I’ve been brave enough to share my weird obsession keen appreciation of The Andy Griffith Show with some of you. Yes, this 80s baby loves TAGS! My parents were fans of the show and we always watched it in our home. Did you guys know there is a free 24/7 TAGS channel on Pluto TV? NO?? You’re welcome!

So here are some random thoughts about the show. Let me know if you agree/disagree.

-Peggy McMillian was the shit! She was so sultry and effortlessly beautiful. I loved her character! The scene where she and Andy sing together on the porch with Opie admiring them is probably my favorite scene of the whole series. Andy was so insecure and silly when it came to her. He did not deserve Peggy at all lol. I read the actress that played her (Joanna Moore) lived a very troubled and sad life. She was Tatum Oneal’s mom.  

-I thought Lydia was freaking hilarious. Barney calling her an albatross was pure comedy.

-Speaking of Barney, no one can deny his effect on TAGS. Barney absolutely made the show and when he left, the show lost its luster. He had so many memorable moments. It’s hard to say which one was his best performance. I’ll have to say the one where he was the soloist in the choir and they deaden his mic. He was a horrible singer! 

-Aunt Bee’s best moment was when she got drunk off the medicine man’s elixir. I liked seeing her be lighthearted and silly. I didn’t like how they made her mostly only good for baking and housekeeping. Apparently, she didn’t care for it either in real life. I get it was the 60s but still. Rumor has it that she and Andy did not get along. You could never tell on screen. 

-Of course Andy was likeable and charismatic. My mom didn’t care for him that much and often referred to him as a liar. Lol, she was right. Andy lied a lot! Especially when it came to saving Barney’s ego. Once Barney left, Andy lost a lot of personality to me. He became more serious and was harder on Opie. You could sense the tension in that first season after Barney left the show. 

-I thought Helen was a good choice of a mate for Andy. She was more of his speed and Andy appeared more comfortable with her compared to his other love interests. I thought she was pretty. 

-I wish we could have seen what Juanita looked like. Lol

-Of course Opie was adorable in the black and white episodes. My favorite episode of him was when he allowed himself to be influenced by Arnold, the spoiled kid. Oh, also the episode where he raised the baby birds after killing their mother. He was such a good child actor. I love the adoration he had for Andy.

-Citizen’s arrest! Citizen’s arrest!

-Bless Howard Sprague’s heart. He was so boring. 

-Gomer Pyle was so likable that he got his own show. I didn’t watch USMC but I loved his character on TAGS. Mr. Lifesaver Man is one of my favorite episodes. 

-The education of Ernest T Bass is too funny. He said the raccoons taught him how to wash his food before eating it. You can tell everyone was holding back from laughing throughout that episode.

-What did Thelma Lou do for a living? She had a nice home and looked well maintained but never mentioned going to work. Was she a trust fund baby? An escort?? LMAO. I loved her and Barney’s antics. 

-There are some many other likable characters like Floyd, Goober, Malcolm Merriweather and the famous Otis Campbell that I would love to write about, but I feel I’ve fangirled long enough. 

-Characters I really didn’t care for: Ms. Clara, The Darlings, The Guitar Player, Mayor Stoner and the choir director. 

 I know this post is not for everyone, but this is just a tiny snippet of my little country bumpkin world. Maybe I like it so much because I’m from a town that’s even smaller than Mayberry. I can relate to a lot of their happenings and simple way of life. If you’ve never watched TAGS, give it a try. You may actually fall in love with it also!

-K