Global InformationThe Andy Griffith Show information
| The Andy Griffith Show | |
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| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Sheldon Leonard |
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| Theme music composer |
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| Opening theme | "The Andy Griffith Show Theme" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 249 (list of episodes) |
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| Executive producers |
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| Production locations |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 25–26 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | October 3, 1960 – April 1, 1968 |
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| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom television series that was 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 from an episode of The Danny Thomas Show. It stars Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor, the widowed sheriff of Mayberry, North Carolina, a fictional community of roughly 2,000–5,000 people.[1] Other major characters include Andy's lifelong friend, the well-meaning and enthusiastic but bumbling deputy, Barney Fife (Don Knotts), Andy's aunt and housekeeper, Bee Taylor (Frances Bavier) and Andy's young son, Opie (Ron Howard). The townspeople round out the regular cast. Regarding the tone of the show, Griffith said that despite a contemporary setting, the show evoked nostalgia, saying in a Today interview, "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."[2]
The series was never placed lower than seventh in the Nielsen ratings, ending its final season at number one. The only other shows to end their runs at the top of the ratings are I Love Lucy (1957) and Seinfeld (1998).[3] On separate occasions, it has been ranked by TV Guide as the ninth- and thirteenth-best series in American television history.[4][5] Though neither Griffith nor the show won awards during its eight-season run, co-stars Knotts and Bavier accumulated a combined total of six Emmy Awards. The series spawned its own spin-off — Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964–1969) – and a reunion telemovie, Return to Mayberry (1986).
After the eighth season, when Griffith left the series, it was retitled Mayberry, R.F.D., with Ken Berry and Buddy Foster replacing Griffith and Howard in new roles. In the new format, it ran for 78 episodes, ending in 1971 after three seasons. Reruns of The Andy Griffith Show are often shown on TV Land, MeTV, The CW, and SundanceTV. On those channels, the episodes are edited to make room for more commercials, but some airings on SundanceTV air the full uncut versions. The complete series is available on DVD and Blu-ray and is intermittently available on such streaming video services as Amazon Prime and Paramount+. Mayberry Days, an annual festival celebrating the sitcom, is held each year in Griffith's hometown, Mount Airy, North Carolina.[6]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Season 4, episode 20, as stated in the script
– In season 8, episode 30 "Mayberry R.F.D." a sign says that the population of Mayberry is 5,360. - ^ "Andy Griffith & Don Knotts on The Today Show". NBC Today Show. March 4, 1996. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ^ Dostis, Melanie (October 15, 2015). "Looking back at 'I Love Lucy' 64 years later". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ "TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows". CBS News. Associated Press. February 11, 2009. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
- ^ Fretts, Bruce; Roush, Matt. "The Greatest Shows on Earth". TV Guide. Vol. 61, no. 3194–3195. pp. 16–19.
- ^ "Mayberry Days". The Surry Arts Council Presents Mayberry Days. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2014.