The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is 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, a spinster aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee, and a precocious young son, Opie. Local ne'er-do-wells, bumbling pals, and temperamental girlfriends further complicate his life. Andy Griffith stated in a Today Show interview, with respect to the time period of the show: "Well, though we never said it, and though it was shot in the '60s, it had a feeling of the '30s. It was when we were doing it, of a time gone by." The series never placed lower than seventh in the Nielsen ratings and ended its final season at number one. It has been ranked by TV Guide as the 9th-best show in American television history. Though neither Griffith nor the show won awards during its eight-season run, series co-stars Knotts and Bavier accumulated a combined total of six Emmy Awards. The show, a semi-spin-off from an episode of The Danny Thomas Show titled "Danny Meets Andy Griffith", spawned its own spin-off series, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., a sequel series, Mayberry R.F.D., and a reunion telemovie, Return to Mayberry. The show's enduring popularity has generated a good deal of show-related merchandise. Reruns currently air on TV Land, and the complete series is available on DVD. All eight seasons are also now available by streaming video services such as Netflix.
Seasons
Season 1
32 Episodes • 1960
Season 2
31 Episodes • 1961
Season 3
32 Episodes • 1962
Season 4
32 Episodes • 1963
Season 5
32 Episodes • 1964
Season 6
30 Episodes • 1965
Season 7
30 Episodes • 1966
Season 8
30 Episodes • 1967
Episodes - Season 1
1. The New Housekeeper
25mSheriff Andy Taylor and his young son Opie are in need of a new housekeeper. Andy's Aunt Bee looks like the perfect candidate and moves in, but her presence causes friction with Opie.
2. The Manhunt
25mAndy and his bumbling deputy, Barney Fife, offer to help track down an escaped convict, but the captain of the state police scoffs at the small-town sheriff's help.
3. The Guitar Player
25mA gifted guitar player (James Best) who has self-doubts about his musical talent gets a chance at stardom -- with a little push from Andy.
4. Ellie Comes to Town
25mWhen Mayberry's local pharmacist falls ill, his niece Ellie Walker steps in as a temporary replacement -- and creates turmoil with the town's resident hypochondriac.
5. Irresistible Andy
25mIt's the annual church picnic, and when Andy invites Ellie to the event, he begins to suspect that she has marriage on her mind -- so he hastily arranges for three of Mayberry's most eligible bachelors to lavish attention on her.
6. Runaway Kid
25mAndy must intervene -- and risk breaking a promise to Opie -- when he discovers that one of Opie's young friends has run away from home.
7. Andy the Matchmaker
25mWhen Barney's bumbling law enforcement techniques are questioned, Andy and Ellie decide to stage a fake robbery -- a scheme that turns Barney into a real hero!
8. Opie's Charity
25mAndy is dismayed when Opie refuses to contribute money to the school charity drive -- but there's a secret reason for Opie's apparent selfishness.
9. A Feud is a Feud
25mAndy hopes to finally bring peace to two of the county's longtime feuding families, the Carters and the Wakefields -- by arranging a duel between the two patriarchs of the quarreling clans!
10. Ellie for Council
25mIt's a battle of the sexes when Ellie Walker decides to become the very first woman to run for a seat on the Mayberry city council -- and the town's horrified menfolk decide to sabotage her newfound political career.
Created by: Sheldon Leonard, Danny Thomas
Top Cast
Andy Griffith
Andy Taylor
Ron Howard
Opie Taylor
Frances Bavier
Aunt Bee Taylor
Available on: CBS
