Andy Griffith is featured on the cover of the current (July 16th) issue of TV Guide. This will in all likelihood be the very last time TV Guide honors The Andy Griffith Show on the cover, unless they should choose to do so again when Ron Howard passes away, but hopefully it will be several decades before that happens.
During The Show's original run there were eight different issues of TV Guide to feature The Andy Griffith Show on the cover (pictures here: http://dontstandtheregawping.blogspot.com/2009/05/andy-griffith-tv-guide-covers.html ) The first one was in January of 1961, and a little picture of that cover appears as an inset on the new TV Guide. Expert trained noticers also know that this 1961 TV Guide (featuring Andy and Ronny) can actually be seen onscreen in an episode of TAGS. I won't say which episode, in case anyone reading this should want to look for this "Easter egg" on DVD (hint: it's in season one). There were also an unknown number of "regional TV guides" featuring TAGS characters on the cover. These were not the "real" TV Guides sold on newsstands, but the ones that used to be included free with the Sunday paper. These were printed in much smaller quantities and are prized by collectors (there's one on eBay right now featuring Andy and Joanna Moore (Nurse Peggy); the starting bid is $250). I used to have three or four dozen different regional TV guides, but I lost them to the Joplin tornado. I think I might still have a few packed away in a box somewhere; if anybody would be interested in buying them, let me know and I'll try to find them. Ever since the tornado, I no longer have any interest in collecting anything. Paul Mulik _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
