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Sheriff Andy Taylor is the main character on CBS 's '' The Andy Griffith Show '', an American Sitcom of the 1960s . He was played by Andy Griffith from 1960-1968; and 1968-1969 on '' Mayberry RFD ''. Andy Taylor is a widowed father to his son Opie Taylor . His Aunt Bee , who helps take care of Opie, lives with him. He is both the Sheriff and Justice Of The Peace of a fictional small hamlet called Mayberry , North Carolina . He has a bumbling deputy named Barney Fife and later one named Warren Ferguson. The character of Sheriff Taylor was first introduced on an episode of '' The Danny Thomas Show '', in which entertainer Danny Williams was stopped by Sheriff Taylor for speeding through Mayberry. The series begins with Andy telling Opie he was raised by Aunt Bee, who was arriving from West Virginia to replace a recently married housekeeper. Succeeding episodes, however, say Andy was reared in Mayberry. Andy and his cousin/ best friend Barney Fife grew up together and graduated from Mayberry Union High. Andy was depicted as a country-smart sheriff and a caring, nurturing father. His laid-back approach to law enforcement made him an ideal sheriff for the sleepy town. His counsel seemed more pastoral than legal, as he seemed to have an inate understanding of human frailities. Under his jurisdiction, Mayberry rarely saw much crime, with the notable exception of Moonshining which seemed to be quite prevalent. His law enforcement style often contrasted with his overzealous deputy, Barney Fife, who passed out more tickets than a lottery machine. Often, Andy served as Straight Man to Barney's antics. Andy regularly used Reverse Psychology on people making them see the "error of their ways". He would reproof transgressors by enabling them to draw their own moral conclusions. Andy had a keen eye for booby traps, and often shielded Barney from social landmines. Andy had several love interests throughout the show's run, but his first main girlfriend on the series was Ellie Walker, the town druggist ( Elinor Donahue ). However, producers didn't like the chemistry between Andy and Ellie, and the character was dropped from the series at the conclusion of the first season. In Season 2 the producers tried again to give Andy a steady girlfriend in Mary Simpson, the County Nurse, but this love interest was dropped from the show as well. The producers later discovered a long-term love interest in his son Opie's school teacher, Helen Crump . Helen remained Andy's girlfriend throughout the rest of the series, and the two were eventually married on the first '' Mayberry RFD '' episode in 1968. The newlywed Taylors remained in Mayberry to be featured on several episodes of the spinoff series. Their departure (and Opie's) is explained during the second season, when Howard Sprague reads a letter about the family's relocation. Andy and Helen returned to "Mayberry RFD" for their son Andrew Samuel Taylor Jr.'s christening in 1969, and in 1986 returned for the made-for-TV reunion movie Return To Mayberry . The movie explained that Andy has been a Postal Inspector in Cleveland, Ohio and has retired from the U.S. Postal Service and returned home to seek the office of sheriff again. Some continuity slip-ups can be expected, as the series ran eight years and had several writers. One major oversight evolves around the Andy- Barney relationship. Early in season one, the two were cousins, but later the connection is lost. Another illustration is with the various middle names given for both Andy and Barney. Andy's middle name was given as Jackson on his own show (when his high school yearbook photo was shown). Andy's second-born son's name, however, is given as "Andrew Samuel Taylor Jr." at his "Mayberry RFD" christening. In the AGS episode "Class Reunion", Barney's middle name is Milton, though at other times he is called "Bernard P. Fife". At one point, even Andy was puzzeled asking Barney, "I thought your middle name was Oliver?" TRIVIA
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