Return to Mayberry

I always regarded THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW as a once a week visit to a bunch of good friends. I just didn't have to drive to Mayberry; it was a matter of tuning in each Monday night, and I never missed it. How nice it was to get to visit with most of the old gang again when RETURN TO MAYBERRY aired. Now I suppose the context of the show wasn't all that "cool" but then the original show never was and never tried to be. RETURN TO MAYBERRY was like going home again after a number of years away. Barney was just the same, flying off at the handle in six different directions while Andy's cool head prevailed to solve the mystery of the monster of Myers Lake. There were two very nice touches near the end; one of which was Barney's marriage to Thelma Lou. (I recall always feeling sort of sad that they never were married during the run of the original show.) The other was of course Andy and Barney taking down the flag at the end of the movie, and I thought it fitting that they ended it this way...Andy as the sherriff and Barney the ever dependable deputy...forever the stalwart keepers of law and order in that mythical little North Carolina town we will have in our hearts. I always feel kind of warm as I drive through Mount Airy and Siler City and Pilot Mountain (Mt. Pilot). Maybe Mayberry isn't really there in name, but it is a wonderful feeling to know I am in Andy Taylor and Barney Fife country.

The awful script notwithstanding, it is great to see the cast get back together in this trip down memory lane. Those of us who grew up with the Andy Griffith Show like it. When Barney asks Andy to answer the telephone in the Sheriff's Office, and hearing Andy simply say "Sheriff's Office," well, talk about your nostalgia! What's amazing is that in 2004, almost all of these people are still alive and many still working (Don Knotts for one).

This is just a nice movie for the "fans" of the show. No stunning acting, no over the top in your face "shock" humor we are all too sick of now.

They just don't make them like this anymore (the origional show, that is). These new so-called comedy sitcoms don't even come close....

I saw this about 3 times and a few things bothered me. Everyone was so surprised to see Andy again, don't you think Andy would have kept in touch during those 20 years? As much as I liked Helen Crump, I think Charlene Darling would have made a much more interesting love interest for Andy. I realize that could never be. And Charlene was very cute. When Andy and Opie leave Opie's office they failed to say goodbye to the receptionist. Isn't that sort of rude? Was this actress Andy's wife in reality? It was great to see most of the old cast reunited. Most of them are no longer with us. Hard to believe it has been 27 years since this was first aired. Time marches on. There will never be a program of this quality again. We are living in different times.

This was quite good for what it was-a nice nostalgic ode to the great '60s series, most of the guys-from Howard Morris, Hal Smith to Denver Pyle and Ron Howard came back to supply some class to the precedings. Plotwise it's Andy coming back to help Barney Fife and set things to rights, nothing more-but that is fine, that is what the audience wants, and gets.

This was #2 for the week when it premiered on NBC back in '86 I remember, with good reason. I have seen it twice, I liked it and so will anyone who liked the show or the stars, esp. Griffiths or Knotts.

*** outta ****, pretty good.

No it is not a classic. But for ANY fan of the Andy Griffith Show "Return to Mayberry" is a sweet movie that reunites almost all of the original cast. The story is somewhat lame but it's fun just to sit back and watch the old gang at work. It is even more bittersweet knowing that 3 of the cast members (Aneta Corsaut, Jack Dodson, and Hal Smith) have since died. And kudos go most of all to Ron Howard who is now one of the top directors in Hollywood. He easily could have thumbed his nose at this movie. It just goes to show that there really are nice people still in Hollywood.