In its TV-land immortality, “The Andy Griffith Show” has already inspired a pair of statues, a museum, an annual festival, a rerun-watchers club and a souvenir collection so it vast it includes an Otis the Drunk shot glass. After 65 years, the world still cherishes the plain-folks wisdom of Sheriff Andy Taylor and his panicky, goggle-eyed deputy Barney Fife, who carried an unloaded gun with a single bullet in his pocket — just in case. But if fictional Mayberry weren’t already scratched deep enough into the psyche of North Carolina, the NC House has drafted a bill that would grant the show a title to cement its wholesome reputation even further: NC’s Official TV Show. “Whereas,” the bill reads, “the positive character values and awareness of North Carolina make “The Andy Griffith Show” must-see-TV for anyone who loves North Carolina. “People of all ages can appreciate a good citizen’s arrest,” it continues, “dealing with a well-intentioned friend like Barney Fife, a tough teacher like Helen Crump and a nosy neighbor like Clara Edwards, and whereas, most importantly, everyone should know better than to accept a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from Leon.” Andy Griffith and Ron Howard as Sheriff Andy Taylor and his son, Opie, in “The Andy Griffith Show.” A new documentary on the enduring charms of Mayberry asks why this fictional Camelot in bib overalls is such a cultural touchstone six decades later. TV LAND North Carolina already honors a string of offbeat symbols: State Dog: Plott Hound State Insect: Honeybee State Beverage: Milk State Folk Art: Whirligig State Art Medium: Clay Adding an official TV show hardly seems a fitting gesture, given the jumble of recognition already bestowed. In floor debates over NC-centric favorites, however, expect fierce debate from the “Dawson’s Creek” contingent. But with Andy Griffith starring as the show’s protagonist, and his hometown of Mt. Airy as Mayberry’s fictional stand-in, and with a real-live Snappy Lunch and Floyd’s Barber shop still standing in Mt. Airy, few contenders could boast deeper NC roots — even though the show was filmed in Los Angeles and, being cast in the early 1960s, includes almost no Black actors in its cast. Don Knotts as Barney and Betty Lynn as Thelma Lou on an early episode of “The Andy Griffith Show.” File photo Still, the bill lays out the case for making Andy Griffith trivia into core Tar Heel knowledge. Whereas, it declares, every North Carolinian should know:
▪ the location of Old Man Kelsey’s Woods;
▪ how to avoid a loaded goat;
▪ the marvelous existence of Mr. McBeevee;
▪ how to navigate Aunt Bee’s pickles;
▪ and the dangers of Otis with a leg of lamb.
Andy Griffith, left, as Sheriff Andy Taylor and Don Knotts, right, as Barney Fife in a scene from the classic “Loaded Goat” episode of The Andy Griffith Show. HO AP With all GOP sponsors, the bill should advance quickly in the majority Republican House. But it is hard to imagine Democrats picking a fight over anything so universally loved, so in the show’s spirit, the Griffith bill offers a rare chance at friendly bipartisanship. Maybe we can all agree on something. Don’t that beat all?
