elinor Donahue (born Mary Eleanor Donahue, April 19, 1937) is an American actress, best known today for playing the role of Betty Anderson, the eldest child of Jim and Margaret Anderson on the 1950s American sitcom ''Father Knows Best''. Early ...

, and

Jack Burns John Francis Burns (November 15, 1933 – January 27, 2020) was an American comedian, actor, voice actor, writer, and producer. During the 1960s, he was part of two comedy partnerships, first with George Carlin and later with Avery Schreiber. ...

. Nevertheless, ''Return'' does share continuity with the ''R.F.D.'' storyline, by maintaining that Andy and

Helen Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, ...

are married. However, Andy and Helen's son, Andy Jr. is never mentioned.

Episodes

Home media

On April 8, 2014,

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video ...

released the first season on DVD in Region 1. On February 27, 2018,

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...

re-released season 1 on a manufacture-on-demand (MOD) DVD via their

Warner Archive Collection The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inte ...

Reception and ratings

The final episode of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' was titled "Mayberry RFD", which added an Italian-American family to the Sam Jones homestead. The producers chose to forgo a big overhaul and instead stuck with the winning premise of a widower, his son and the matronly Aunt Bee. Therefore, the series was much the same as ''The Andy Griffith Show'', without Andy Taylor and son Opie. ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' was consistently in the top ten in the

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

the first two years of its run, but dropped to number 15 during its third and final season. That year CBS, seeking a more urban image, canceled all its rural-themed shows including ''

Green Acres ''Green Acres'' is an American television sitcom starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm. Produced by Filmways as a sister show to ''Petticoat Junction'', the series was first broadcast on ...

'', '' Hee Haw'' and '' The Beverly Hillbillies'' in what became known as the "

References

Bibliography

* Fernandes, David; & Dale Robinson. ''A Guide to Television's "Mayberry R.F.D."'', McFarland & Company, Inc, 1999.

External links

* *
''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and ''The Andy Griffith Show'' background article
(archived) {{mayberry 1968 American television series debuts 1971 American television series endings 1960s American sitcoms 1970s American sitcoms American television spin-offs CBS original programming English-language television shows Television shows set in North Carolina The Andy Griffith Show