It was interesting how the show evolved. Andy slowly lost his drawl as the series progressed. Barney started out as Andy's cousin, but that relationship was eschewed pretty quickly by the writers.

I use the show somewhat in my government classes to illustrate local government organization. For example, Andy held two elective offices: sheriff and JP. I'm sure that is in violation of the North Carolina constitution just as it would be a violation of many state's constitutions if not all of them. The show sometimes errantly represented the Sheriff's Department as reporting to Mayberry's mayor or as being a city department. And what about only one patrol car? An entire county patrolled with one unit - and no dispatch to boot. Still, I watch every rerun I can.