(Los Angeles) – The Andy Griffith Show characters’ names are iconic and almost universally recognized—Sheriff Andy Taylor, Barney Fife, Aunt Bea, Opie, Goober, Floyd the Barber, and many more. The mere mention of them brings a smile to many fans, young and old.
The Andy Griffith Show was one of America’s top-rated television series from 1960 until 1968. Six decades later, the iconic series about a Southern sheriff and the quirky characters in the fictional small town of Mayberry, North Carolina, remains in syndication around the world. Now, an award-winning feature-length documentary film, The Mayberry Effect, explores the continued popularity and enduring impact of The Andy Griffith Show on pop culture.
Mayberry was loosely modeled after actor Andy Griffith’s real-life hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina, which hosts Mayberry Days®, a festival that celebrates The Andy Griffith Show with tours, family events, musical performances, and appearances by special guests. Writer-producer-director Chris Hudson uses the town and the festival as a jumping-off point for his documentary.
The Official Trailer for The Mayberry Effect – directed by Andy Palmer
“I grew up watching reruns of The Andy Griffith Show as a kid in North Carolina,” Hudson said. “The show has always been a part of my life, but when I attended Mayberry Days for the first time, I became fascinated with the people who came from all over to pay tribute to the characters and live out their Mayberry fantasy.”
The Mayberry Effect was accepted in 37 film festivals, including the Orlando Film Festival and the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival in Florence, Alabama. The film won 12 awards, including Best Documentary in the L.A. Short International Film Festival (2020), Green Mountain Christian Film Festival (2020), and the Queen Palm International Film Festival (4th Qtr. 2020).
Though The Mayberry Effect touches on the history of The Andy Griffith Show, the documentary is more about the show’s lingering influences on pop culture. Much of the film was shot in Mount Airy, but Hudson also spent five years conducting interviews throughout the U.S. with scholars, superfans, cast members, and, in some cases, their relatives.
“Watching my dad in the few clips of The Mayberry Effect reminded me again of the deep love he had for the show and its cast and crew,” said Dixie Griffith, Andy Griffith’s daughter. “In his film, Chris Hudson readily conveys the heart of Mayberry that lives on.”
The Mayberry Effect is available on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Redbox on Demand, Vudu, and elsewhere. More information is available at TheMayberryEffect.com.
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