The Fun Girls ("Daphne and Skippy") are fictional recurring characters on ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...

'', an American TV

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

from the 1960s.

Overview

"The Fun Girls" (sardonically nicknamed by

Thelma Lou Thelma Lou, or Thel by boyfriend Barney Fife, is a character on the American television sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'' (1960-1968). The character appeared in 26 episodes, starting with the first-season episode, "Cyrano Andy". Thelma Lou was po ...

) were a pair of fun-loving women: the giggly Skippy (played by

Joyce Jameson Joyce Jameson (born Joyce Beverly Kingsley; September 26, 1932 – January 16, 1987) was an American actress, known for many television roles, including recurring guest appearances as Skippy, one of the "fun girls" in the 1960s television seri ...

) and the gravel-voiced Daphne (played by

Jean Carson Jean Leete Carson (February 28, 1923 – November 2, 2005) was an American stage, film and television actress best known for her work on the classic 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'' as one of the " fun girls". Early life Carson was bor ...

). The two hailed from Mount Pilot, the "big city" near the small town of Mayberry. They were flirtatious, they loved dancing, and their appearance in town almost always meant trouble for Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy

Barney Fife Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program ''The Andy Griffith Show'', portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow-paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Car ...

(both of whom had steady girlfriends). Skippy was characterized by her high-pitched, grating laugh and was generally attracted to Barney (whom she incessantly called "Bernie"). Daphne was known for her throaty greeting "Hello Doll" and was attracted to Andy. The first appearance of the Fun Girls resulted in Andy receiving a black-eye during a scuffle with Daphne's erstwhile boyfriend. On one occasion, Andy and Barney had to cancel their dates with their girlfriends

Helen Crump Helen Crump is a fictional dramatic character on the American television program ''The Andy Griffith Show'' (1960–1968). Helen made her debut in the third-season episode "Andy Discovers America" (1963). Helen was a schoolteacher and became ma ...

and Thelma Lou respectively so they could work late at the courthouse, only to be interrupted by Skippy and Daphne. Andy and Barney innocently tried to escort the two back to Mt. Pilot so they could finish their work, but were spotted in the car with them by their girlfriends. To get back at them, Helen and Thelma Lou went out with cousins

Gomer Gomer ( he, ''Gōmer'', ; el, Γαμὲρ, translit=Gamér) was the eldest son of Japheth (and of the Japhetic line), and father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah, according to the "Table of Nations" in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 10). The epo ...

and

Goober Pyle Goober Pyle is a fictional character in the American TV sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and its sequel series '' Mayberry RFD''. He was played by George Lindsey. Lindsey first read for the part of Gomer Pyle, Goober's cousin, which went to ac ...

, and in turn, Andy and Barney went out with the Fun Girls. By the end of the day, it was apparent that Gomer and Goober were better matches for the Fun Girls as they genuinely seemed to enjoy each other's company. Their last appearance has them coming to Mayberry to have a fun time with Andy and Barney, much to their chagrin as they want nothing to do with the girls. They try to keep them occupied before leaving to go on dates with Helen and Thelma Lou, but Barney is forced to stay to make sure they don't wreck the courthouse. Thelma Lou and Helen discover the girls in the courthouse and the men in compromising positions, they leave in a huff. Fed up, Andy explodes at them, telling them to get out of town, which the Fun Girls do, much to Skippy's dismay. The men make up with their girlfriends and have a date night at Andy's house, only to discover the Fun Girls there, putting the men back at the bottom of the barrel with their girlfriends. The Fun Girls made three appearances on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' from 1962 to 1965: Jean Carson also appeared in the episode "Convicts at Large", playing a man-hating, escaped prisoner convicted of

spousal abuse Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner v ...

. The Andy Griffith Show characters Fictional characters from North Carolina {{Comedy-tv-char-stub