Return to Mayberry was a television movie made in 1986 on NBC. The show was a reunion movie for the 1960s American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. The movie premiered on April 14, 1986 was one of the highest rated shows in the 1986 season, and was the second most watched program of the week (after The Cosby Show). Sixteen of the original cast members reunited for the movie, and it is generally regarded as one of the best of the "reunion" genre. A television movie (also known as a TV film, TV movie, TV-movie, feature-length drama, made-for-TV movie, movie of the week (MOTW or MOW), single drama, telemovie, telefilm, or two-hour-long drama) is a film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... NBC (an abbreviation for National Broadcasting Company, its former corporate name) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Andy Griffith Show was an American television series that aired from 1960 to 1968. ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year (105 in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 261 days remaining. ... See also: 1985 in television, other events of 1986, 1987 in television and the list of years in television For the American network television schedule, please see 1986-87 American network television schedule. ... When TV viewers or entertainment professionals in the United States mention ratings they are generally referring to Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. ... The Cosby Show was an American television sitcom that ran from 1984 to 1992. ... Cast of The Andy Griffith Show: Sheriff Andy Taylor - Andy Griffith Deputy Barney Fife - Don Knotts Opie Taylor - Ron Howard Aunt Bee - Frances Bavier Gomer Pyle - Jim Nabors Goober Pyle (aka Goober Beasley in one episode) - George Lindsey Floyd Lawson - Howard McNear Otis Campbell - Hal Smith Helen Crump - Aneta Corsaut...

Plot

Andy Taylor returns to his hometown of Mayberry with wife Helen (Aneta Corsaut) (whom he had married in 1968, on The Andy Griffith Show spin-off Mayberry R.F.D.), but sans his second-born son Andy Jr. (christened on "RFD"). Andy's main purpose for returning is to witness his son Opie (Ron Howard) become a father, as his wife is nearly nine months pregnant. Sheriff Taylor was a character on The Andy Griffith Show, a sitcom of the 1960s. ... Mayberry is the name of a fictional town in North Carolina which was the setting for the American television sitcoms The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D.. Mayberry, population 1,800, was a small rural town which is remembered as much for its slow-paced life as it... Helen Crump was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. ... Aneta Corsaut (Born November 3, 1933 in Hutchinson, Kansas - Died November 6, 1995 in Studio City, California) was an American televison actress. ... See also: 1967 in television, other events of 1968, 1969 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1968-69 American network television schedule. ... The Andy Griffith Show was an American television series that aired from 1960 to 1968. ... A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a new company formed from a university research group. ... Mayberry R.F.D., (a postal abbreviation for Rural Free Delivery) was a spinoff, or perhaps, more accurately, a direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show under a new title. ... Opie Taylor was the name of the character played by Ronny Howard on The Andy Griffith Show, an American sitcom of the 1960s on the CBS television network. ... For other people named Ron Howard, see Ronald Howard. ...

Andy finds that his old deputy and cousin, Barney Fife (Don Knotts) has returned from Raleigh (where he had moved after Knotts left the series in 1965) to become the acting sheriff following the death of the preceding sheriff, and intends to run to win the position outright. However, he becomes annoyed as many townspeople assume that Andy has returned to take over the Sheriff's office (despite Andy's constant denial of the matter) and beg their old friend to take over. Barney also gets caught up in investigating a commercial ploy to attract tourists to Myer's Lake via a mechanical monster. Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show Barney Fife was the fictional deputy sheriff in the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. ... Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show (a role which earned him five Emmy Awards), and as landlord Ralph Furley on the television sitcom Threes... Nickname: City of Oaks Motto: You Can See the Whole State from Here Map of Wake County, North Carolina Coordinates: Country United States State North Carolina County Wake County Founded 1792  - Mayor Charles Meeker (D) Area    - City 299. ... See also: 1964 in television, other events of 1965, 1966 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1965-66 American network television schedule. ...

Many of the characters from the old show return to show how they've changed. The milquetoast Howard Sprague, in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. The Pyle cousins, Goober and Gomer, share filling station duties (and seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history). Otis, the former town drunk, has become sober and drives an ice cream truck for the kids in Mayberry. Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career. Howard Morris and Denver Pyle reprise the hillbilly roles of Ernest T. Bass and Mr. Darling. 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. ... Goober Pyle was the fictional auto mechanic for the town of Mayberry in the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and its later spin-off series Mayberry RFD. He was played by George Lindsey. ... Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show Gomer Pyle was the simple-minded gas station attendant and later auto mechanic in the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, played by Jim Nabors. ... Hillbilly is a term referring to people who dwell in remote, rural, mountainous areas. ... Ernest T. Bass from The Andy Griffith Show Ernest T. Bass was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. ... Denver Pyle as Briscoe Darling Briscoe Darling Jr. ...

In the end, it is discovered (thanks to Andy's investigating) that Ernest T. Bass and new hotel owner Wally Butler conjured the lake monster from an old restaurant artifact to also embarrass and humiliate Barney right out of the contest. At a "victory rally" for Barney, an informal straw poll is taken, and it is found that most people would vote for...Andy, despite him not being on the ballot. Barney finally decides to withdraw from the contest and asks Andy to take over as sheriff with Barney as the deputy. Andy agrees, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy putting up an American flag in downtown Mayberry.

Cast

Most of the surviving cast members of The Andy Griffith Show reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was Frances Bavier, who played Aunt Bee for ten seasons. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving Mayberry R.F.D. in 1970. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of Mayberry R.F.D. and the events of this movie. Elinor Donahue was another one of the few cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main R.F.D. regulars, Sam Jones, Mike, and Millie Swanson—who first began on the last AGS season—were also absent. (Ken Berry was unavailable as he was busy playing Vinton Harper on Mama's Family.) Frances Bavier (December 14, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American character actress, best remembered for her role as Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show in the 1960s. ... Aunt Bee was a character on the long-running 1960s American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and its successor program, Mayberry R.F.D. Aunt Bee was played by actress Frances Bavier. ... Mayberry R.F.D., (a postal abbreviation for Rural Free Delivery) was a spinoff, or perhaps, more accurately, a direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show under a new title. ... See also: 1969 in television, other events of 1970, 1971 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1970-71 American network television schedule. ... Elinor Donahue (born April 19, 1937 in Tacoma, Washington) is an American actress. ... Kenneth Ronald Berry (born November 3, 1933 in Moline, Illinois) is an American actor, comedian, and dancer. ... Vinton Harper is a fictional character from the sitcom Mamas Family. ... Mamas Family is an American television sitcom which premiered on January 22, 1983, on the NBC television network, where it aired for two seasons, until its cancellation in May 1984. ...

Trivia

• Since the original outdoor sets from the original Andy Griffith television series had been destroyed, the producers had to recreate the town of Mayberry. As a result there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on this street.

• Apparently Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.) went their separate ways, as Gomer is unattached in this TV movie.

• Barney and Thelma Lou finally tie the knot here, but in a 1967 episode where Barney returns home to rekindle their relationship, he finds out she married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that her marriage only lasted 18 months.

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. was a television series that ran on CBS from September 25, 1964 to September 9, 1970. ... Thelma Lou was a fictional character on the long-running 1960s American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. ...

External links

• Mayberry.com - home of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club w/ Interviews, Episode Guides, newsletters, and forums.
• Behind the Scenes of the Real Mayberry - a behind the scenes look at The Andy Griffith Show and the real Mayberry, includes filming locations, the stars made on the show, and Mayberry trivia.
• Return to Mayberry at The Internet Movie Database