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The Best Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show Season 1

Every episode of The Andy Griffith Show Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show Season 1!

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.

Genres:ComedyFamily
Network:CBS

Season 1 Ratings Summary

The best episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" season 1 is "The New Housekeeper", rated 8.2/10 from 719 user votes. It was directed by Sheldon Leonard and written by Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart. "The New Housekeeper" aired on 10/3/1960 and is rated 0.4 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The Manhunt".

  • The New Housekeeper
    8.2/10 719 votes

    #1 - The New Housekeeper

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 10/3/1960

    Sheriff 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.

    Director: Sheldon Leonard

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • The Manhunt
    8.6/10 659 votes

    #2 - The Manhunt

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/10/1960

    Andy 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.

    Director: Don Weis

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • The Guitar Player
    7.7/10 620 votes

    #3 - The Guitar Player

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/17/1960

    A gifted guitar player (James Best) who has self-doubts about his musical talent gets a chance at stardom -- with a little push from Andy.

    Director: Don Weis

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Ellie Comes to Town
    8.1/10 530 votes

    #4 - Ellie Comes to Town

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/24/1960

    When 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.

    Director: Don Weis

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Irresistible Andy
    7.7/10 487 votes

    #5 - Irresistible Andy

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/31/1960

    It'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.

    Director: Don Weis

    Writer: Frank Tarloff

  • Runaway Kid
    7.6/10 468 votes

    #6 - Runaway Kid

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 11/7/1960

    Andy must intervene -- and risk breaking a promise to Opie -- when he discovers that one of Opie's young friends has run away from home.

    Director: Don Weis

    Writer: Arthur Stander

  • Andy the Matchmaker
    7.8/10 430 votes

    #7 - Andy the Matchmaker

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/14/1960

    When 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!

    Director: Don Weis

    Writer: Arthur Stander

  • Opie's Charity
    8.5/10 535 votes

    #8 - Opie's Charity

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/28/1960

    Andy is dismayed when Opie refuses to contribute money to the school charity drive -- but there's a secret reason for Opie's apparent selfishness.

    Director: Don Weis

    Writer: Arthur Stander

  • A Feud is a Feud
    8.0/10 506 votes

    #9 - A Feud is a Feud

    Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 12/5/1960

    Andy 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!

    Director: Don Weis

    Writer: Frank Tarloff

  • Ellie for Council
    7.4/10 468 votes

    #10 - Ellie for Council

    Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/12/1960

    It'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.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Christmas Story
    9.1/10 812 votes

    #11 - Christmas Story

    Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 12/19/1960

    Mayberry's local "Scrooge," storeowner Ben Weaver, manages to have harmless bootlegger Sam Muggins thrown into jail on Christmas -- but the Mayberry folks manage to celebrate Christmas with Sam in a most unusual way.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Frank Tarloff

  • Stranger In Town
    8.2/10 578 votes

    #12 - Stranger In Town

    Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 12/26/1960

    Ed Sawyer, a mysterious stranger, arrives in Mayberry and disrupts the lives of the townspeople because he appears to know everyone's name, intimate details about their lives, and other startling facts about them.

    Director: Don Weis

    Writer: Arthur Stander

  • Mayberry Goes Hollywood
    7.7/10 453 votes

    #13 - Mayberry Goes Hollywood

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/2/1961

    Lights! Camera! Chaos! A Hollywood producer chooses idyllic Mayberry as the backdrop for his next movie, and the entire town goes into a frenzy as they gear up for the anticipated glamour, fame and fortune.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Benedict Freedman, John Fenton Murray

  • The Horse Trader
    7.7/10 406 votes

    #14 - The Horse Trader

    Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 1/9/1961

    Andy performs some slick dealing with an antique dealer to get rid of the town's old worthless cannon. But when young Opie later mimics his father's shady deal to obtain a pair of roller skates, Andy has second thoughts about his own wheeling and dealing.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Those Gossipin' Men
    8.2/10 465 votes

    #15 - Those Gossipin' Men

    Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 1/16/1961

    Aunt Bee, accused by Andy of being a hopeless gossip, sets out to prove that the men of Mayberry are even bigger rumormongers than the women.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • The Beauty Contest
    7.7/10 422 votes

    #16 - The Beauty Contest

    Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 1/23/1961

    The Mayberry town council wants to end the annual Founder's Day celebration with a beauty contest, with Andy chosen to pick the winner. The result is pandemonium as candidates of all shapes and sizes descend on the hapless "judge."

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Alcohol and Old Lace
    8.5/10 469 votes

    #17 - Alcohol and Old Lace

    Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 1/30/1961

    Opie comes home talking about a "flower-making machine" owned by sisters Clarabelle and Jennifer Morrison, the spinsters who run the local flower shop. Andy and Barney do a little investigating -- and discover the contraption is actually a still and the kindly sisters are in the moonshine business!

    Director: Gene Reynolds

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Andy, the Marriage Counselor
    7.6/10 426 votes

    #18 - Andy, the Marriage Counselor

    Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 2/6/1961

    Mayberry newcomers Fred and Jeannie Boone are constantly causing domestic disturbances with their fighting, so Andy decides to play marriage counselor to the bickering couple -- with disastrous results.

    Director: Gene Reynolds

    Writer: Frank Tarloff

  • Mayberry on Record
    8.1/10 444 votes

    #19 - Mayberry on Record

    Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 2/13/1961

    A New York City record promoter arrives in Mayberry, intent on making a recording of the region's local folk music, but Andy becomes wary of the stranger and suspects he might be a con artist seeking some fast cash.

    Director: Gene Reynolds

    Writer: Benedict Freedman, John Fenton Murray

  • Andy Saves Barney's Morale
    8.2/10 425 votes

    #20 - Andy Saves Barney's Morale

    Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 2/20/1961

    When Andy has to leave Mayberry for the day to testify in a court case held in a neighboring town, Deputy Barney Fife is left in charge of the sheriff's department -- and he proceeds to arrest everyone in Mayberry!

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Frank Tarloff

  • Andy and the Gentleman Crook
    7.9/10 406 votes

    #21 - Andy and the Gentleman Crook

    Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 2/27/1961

    A notorious, nationally known con man dubbed "Gentleman Dan" becomes a hero of epic proportions to Aunt Bee, Opie and Barney when he is held for two days in the Mayberry jail.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Ben Gershman, Leo Solomon

  • Cyrano Andy
    7.9/10 378 votes

    #22 - Cyrano Andy

    Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 3/6/1961

    Andy makes an earnest attempt at matchmaking to help Barney win the heart of his girlfriend, Thelma Lou. Things go fine at first -- until barney misinterprets Andy's efforts and thinks he's trying to steal her away!

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • Andy and Opie, Housekeepers
    7.8/10 387 votes

    #23 - Andy and Opie, Housekeepers

    Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 3/13/1961

    Aunt Bee must leave Mayberry to care for a sick cousin, but not before scolding Andy and Opie for their messy housekeeping habits. The two are determined to clean house before she returns -- a project that suddenly accelerates when she phones to say she'll be coming home earlier than expected!

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Frank Tarloff

  • The New Doctor
    7.5/10 370 votes

    #24 - The New Doctor

    Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 3/27/1961

    Andy must make a hasty, ill-advised marriage proposal to Ellie Walker after he becomes convinced that the new, handsome young doctor in town is trying to steal his girl.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

  • A Plaque for Mayberry
    8.2/10 400 votes

    #25 - A Plaque for Mayberry

    Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 4/3/1961

    The Women's Historical Society is all set to throw a celebration in honor of the last living descendant of a Revolutionary War hero named Nathan Tibbs, who has been traced to Mayberry. But their excitement turns to horror when they discover that the intended honoree is the town drunk, Otis Campbell.

    Director: Bob Sweeney

    Writer: Ben Gershman, Leo Solomon