The Best Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show Season 8
Every episode of The Andy Griffith Show Season 8 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show Season 8!
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 8 Ratings Summary
The best episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" season 8 is "Opie's First Love", rated 7.3/10 from 228 user votes. It was directed by Lee Philips and written by Doug Tibbles. "Opie's First Love" aired on 9/11/1967 and is rated 0.2 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Howard the Bowler".
7.3/10 228 votes#1 - Opie's First Love
Season 8 Episode 1 - Aired 9/11/1967
Opie has a really big crush on classmate Mary Alice Carter, but she has her eyes on hunk Fred Simpson. When Opie asks her to the dance, she says yes, not thinking Fred will ask her. When Fred asks her, she immediately says yes and has to think of a way to tell Opie she can't go with him. At the dance, Mary Alice realizes that she really wants to be with Opie and they end up together.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Doug Tibbles
7.5/10 213 votes#2 - Howard the Bowler
Season 8 Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/1967
Howard is on a bowling hot streak. When the lights go out during the final frame of the championship game, he gets the jitters but must still finish the game.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Dick Bensfield, Perry Grant
6.6/10 204 votes#3 - A Trip to Mexico
Season 8 Episode 3 - Aired 9/25/1967
Aunt Bea and her friends go to Mexico. While there, their friendships gets strained.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Dick Bensfield, Perry Grant
6.7/10 211 votes#4 - Andy's Trip to Raleigh
Season 8 Episode 4 - Aired 10/2/1967
Andy cancels a big date with Helen in order to confer with a lawyer in Raleigh, who turns out to be a beautiful women.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Joseph Bonaduce
7.0/10 206 votes#5 - Opie Steps Up in Class
Season 8 Episode 5 - Aired 10/9/1967
After Andy sends a reluctant Opie to a swanky boy’s camp over his summer vacation, he becomes fast friends with a boy from a rich family. As a result, Andy becomes worried that Opie has grown accustomed to living a rich lifestyle during his time away from the laid back way of life in Mayberry. It is after he comes home for lunch one day Opie has his friend over that he sees how lavish a lunch Aunt Bee prepared that he decides to sit them down to explain money doesn’t make life enjoyable, being yourself does.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Joseph Bonaduce
7.0/10 196 votes#6 - Howard's Main Event
Season 8 Episode 6 - Aired 10/16/1967
Howard, dating Millie, is threatened by her husky former boyfriend
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Robert C. Dennis, Earl Barret
7.3/10 255 votes#7 - Aunt Bee, the Juror
Season 8 Episode 7 - Aired 10/23/1967
Aunt Bee, summoned for jury duty, disagrees with fellow jurors on her first case.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Kent Wilson
7.0/10 196 votes#8 - The Tape Recorder
Season 8 Episode 8 - Aired 10/30/1967
Opie disobeys Andy and tape-records a bank robber's confession.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Seaman Jacobs, Michael Morris
6.9/10 216 votes#9 - Opie's Group
Season 8 Episode 9 - Aired 11/6/1967
Opie joins a rock-and-roll group and starts getting failing grades in school.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Doug Tibbles
6.5/10 189 votes#10 - Aunt Bee and the Lecturer
Season 8 Episode 10 - Aired 11/13/1967
A visiting professor is attracted to Aunt Bee because she resembles his deceased wife.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Seaman Jacobs, Michael Morris
6.8/10 192 votes#11 - Andy's Investment
Season 8 Episode 11 - Aired 11/20/1967
Andy opens a coin laundry to save money for Opie's college education.
Director: Alan Rafkin
Writer: Seaman Jacobs, Michael Morris
6.6/10 199 votes#12 - Howard and Millie
Season 8 Episode 12 - Aired 11/27/1967
Howard proposes to Millie at the bakery where she works.
Director: Peter Baldwin
Writer: Joseph Bonaduce
6.6/10 199 votes#13 - Aunt Bee's Cousin
Season 8 Episode 13 - Aired 12/4/1967
Andy learns the truth when he sees his cousin Bradford alight from a freight train but keeps quiet because Aunt Bee thinks he's a wealthy relative.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Dick Bensfield, Perry Grant
6.8/10 189 votes#14 - Suppose Andy Gets Sick
Season 8 Episode 14 - Aired 12/11/1967
Andy catches the flu and Goober takes over as his deputy.
Director: Peter Baldwin
Writer: Jack Raymond
6.8/10 248 votes#15 - Howard's New Life
Season 8 Episode 15 - Aired 12/18/1967
Howard quits his boring job as county clerk and becomes a Caribbean island beachcomber.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Dick Bensfield, Perry Grant
7.1/10 200 votes#16 - Goober the Executive
Season 8 Episode 16 - Aired 12/25/1967
Goober buys the gas station with financial backing from Andy and Emmett.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Seaman Jacobs, Michael Morris
6.8/10 192 votes#17 - The Mayberry Chef
Season 8 Episode 17 - Aired 1/1/1968
The head of a local TV station enlists Aunt Bee to do a nightly cooking show, having heard about her cooking. Although she may not exude great professionalism, she has that extra ""naturalness"" that they're looking for. But her main concern is that someone suitable is cooking for Andy and Opie during her absence each evening. Unable to find someone, but not wanting Aunt Bee to back out of this opportunity, Andy (with Opie) maintains the pretense that a ""Mrs. Parkinson"" is on the job. Andy actually does the cooking -- to his and Opie's mutual gastric discomfort. After 2 days on the job, Aunt Bee shows unusual quickness of mind in seeing through the charade and finding a resolution.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: James L. Brooks
6.4/10 204 votes#18 - Emmett's Brother-In-Law
Season 8 Episode 18 - Aired 1/8/1968
Emmett's brother in law wants him to leave the fix it shop and join him in selling life insurance.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: James L. Brooks
7.5/10 214 votes#19 - Opie's Drugstore Job
Season 8 Episode 19 - Aired 1/15/1968
Opie gets a job working at the drugstore and learns that everyone makes mistakes.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Kent Wilson
6.4/10 203 votes#20 - The Church Benefactors
Season 8 Episode 20 - Aired 1/22/1968
The Church Members must decide what to purchase with the $500 that's willed to the church. The choice is between Choir robes and repairing the church's foundation.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Robert C. Dennis, Earl Barret
7.7/10 244 votes#21 - Barney Hosts a Summit Meeting
Season 8 Episode 21 - Aired 1/29/1968
An international summit is in the hands of Barney.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Aaron Ruben
7.3/10 228 votes#22 - Goober Goes to an Auto Show
Season 8 Episode 22 - Aired 2/5/1968
An old friend makes Goober feel worthless.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Joseph Bonaduce
6.9/10 217 votes#23 - Aunt Bee's Big Moment
Season 8 Episode 23 - Aired 2/12/1968
Aunt Bee decides that she wants to be more exciting, so she announces that she will learn to fly.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Dick Bensfield, Perry Grant
6.7/10 210 votes#24 - Helen's Past
Season 8 Episode 24 - Aired 2/19/1968
As Andy is looking through Helen's old newspaper clippings, he finds one of her being taken to jail by the police. He decides to keep his discovery secret until it leaks out to the school board which could destroy Helen's teaching career.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Doug Tibbles
6.7/10 192 votes#25 - Emmett's Anniversary
Season 8 Episode 25 - Aired 2/26/1968
Emmett Clark cannot decide on a suitable anniversary gift for his spouse. Helpful friend Flora Mahlerbie {Alberta Nelson} finds a way and suggests her friend Bernie the wholesale fur man as the golden answer to Emmett's problem. Flora takes Emmett to Bernie's shop one night to haggle over furs and things. Ultimately, though, Cheapskate Emmett will not cough up the change for the pricey women's wear, even at 40% off, which leaves Flora a trifle sad.
Director: Lee Philips
Writer: Dick Bensfield, Perry Grant