The Andy Griffith Show will always be one of those shows that set the stage and laid a platform for the best sitcoms we see today. You might have often heard your parents referencing the quote ‘Old is Gold’ while watching today’s new generation sitcoms. The Andy Griffith Show is certainly that golden sitcom that everyone enjoyed watching. But do you know where was The Andy Griffith Show filmed?
Locations and sets made it possible to create such an atmosphere that looked real and relatable and gave characters a way to portray themselves beautifully. The show did great in touching the chords of a normal household with its light-hearted comedy and touching relationships between the characters.
The Andy Griffith Show ran from 1960 to 1968 and was ranked the 9th and 13th best show in the history of American TV. The role of Andy Taylor was portrayed by Andy Griffith himself, with co-stars Don Knotts and Frances Bavier representing the other two main characters of the show. Most of the series took place in the fictional town of Mayberry, and if you are wondering where was The Andy Griffith Show filmed, allow us to take you to the destinations.
Most of the show’s filming took place at Desilu Studios, with outdoor shots taken at Forty Acres in Culver City and some scenes filmed in Beverly Hills and Franklin Canyon. We will discuss all the filming locations in detail, so keep reading.
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Where Was The Andy Griffith Show Filmed? Most Popular Locations
The makers and the producers of The Andy Griffith Show were able to successfully create powerful visuals of the fictional places through their locations and sets. These things played an important role in capturing the imagination of the public, making it a successful comedy television show in the 60s. Let’s discuss these filming locations below.
Desilu Studios, Los Angeles, California
Like many other sitcoms, this classic show was also filmed in Desilu Studios, California. The studio provided hassle-free filming and Avant grande technology. California is known for its beautiful landscapes and bright sunlight, which makes it a perfect place for outdoor shoots. However, most of the scenes of this show were filmed inside Desilu Studios, now also known as Red Studios Hollywood.
Some of the outside sequences were also filmed in the backlot of the Desilu studios. The popular studio is also known for filming various other shows and movies like Seinfeld, Mission: Impossible, and Star Trek.
Forty Acres, Culver City, California
Forty Acres was a backlot location of Desilu studio, where most of the outdoor shots of the show were filmed. It was a big land of around 29 acres owned by Desilu Studios. The place was a popular filming location for full-scale sets for over 50 years. The location is mostly known for providing a backdrop of Mayberry town from The Andy Griffith Show and also of Gotham City for the famous live-action Batman TV series in the 1960s.
Franklin Canyon Park, Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is home to various Hollywood celebrities and is known for its popular backdrop locations. Franklin Canyon park is also one of these locations, a public park situated at the eastern end of the Santa Monica mountains. It is a wide park, around 605 acres, with a big beautiful pond in the middle.
Numerous TV and Film productions use this location for filming various scenes. The latter was used in the filming of the famous opening credits of The Andy Griffith Show.
The Plot Of The Andy Griffith Show | A Popular 1960s Sitcom!
Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) is a sheriff of the small-town community of Mayberry Town, North Carolina. His easygoing but sensible approach makes him a good cop making it difficult for criminals to survive in the area. He is pretty popular in the town as well because of his problem-solving advice and his ability to settle local issues. Andy is accompanied by his deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts), who is also his best friend. Andy also is raising his son, Opie, with the help of his Aunt Bee (Frances Beaver), who is also the housekeeper.
The Andy Griffith Show perfectly portrays the life of ordinary working people in a small town and the everyday situations and events they go through. The simple, light-hearted comedy and quick humor make it a perfect watch with family. Even after 50 years, Mayberry remains a popular place in people’s heads who have watched this show.
The filming locations played a very important role in making this a popular show, so we will tell you about the places where The Andy Griffith Show was filmed.
Final Words
We have finally reached the end of the article. As mentioned dearly, we have discussed all the popular locations for you to know where was The Andy Griffith Show Filmed. Now, it’s your turn to explore all the famous locations, and let us know about your experiences related to the places in the comment section below. We are sure that when you go to these places next time, the nostalgia will be strong. We will keep bringing more articles regarding the filming locations, till then stay tuned!
What is the most-watched episode of The Andy Griffith Show?
n research done by Salisbury’s post, ‘Man in a Hurry’ was rated the most post episode of the show, followed by ‘The pickle Story’ and Convicts-at-large.
Which guest star appeared most times in The Andy Griffith Show?
The production was good at casting the same actors as different characters. Mary Lansing appeared at least 13 times to portray different characters in the show.
When did Barney Fife leave The Andy Griffith Show?
The role of Barney fife was played by Don Knotts from around starting of the show in 1960 to around 1965. He then left the show to pursue a career in the feature films industry.
