The Andy Griffith Show is one of the most beloved series from the golden age of TV and it has only grown in reputation with each new generation of fans. The denizens of Mayberry and their many relatable foibles never failed to serve up laughs as well as warm the hearts of viewers.
With its rosy view of small-town America, The Andy Griffith Show harkens back to a simpler time and was a constant force for good in the turbulent decade that it aired. Many of the episodes are TV classics but some are rated higher with fans than others.
“Barney Gets His Man” (Season 1, Episode 30) – 8.9
While the law enforcement of Mayberry was a constant presence on the show, they rarely dealt with serious crimes in their small town. “Barney Gets His Man” finds the lovable goofball Barney Fife a hero when he accidentally captures a wanted criminal. Barney lets his newfound hero status go to his head until the wanted man escapes from custody.
Barney Fife is an often verbose character and the episode gives him a chance to learn an important lesson in humility. Fortunately for Barney, he gets a chance to prove himself when he joins the manhunt to recapture the escaped criminal.
“Citizen’s Arrest” (Season 4, Episode 11) – 8.9
Before his character was given his own spin-off series, Gomer Pyle quickly became a popular side character on The Andy Griffith Show. “Citizen’s Arrest” sees Gomer perform a citizen’s arrest on Barney when he commits the same traffic violation that he just ticketed Gomer for. The ensuing controversy leads to Barney resigning his position and demanding jail time in lieu of paying the fine.
In typical fashion, Barney’s overreaction is the impetus of the story and it is a funny spin on the hypocrisy of the character. The episode also gives the audience a chance to learn more about Gomer, who once again proves to be an honest, if not a bit simple, citizen of Mayberry.
“Three Wishes For Opie” (Season 5, Episode 14) – 8.9
Most of the funniest TV sitcom episodes come from a comical misunderstanding that leads to confusion and farcical hijinks. In “Three Wishes for Opie,” Barney purchases a fortune-telling game which he soon comes to believe actually works. He allows Opie to use it and through a series of coincidences, it seems as if all of his dreams come true.
The clever plotting of the episode is what makes it so funny as viewers watch the lovable cop get more and more vexed by his fortune-telling game. By allowing the viewer to see how everything is just a big misunderstanding before the characters learn it, the episode is all the more hilarious.
“The Bank Job” (Season 3, Episode 13) – 8.9
The beauty of The Andy Griffith Show was often how simple the conflicts were in relation to the many complicated issues of real life. “The Bank Job” finds Barney unhappy with the lax security at the Mayberry Bank. To prove his point he goes undercover to stage a holdup only to find that the bank is skeptical when real robbers show up.
Seeing Barney be simultaneously vindicated while also having the opposite effect that he intended is quintessential Andy Griffith Show. The “boy who cried wolf” scenario is a classic of storytelling and is used to perfection in the episode. In many ways, Mayberry is too quaint to worry about bank robbers and it seemed as if Barney unintentionally spoke them into existence.
“Opie The Birdman” (Season 4, Episode 1) – 9.0
Though usually very funny, The Andy Griffith Show also had its fair share of dramatic lessons learned through the characters. In “Opie the Birdman,” Opie accidentally kills a mother bird with his slingshot and is tasked with raising her chicks. However, he is saddened to find that he must release them once they grow big enough.
Before Ron Howard directed his classic movies, he was an established child actor on The Andy Griffith Show. Opie usually offered a child’s perspective in his episodes and allowed the writers to inject important moral lessons into their storylines. Though a simple premise, “Opie the Birdman” is a well-crafted narrative that speaks to younger viewers.
“Barney’s First Car” (Season 3, Episode 27) – 9.1
The small-town environment of the show was usually a wholesome mirror to the world outside, but many episodes proved that not every Mayberry resident had the best intentions. In “Barney’s First Car,” Deputy Fife buys a used car from a little old lady who he trusts implicitly despite just meeting her. Inevitably, the car turns out to be a lemon and Barney finds that he has been swindled.
Though the wholesome world of Mayberry seemed like an idyllic place, occasionally a bad apple would come along to spoil things. By ignoring Andy’s advice to be cautious, Barney allows himself to be swindled. The usually skeptical Barney is taken for a ride from an unlikely source, which makes the episode all the more hilarious.
“Christmas Story” (Season 1, Episode 11) – 9.2
Holiday episodes are usually a highlight of any TV series and The Andy Griffith Show delivered one of the best Christmas episodes in TV history. “Christmas Story” follows the crotchety Ben Weaver, who insists that Sam Muggins be arrested for moonshining on Christmas Eve. Andy arrests Sam and brings in his family as accessories in order to have the Christmas party that they were originally planning.
By introducing the Scrooge-like Weaver, the episode is able to deliver a Christmas tale that is quintessential Andy Griffith Show while also reflecting the classic holiday spirit. The episode is simultaneously hilarious and heartwarming and teaches important lessons about the purpose of holidays like Christmas.
“The Haunted House” (Season 4, Episode 2) – 9.2
Halloween comes to Mayberry and The Andy Griffith Show served up one of the best episodes about the spooky holiday. In “The Haunted House,” Opie accidentally throws his baseball through the window of an abandoned house and is too afraid to retrieve it. Finally, Andy, Barney, and Gomer enter the abandoned domicile and find a host of spooky goings-on.
With an abundance of cobwebs, creepy old portraits, and secret chambers, “The Haunted House” lived up to its namesake. The episode has a fair dose of spookiness while also being perfectly family-friendly. Also, watching the creeped-out characters investigate the old house is one of the most hilarious moments of the show.
“The Pickle Story” (Season 2, Episode 11) – 9.2
Many of the moral lessons from The Andy Griffith Show are still pertinent today, and the trait of honesty is usually shown to be the most important for the residents of Mayberry. In “The Pickle Story,” no one will admit that Aunt Bee’s pickles are bad and her increased confidence leads her to enter them into the state fair competition.
While Andy is usually the moral center for the entire series, he is proven to be fallible in “The Pickle Story.” By going out of his way to preserve Aunt Bee’s feelings, he allows her to be more heartbroken later on in the story. The episode shines because it encapsulates the simplicity of life in Mayberry, while also showing another side of Andy Taylor.
“Convicts-At-Large” (Season 3, Episode 11) – 9.3
As is usually the case with the show, things go wrong any time that the residents of Mayberry encounter the outside world. In “Convicts-at-Large,” Floyd and Barney run out of gas while returning from a fishing trip and stumble upon a cabin occupied by three escaped female convicts.
Few characters could match the over-the-top qualities of Barney Fife, but the three convicts give him a run for his money. By putting Floyd and Barney out of their usual environment, the episode has a special quality. The interactions between the characters are hilarious and Barney gets a chance to shine as he attempts to outwit the criminals.
