The Andy Griffith Show

The Andy Griffith Show
Sheriff Andy Taylor: There goes a happy man. Deputy Barney Fife: There goes a happy nut.
Genre: Sitcom Comedy Running Time: 25 - 26 minutes Country: United States Release Date: October 3, 1960 – April 1, 1968 Network(s): CBS Created by: Sheldon Leonard Distributed by: Desilu Culver (1960–1967) Paramount Studios (1967–1968) Starring: Andy Griffith Ronny Howard Don Knotts (seasons 1-5) Frances Bavier Elinor Donahue (season 1) Jim Nabors (seasons 3-4) Seasons: 8 Episodes: 249 Next show: Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964 - 1969)

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 series originated partly from an episode of The Danny Thomas Show.

The show starred Andy Griffith in the role of Andy Taylor, the widowed sheriff of Mayberry, North Carolina, a fictional community of 2,000 people. Other major characters include Andy's well-meaning cousin and deputy, Barney Fife (Don Knotts); Andy's aunt and housekeeper, Bea Taylor (Frances Bavier); and Andy's young son, Opie (Ron Howard). Eccentric townspeople and temperamental girlfriends complete the cast.

Summary

Widower Sheriff Andy Taylor, and his son Opie, live with Andy's Aunt Bea in Mayberry, North Carolina. With virtually no crimes to solve, most of Andy's time is spent philosophizing and calming down his cousin Deputy Barney Fife.

Why It Rocks

1. It shows the life and times of a southern sheriff in Mayberry, North Carolina in the 1960s.
2. Great voice acting.
3. It teaches good morals for families, especially kids, such as keeping promises.
4. Its episode, "The Christmas Story" was heart-warming and sweet.
5. The intro is iconic and memorable.
6. Andy and Barney do humorous police work. Like Andy playing the straight man, and Barney providing his quota of laughs.
7. His wife was revealed as they got married in the pilot episode of Mayberry R.F.D.
8. Likable characters such as Andy Taylor, Opie Taylor, Barney Fife, and Aunt Bea.
9. It spawned 3 shows and 1 television film, such as Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Mayberry R.F.D., The New Andy Griffith Show, and Return to Mayberry.
10. Opie deciding to keep Aunt Bea in the first episode is heart-warming.
11. The black-and-white cinematography is a nice touch for the 1960s until when Season 6 came out in color.
12. Plenty of great and memorable episodes come from these seasons.
13. The show finally got colorized in the last three seasons.

Bad Qualities

1. The shows final three seasons, while not bad, are the weakest out of all due to Barney Fife no longer being a main character in the show, despite his guest appearances.
2. There were some unlikable characters, especially Arnold Winkler, and Barney Fife at times
3. Its last episode, "Mayberry R.F.D." was mediocre.
4. While the last three seasons transition to color, the first five seasons never got a colorized re-release.

Trivia

• Andy Griffith later went on to star on Matlock in 1986.
• Only episodes 80 - 95 are in the public domain due to failure of renewing the copyright.

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