I wonder if a prequel to the show would go over well, depicting Andy married to his wife and them caring for Opie as a baby, having Andy accepting the job of Sheriff, showing how Barney got to be deputy etc...

Sounds like an interesting idea.....but I'll bet you would pay heII trying to find an actor that the devoted fans would accept for Andy.

Sounds like an interesting idea.....but I'll bet you would pay heII trying to find an actor that the devoted fans would accept for Andy.



I think Tom Hanks could have played a decent Andy in his younger days

The ship has sailed. Might of worked if done during tags run early on, with the tags cast.

I like the idea of seeing Andy married to Opie's mother. The problem would be that they would want to make it more mature and not family oriented. I don't think they could make a clean show today. Everything has to be explicit.

the show said almost nothing about the mother. it'd be easy to write.

Who would play Floyd? It just wouldn’t be as funny without him!

I like the idea of seeing Andy married to Opie's mother. The problem would be that they would want to make it more mature and not family oriented. I don't think they could make a clean show today. Everything has to be explicit.

But with all the reboots and remakes these days it's a wonder it hasn't happened yet... and that it would no doubt be done badly.

Sounds like an interesting idea.....but I'll bet you would pay heII trying to find an actor that the devoted fans would accept for Andy.

And do it right?

I have no idea, probably cast a talented unknown who resembles a young Andy Griffith, and a possibly well known redheaded actress as Opie's mother, and maybe play it somewhat straight, given the tragic ending will be built in?

Who would play Floyd? It just wouldn’t be as funny without him!

A young Floyd... done right, that would be fascinating... one scene could actually be the infamous fistfight...

About it being more mature.... they could probably make Floyd flat out GAY...since it was always sorta speculated that Floyd was the "town gay guy" who was in the closet.

the show said almost nothing about the mother. it'd be easy to write.


Did Andy even mention is late wife's name? I thought it was Rose at first but after watching the 1st episode I see that was Opie's caretaker.

About it being more mature.... they could probably make Floyd flat out GAY...since it was always sorta speculated that Floyd was the "town gay guy" who was in the closet.

Mayberry fans have established that Floyd was a widower and had children, based on references in TAGS and Gomer Pyle. He also fell into a criminal's trap related to dating an older woman. That hardly fits the profile of a gay man.

If you want to go on thinking that Floyd and/or Howard were gay, no one can change your opinion. But the facts don't seem to back that up at all.

Mayberry fans have established that Floyd was a widower and had children, based on references in TAGS and Gomer Pyle. He also fell into a criminal's trap related to dating an older woman. That hardly fits the profile of a gay man.

If you want to go on thinking that Floyd and/or Howard were gay, no one can change your opinion. But the facts don't seem to back that up at all.

True, I suppose Jim Nabors in real life was the only known gay cast member, although Gomer never showed any signs of this that I recall.

I don't think this is a very good idea to begin with, but let's move beyond that and for argument's sake look at the idea. In the WOKE world of today what major issue would be an immediate concern? How do you deal with life in a southern town in the late 1950's at the dawning of the modern civil rights movement? The original series didn't deal with it at all, that won't fly in this day and age. Andy and Barney are law enforcement officers, this series would be taking place in the immediate aftermath of Brown v Board of Education, the imaginary world of sweet Mayberry would have to be dragged into the real south and the real issues of that time.

I don't think this is a very good idea to begin with, but let's move beyond that and for argument's sake look at the idea. In the WOKE world of today what major issue would be an immediate concern? How do you deal with life in a southern town in the late 1950's at the dawning of the modern civil rights movement? The original series didn't deal with it at all, that won't fly in this day and age. Andy and Barney are law enforcement officers, this series would be taking place in the immediate aftermath of Brown v Board of Education, the imaginary world of sweet Mayberry would have to be dragged into the real south and the real issues of that time.

Mayberry seems to have no black people (besides later with Opie's black coach in the color era), which I suppose was possible, it doesn't seem realistic to the south I knew back in those years.

There seemed to be very, very few black residents of Mayberry, but I will also mention a little boy who appeared with Mike Jones and Howard Sprague in Season 1 of Mayberry RFD who was black. In the black & white episodes, I think a black person appears in at least one crowd scene.

There seemed to be very, very few black residents of Mayberry, but I will also mention a little boy who appeared with Mike Jones and Howard Sprague in Season 1 of Mayberry RFD who was black. In the black & white episodes, I think a black person appears in at least one crowd scene.

This makes me think on how this prequel could actually work, or have a shot at working right... as Andy himself did details such as this can be adapted from the history of Mount Airy, North Carolina.

From Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Airy,_North_Carolina

"As of the census of 2000 [...] The racial makeup of the city was 85.34% White descent, 7.99% African American, 0.35% Native American, 2.55% Asian American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.49% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.87% of the population..."

It just happens there's not a large population of African Americans in Mount Airy aka Mayberry, at least in 2000.

Another thing about the show itself, most of the time the stories center on a small circle of friends of Andy... the average Mayberry citizen wasn't seen that often, of either race.

I think "The Taylors" would be a good title. Or if the focus would be more on the town, maybe "Maryberry, the Early Days"

It's actually been a while since I've watched the show, but was it ever stated outright that the show takes place in the 60s? I always thought it was odd, businesses were still using candlestick telephones... those were practically all but gone even in the 60, I think.

I think "The Taylors" would be a good title. Or if the focus would be more on the town, maybe "Maryberry, the Early Days"

It's actually been a while since I've watched the show, but was it ever stated outright that the show takes place in the 60s? I always thought it was odd, businesses were still using candlestick telephones... those were practically all but gone even in the 60, I think.

That has always looked odd. I grew up in the 1960s and never saw a andlestick telephone still in use.

I haven't thought to look, but I wonder what the telephones were like in the later color and Mayberry RFD episodes... I can easily imagine the old olive green rotary dial ones in use at some point, as everything seemed to jump to modern time.

When Andy is in Hollywood (color ep), he uses a then-modern phone in the hotel to call Darlene Mason. That was the first thing that came to mind. Also I'm pretty certain the Taylors' kitchen wall phone at home was updated.

That has always looked odd. I grew up in the 1960s and never saw a andlestick telephone still in use.

I haven't thought to look, but I wonder what the telephones were like in the later color and Mayberry RFD episodes... I can easily imagine the old olive green rotary dial ones in use at some point, as everything seemed to jump to modern time.

What was odd was, Andy had a more modern phone in his home, but many of the businesses had the candlestick type

What was odd was, Andy had a more modern phone in his home, but many of the businesses had the candlestick type

It is strange. I grew up in the 1960s, and never saw a candlestick style phone in use anywhere.

The big black rotary phones were the norm, and later the "princess" phones became popular.

The candlestick telephone seemed clearly a museum item during the years TAGS was on the air.

When Andy is in Hollywood (color ep), he uses a then-modern phone in the hotel to call Darlene Mason. That was the first thing that came to mind. Also I'm pretty certain the Taylors' kitchen wall phone at home was updated.

I'm watching season 7, and there's the black rotary phones in the Taylor house by that time, 1965-66?

I think Tom Hanks could have played a decent Andy in his younger days

tea, I could see him as a younger Andy. It would be difficult finding someone for Barney, though.

tea, I could see him as a younger Andy. It would be difficult finding someone for Barney, though.

I have no idea who played him but guy from Ground Hog Day who was Ned Rayerson~sp~ sounded like Don Knotts to me.... I know he was bigger than Barney, but he sorta had his voice and mannerisms lol

I have no idea who played him but guy from Ground Hog Day who was Ned Rayerson~sp~ sounded like Don Knotts to me.... I know he was bigger than Barney, but he sorta had his voice and mannerisms lol

Stephen Tobolowsky.