Main
| Name | Seasons | No. of episodes |
Played by | Brief summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Taylor | 1–8 | 249 | Andy Griffith | Sheriff of Mayberry; father (widower) of Opie |
| Opie Taylor | 1–8 | 209 | Ronny Howard | Son of Andy Taylor |
| Barney Fife | 1–8 | 141 | Don Knotts | Deputy Sheriff of Mayberry |
| Aunt Bee | 1–8 | 176 | Frances Bavier | Andy's paternal aunt |
Sheriff Andrew Jackson "Andy" Taylor is Sheriff and Justice of the Peace of Mayberry. He is genial, good-natured and endears himself to the townsfolk with an air of good will, polite charm and keeps the peace by using common sense. He refuses to wear a gun or formalize his uniform with a tie, the image of which he says makes him more approachable. Andy is a widower with a young son, Opie, and tries to raise him with good sense and good values. Also in his home is his paternal Aunt Bea who arrives in the home shortly after the previous housekeeper Rose, marries and moves away. Although a widower, Andy has a steady string of girlfriends, but his longest-lasting relationship is with Helen Crump, Opie's teacher, whom he eventually marries.
Opie Taylor is the son of Andy Taylor. A good-hearted, normal little boy (about six when the series began), most of Opie's lessons come from his close relationship with his father, and his Great Aunt Bea. He is not prone to get into trouble and that probably has to do with spending a great deal of time around the jail. At one point, Aunt Bea considers this to be a bad influence and when Opie runs away from home briefly, she relents and allows him to visit the jail after school on a conditional basis.
Deputy Bernard P. "Barney" Fife is Deputy Sheriff of Mayberry. Thin, wiry and high-strung, Barney fancies himself an expert lawman even though—in reality—he is actually a bumbling goof. In episodes 001 and 002, Andy refers to him as "Cousin Barney". In episode 025, his middle name is said to be "Oliver"; in episode 082, his middle name according to his high school yearbook is "Milton", in episode 157 (season 5) his middle initial is repeated as "P". He considers his position to be essential to keeping Mayberry safe. Even though the town has very little crime, he dubs the town: "Mayberry, Gateway to Danger" Andy keeps Barney's crime-fighting shenanigans to a reasonable level, but tries to never step on his ego. For safety reasons, he only allows Barney to carry one bullet, which he keeps in his shirt pocket until needed. Often, when the bullet is employed, Barney accidentally shoots the bullet into the floor. Like Andy, Barney has a steady stream of girlfriends, but his longest lasting relationship is with Thelma Lou Beasley. In episode 028, Barney has just met Thelma Lou at the "Junction Diner".
Beatrice "Aunt Bee" Taylor is Andy's paternal aunt. Bea is—apparently—a spinster somewhere in her mid-50s who spent most of her years raising kids (though it is never revealed whose kids she raised). She was alone in Virginia when Andy invited her to come to live with him and Opie when their housekeeper Rose got married and moved away. Bea is a motherly figure who takes the place of Opie's late mother and dotes over the boy, caring for his welfare and taking care of Andy as well. She is prominent in town, a respected lady who spends her time helping with social functions and church events. She is prone to spend time with her friends gossiping about the town's citizens.
Read more about this topic: List Of The Andy Griffith Show Cast Members
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