The Fun Girls

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The "Fun Girls": Skippy (left) and Daphne (right).
The "Fun Girls": Skippy (left) and Daphne (right).

The Fun Girls (Skippy and Daphne) were fictional recurring characters on the 1960s American television sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show.

"The Fun Girls" (sardonically nicknamed by Sheriff Andy Taylor) were a pair of fun-loving blonde bachelorettes comprised of the giggly Skippy (played by Joyce Jameson) and the gravel-voiced Daphne (played by Jean Carson). The two hailed from Mt. Pilot, the fictional "big city" near the small town of Mayberry. They were overtly flirtatious, they loved dancing, and their appearance in town almost always meant trouble for Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife (who both had steady girlfriends). Skippy was characterized by her high-pitched, grating laugh, and was generally attracted to Barney (who she incessantly called "Bernie"). Daphne was known for her throaty greeting, "Hello Doll", and was generally attracted to Andy.

The "Fun Girls" with Andy and Barney.
The "Fun Girls" with Andy and Barney.

On one occasion, Andy and Barney had to cancel their dates with their girlfriends, Helen Crump 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 and Goober Pyle, and in turn, Andy and Barney went out with the Fun Girls. By the end of the evening, it was apparent that Gomer and Goober were better matches for the Fun Girls, as they genuinely seemed to enjoy each other's company.

The Fun Girls made a total of three appearances on The Andy Griffith Show from 1962 to 1965.

Prior to her role as Daphne, Jean Carson had appeared in an earlier episode of The Andy Griffith Show, ironically playing a man-hating escaped prisoner convicted of spousal abuse.