Sadness in Mayberry .... Sheriff Taylor passes away...

[SUPERECWFAN1]

The man who had made home spun and family tv is now gone. Andy Griffith has passed away today at the age of 86. Its pretty sad since Griffith played one of the best TV dads and always seemed to play the perfect straight man. Now gone , he joins Don Knotts (Barney) and George Lindsey (Goober) as the stars of the show that has passed in recent years.

On the news Griffith's home town (and what they believed he based Mayberry on) are laying flowers at the statue of him and Opie . One of the former actresses was on and said he will be missed.

[Monty_Cristo]

KNOTTS!!!! *shakes fist*

[Global Honored]

I love Andy and that show. RIP Sheriff.

[DonC]

Sad news. Rest in peace, Sheriff Taylor.

[Angilas-Man]

He was more than just Sheriff Andy Taylor (although that would be enough for most). He had a much different comic persona in the '50s which he used to great effect in No Time for Sergeants (which was first a TV special, then a Broadway play, and then a feature film - all starred Griffith), then he starred in the classic film A Face in the Crowd where Griffith gives an amazing performance as a megalomaniacal media personality.

[Global Honored]

Absolutely. Lonesome Rhodes is one of the most under appreciated performances in film history IMO, an all-time great. And "Plowboy" in No Time was terrific, a charming film. Onionhead was solid too. Of course there was Mayberry and Matlock and he is loved and adored on a personal level throughout the South still today, like a chosen son. He's "our" Sheriff, no matter what small town or big city you may live in. RIP Ange.

[Legato]

RIP Andy

[Dr Will Hatch]

Rip andy. :(

[The Dog]

Looks like Heaven has a new lawman.

[Brainiac 3.5]

RIP Andy.

[steve2275]

rest in peace cowboy

[Global Honored]

Yes, he was very good as the aging rogue cowboy in "Hearts of the West" too alongside a Pre-Dude Jeff Bridges.

Here is an LATimes article and sendup of his incredible performance in "Face in the Crowd"
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...,1739232.story

I already miss Andy. After watching Andy Griffith/Mayberry reruns since I was a kid, I've literally seen EVERY episode a dozen times over but still flip through the channels regularly to watch them all over again and just had to buy the DVDs anyways, Andy feels like family in this modern media fueled world. Heck, if we can have a hundred "friends" via some Internet community then surely we can take in a celebrity and tv personality as our own adopted kin. My favorite shows are Mad Men and The Wire...but #1 will always be Andy Griffith in my heart of hearts, ironically a show that had long been off the air before I was conceived.

[ponset]

I wish I could live in a town like MAYBERRY.
Easy-Going with friendly folks.

REST IN PEACE Andy.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

TV Land is airing a nice marathon in tribute to Andy Griffith. But along the way ...they are editing the episodes a lot. There is scenes missing at the end and in the episodes themselves. I know the network is contracted to play so many minutes of commercials. But why not just play the marathon straight (and they do it for their regular block of tv lineup) and not care how long the episodes go.