With Sheriff Taylor departing Mayberry for this show, who were the town police?

Goober Pyle was the official deputy sheriff of Mayberry during Mayberry RFD

Andy was still the sheriff; they only showed him a few times though when Andy Griffith would guest-star.

Andy was still the sheriff; they only showed him a few times though when Andy Griffith would guest-star.

I always had thought Andy and Helen had moved away, that Andy had taken another job out of town?

Maybe that was the influence of the New Andy Griffith Show on me?

Goober Pyle was the official deputy sheriff of Mayberry during Mayberry RFD

And Andy Taylor was still supposed to be Sheriff, although nobody ever saw him around anywhere?

That's just way too hard to believe, plot wise, since Mayberry is so small, and why would he have put his dear old Aunt out after all those years... on orders from Helen?

since I posted my first post I've thought about it and I think I was wrong.

Lets face it, if Goober is the Sheriff, would you blame Helen and Andy if they moved away?

Andy was indeed still the (very infrequently seen) sheriff during season one. In the premiere of season two it was revealed that he no longer held that post.

Andy was indeed still the (very infrequently seen) sheriff during season one. In the premiere of season two it was revealed that he no longer held that post.
oh, so then I WAS right!

i kind of assumed that after season 1 that andys term as sheriff ended and sherrif patterson who was referred to in return to mayberry took over from him

I would have seen that as an opportunity to bring back Warren Ferguson.

That's just way too hard to believe, plot wise, since Mayberry is so small, and why would he have put his dear old Aunt out after all those years... on orders from Helen?

Probably. In the first episode of MRFD, Aunt Bee says she’s voluntarily moving out because she wants to give the newlyweds some space. But you know damned well that Helen didn’t make her feel welcome to stay.

Or maybe Bee figured out that life in the Taylor home wouldn’t be pleasant with Helen in charge, and got the hell out of there.

Probably. In the first episode of MRFD, Aunt Bee says she’s voluntarily moving out because she wants to give the newlyweds some space. But you know damned well that Helen didn’t make her feel welcome to stay. She was an unpleasant person.

Agree! Ellie would have made Aunt Bee welcome to stay and have been a supportive stepmother to Opie.

Of course, it seems right about the time Aunt Bee left the Jones Farm to parts unclear, that's when Helen bore Andy Taylor, Jr but I'll bet she never thought to ask for the older woman's help in caring for a newborn.

Then,too, Andy, Jr. had totally vanished with no one bothering to mention where he might have gone by the time of 'Return to Mayberry' despite the fact that, as per the movie's time, he'd have been fourteen years old so maybe he ran away to Aunt Bee's as soon as he could crawl and Helen disowned him (and henpecked Andy to do the same) and when Aunt Bee died, he decided he'd rather chance it being on his own from a very young age than to have to go back to Helen!

Not a lot of Crump love on this thread!

I always thought the state took over major matters, with Goober used for any local issues. Admittedly, I haven’t seen many episodes, as much as I have tried. Ken Berry is just too bland.

Over the course of the audience's 11 year stay in Mayberry, we saw the town go from a sheriff and deputy and even sometimes an extra deputy to just a sheriff, and then no fulltime law enforcement whatsoever. In the RFD version of Mayberry the town didn't seem all that small, in fact, it seemed to be growing.

Griffith was in a handful of early episodes of RFD, and Andy was still the sheriff. At some point during the first season it was made clear that the Taylors had moved. I don't remember if, during season 1, it was made clear who was the new sheriff.

In season 2 it was made clear that Goober had taken over the duties. I don't think he was actually elected, maybe deputized by Andy, but the citizens weren't happy with him in one episode. In fact in that episode Howard tried to prove Goober was inept, by donning a stocking and faking a bank robbery. Goober locked him up, and finally Sam intervened and had Goober let Howard go.

. In fact in that episode Howard tried to prove Goober was inept, by donning a stocking and faking a bank robbery. Goober locked him up, and finally Sam intervened and had Goober let Howard go.

That is fantastic! I don't remember that one, and I thought I had seen them all.
Does Goober carry a gun?

Howard as a criminal? LOL, that would be interesting. I faintly remember a movie where Jack Dodson and Sally Struthers were fugitives, and he seemed out of his element on that one.

It's been awhile since I've seen it, but I think Goober just puts him in a hammerlock and takes him over to the courthouse. I don't think Goober is armed.

I don't think Goober is armed.

I just saw a season 7 episode that I don't believe I have ever seen before. Goober grows a beard, everyone tells him how distinguished it makes him look, and he becomes a pompous intellectual.....after which no one can stand him

It's a great exposee on "the self fulfilling prophesy" as well as the masses propensity for creating demons of their own choosing. When we decide a certain person or people are supposed to act a certain way, and they don't, then we feel that we have been offended

I was never a big fan of RFD. I remember watching it as a kid.....mostly due to the legacy aspect...but since the first runs I''ve basically avoided it for what I thought were a multitude of reasons, but I think today after watching the "Goober the intellectual" episode of Andy Griffith season 7 vintage, I realize that my disdain for RFD was not due to any failing of the show or it's cast...it simply wasn't going in the direction I thought it should...meaning the primary failing was with me.

Interesting to ponder that aspect in context with the "rural purge" that was to follow.

There are a few winners among a fair number of clunkers. Probably about the same proportion as in the color episodes of TAGS.

There are a few winners among a fair number of clunkers. Probably about the same proportion as in the color episodes of TAGS.

Personally, I think the main problem with the show was that it was living under it's own shadow.
In and of itself, it wasn't a bad show. Emmett was a wonderful character. Howard, and his mother, were okay....Kn Berry's character, with his family....were "workable".

But the "Mayberry" in it's name was just too big a legacy for them to carry. No matter how good the show might have ever been, the TAGS purists would look at the show and say "NaaaaH!" Perhaps another name on the show might have given them a chance to be seen in a less biased light?

Just as a rough analogy (I know that the metrics are not a perfect match), let's ponder the music group Paul McCartney and Wings.

I was never a huge Beatles fan, but I grew up with several people who were. When they broke up, and a while later Paul McCartney and Wings started charting songs, Many people I knew who were legacy Beatles fans had a hard time accepting the new sound.
I wasn't much of a Beatles fan, yet even I perceived wings as leaving a considerable amount to be desired.

50 years later, looking back, many of those "Wings" numbers were brilliant in their own context...they just were suffering from the shadow back when it was all relevant.

I think there is a loose parallel for RFD.

Re the Beatles it's amazing all four members went on to separate success in the 70s.

MRFD also had cast problems with the declining health of Frances Bavier. She missed a fair number of episodes in season 2 (she did do the Palm Springs episodes but I don't she she did any of the location shooting). She did finally retire before season 2 ended and in season 3 was replaced by Alice Ghostley.

I always enjoyed the AGS episodes that featured guest roles by Allan Melvin.
He would have made an interesting member to bring back as a regular on RFD.

He was in RFD only once, as a barber trying to help Emmett with his baldness. Late season 3 episode.

Probably. In the first episode of MRFD, Aunt Bee says she’s voluntarily moving out because she wants to give the newlyweds some space. But you know damned well that Helen didn’t make her feel welcome to stay.

Or maybe Bee figured out that life in the Taylor home wouldn’t be pleasant with Helen in charge, and got the hell out of there.

The times they were a changing in Mayberry as the 1970s rolled in.

:(

Over the course of the audience's 11 year stay in Mayberry, we saw the town go from a sheriff and deputy and even sometimes an extra deputy to just a sheriff, and then no fulltime law enforcement whatsoever. In the RFD version of Mayberry the town didn't seem all that small, in fact, it seemed to be growing.

I watched quite a few MRFD episides back in the original run, but fifty years later I barely remember details of the show.

Was downtown Mayberry shown?

Agree! Ellie would have made Aunt Bee welcome to stay and have been a supportive stepmother to Opie.

Of course, it seems right about the time Aunt Bee left the Jones Farm to parts unclear, that's when Helen bore Andy Taylor, Jr but I'll bet she never thought to ask for the older woman's help in caring for a newborn.

Then,too, Andy, Jr. had totally vanished with no one bothering to mention where he might have gone by the time of 'Return to Mayberry' despite the fact that, as per the movie's time, he'd have been fourteen years old so maybe he ran away to Aunt Bee's as soon as he could crawl and Helen disowned him (and henpecked Andy to do the same) and when Aunt Bee died, he decided he'd rather chance it being on his own from a very young age than to have to go back to Helen!

Yes, that's kind of disturbing that Andy, Jr. vanished... possibly ded at a young age and it was too painful for Andy, Helen and Opie to discuss?

i kind of assumed that after season 1 that andys term as sheriff ended and sherrif patterson who was referred to in return to mayberry took over from him

Sheriff Patterson probably took over after Goober moved to Hew Haw Land, and eventually opened the truck stop.

:)

Season 3, ep. 3 of RFD, "Goober's New Gas Station" aired today on MeTV+. Goober is still acting as "deputy sheriff," and in fact he arrests & jails Howard for trespassing on his property. You would think by this time a Sheriff would've been established, whether Goober or someone else.

Emmett does make a comment indicating Mayberry's progress has been slow, joking how long the establishment of a "pizza stand" took.

The fact that the town went from a sheriff and a deputy to just a sheriff to no sheriff at all made zero sense. The sheriff of Mayberry was an elected position if one resigned or decided not to run a special election would have been held. Who had the authority to make Goober an acting deputy? I think the show should have stayed away from the entire topic or have someone fill the role in an as needed basis (how about hiring Alan Hale, he played the sheriff in an episode of Green Acres).

Probably. In the first episode of MRFD, Aunt Bee says she’s voluntarily moving out because she wants to give the newlyweds some space. But you know damned well that Helen didn’t make her feel welcome to stay.

Or maybe Bee figured out that life in the Taylor home wouldn’t be pleasant with Helen in charge, and got the hell out of there.

I definitely need to see Mayberry RFD again soon, especially the first season, apparently an interesting sequel to the original show, after all.