Return to Mayberry
Encyclopedia
Return to Mayberry is an American television reunion movie
for the 1960s American sitcom
s The Andy Griffith Show
and, to an extent, Mayberry R.F.D.
as well. The movie premiered on April 13, 1986 on NBC
, and was the highest-rated
telemovie of 1986
. Sixteen of the original cast members reunited for the movie. Its success could have led to additional Mayberry programs, but Griffith
was committed to Matlock
for the 1986-87 season.
, North Carolina
with wife Helen
(Aneta Corsaut
- whom he had married in 1968, on the sequel series Mayberry R.F.D.) but without his second-born son Andy, Jr. (christened on R.F.D.). Andy returns to Mayberry to see son Opie
(Ron Howard
) into fatherhood. Also, Andy plans to run in the soon-to-be held sheriff's election, as he has already asked county clerk Howard Sprague to prepare the paperwork. Andy puts aside any thoughts of running when he learns that his old deputy and cousin, Barney Fife
(Don Knotts
), left Raleigh
, and was appointed acting sheriff. Barney intends to win the elected position outright. However, the citizens question the easily riled Barney's sanity, when he falls for a commercial ploy touting a Myer's Lake monster. Meanwhile, Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career.
Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast
Howard Sprague
(Jack Dodson
), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. Gomer Pyle
(Jim Nabors
), having returned to civilian life following his stint in the Marines
, shares filling-station duties with his cousin Goober
(George Lindsey
) and the pair are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history. Howard Morris
and Denver Pyle
reprise the hillbilly
roles of Ernest T. Bass
and Briscoe Darling, respectively, along with Maggie Peterson
and The Dillards
as the rest of the Darling clan. Otis Campbell
(Hal Smith
), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.
In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster
panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. Andy makes it look like Barney is the one who really figured out the scheme. At a "Fife victory rally", Barney learns that Andy canceled his bid out of friendship. Barney then makes an emotional withdrawal speech and endorses Andy. Andy agrees to serve, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy lowering and folding up an American flag on Mayberry's Main Street.
, who played Aunt Bee
for all eight seasons as well as two seasons of Mayberry R.F.D. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving R.F.D. in 1970
. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of Mayberry R.F.D. and the events of this movie. (Bavier herself died in 1989.) Elinor Donahue (as Ellie Walker) and Jack Burns
(as Warren Ferguson
) were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main R.F.D. regulars, including Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—all of whom were first introduced on the last season of The Andy Griffith Show itself—were also absent. (Ken Berry
, who had played Jones, was forced to decline as he was busy playing Vinton Harper on Mama's Family
.) Former series regulars Howard McNear
(as Floyd Lawson
), Hope Summers
(as Clara Edwards
), and Paul Hartman
(as Emmett Clark) had long since died.
Also in the movie, Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
) had gone their separate ways, as Gomer was shown as being unattached in this TV movie. Barney and Thelma Lou
(Betty Lynn
) finally married in the movie. In a 1966 episode Barney returned home to rekindle their relationship only to find out that Thelma Lou had married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that Thelma Lou's first marriage had lasted only 18 months, although Barney quickly corrects him stating that they were only married 16 months. There is also no mention of Andy and Helen having any children, although Griffith and Corsaut's final guest appearance in Mayberry R.F.D. was in the episode "Andy's New Baby".
Since the outdoor sets from the original series had long since been destroyed, the producers had to rebuild the "town" set from scratch. As a result, there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on the street in front of the courthouse.
opined that its "slow pace, extremely modest level of humor and straightforward and predictable plotting make Return to Mayberry a less appealing reunion for the audience than it may have been for its actors." Time discussed the film only when it was in its last days of production, and – despite the laudatory "Even on TV's crowded reunion calendar, Return to Mayberry is a special event" – offered no substantive comment on the merits of the finished product. More modern reviews have been kinder, calling it "marvelous blast from the past" and a reunion that "worked largely because the producers kept the original flavour of the series yet brought the show up to date".
affiliates
used Mayberry as a replacement for the network's unedited rebroadcast of the film, Saving Private Ryan
. These affiliates opted out, because Ryan included language which the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) had, in March 2004, ruled "indecent and profane". Mayberry was seen as a "safe" alternative, despite the fact that Ryan had already aired on the network (and these same affiliates) in 2001 and 2002. The then-chief executive of Citadel Communications
— the main affiliate owner to rebroadcast Mayberry — cited the then-recent 2004 US Presidential election as a justification: "We're just coming off an election where moral issues were cited as a reason by people voting one way or another", the executive claimed, "and, in my opinion, the commissioners are fearful of the new Congress." In the end, however, no complaints were lodged against ABC affiliates who showed Ryan, perhaps because even conservative watchdog
s like the Parents Television Council
supported the unedited rebroadcast of the film.
VHS
in 1989 by Video Treasures under license from Viacom
. It was re-released in 1994 by Regent Entertainment . Later, the rights reverted to Paramount
, which had been sold to Viacom in 1994.
The film was re-released on DVD
as a bonus feature included with the The Andy Griffith Show boxed set .
Film was released as a special feature on the DVD The Andy Griffith Show 50th Anniversary: The Best of Mayberry in December 2010.
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
for the 1960s American sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
s The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
and, to an extent, Mayberry R.F.D.
Mayberry R.F.D.
Mayberry R.F.D. is a spin-off and direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show under a new title, for the same sponsor, General Foods...
as well. The movie premiered on April 13, 1986 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, and was the highest-rated
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
telemovie of 1986
1986 in television
The year 1986 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1986.For the American network television schedule, please see 1986-87 American network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:*September 6 –...
. Sixteen of the original cast members reunited for the movie. Its success could have led to additional Mayberry programs, but Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
was committed to Matlock
Matlock (TV series)
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
for the 1986-87 season.
Plot
Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith), now a US Postal Inspector, returns to his hometown of MayberryMayberry
Mayberry is a fictional community in North Carolina that was the setting for two American television sitcoms, The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. Mayberry was also the setting for a 1986 reunion television movie titled Return to Mayberry...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
with wife Helen
Helen Crump
Helen Crump is a fictional dramatic character on the American television program The Andy Griffith Show . Helen made her debut in the third season episode "Andy Discovers America" . Helen was a schoolteacher and became main character Sheriff Andy Taylor's girlfriend...
(Aneta Corsaut
Aneta Corsaut
Aneta Louise Corsaut was an American actress. She is best known for playing Helen Crump on The Andy Griffith Show ....
- whom he had married in 1968, on the sequel series Mayberry R.F.D.) but without his second-born son Andy, Jr. (christened on R.F.D.). Andy returns to Mayberry to see son Opie
Opie Taylor
Opie Taylor is a fictional character in the American television program, The Andy Griffith Show which was televised on CBS from October 3, 1960 to April 1, 1968...
(Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
) into fatherhood. Also, Andy plans to run in the soon-to-be held sheriff's election, as he has already asked county clerk Howard Sprague to prepare the paperwork. Andy puts aside any thoughts of running when he learns that his old deputy and cousin, Barney Fife
Barney Fife
Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program The Andy Griffith Show, portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
(Don Knotts
Don Knotts
Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
), left Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, and was appointed acting sheriff. Barney intends to win the elected position outright. However, the citizens question the easily riled Barney's sanity, when he falls for a commercial ploy touting a Myer's Lake monster. Meanwhile, Opie ponders moving his family out of Mayberry to expand his journalism career.
Most of the characters from the old series are revisited. The milquetoast
Milquetoast
A milquetoast is a weak, ineffectual or bland person. The word is derived from the character Caspar Milquetoast from the 1924 comic strip The Timid Soul.Milquetoast may also refer to:...
Howard Sprague
Howard Sprague
Howard Sprague is a fictional character on the CBS television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show , and its spin-off Mayberry R.F.D. He was played by Jack Dodson from 1966-71....
(Jack Dodson
Jack Dodson
Jack Dodson Born John S. Dodson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was an American television actor best remembered for the milquetoast character Howard Sprague in The Andy Griffith Show and its spin-off Mayberry R.F.D. From 1959 until his death in 1994, Dodson was married to television art director...
), in an attempt to look younger, is seen in various hues of hair color. Gomer Pyle
Gomer Pyle
Gomer Pyle is a bubbly, gentle, rural auto mechanic character played by American singer/ television actor Jim Nabors. Gomer Pyle became a character on the TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, when actor Howard McNear, who played Floyd the barber, suffered a stroke and took a respite from acting. Jim...
(Jim Nabors
Jim Nabors
James Thurston "Jim" Nabors is an American actor and singer. Born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, Nabors moved to Southern California because of his asthma. While working at a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, he was discovered by Andy Griffith and later joined The Andy Griffith Show, playing...
), having returned to civilian life following his stint in the Marines
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
, shares filling-station duties with his cousin Goober
Goober Pyle
Goober is a fictional character in the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and its later sequel series Mayberry RFD. He was played by George Lindsey. Lindsey initially read for the part of Gomer Pyle, which went to singer Jim Nabors...
(George Lindsey
George Lindsey
George Lindsey is an American character actor, best known for his role as "Goober Pyle" on The Andy Griffith Show, as well as for his tenure on Hee-Haw.-Early life and career :...
) and the pair are seen together for only the second time in Mayberry history. Howard Morris
Howard Morris
Howard Morris was an American comic actor and director who was best known for his role as Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show.- Life and career :...
and Denver Pyle
Denver Pyle
Denver Dell Pyle was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard .-Early life:...
reprise the hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
roles of Ernest T. Bass
Ernest T. Bass
Ernest T. Bass was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. He was played by Howard Morris.Ernest T. was an ignorant and obstreperous mountain man with a penchant for troublemaking, particularly vandalous rock throwing, which wreaked havoc on the otherwise sedentary...
and Briscoe Darling, respectively, along with Maggie Peterson
Maggie Peterson
Maggie Peterson Mancuso is an American television actress. She is best known for playing Charlene Darling on The Andy Griffith Show...
and The Dillards
The Dillards
The Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, consisting of Douglas Flint "Doug" Dillard The Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, consisting of Douglas Flint "Doug" Dillard The Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, consisting of...
as the rest of the Darling clan. Otis Campbell
Otis Campbell
Otis Campbell is the fictional "town drunk" in Mayberry on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. Otis was played by Hal Smith and made frequent appearances on the show from 1960 to 1967,...
(Hal Smith
Hal Smith (actor)
Harold John "Hal" Smith was an American character actor and voice actor. Smith is best known as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show, and was the voice of many characters on various animated cartoon shorts...
), the former town drunk, has become sober and now drives an ice cream truck.
In the end, Andy learns that hotel owner Wally Butler was using Ernest T. Bass and Barney to propagate a lake monster
Lake monster
A lake monster or loch monster is a purported form of fresh-water-dwelling megafauna appearing in mythology, rumor, or local folklore, but whose existence lacks scientific support. A well known example is the Loch Ness Monster. Lake monsters' depictions are often similar to some sea monsters...
panic. A dragon artifact was confiscated from a defunct restaurant and planted in the lake to boost business. Andy makes it look like Barney is the one who really figured out the scheme. At a "Fife victory rally", Barney learns that Andy canceled his bid out of friendship. Barney then makes an emotional withdrawal speech and endorses Andy. Andy agrees to serve, and the last shot seen is of the "new" sheriff and deputy lowering and folding up an American flag on Mayberry's Main Street.
Changes
Most of the surviving cast members of The Andy Griffith Show reprised their roles in the reunion movie. One notable exception was Frances BavierFrances Bavier
Frances Elizabeth Bavier was an American stage and television actress. Originally from the New York theatre, Bavier worked in film and television from the 1950s...
, who played Aunt Bee
Aunt Bee
Beatrice Taylor is a fictional character from the 1960s American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. The show was televised on CBS from October 3, 1960, until April 1, 1968...
for all eight seasons as well as two seasons of Mayberry R.F.D. Bavier had retired shortly after leaving R.F.D. in 1970
1970 in television
The year 1970 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1970.For the American TV schedule, see: 1970-71 American network television schedule.-Events:...
. Her absence was explained by a scene in which Andy visits the cemetery where Aunt Bee is buried. Bee had apparently died at some point between the end of Mayberry R.F.D. and the events of this movie. (Bavier herself died in 1989.) Elinor Donahue (as Ellie Walker) and Jack Burns
Jack Burns
Jack Burns is an American comedian and voice actor.-Biography:In 1959, he began his career as a comedy team with George Carlin when both were working for radio station KXOL in Fort Worth, Texas...
(as Warren Ferguson
Warren Ferguson
Warren Ferguson is a fictional character in the American television program The Andy Griffith Show . Warren Ferguson is portrayed by Jack Burns.-Overview:...
) were two other cast members not to be involved in the movie. Some of the main R.F.D. regulars, including Sam Jones, son Mike, and Millie Swanson—all of whom were first introduced on the last season of The Andy Griffith Show itself—were also absent. (Ken Berry
Ken Berry
Kenneth Ronald "Ken" Berry is an American dancer, comedic actor and singer. He began on stage as a dancer and later starred in television sitcoms.-Life and career:...
, who had played Jones, was forced to decline as he was busy playing Vinton Harper on Mama's Family
Mama's Family
Mama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,...
.) Former series regulars Howard McNear
Howard McNear
Howard Terbell McNear was an American film, television and radio character actor. McNear is best remembered as Floyd Lawson, the barber in The Andy Griffith Show and as Doc Charles Adams in CBS Radio's Gunsmoke .-Career:McNear was born in Los Angeles, California to Luzetta M. Spencer and Franklin...
(as Floyd Lawson
Floyd Lawson
Floyd Lawson was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, which was inspired by a real barber in Andy Griffith's real-life hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina named Russell Hiatt who actually cut Andy Griffith's hair on a regular basis while Andy was young and living...
), Hope Summers
Hope Summers
Hope Summers was an American character actress known for her work on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry RFD, portraying Clara Edwards.-Career:...
(as Clara Edwards
Clara Edwards
Clara Edwards is a fictional character on the American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show . Clara was portrayed by actress Hope Summers....
), and Paul Hartman
Paul Hartman
Paul Hartman was an American dancer, stage performer and television character actor.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, Hartman, like Fred Astaire, began performing as a dancer with his sister...
(as Emmett Clark) had long since died.
Also in the movie, Gomer and his long time sweetheart LuAnn (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
) had gone their separate ways, as Gomer was shown as being unattached in this TV movie. Barney and Thelma Lou
Thelma Lou
Thelma Lou is a character on the American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show . The character appeared in 26 episodes. Thelma Lou is Barney Fife's girlfriend and is portrayed by Betty Lynn.-Overview:...
(Betty Lynn
Betty Lynn
Betty Lynn is an American actress. She is best known for playing Thelma Lou in The Andy Griffith Show.-Career:...
) finally married in the movie. In a 1966 episode Barney returned home to rekindle their relationship only to find out that Thelma Lou had married someone else. In the movie, it is briefly mentioned by Andy that Thelma Lou's first marriage had lasted only 18 months, although Barney quickly corrects him stating that they were only married 16 months. There is also no mention of Andy and Helen having any children, although Griffith and Corsaut's final guest appearance in Mayberry R.F.D. was in the episode "Andy's New Baby".
Since the outdoor sets from the original series had long since been destroyed, the producers had to rebuild the "town" set from scratch. As a result, there were some differences between this version of Mayberry and the one from the TV series. One of the more notable differences was that the main street went past the courthouse rather than ending at the building, and that there was a small island with a flagpole on the street in front of the courthouse.
Reception
Although Return to Mayberry was a ratings success, its critical reception was more ambiguous. A review in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
opined that its "slow pace, extremely modest level of humor and straightforward and predictable plotting make Return to Mayberry a less appealing reunion for the audience than it may have been for its actors." Time discussed the film only when it was in its last days of production, and – despite the laudatory "Even on TV's crowded reunion calendar, Return to Mayberry is a special event" – offered no substantive comment on the merits of the finished product. More modern reviews have been kinder, calling it "marvelous blast from the past" and a reunion that "worked largely because the producers kept the original flavour of the series yet brought the show up to date".
2004 re-broadcast
In a few U.S. markets, Mayberry was controversially rebroadcast on Veteran's Day in 2004. Some ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliates
Network affiliate
In the broadcasting industry , a network affiliate is a local broadcaster which carries some or all of the television program or radio program line-up of a television or radio network, but is owned by a company other than the owner of the network...
used Mayberry as a replacement for the network's unedited rebroadcast of the film, Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
. These affiliates opted out, because Ryan included language which the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) had, in March 2004, ruled "indecent and profane". Mayberry was seen as a "safe" alternative, despite the fact that Ryan had already aired on the network (and these same affiliates) in 2001 and 2002. The then-chief executive of Citadel Communications
Citadel Communications
Citadel Communications Ltd. is a Bronxville, NY-based private broadcasting company that operates 5 full-power television stations and 1 low-power station...
— the main affiliate owner to rebroadcast Mayberry — cited the then-recent 2004 US Presidential election as a justification: "We're just coming off an election where moral issues were cited as a reason by people voting one way or another", the executive claimed, "and, in my opinion, the commissioners are fearful of the new Congress." In the end, however, no complaints were lodged against ABC affiliates who showed Ryan, perhaps because even conservative watchdog
Watchdog journalism
Watchdog journalism aims to hold accountable public personalities and institutions, whose functions impact social and political life. The term "lapdog journalism", for journalism biased in favour of personalities and institutions, is sometimes used as a conceptual opposite to watchdog...
s like the Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
supported the unedited rebroadcast of the film.
Confusion with other reunions
In 2003, four surviving cast members (Griffith, Howard, Knotts, and Nabors) came together for a reunion special that featured the actors reminiscing about their time on the show. The production was interspersed with archival footage and short filmed interviews with some of the other surviving cast members. This special was called The Andy Griffith Show: Back to Mayberry. Some media outlets have occasionally called this show, too, Return to Mayberry, which led to some confusion between the two productions. The title, The Andy Griffith Show: Back to Mayberry, distinguishes this production from a 1993 production titled The Andy Griffith Show Reunion.Other media
The film was originally released on NTSCNTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in 1989 by Video Treasures under license from Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
. It was re-released in 1994 by Regent Entertainment . Later, the rights reverted to Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, which had been sold to Viacom in 1994.
The film was re-released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
as a bonus feature included with the The Andy Griffith Show boxed set .
Film was released as a special feature on the DVD The Andy Griffith Show 50th Anniversary: The Best of Mayberry in December 2010.