With the passing of Andy Griffith a couple of days ago, I looked on YouTube to see what of his shows was on there. I then discovered this, the first ep of his show with a new title as he had decided the season before to gradually leave his regular duties on it making Ken Berry the new lead. Just about all the other regular supporting players would stay put including Frances Bavier's Aunt Bee who transitions from one house to another. Anyway, the reason I decided to watch this one was because this was the one where Andy Taylor married Helen Crump (Aneta Corsaut) with not only Bee, son Opie (an adolescent Ronny Howard), Goober (George Lindsey, who died several weeks back, RIP), Howard (Jack Dodson), and Emmet (Paul Hartman) but also Barney (Don Knotts, welcome as always) in attendance. As best man, Knotts definitely brings the funny as only he can during the ceremony but doesn't embarrass himself too much! The rest of the ep concerns Bee's getting used to her new surroundings in Berry's farm which is not as amusing though it didn't help that there seemed to be some abrupt cuts for time constraints to make room for even more commercial time in the TV Land showing uploaded there. As for Griffith himself, he was the same charming self as I remembered him and can still get a laugh with a dry line like the way he says that Aunt Bee held a chicken. Nice to have read various tributes to him these past two days saying he seemed just as gentle off-screen as well as on. You will truly be missed, Mr. Griffith. P.S. He displays his guitar playing and nice singing voice at the end which has another funny surprise but I don't want to reveal it here.
6 Reviews
Andy and Helen's Wedding/Aunt Bee's New Housekeeping Job
JordanThomasHall30 September 2019
The sequel to "The Andy Griffith Show", "Mayberry R.F.D." (Rural Free Delivery) follows life in Mayberry after Andy (Andy Griffith), Helen (Aneta Corsaut), and Opie (Ron Howard) depart the spotlight for a new life. Widower farmer and town council president Sam Jones (Ken Berry, "F Troop", "Mama's Family") raises his young son Mike (Buddy Foster) as he grows through life lessons. The father and son are cared for by their housekeeper Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier, and later Alice, played by Alice Ghostley). Sam also balances his love life with his girlfriend Millie (Arlene Golonka). Comic support comes from Goober (George Lindsey) who now owns Wally's Filling Station, county clerk Howard Sprague (Jack Dodson), and handyman Emmett Clark (Paul Hartman) who still runs his fix-it shop. The series ran for three successful seasons (1968-71) before falling victim to CBS's "rural purge".
Andy Taylor is toasted by his friends at his large bachelor party at the Italian restaurant. He talks with his closest friends afterward about how he and Helen plan to honeymoon in Florida. Goober will be serving as sheriff in his absence. Opie will be going on a camping trip and Aunt Bee is moving back to live with her sister Laura in West Virginia. She feels she's no longer needed with Andy having a wife. Sam's housekeeper has left, leaving him to struggle to care for his son Mike alone. Mike gives his dad the idea to approach Aunt Bee to be their housekeeper like she was for Andy and Opie. She wishes to still live with her sister, however. At the wedding Andy's best man Barney (Don Knotts in his signature salt and pepper suit) nervously makes a scene. After the reception at the Taylor household, Reverend Tucker (William Keene) laments Mayberry's loss of Aunt Bee, but tells her his admiration of how she is motivated by helping others and being needed. The talk makes her reconsider Sam's job offer and she moves into his farmhouse. Aunt Bee is frightened by the farm animals, however, and decides she can't stay- but a talk with Mike may be even harder to walk away from.
This episode is a bit of a mixed bag. It's exciting to have all the beloved figures of Mayberry (sans Gomer and the actors who had passed) together again, and to know we will get to be a part of another era in Mayberry. But the writing here is very uninspired. There's very little made of their first half appearances and it's highly disappointing that the biggest amount of screen time during their scenes seemingly goes to the reverend. It clearly tries to channel the first episode of The Andy Griffith Show, "The New Housekeeper", but misses. There are some laughs (Barney's nervous blunders at the wedding, Aunt Bee and the farm animals- "stampede", and especially the ending before the tag scene) but light otherwise. I'm of the opinion though that any trip to idyllic Mayberry is a worthwhile watch, especially given today's alternatives.
Andy Taylor is toasted by his friends at his large bachelor party at the Italian restaurant. He talks with his closest friends afterward about how he and Helen plan to honeymoon in Florida. Goober will be serving as sheriff in his absence. Opie will be going on a camping trip and Aunt Bee is moving back to live with her sister Laura in West Virginia. She feels she's no longer needed with Andy having a wife. Sam's housekeeper has left, leaving him to struggle to care for his son Mike alone. Mike gives his dad the idea to approach Aunt Bee to be their housekeeper like she was for Andy and Opie. She wishes to still live with her sister, however. At the wedding Andy's best man Barney (Don Knotts in his signature salt and pepper suit) nervously makes a scene. After the reception at the Taylor household, Reverend Tucker (William Keene) laments Mayberry's loss of Aunt Bee, but tells her his admiration of how she is motivated by helping others and being needed. The talk makes her reconsider Sam's job offer and she moves into his farmhouse. Aunt Bee is frightened by the farm animals, however, and decides she can't stay- but a talk with Mike may be even harder to walk away from.
This episode is a bit of a mixed bag. It's exciting to have all the beloved figures of Mayberry (sans Gomer and the actors who had passed) together again, and to know we will get to be a part of another era in Mayberry. But the writing here is very uninspired. There's very little made of their first half appearances and it's highly disappointing that the biggest amount of screen time during their scenes seemingly goes to the reverend. It clearly tries to channel the first episode of The Andy Griffith Show, "The New Housekeeper", but misses. There are some laughs (Barney's nervous blunders at the wedding, Aunt Bee and the farm animals- "stampede", and especially the ending before the tag scene) but light otherwise. I'm of the opinion though that any trip to idyllic Mayberry is a worthwhile watch, especially given today's alternatives.
Corny
richard.fuller124 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Aunt Bea moves in with Sam and Mike instead of moving to live with her sister, after Andy marries Helen.
Clearly the episode was seeking to revisit Aunt Bea showing up way back in episode one of Andy Griffith and she didn't know how to do important things to a little boy, namely Opie.
This time, Aunt Bea is nervous about living on a farm. It's not like Mayberry was the big city, and where did the young Bea Taylor live as a child, that she didn't contend with chickens and cows? Was she supposed to be one of those young misses in the '30s screwball comedies or something? The episode really clunks with its Mayberry logic.
And yes, there is an ending bit that I had never seen before and it was brilliant.
Clearly the episode was seeking to revisit Aunt Bea showing up way back in episode one of Andy Griffith and she didn't know how to do important things to a little boy, namely Opie.
This time, Aunt Bea is nervous about living on a farm. It's not like Mayberry was the big city, and where did the young Bea Taylor live as a child, that she didn't contend with chickens and cows? Was she supposed to be one of those young misses in the '30s screwball comedies or something? The episode really clunks with its Mayberry logic.
And yes, there is an ending bit that I had never seen before and it was brilliant.
Ken Berry not pressing like end of TAGS
vitoscotti11 September 2022
The final 4 TAGS episodes Ken Berry was thrust into a no win situation. And it showed. This first MRFD episode the quality was much better. Though that might be due to Andy Griffith and Don Knotts brilliance. Don Knotts was very funny in the short time he was on screen. Frances Bavier perks up a mostly flat series. It will be interesting if many laughs are created moving forward. Watched MRFD as a kid and I don't remember many. Ending was sappy with Bee conquering her fears. Really went on the cheap not inviting past TAGS characters to the wedding. Aneta Corsaut & Ron Howard's roles were really minimized. Funny epilogue with Don Knotts.
Opie not knowing Helen's father
rerunwatcher24 May 2021
Opie asked Aunt Bee who is walking Helen down the aisle. Aunt Bee said Helen's father from Kansas. So are we asked to believe that Helen's father would travel all the way from Kansas to North Carolina and not bother to meet Opie? This guy would be Andy's new father-in-law, and he is never introduced to Opie?
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
