When you combine all 8 seasons of The Andy Griffith Show and all 3 seasons of Mayberry R.F.D. you get 11 seasons of Mayberry. There is one person who’s appeared in all 11 seasons. They weren’t in every single episode. Some seasons, they only appeared in one or two episodes. Who is it?

Andy Griffith?

Francis Bavier?

Ron Howard?

Someone Else?

Hmm?

Hope Summers?

Frances Bavier is close with 10 seasons, but really none of the staring cast of TAGS made it all the way thru both shows.

Without looking her up, I'd go along with Hope Summers. I know in earlier seasons she was not Clara Edwards; she had at least a different last name (Johnson?) And I also wouldn't rule out some totally different role early on, either.

You both are correct. It was Hope Summers as Clara.

Here's a little cast list I made, using as many regulars as I could think of. The numbers are how many episodes per season they appeared in. If any information is incorrect, well, I used imdb for help, lol. I would like to go through all the episodes myself to confirm these numbers but I'm too lazy at the moment.

The Andy Griffith Show (Mayberry R.F.D.)
October 3, 1960 – March 29, 1971 (CBS)
11 Seasons: (TAGS: 1-8) (MRFD) (9-11) (32, 31, 32, 32, 32, 30, 30, 30, 26, 26, 26) = 327 episodes
Cast:
Sheriff Andy Taylor … Andy Griffith (32, 31, 32, 32, 32, 30, 30, 30, 04, 01, 00) = 254 episodes
Opie Taylor … Ronny Howard (32, 25, 25, 23, 24, 24, 24, 25, 01, 00, 00) = 203 episodes
Deputy Barney Fife … Don Knotts (28, 28, 27, 27, 26, 02, 02, 01, 01, 00, 00) = 142 episodes
Aunt Bee Taylor … Francis Bavier (23, 23, 16, 22, 21, 24, 24, 22, 12, 11, 00) = 198 episodes
Otis Campbell … Hal Smith (09, 07, 04, 05, 04, 01, 01, 00, 00, 00, 00) = 031 episodes
Mayor Pike … Dick Elliott (07, 04, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00) = 011 episodes
Ellie Walker … Elinor Donahue (12, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00) = 012 episodes
Floyd Lawson … Howard McNear (08, 08, 05, 04, 18, 18, 19, 00, 00, 00, 00) = 080 episodes
Thelma Lou … Betty Lynn (02, 06, 05, 06, 06, 01, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00) = 026 episodes
Clara Edwards … Hope Summers (02, 04, 01, 02, 03, 07, 07, 06, 02, 02, 01) = 037 episodes
Gomer Pyle … Jim Nabors (00, 00, 06, 17, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00) = 023 episodes
Miss Helen Crump … Aneta Corsaut (00, 00, 02, 05, 12, 16, 15, 16, 01, 01, 00) = 068 episodes
Goober Pyle … George Lindsey (00, 00, 00, 01, 13, 23, 23, 26, 25, 25, 21) = 157 episodes
Deputy Warren Ferguson … Jack Burns (00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 11, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00) = 011 episodes
Howard Sprague … Jack Dodson (00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 01, 18, 18, 21, 23, 22) = 103 episodes
Emmett Clark … Paul Hartman (00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 16, 21, 21, 20) = 078 episodes
Millie Swanson … Arlene Golonka (00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 02, 15, 17, 17) = 051 episodes
Sam Jones … Ken Berry (00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 04, 26, 26, 26) = 082 episodes
Mike Jones … Buddy Foster (00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 02, 15, 15, 12) = 044 episodes
Alice Cooper … Alice Ghostley (00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 13) = 013 episodes