Andy Samuel Griffith (born June 1, 1926) is an American actor, producer, writer, director and southern gospel singer. He gained prominence in the starring role of A Face in the Crowd before he was better known for his starring roles, playing the title characters in the 1960s sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show, for CBS and in the 1980s and 1990s legal drama, Matlock, on NBC and later ABC. Griffith was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush on 9 November 2005. According to the Internet Movie Database, the octogenarian is still acting and has two films in pre-production as of 2008.
The Andy Griffith Show is an American television series humorously depicting life in a fictional southern community. The show stars Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor, the sheriff of Mayberry, North Carolina. The main cast also includes Ron Howard as Andy's son, Opie; Frances Bavier as Andy's aunt, who he and Opie live with, Beatrice "Aunt Bee" Taylor; and Don Knotts as Andy's deputy, cousin, and friend Barney Fife.
The Andy Griffith Show was created by Sheldon Leonard, filmed at Desilu Studios, and televised by CBS from October 3rd, 1960 to April 1st, 1968. The show's first five seasons were filmed in black and white, while the last three were in color.
The series consistently placed in the Nielsen Ratings top ten and left the air when it was #1. It spun off two television series, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and Mayberry R.F.D., as well as a 1986 reunion television movie, Return to Mayberry.
The Andy Griffith Show is syndicated by CBS Paramount Television with reruns airing across the United States. The complete series, selected episodes, and individual seasons are available on DVD.
Widower Sheriff Andy and his son Opie live with Andy's Aunt Bee in Mayberry NC. With virtually no crimes to solve, most of Andy's time is spent philosophizing and calming down his cousin Deputy Barney. Written by Ed Stephan
Andy Griffith is best known for his starring roles in two very popular TV series, "Andy Griffith Show, The" (1960) and "Matlock" (1986). Griffith earned a degree in music from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the 1950s he became a regular on the Ed Sullivan Show and the Steve Allen Show. He was featured in the Broadway play "No Time for Sergeants" (1955) for which he received a Tony nomination, and he later appeared in the film version. His film debut was in the provocative and prophetic Face in the Crowd, A (1957), in which Griffith gave a performance that has been described as stunning. On "Andy Griffith Show, The" (1960), Griffith portrayed a folksy small-town sheriff who shared simple heartfelt wisdom. The show was one of the most popular TV series in history. It generated some successful spin-offs, and the original is still seen in re-runs to this day. Griffith created his own production company in 1972, which produced several movies and TV series. In 1981, he was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal in Murder in Texas (1981) (TV). In 1983 Griffith was stricken with Guillain-Barre syndrome, but he recovered after rehabilitation. In 1986 he produced and starred in the very successful TV series "Matlock" (1986). The show spawned numerous TV movies as well. When he accepted the People's Choice Award for this show, he said this was his favorite role.
