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We’re on the road today in the foothills. Mount Airy is the place. America knows it more as Mayberry. It all started 46 years ago today. Some of you may remember The Danny Thomas Show on CBS. Well, on February 15, 1960 Andy Griffith played the role of a sheriff in the sleepy town of Mayberry patterned after Griffith’s childhood hometown in Surry County. Sheriff Andy Taylor arrested Thomas for speeding. The episode thrust Griffith into the national spotlight and television’s first spin-off series “The Andy Griffith Show.” Originally Taylor played a goofball sheriff. But later with the introduction of deputy Barney Fife Andy slid into a more dignified role. The Andy Griffith Show was a huge success spanning eight seasons and 249 episodes. Reruns continue to draw strong ratings today.
