Mayberry, TVCU

Finally, I'm blogging about Mayberry.  Sometimes when I get to a certain blog, I am baffled that it took so long to get there, but then, in my attempt to balance the types of shows and films I cover, and the rate in which I post, I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on myself for taking this long to get to this classic television franchise.

So on to the chronology....



Spring 1878--RAWHIDE KID:  SLAP LEATHER--This crossover involves Laura Ingalls (LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE), the town of LONESOME DOVE, KID COLT, THE LONE RANGER, THE TWO-GUN KID, Kid Shaleen (CAT BALLOU), Bernard Phife the First (ancestor of Deputy Barney Phife of Mayberry), the Cartwrights (BONANZA), newspaperman Lew Grant (ancestor of LOU GRANT), and Will Kane (HIGH NOON).

1938 to 1948--ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN--Apparently whoever designed the architecture of Mayberry had also worked up in the Metropolis area.  Perhaps, like Mike Brady, he just keeps putting out the same designs over and over.



February 1960--THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW--"Danny Meets Andy Griffith"--The Williams family drives through Mayberry and are pulled over by Sheriff Andy Taylor.  (This show was the pilot for THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW.)





1960 to 1986--THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW--The story of Sheriff Andy Taylor, his son Opie, his Aunt Bee, Deputy Barney Fife, and the town of Mayberry.  Eventually a movie will be made about Taylor and Mayberry, thus making the town and its residents a part of modern pop culture.

April 1962--TWILIGHT ZONE--"Hocus-Pocus and Frisby"--More speculation from Toby O'Brien.  "Mr. Frisby lived in Pitchville Flats, in an extremely rural area of North Carolina, but probably not too far from Mayberry and Mt. Pilot. At least it was probably close enough for Floyd Lawson's father to visit another woman in that town, because Floyd had an identical twin named Mitchell (Mitchell Lawson?) who liked to hang around Frisby's general store and listen to Somerset Frisby spin his tall tales - even if he didn't believe them.  (Toobworld bloodlines are strong, so it could be that Floyd and Mitchell don't have the same father, but instead can trace their ancestry back to the area's first Indian agent, Daniel Lawson.) "



c. 1963 to 1964--THE JOEY BISHOP SHOW--Joey takes a vacation in a cabin located near Mayberry and encounters Deputy Barney Fife.

1964 to 1970--GOMER PYLE, U.S.M.C.--Gomer leaves his job as Mayberry, N.C. gas station attendant to serve a a six year term (likely a three year term initially then reenlisted for three more) in the Marines.



November 1965--GOMER PYLE, U.S.M.C.--"A Visit From Cousin Goober"--Title is self-explanatory.

March 1966--GOMER PYLE, U.S.M.C.--"Opie Joins the Marines"--Well, not really, but the Taylors do come and visit Gomer.

 

April 1966--GOMER PYLE, U.S.M.C.--"Gomer, the Would-Be Hero"--Ted Baxter, as a radio news anchor under the stage name Don Mills, interviews Gomer and Sgt. Carter.  (Note this is speculation taken from Toby O'Brien.)



November 1966--THE LUCY SHOW--"Lucy Gets Caught Up In the Draft"--Due to a clerical error, Lucy Carmichael is drafted into the Marines.  She finally gets out of it, and as she leaves, in enters Gomer Pyle.

March 1967--GREEN ACRES--"The Saucer Season"--Mike Jones somehow ends up on Hooterville.



1968 to 1971--MAYBERRY R.F.D.--The story of farmer Sam Jones and the town of Mayberry.





January 1971--THE NEW ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW--"My Friend, the Mayor"--Politician Andy Sawyer moves his family back to his hometown of Greenwood to become the next mayor.  Mayberry residents Goober Pyle, Emmett Clark and Barney Fife make a guest appearance in the pilot.

February 1972--THE NEW SCOOBY-DOO MOVIES--"The Spooky Fog of Juneberry"--The gang goes to MAYBERRY and helps out Deputy Barney Fife.  (Or so James Bojaciuk has convinced me.)

May 1978--GOOBER & THE TRUCKER'S PARADISE--Goober opens his own truck stop.

June 1984--CANNONBALL RUN II--Gomer is tricked into helping a duo trying to win a cross country race.  Another one of the competitors is Jackie Chan, who will later go on to many other adventures, and is the descendant of the Shanghai Kid.  Note there is also an appearance of one of the Van Helsing family.

April 1986--RETURN TO MAYBERRY--After having moved away, Andy Taylor comes home to visit.

1988 to 1990--IT'S GARY SHANDLING'S SHOW--One of Gary's neighbors is Howard Sprague, formerly of Mayberry.

1991 to 1992--HI HONEY, I'M HOME--This series involves a family moving to a new town where only a child neighbor realizes this family was featured on an old TV show.  In fact (from the TVCU point of view), this family had been the focus of an early reality show, and were now trying to live a quiet life.  June Clever and Eddie Haskell have made appearance on this show.  Other former reality show stars appear on this series, including Alice and Trixie of THE HONEYMOONERS, Granpa of THE MUNSTERS, Alice the maid from THE BRADY BUNCH, Sally Rogers of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, Mr. Mooney of THE LUCY SHOW, and GOMER PYLE of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW (and his own series.)

Fall 1994--BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER--"Faith, Hope & Trick--Mr. Trick states that Sunnydale's death rate makes D.C. look like Mayberry.

April 1997--THE SINGLE GUY--"Vegas Finale"--Either Gomer appears, or someone acting as Gomer based on the character from the film made about Sheriff Taylor and Mayberry.

March 2000--DIGIMON:  DIGITAL MONSTERS--OK, anime experts, help me out.  Aunt Bee (who is deceased at this time) and Barney Fife appear in this animated film!!!  I'm not even sure what universe Digimon is in.  I don't know enough about it.  Are Aunt Bee and Barney Fife appearing on a TV screen or as actual characters in the story?  Is Digimon in the TVCU through a crossover with the Andy Griffith Show?  Seriously?

November 2007--BOSTON LEGAL--One of the attorneys compares their current location to Mayberry.

23rd Century--STAR TREK--"Mira"--Aliens at some point must have visited Mayberry then recreated the town on an alien planet.