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Sheriff Andy Taylor from The Andy Griffith Show

Sheriff Andrew Jackson Taylor is the main character on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show, an American sitcom of the 1960s. He was played by Andy Griffith.

Andy Taylor is a widowed father to his son Opie Taylor and lives with his Aunt Bee who helps take care of Opie. He is both the sheriff and justice of the peace of a fictional small town called Mayberry which is in North Carolina. He has a bumbling deputy named Barney Fife and later one named Warren.

Andy was born and raised in Mayberry by his father and his Aunt Bee (just as Andy's son Opie would be). He and his cousin and best friend Barney Fife grew up together and both graduated from Mayberry Union High. Andy was married (a wife was mentioned in one episode), widowed, and became sheriff some time before the series began.

The character of Sheriff Taylor was first introduced on an episode of Danny Thomas's TV show, The Danny Thomas Show, in which Thomas's character was stopped by Sheriff Taylor for speeding through the small North Carolina town where Taylor served.

Andy had a laid-back approach to law enforcement, making him an ideal sheriff for the sleepy town of Mayberry. He seemed to have an understanding of the people of Mayberry, and regularly made exceptions to the rules. Under his jurisdiction, Mayberry rarely saw much crime, with the notable exception of moonshining which seemed to be quite prevalent. His law enforcement style often contrasted with his overzealous deputy, Barney Fife, who took law and order much more seriously. Often, Andy served as straight man to Barney's antics. Andy regularly used reverse psychology on people when it was for their own good. Andy seemed to have a keen eye for dubious situations, and often tricked people into making the right decision or seeing their own mistakes.

Andy had several love interests throughout the show's run, but his first main girlfriend on the series was Ellie Walker, the town druggist (Elinor Donahue). However, producers didn't like the chemistry between Andy and Ellie, and the character was dropped from the series at the conclusion of the first season. In Season 2 the producers tried again to give Andy a steady girlfriend in Mary Simpson, the County Nurse, but this love interest was dropped from the show as well. The producers later discovered a long-term love interest in his son Opie's school teacher, Helen Crump. Helen remained Andy's girlfriend throughout the rest of the series, and the two were eventually married at the series end. In the episode " Opie's first love" Andy is a Mason.

Andy Taylor left Mayberry following his marriage to Helen Crump at the end of the eighth season, whereupon the show became Mayberry RFD.

• A 1963 episode "High Noon in Mayberry" tells that Taylor has been a sheriff at least since 1952—an occasion when he had to use a gun to wound a robber who shot at him.
• One episode had Andy and Barney finding their old high school yearboooks—the pictures are that of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts actual high school portraits.
• The police officer assisting Mulder and Scully in the X-Files episode "Home" is named Sheriff Andy Taylor.