I have watched the show for years, and I do not recall how or what happened to Opie's mother... I know years later Andy ending up marrying Helen.. but what happened to the first wife? Aunt Bee was always there, and it never occurred to me what the story line was. If you have any information or details you could provide it would be great. I was sitting here at work discussing this with a co-worker and we are scratching our heads.. so again thanks so much and I really enjoy the re-runs on Nick at Nite and all of that stuff.. Curious in Alabama about Mayberry.Thanks, Billy

The black and white episodes featuring Don Knotts are a little like watching a different show when you compare them to the color episodes without Don Knotts.The shows featuring Don Knotts as Barney Fife are outstanding.Not only is Don Knotts great in the role but the stories and comedy are different from the pleasant yet very ordinary color episodes.My favorite color episodes are the 5 shows where Don returned as a guest star playing his original role.The black and white episodes are funny, great comedy and some dramatic moments too.Andy Griffith plays a great straight man against Don Knotts nervous ,overconfident,lovable, Barney Fife.The rest of the cast are also very good,including all the unique characters of Mayberry like Floyd,Otis,Gomer Pyle etc.The camera work on the black and white episodes is equal to that of a good movie.I rated this wonderful show a 10 for it's first 5 seasons.Of course those are the seasons featuring Don Knotts.

This truly is a heartwarming and family acceptable show. There simply won't be anything like it again. The 50s and 60s were some great, acceptable years in many ways and fortunately, the Andy Griffith show was part of those days. I hope it will stand the test of time because this show brings us back to a better place, a better time and an all around better cast of characters. This truly is a classic. Sure, it's in black and white and sure it's not going to be appreciated by all but the fact of the matter is, this is something everyone can enjoy. This is a show without drug references, without non-stop violence and it's not that I'm against any of that in films today but I believe and it kind of does make sense, that if it can appeal to a wider audience, than chances are it's going to be good to a larger audience. This is a very enjoyable show and even though it's in black and white, it's still enjoyed by myself and many others. Like I said, with what's coming out on TV today, this is easily gem in television. Nothing can be duplicated to match it, it's just not possible in this day and age. A heartwarming and stupendous show.

The power of this show's influence says something: more than three decades after it went off the air and went syndicated,this show still inspires a faithful amount of following. And while maybe the core viewer fan-ship rests among Babyboomers,I think that anyone who has fatigue from current television can get into this one.You know the story: laid-back Sheriff Andy Taylor(Andy Griffith,somewhat fresh off a Broadway,stand-up and movie career)is the sheriff of restful Mayberry,North CArolina. He raises his young,likable son Opie(Ronny Howard,before he was a director named Ron)with the help of matronly and pleasant Aunt Bee(Frances Beaver). His deputy is loserish authority-addict Barney Fife(Don KNotts,R.I.P.,who made quite the career playing variations off this character),and there's hardly ever a true legal unrest to speak of. Still,that doesn't mean there aren't conflicts that need resolving,and Sheriff Taylor is (mostly)up for the challenge.A great stable of side characters,including Gomer(JIm Nabors,pre-USMC),Floyd the Barber,Goober,Howard the Drunk,Thelma Lou,Betty and the DArlings(A rustic,pre-Hee Haw singing group)filled out this show marvelously. The true legacy of any television program is how long after the fans are able to still come back and watch reruns of shows that they've seen before,sometimes NUMEROUS times. That being the case,this show's legacy is firmly implanted in the American landscape. CAtch on TVland,Hallmark or locally and see for yourself.