RIP Andy Griffith

I always liked him in Matlock as well. The character was close enough to Andy Taylor to be familiar for old fans, but was different enough for him to break out of the Mayberry mold just a bit.

RIP to one of the icons of 60s television.

 

I think it's more like God needed someone to keep Barney Fife in line.

 

Born and raised in north Alabama, so I grew up on 80s' era TBS. That meant Sheriff Andy, Matlock, WCW Saturday Night, and the Braves.

 

I always thought it was great that Griffith, his TV legacy already secured with TAGH, had such a good run with "Matlock," which I always found watchable. I'm probably not the only one here who had a mom and/or grandma who wouldn't let anything get in the way of catching the latest episode.

 

Oh yes, I remember when I was a kid, I always got the Andy Griffith Show and Merv Griffin Show names mixed up. I thought I was the only one. SCTV assured me I wasn't.

 

I have no idea what Andy may have been like privately but I do know that many in the busness praised him for helping their careers -- Don Knotts, Ron Howard, Jim Nabors, George Lindsey and so many others whose names we never knew. And that's probably what he should be remembered for, though I will also admit that "No Time For Sergeants" always made me laugh. Some of the characters created on the Griffith show were memorable, too.
RIP, Sheriff Andy

 

Same here.

Used to watch that show every night with my grandparents growing up. And during Braves' rain delays.

His cameo in "Waiting on a Woman" was absolutely great.

 

Also an underrated drama critic.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&hl=en&client=mv-google&v=cBoreT93BbA

 

As so many of you have stated, such a wonderfully, multi-talented man. RIP.

 

Andy Griffith's turn in Waitress was mentioned earlier. Can't say it was a stretch or that he was asked to do much, but it was nice for that distinctive voice to get its turn one more time. I mainly liked him in the Ritz commercials: "Mmmmm mmm....good cracker!"

He had left the Andy Griffith Show, thus turning it into Mayberry RFD, right before CBS cashiered its Rural South bloc, a key step that set the groundwork for a sea change in prime time TV.

 

It would have been interesting to see if Andy had hung on a few more seasons, and still been in the Top Five, if CBS had gone along with the whole "Rural Purge."


Also interesting that both of CBS's preeminent family comedies of the 1960s, TAGS and the Dick Van Dyke Show, both went out while still riding high in the ratings, mainly because the title stars did not want the shows to have drawn-out decline periods.

 

That age would be the Abe Simpson demographic? .