THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW 50TH ANNIVERSARY/THE BEST OF MAYBERRY: See that signpost up ahead?...Nestled oh so comfortably somewhere between Utopia and Never-Never Land is a heavenly haven called MAYBERRY, where we would all like to dwell...where kids can walk through town unattended, the only vice available is through your local still, and haircuts are just a dollar. THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW was spearheaded by its namesake's amiable, problem solving SHERIFF TAYLOR, DON KNOTTS' hyperkinetic deputy BARNEY FIFE, and ANDY's sensible son OPIE, played by the most natural child actor ever, RONNY HOWARD. The large cast of eccentric inhabitants included befuddled barber FLOYD LAWSON, moonshine magnet OTIS CAMPBELL, who had his own jail cell reserved for Saturday nights, and the one and only GOMER "Goll-eeee!" PYLE. Utilized more sparingly were hilarious backwoods characters such as rhyming rock-thrower ERNEST T. BASS and the bluegrass-addicted DARLING FAMILY, as well as the city-fied, hopelessly irrepressible FUN GIRLS, all quite capable of stealing a scene from even DEPUTY FIFE. While the popular reunion movie RETURN TO MAYBERRY concentrates too much on a silly "lake monster" plot, it's still wonderful to see so many cast members back in action, even if a newly sober OTIS is reduced to the role of ice cream vendor. The first five seasons of TAGS (in glorious, "old-timey" black & white) are all well worth owning, but this 50TH ANNIVERSARY roundup is ever' bit as satisfying as one of AUNT BEA's famous Sunday dinners.
RATING: FIVE "NIP IT!"S