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On the Andy Griffith show they never explained what or who was opi’s Mom. Does anyone know of an explanayion? Was he adopted?
Opie’s mom was mentioned in the pilot, in fact. Opie comes to Andy complaining that someone has stepped on his turtle and he wants a new one. Andy says something like, “When your Ma died, we didn’t get another Ma.” I always remember this episode because of Opie’s funny reply (“Who stepped on Ma?”), but there were surely other mentions of Andy being a widower.
Since this is about a television series, I’ll move this thread to the Cafe Society forum.
bibliophage
moderator GQ
Unbeknownst to Andy, I believe she was raped and killed Deliverance style in the North Carolina backwoods by Goober and Gomer.
I read it in a TV Guide somewhere.
No, she ran away with Chuck Cunningham, to have a mad, passionate affair.
Andy is just saving face.
Opie’s Mom had an affair with his brother.
Holy Woody Allen, Batman!
One of the best skits ever on Laugh-In was an interview program in TV heaven. This was when Julia (a program about a widowed African-American nurse [Diahann Carroll] rebuilding her life) was a hit.
The interviewees included Mrs. Andy Taylor (Ruth Buzzi), dressed in white robes and wings, who said hello to Andy and Opie, then several women (Judy Carne, Lily Tomlin, Whoever Else) in robes and wings all introduced themselves as Ben Cartwright’s wives and another (Goldie Hawn?) as Eddie’s Mother. Finally Johnny Brown, the series regular later bka as Nathan “Buffalo Butt” Bookman on Good Times, is interviewed and he’s bitter.
Brown: “Man, my wife didn’t even wait for the bed to get cold before she just got on with her life, and I’ll be honest… I resent it!”
Interviewer: "Well, I know for a fact that Julia still loves you very much.
Brown: “Who’s Julia? My wife’s name is Carol Brady.”
There’s hilarious play called “Cut”, I forget the playwrite, which features a handful of characters that were supposedly cut from other plays. Hamlet’s decisive brother, Clyde. Oedipus’ sister, Nippletitus. Some really funny stuff.
How is Aunt Bea related to Andy and Opie?
I always assumed she was either Andy or the late Mrs. Taylor’s aunt, and thus Opie’s great-aunt. Griffith was mid-thirties to early-forties when that show aired, and she looked to be in her fifties or sixties, so it worked out.
Of course in a moment someone will claim she was Andy’ssex-slave (or his domme) so I might as well get that out of the way.
Also, there were several mentions in the first few episodes that Barney and Andy were cousins. Then, the writers just sorta dropped it.
Aunt Bea is Andy’s aunt, who raised him when his parents died.
Something’s going on in TVland. Andy’s parents? Dead. His wife? Dead. I’d be getting a little suspicious of that man by now.
Your best bet is to hope your sibling has a kid. That will ensure that you survive to raise the little creep amongst much hijinks.
Opie’s mom has got it goin’ on
Opie, can i come over after school? (after school)
We can hang out by the swimmin’ hole, that would be so cool.
Is Aunt Bea back from her shopping trip (she’s so hip)
Is she there, or is she trying to give me the slip? (give me the slip)
You know, we’re not the little boys that we used to be
We’re all grown up now, baby can’t you see
Opie’s mom has got it goin’ on
She’s all I want and I’ve waited for so long
Opie, can’t you see you’re just not the boy for me
I know it might be wrong but I’m in love with Opie’s mom
*
Aunt is some sort of serial killer who kills people in order to be able to raise little boys.
No, that’s Fred McMurray.
Though I’ve always been a mite suspicious of Mike Brady too. Carol’s husband so *mysteriously * disappeared. And he was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO interested becoming a father to those three little blondes. Obvious perv.
Someone’s going to make a gay joke any many now, I know. But it’s not going to be me.
If anyone is killing off wives to raise little boys, it’s Ben Carwright. All three of his sons had different mothers who all died soon after giving birth. :eek:
With a name like that…
Hey, I’m mostly straight, dude.
At one point their only living relatives came by as well. It was Aunt Bea’s sister, her husband, and their two little boys (who were really young [Opie’s age] to have such old parents). Aunt Bea and Andy were delighted to see them, but then quickly wanted to get rid of them.
Apparently Andy’s wife had no family. Andy and Helen Crump had a son, Andy Jr., who was never seen but was mentioned on an episode of Mayberry RFD, but apparently he was exposed and left for shepherds to raise as he wasn’t mentioned in the reunion movie in the 80s.