The Best Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show Season 7
Every episode of The Andy Griffith Show Season 7 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show Season 7!
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.
Season 7 Ratings Summary
The best episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" season 7 is "Opie's Girlfriend", rated 6.6/10 from 213 user votes. It was directed by Lee Philips and written by Budd Grossman. "Opie's Girlfriend" aired on 9/12/1966 and is rated 0.4 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The Lodge".
6.6/10 213 votes#1 - Opie's Girlfriend
Season 7 Episode 1 - Aired 9/12/1966
Helen's niece comes for a visit and proves to be both very pretty and very talented in athletics. Trouble is that she beats Opie in almost every sport there is. She actually really likes Opie as a BOY and needs her Aunt Helen to help her to get Opie to like her.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Budd Grossman
7.0/10 201 votes#2 - The Lodge
Season 7 Episode 2 - Aired 9/19/1966
Andy invites Howard to join ""The Regal Order of the Door to Good Fellowship"" lodge. Howard's mother doesn't like the idea of Howard being around the other men, so she concocts a scheme whereby Howard will be denied membership. It's all a big misunderstanding, and Howard eventually is allowed to join the lodge.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Arnold Margolin, Jim Parker
7.0/10 198 votes#3 - The Barbershop Quartet
Season 7 Episode 3 - Aired 9/26/1966
The Barbershop Quartet is missing one singer when Howard develops a sore throat. Andy, much to his dismay,must bring along a chicken thief who is a great singer. Andy has deep misgivings about this fellow and whether he will actually sing or try to break free.
Director: Alan Rafkin
Writer: Fred S. Fox
7.7/10 216 votes#4 - The Ball Game
Season 7 Episode 4 - Aired 10/3/1966
Andy umpires the baseball game for Mayberry but when he calls the final strike for the opposing team, everyone in town is angry at him until Howard Sprague steps up and teaches everyone about being fair to Andy.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Sid Morse, Rance Howard
6.7/10 210 votes#5 - Aunt Bee's Crowning Glory
Season 7 Episode 5 - Aired 10/10/1966
When a dignified-looking older preacher comes to town, all the older women want to impress him. Aunt Bee, after someone suggests it, buys a wig--a short blonde one. Later the preacher gives a sermon about having no pretenses. Aunt Bee finally tells the preacher about her wig.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Ronald Axe
6.8/10 205 votes#6 - The Darling Fortune
Season 7 Episode 6 - Aired 10/17/1966
The Darling Family comes back, suddenly rich. They want their sons to marry well, and decide they should pick from the women of Mayberry.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Arnold Margolin, Jim Parker
6.8/10 202 votes#7 - Mind Over Matter
Season 7 Episode 7 - Aired 10/31/1966
Goober is involved in a minor car accident and thanks to Floyd and Aunt Bee, he becomes convinced that he is truly injured and has whiplash. Aunt Bee feels sorry for him and takes him home to care for him--much to Andy's dismay!
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Ron Friedman, Pat McCormick
6.9/10 193 votes#8 - Politics Begin at Home
Season 7 Episode 8 - Aired 11/7/1966
Aunt Bee runs for a seat on the city council against the more qualified Howard, who is supported by Andy.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Fred S. Fox
6.5/10 228 votes#9 - The Senior Play
Season 7 Episode 9 - Aired 11/14/1966
Helen and the students of the senior class put on a play but the principal objects to it--and to Helen's involvement with such "scandalous" things--until she figures out a way to show him that what is scandalous is all relative.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Sid Morse
6.6/10 244 votes#10 - Opie Finds a Baby
Season 7 Episode 10 - Aired 11/21/1966
Opie and Arnold find an abandoned infant on the courthouse steps.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Stan Dreben, Sid Mandel
- 7.3/10 199 votes
#11 - Big Fish in a Small Town
Season 7 Episode 11 - Aired 11/28/1966
When Howard goes fishing with Andy, Opie, Goober, and Floyd, he catches the legandary rare carp "Old Sam". After he decides to put the legendary fish in a Raleigh museum, Howard learns a lesson from Opie that "Old Sam" is such an important part of the town's history that he brings the fish back to lakes surrounding Mayberry.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Sam Bobrick, Bill Idelson
7.2/10 205 votes#12 - Only a Rose
Season 7 Episode 12 - Aired 12/5/1966
Aunt Bee is totally excited about her rose that she has been growing for over a year for the annual flower show. While Opie and Arnold are playing, however,they accidently destroy it.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Arnold Margolin, Jim Parker
7.6/10 203 votes#13 - Otis the Deputy
Season 7 Episode 13 - Aired 12/12/1966
Andy is captured by two escaped convincts and Otis and Howard ride to his rescue.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Arnold Margolin, Jim Parker
6.6/10 201 votes#14 - Goober Makes History
Season 7 Episode 14 - Aired 12/19/1966
Goober grows tired of being the most ignorant one in town; he goes away fishing and accidentally grows a beard. The beard makes him believe he is smart--and he becomes an unbearable bore to everyone in Mayberry.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: John L. Greene, Paul David
6.9/10 211 votes#15 - A New Doctor in Town
Season 7 Episode 15 - Aired 12/26/1966
When Mayberry's long time physician retires the townfolk are reluctant to embrace his replacement.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Ray Brenner, Barry Blitzer
6.8/10 190 votes#16 - Don't Miss a Good Bet
Season 7 Episode 16 - Aired 1/2/1967
A stranger comes to Mayberry promising to find the Ross Raiders treasure. Goober, Floyd, Helen and Bee all invest--much to Andy's irritation.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Fred S. Fox
7.5/10 236 votes#17 - Dinner at Eight
Season 7 Episode 17 - Aired 1/9/1967
With Aunt Bee off visiting realtives and Opie away on a Scout trip, Andy is home alone. He is ready to spend a relaxing evening when Goober arrives to keep him company. He insists on making his special spaghetti recipe. Andy gives in, eats heartily, and then is reminded by Goober of an invitation to Howard's for dinner. Andy goes to see Howard, who did not actually invite Andy at all. They still whip up some spaghetti and eat, but then Andy realizes dinner was a Helen's. He rushes over, but is in hot water for being late so he must endure another dinner of spaghetti.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Budd Grossman
8.3/10 262 votes#18 - A Visit to Barney Fife
Season 7 Episode 18 - Aired 1/16/1967
Andy visits Barney in Raleigh, and realizes that Barney isn't as successful as he has always claims. Andy is able to help Barney solve a series of supermarket robberies and help him save his job.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Sam Bobrick, Bill Idelson
7.8/10 241 votes#19 - Barney Comes to Mayberry
Season 7 Episode 19 - Aired 1/23/1967
Barney returns to Mayberry and rediscovers an old girlfriend who has become a movie star.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Sid Morse
6.7/10 194 votes#20 - Andy's Old Girlfriend
Season 7 Episode 20 - Aired 1/30/1967
Andy's old high school sweetheart moves back to town and has to stay with the Taylors while her house is being fixed. This creates tension between Helen and Andy.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Sid Morse
6.6/10 218 votes#21 - Aunt Bee's Restaurant
Season 7 Episode 21 - Aired 2/6/1967
Aunt Bee invests in a new Chinese restaurant and realizes she is not up for the stress of being a business owner.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Les Roberts, Ronald Axe
7.2/10 204 votes#22 - Floyd's Barbershop
Season 7 Episode 22 - Aired 2/13/1967
Floyd gets a rent hike after Howard buys the barbershop.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Arnold Margolin, Jim Parker
6.5/10 196 votes#23 - The Statue
Season 7 Episode 23 - Aired 2/20/1967
When Howard suggests Mayberry erect a statue of Andy’s ancestor Seth Taylor in honor of all the work he did to make the town the quaint place it turned out to be. However, after a local artist completes the statue and earns the praise of the Taylor’s and everyone else in town, Andy and Aunt Bee get a big shock when Mr. Simmons lets them in on a secret that Seth Taylor worked with his ancestor to swindle the town out of a large amount of money. At first Andy and Bee want to keep this secret under raps, but she soon admits what Seth did during the unveiling speech. In the end, Floyd saves the day by saying that while Seth wasn’t the hero everybody thought he was; he still played a large part in making Mayberry the town what it is today.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Fred S. Fox
6.6/10 204 votes#24 - Helen the Authoress
Season 7 Episode 24 - Aired 2/27/1967
Helen begins to write books for children.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Doug Tibbles
6.8/10 199 votes#25 - Goodbye Dolly
Season 7 Episode 25 - Aired 3/6/1967
After Dolly, a retired milk-wagon horse refuses to eat while her owner is out of town; Opie becomes really worried that something is wrong with her. Unsure of what to do, Opie turns to Goober, Howard and Andy for help in getting the horse to eat. It is only after Mr. Simpson returns home from his vacation that he and Opie discover that Dolly refuses to eat because she misses going to work every day.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Seaman Jacobs, Michael Morris