Flashback: Celebrating the Andy Griffith Show Series Finale

Travel Back In Time with Us
If you’ve ever watched The Andy Griffith Show, you know that it is incredibly nostalgic. Griffith once said, “Well, though we never said it, and though it was shot in the ‘60s, it had a feeling of the ‘30s. It was, when we were doing it, of a time gone by.”

The show largely avoided touchy social issues and controversy and instead focused on eccentric town folk and the stable, steady Sheriff Andy Taylor. The fictional town of Mayberry, NC, also played a starring role. Sleepy and slow-paced, it brought viewers back to a simpler time. And it still does! People can visit Mayberry through reruns, DVDs, and on streaming services like Netflix.

The End of an Era

The series finale aired on April 1, 1968, ending the show’s award-winning, viewer-captivating eight-year run. In it, Sam Jones, played by Ken Berry, sponsors Mario, his Army buddy, to come from Italy and help out on the farm. Mario brings his father, Bruno, and outgoing sister, Sophia along without asking Sam first.

Sam agrees to let them stay in the farmhouse, but problem after problem ensues. He turns to Andy, admitting he may have made a mistake – and that the Italian family may not be a good fit for Mayberry.

The finale was also the pilot for the spin-off, Mayberry RFD, which ran for three seasons.

People loved Mayberry and its residents; it did allow them to go back to a “time gone by,” and, perhaps a simple world that never really existed outside of their televisions. This classic will never go out of style. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to fire up Netflix and watch an episode or two.

You may not be able to go back to a simpler, sleepy, slow-paced world – but you can get good, friendly service from the folks at Retro Lube. Stop in and see us.