The Andy Griffith Show: An American sitcom first televised on CBS between October 3, 1960 and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays the widowed sheriff of the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina. His life is complicated by an inept, but well-meaning deputy, Barney Fife (Don Knotts), a spinster aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), and a precocious young son, Opie (Ron Howard).
Andy receives a letter from an ex-con that he shot in the leg, years ago, in a gas station robbery attempt. He has lost most of the function of that leg. The ex-con writes that he is coming to Mayberry to set things straight. Barney assumes the worst. When Andy won't take a vacation or at least carry a gun, Barney deputizes Gomer and Otis to keep watch and protect Andy 24 hours a day.