The Mayberry Effect

Throughout the United States, The Andy Griffith Show (TAGS) and characters like Andy and Opie Taylor, Aunt Bee, Floyd the Barber, Otis Campbell, Ernest T. Bass, Thelma Lou, and of course Barney Fife, continue to set off a certain nostalgic feeling of when life was simpler. Andy Griffith once said “”As you become more fragile, you reflect and you realize how much comfort can come from the past.” Loyal audiences and super fans make it their life’s mission to pass down that nostalgic Mayberry feeling to future generations and even after 60 years, The Andy Griffith Show continues to help viewers escape the real world full of constant turmoil, wars and political disruption for at least 30 minutes per episode. This Utopian sitcom has never been off the air since 1960, continues to draw more fans of all ages and sizes, has helped transition Andy Griffith’s hometown of Mt. Airy, NC into a tourist Mecca, and has influenced many to become tribute artists of their favorite Mayberrian characters. Through archival footage, clips from The Andy Griffith Show, and interviews with Andy Griffith Show cast members, tribute artists, scholars, and super fans, the effect this show has had on American television, music, film, and small town America is explored as a means to show how deeply rooted The Andy Griffith Show is in our own culture.—Chris Hudson