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The Worst Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show

Every episode of The Andy Griffith Show ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Andy Griffith Show!

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

Lowest Rated Episodes Summary

The worst episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" is "Mayberry R.F.D.", rated 4.7/10 from 269 user votes. It was directed by Peter Baldwin and written by Bob Ross. "Mayberry R.F.D." aired on 4/1/1968 and is rated 1.2 point(s) lower than the second lowest rated, "Wyatt Earp Rides Again".

  • Mayberry R.F.D.
    4.7/10 269 votes

    #1 - Mayberry R.F.D.

    Season 8 Episode 30 - Aired 4/1/1968

    Sam brings over one of his Italian friends from the war--but unbenowst to him the friend brings over his elderly father and sister--and this creates mayhem in his family and business.

    Director: Peter Baldwin

    Writer: Bob Ross

  • Wyatt Earp Rides Again
    5.9/10 234 votes

    #2 - Wyatt Earp Rides Again

    Season 6 Episode 20 - Aired 1/31/1966

    A wild west show comes to town featuring a wimpy man who is said to be related to Wyatt Earp.

    Director: Alan Rafkin

    Writer: Jack Elinson

  • A Baby in the House
    5.9/10 229 votes

    #3 - A Baby in the House

    Season 6 Episode 25 - Aired 3/7/1966

    Aunt Bee is thrilled to be able to help out her niece by babysitting her infant baby. Unfortunately the baby cries only when Aunt Bee picks her up and not when anyone else does it. This makes Aunt Bee terribly upset until a minor crisis occurs and she finally understands what she was doing wrong.

    Director: Alan Rafkin

    Writer: Sam Bobrick, Bill Idelson

  • The Wedding
    5.9/10 226 votes

    #4 - The Wedding

    Season 8 Episode 26 - Aired 3/4/1968

    Howard's mother decides to get married and move to Mt. Pilot. Howard is so glad to have the house to himself that he decides to throw a couples party, but Helen ends up being the only female there.

    Director: Lee Philips

    Writer: Joseph Bonaduce

  • Girl-Shy
    6.0/10 223 votes

    #5 - Girl-Shy

    Season 6 Episode 15 - Aired 12/20/1965

    Warren is truly shy around women except when he is sleep walking. When he sleepwalks he turns into a Lothario of the first order--and his new conquest-to-be is Helen!

    Director: Lee Philips

    Writer: Sam Bobrick, Bill Idelson

  • A Warning from Warren
    6.1/10 231 votes

    #6 - A Warning from Warren

    Season 6 Episode 6 - Aired 10/18/1965

    Warren is convinced he has e.s.p. and feels that Andy and Helen are in grave danger if they go to the lake. He tries to warn them but they do not take him seriously. He takes it upon himself (with Goober's help) to "protect" them.

    Director: Alan Rafkin

    Writer: Fred Freeman, Lawrence J. Cohen

  • The Cannon
    6.2/10 226 votes

    #7 - The Cannon

    Season 6 Episode 11 - Aired 11/22/1965

    The governor comes to town for founders day. The mobile state museum is brought to town for the event. Goober and Warren are supposed to guard the museum and end up firing the old Civil War cannon at two crooks who are attempting to burglarize the museum.

    Director: Alan Rafkin

    Writer: Jack Elinson

  • A Man's Best Friend
    6.3/10 234 votes

    #8 - A Man's Best Friend

    Season 6 Episode 12 - Aired 11/29/1965

    Opie makes friends with Tommy, the new kid in town. Tommy is a bit mischevious, climbing up on the roof of Andy's building, and taking out a gun from Andy's gun rack even after Andy warns him TWICE not to. Goober gets a dog which he names ""Spot"" (because there are no spots). Tommy hides one of his walkie-talkies in Spot's collar and he and Opie lead Goober on to thinking that Spot can talk. The tables are turned, however, when Andy uses Tommy's love of horses to teach him a lesson.

    Director: Alan Rafkin

    Writer: Ben Joelson, Art Baer

  • Otis the Artist
    6.3/10 211 votes

    #9 - Otis the Artist

    Season 6 Episode 16 - Aired 1/3/1966

    Warren decides that Otis needs some contructive rehabilitation acitivity-so he has him take up art. Otis works hard on a large mosaic of a cow that he is proud of-and he gives it as a gift to the Taylors. Much to Andy's embarrassment, Otis wants them to hang it up on their living room mantel!

    Director: Alan Rafkin

    Writer: Fred Freeman, Lawrence J. Cohen

  • The Gypsies
    6.3/10 230 votes

    #10 - The Gypsies

    Season 6 Episode 23 - Aired 2/21/1966

    Andy orders a group of gypsies out of town after they bother the residents. They soon set up camp outside of Mayberry and place a "curse" on the area in the form of a drought. Everything's later revealed to be nothing more than a hoax, as the gypsies are using a radio to enact their scheme.

    Director: Alan Rafkin

    Writer: Roland MacLane

  • Opie's Most Unforgettable Character
    6.3/10 190 votes

    #11 - Opie's Most Unforgettable Character

    Season 7 Episode 29 - Aired 4/3/1967

    Opie has a hard time finishing one of his homework assignments.

    Director: Lee Philips

    Writer: Seaman Jacobs, Michael Morris

  • Sam for Town Council
    6.3/10 195 votes

    #12 - Sam for Town Council

    Season 8 Episode 27 - Aired 3/11/1968

    Sam runs against Emmett for office.

    Director: Lee Philips

    Writer: Dick Bensfield, Perry Grant

  • Banjo-Playing Deputy
    6.4/10 352 votes

    #13 - Banjo-Playing Deputy

    Season 5 Episode 32 - Aired 5/3/1965

    Andy feels responsible when a banjo player loses a job at the carnival, and tries to help him get back on his feet. The man only succeeds in making a mess of things and quickly loses his self-confidence, until he hears about a couple of purse robbers who are on the loose at the carnival.

    Director: Coby Ruskin

    Writer: Bob Ross

  • The Bazaar
    6.4/10 237 votes

    #14 - The Bazaar

    Season 6 Episode 5 - Aired 10/11/1965

    Warren, enforcing a gambling ordinance to the letter of the law, arrests Aunt Bee and her women friends (meaning, most of Mayberry) for running a Bingo game. Everyone's furious at Warren, particularly Andy, who becomes even more frustrated when Warren resists pleas to drop the charges (in fact, the deputy really digs into his position). Aunt Bee and her friends soon demand a trial. Later, the men of Mayberry (with their children in tow, some of them crying) bother Andy and Opie at home when Warren still won't drop the charges. Eventually, the charges are dropped and Aunt Bee's good name is cleared once more.

    Director: Sheldon Leonard

    Writer: Ben Joelson, Art Baer

  • Emmett's Brother-In-Law
    6.4/10 204 votes

    #15 - 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

  • The Church Benefactors
    6.4/10 203 votes

    #16 - 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

  • The Church Organ
    6.5/10 216 votes

    #17 - The Church Organ

    Season 6 Episode 14 - Aired 12/13/1965

    Clara pleads for a new church organ and Andy gets everyone to pledge money to help buy one, but when the pledges come due no one wants to pay up.

    Director: Lee Philips

    Writer: Paul Wayne

  • The Senior Play
    6.5/10 228 votes

    #18 - 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

  • The Statue
    6.5/10 196 votes

    #19 - 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

  • Aunt Bee and the Lecturer
    6.5/10 189 votes

    #20 - 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

  • Andy's Rival
    6.6/10 225 votes

    #21 - Andy's Rival

    Season 6 Episode 2 - Aired 9/20/1965

    Frank, a teacher from Raleigh comes to Mayberry for a visit. He and Helen get along fine, and Andy suspects something is going on between them.

    Director: Peter Baldwin

    Writer: Laurence Marks

  • The Foster Lady
    6.6/10 210 votes

    #22 - The Foster Lady

    Season 6 Episode 27 - Aired 3/21/1966

    In search of a "real person" for his Foster Furniture Polish, Mr. Foster thinks Aunt Bee has what it takes to make his t.v. commercials memorable.

    Director: Alan Rafkin

    Writer: Jack Elinson, Iz Elinson

  • A Singer in Town
    6.6/10 219 votes

    #23 - A Singer in Town

    Season 6 Episode 30 - Aired 4/11/1966

    When a famous singer visits Mayberry, Aunt Bee and Clara see their ticket to stardom!

    Director: Alan Rafkin

    Writer: Stan Dreben, Howard Merrill

  • Opie's Girlfriend
    6.6/10 213 votes

    #24 - 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

  • Opie Finds a Baby
    6.6/10 244 votes

    #25 - 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