Those growing up in North Carolina were required to watch The Andy Griffith Show. The state’s unofficial anthem is “Fishin’ Hole.” People take off their hats when it gets whistled at NASCAR events. This iconic television established North Carolina with a sense of identity as America’s hometown. Mayberry was that sweet little town that everybody swears was how life was before every thing went to hell in a handbasket. This was a peaceful place with wonderful neighbors and only cute crimes. Nights were spent on the porch singing family-friendly songs while hand cranking ice cream. But Mayberry had its issues. There were annoying neighbors and serious felons inside the town limits. Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) and Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) did their best to keep things from devolving into a Peyton Place. The Andy Griffith Show: 50th Anniversary – The Best of Mayberry gives 17 of the most beloved episodes from its eight seasons.
“A Christmas Story” has nothing to do with Barney’s wish for a Red Rider BB Gun. The town grouch hauls in a moonshiner on Christmas Eve. He demand Andy lock the guy up. Barney’s upset cause this means he’s got to spend his holiday break watching the prisoner. Andy comes up with a fun scheme to make sure the moonshiner isn’t separated from his family by cold bars on a warm holiday. “The Pickle Story” reminds us that even Aunt Bee’s cooking wasn’t always amazing. Andy, Opie (Ron Howard) and Barney have to come up with a plan to avoid eating the kerosine pickles that Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) makes. Things get especially messy since she wants to put them in a contest. “Barney and the Choir” forces people to admit that the deputy can’t arrest a note. Nobody wants to upset him so they figure out how to turn him into an involuntary lip sync act.
“Convicts at Large” lets Floyd the Barber (Howard McNear) shine. He takes Barney off on a fishing trip. Little do they know that a trio of ladies have just escaped from prison. When they cross paths, there’s an orgy of laughs. Barney has to use all his skills when Floyd confesses the story of Barney’s single bullet. “Man In a Hurry” gets driven to a life of crime while attempting to get Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors) to fix his car on a Sunday. “The Darlings Are Coming” introduces us to a family band from the sticks headed by a hillbilly dad (Dukes of Hazzard‘s Denver Pyle). The family keeps Andy’s hand full especially the daughter. She wants Andy. The joy in this episode is Andy getting to share his love of mountain music. The family returns in “Mountain Wedding” and brings a legendary friend. Turns out the daughter has married her longtime beau, but a rival suitor doesn’t think it’s legit since Andy performed the ceremony and not a real preacher. That rival is Ernest T. Bass. He’s got a vest filled with stones to break the windows of her heart. Andy figures out a master plan to end the mayhem and get back to singing with the Darlings.
“Opie the Birdman” is one of the poignant episodes. He has to learn the consequences of his fun and games. “Citizen’s Arrest” is legendary. Barney pulls Gomer for an illegal U-Turn. After the ticket is handed over, Barney makes the same maneuver. Gomer immediately cries out for a citizen’s arrest on the law officer. Andy wants to support Barney, but Gomer has a case and witnesses. Barney goes nuts at being trumped by Gomer. “Fun Girls” gets frisky as Andy and Barney get tangled with two ladies that like to be the life of a party. Tongues wag about their time together especially with Andy and Barney’s steady ladies. This also marked the changed of the Pyles as Gomer introduces us to Goober (George Lindsey). He does his brilliant Cary Grant impersonation to impress Andy and Barney. “Goober and the Art of Love” sets up the new filling station guy on a date with the help of Andy and Barney. But how can you help such a colorful guy?
None of the color episodes from the last three seasons make the cut. Why? After Barney Fife split town, the show was fine, but it lacked his comic genius. It’s not a great injustice that all you get to watch here is black and white. Somehow it seems so right that Mayberry lacks hues. The grays give it an eternal quality to the streets, stores and characters. It’s like a snapshot from your grandmother’s album. The Andy Griffith Show: 50th Anniversary – The Best of Mayberry is a perfect short visit to the hometown of wistful daydreamers.
The Episodes
“The Christmas Story,” “The Pickle Story,” “Barney and the Choir,” “Mr. McBeevee,” “Convicts at Large,” “Man in a Hurry,” “Class Reunion,” “The Darlings Are Coming,” “Barney’s First Car,” “Dogs, Dogs, Dogs,” “Mountain Wedding,” “Opie the Birdman,” “The Sermon for Today,” “Citizen’s Arrest,” “Fun Girls,” “Barney’s Sidecar” and “Goober and the Art of Love.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfer quality of the black and white prints is sharp and vivid. You’ll get a great feel for Otis’ cell. The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono. The levels are perfect for capturing the nuances of Don Knott’s sniffs before his comic lines. The episodes are subtitled.
Danny Meets Andy Griffith (27:17) from The Danny Thomas Show introduces Andy’s small town sheriff character to TV viewers. He’s a bit shifty as he keep tossing tickets at Danny. There’s a different town drunk.
Return to Mayberry (95:06) brings back the cast members that were still around in 1986. The locals want Andy to be sheriff again. Trouble is he’s got to run against Barney for the job. Many of the original cast members return to their roles. Francis Bavier was alive at this time, but was too sick to travel and act. The only real disappointment of the reunion is that they didn’t shoot in North Carolina. At this point, the state was catching on as a filming location. Andy would move Matlock‘s production to Wilmington, NC.
Clip From Opening Night 1962 (3:45) is a promo from when CBS launched the new season. Andy comes out dressed to read his prize winning essay from High School. It’s his comical take on how Columbus discovered America.
Celebrating Fifty Years of Mayberry is an essay about how they picked the episodes.
Clip From Opening Night 1963 (2:00) has Don Knotts join Andy on the special. Danny Thomas, Jack Benny and Lucille Ball stand behind them. Don gets a case of the nerves before getting comfortable being on camera. Phil Silvers can’t stand being upstaged.
“Fishin’ Hole” Montage (2:07) lets Andy sing the theme song to a series of clips and production photos.
View All Episodic Intros gives quick trivia about the selections.
The Andy Griffith Show: 50th Anniversary – The Best of Mayberry brings together so many of the moments that have made this series endearing. The inclusion of the pilot and the character reunion makes this a perfect set for those wanting to share the joy of Mayberry with friends. If you can name 30 plus episodes that ought to be on this set, consider buying a copy of The Andy Griffith Show – The Complete Series instead.
CBS DVD presents The Andy Griffith Show: 50th Anniversary – The Best of Mayberry. Starring: Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, Frances Bavier, Ron Howard and Jim Nabors. Boxset Contents: 17 episodes on 3 DVDs. Released on DVD: December 21, 2010.
