The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete Fourth Season (1960) Review

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(More customer reviews)Paramount is really putting out these TAGS seasons quickly. Keep them coming UNCUT (INCLUDING THE COLORED SEASONS PLEEEASE). After reviewing the episodes, I don't consider season four as one of their best. There are not many stand-out episodes, but there are not many poor ones either. This season marks the last we'll see of Gomer, the first we'll see of Goober, plus returns of the Fun Girls, the Darlings, Malcolm Merriweather, and Ernest T. Bass. Five of the episodes are often listed among TAGS top 20 fan favorites, although they are not favorites of mine. Here's what you get:
Opie the Birdman: All TAGS seasons opened with a story about Opie, and this one may be the most famous one (and usually a top 10 fan fave). Opie tries to raise three baby birds (Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod) after inadvertently killing their mother with a sling-shot.
The Haunted House: This episode inspired Don Knotts' film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. Is it just the moonshine or is there a haunted house in Mayberry?
Ernest T. Bass Joins The Army: I'm not a fan of Ernest T. but for those who are, this set offers two of his episodes. This one has him trying to join the Army so he can get a uniform.
The Sermon For Today: A visiting preacher comes to Mayberry and preaches a sermon of taking it easy (probably the last thing that needed to be preached in Mayberry). The folks take this sermon in an entirely different direction. Usually a top 5 episode.
Briscoe Declares For Aunt Bee: The Darlings are back and Briscoe decides to court Aunt Bee. Bee is not so keen on the idea.
Gomer the House Guest: Gomer loses his job at the filling station and moves in with the Taylors.
A Black Day For Mayberry: This is one of the funniest TAGS episodes ever (in my personal top 20 list). An armored truck filled with gold is expected to arrive in Mayberry. It's supposed to be a guarded secret but, when it arrives, a crowd of people with a banner "Welcome Gold Truck" is there to greet it.
Opie's Ill-Gotten Gain: I could never understand how Helen could make such an error but, she gives mediocre student Opie straight A's by mistake. Andy is so proud of Opie's report card that, when Opie finds out his real grades, he's afraid to let his pa down.
A Date For Gomer: Thelma Lou wants to find a date for her plain cousin. Andy and Barney decide on Gomer and they each explain to the other how "nice" their blind dates will be.
Up In Barney's Room: Barney is caught cooking in his room and his landlady, Mrs. Mendelbright, evicts him. Barney becomes further agitated when he learns "Mrs. Bendelmright" is about to marry an old codger who just arrived in town.
Citizen's Arrest: This ep. is usually listed among TAGS best. I don't really like it that much. Gomer makes a "citizen's arrest" on Barney for making an illegal u-turn. For PR reasons, Andy insists Barney write himself a ticket. Barney becomes so angry he resigns. Barney acts like a real jerk in this one.
Opie And His Merry Men: Opie and his friends get some bad ideas about law enforcement from a hobo.
Barney And The Cave Rescue: Thinking Andy and Helen are trapped in a cave, Barney organizes a rescue mission. A good example of Andy doing whatever he can to help his deputy save face.
Andy & Opie's Pal: Opie is jealous when Andy pays special attention to Opie's new friend.
Aunt Bee The Crusader: A local farmer is about to be evicted and Aunt Bee organizes a protest: "Just like the tree that's standing by the water, we shall not be moved." This one is one of my favorites.
Barney's Sidecar: Barney gets a motorcycle and sidecar and endangers the lives and sanity of the Mayberry residents. A top 5 episode on most TAGS fan favorite lists.
My Fair Ernest T. Bass: Andy tries to pass off Ernest T. as a sophisticated fellow at a high society party. Includes the famous line "How do you do Mrs. Wiiiiley" and Barney's observation of the women at the party: "Fly a quail through here and every one of `em would point." A top 10 episode on most fan favorite lists.
Prisoner Of Love: A female jewel thief pulls at Andy and Barney's heart strings while she's incarcerated in the Mayberry jail.
Hot Rod Otis: Otis and wheels do not mix.
The Song Festers: The revelation that Gomer has a beautiful singing voice jeopardizes Barney's solo.
The Shoplifters: Weaver's department store is being robbed blind and Barney spends the night there and works under cover as a mannequin to crack the case.
Andy's Vacation: Andy is supposed to be relaxing reading the National Geographic but, with Barney and Gomer in charge, there is no rest for the weary, even when Andy camps out in the woods.
Andy Saves Gomer: Andy saves Gomer from a little fire in the filling station and Gomer is so appreciative, Andy can't get rid of him.
Bargain Day: Clara convinces Aunt Bee to buy tons of beef from a meat wholesaler, bypassing her friendly butcher. When her freezer breaks down, she panics over the cost of repairing it causing Andy's famous advice: "Call the man!"
Divorce, Mountain Style: Charlene Darling Wash divorces husband Dud and comes into town hoping to snag Andy as her new hubby.
A Deal Is A Deal: Opie and his friends get stuck selling worthless salve, but Barney and Gomer have a plan.
Fun Girls: The Fun Girls are back and Helen and Thelma Lou are jealous. Goober makes his debut and this marks the only episode where Gomer and his cousin Goober appear together. Goober also shows off his impersonation of Cary Grant: "Judy, Judy, Judy"
The Return Of Malcolm Merriweather: The Brit on the bike is back and tries to make Aunt Bee's life easier...maybe too easy.
The Rumor: Another episode where Barney starts the Andy getting married rumors; this time to Helen.
Barney and Thelma Lou, Phfftt: Barney makes a remark that he has Thelma Lou in his hip pocket. When she hears about his, Thel dates Gomer to make Barney jealous. The kiss a girl you have to get married thing is really silly. Not one of my favorites.
Back to Nature: Barney brags to Opie's camping buddies about what an expert man of nature he is and then gets lost in the woods with Gomer.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Where Gomer leaves Masyberry and Jim Nabors' new sitcom begins.

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The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete Fifth Season (1960) Review

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(More customer reviews)Season five of The Andy Griffith Show goes to both extremes for me. On the one hand, it includes two of my least favorite episodes ("Aunt Bee's Romance" and "Family Visit"); but, on the other hand, it has my all-time favorite TAGS episode "The Case of the Punch in the Nose" and one of my top ten "Man in the Middle." Season 5 was the final black & white episode and last season with Barney Fife as a regular character. Many fans probably stop watching TAGS after this season which is unfortunate because the color seasons are very underrated. Luckily, Season Six is going to be released on DVD May 9, so definitely check it out! Now, on to season five:
"Opie Loves Helen": Every season opened with an episode featuring Opie. In this one, Opie develops a crush on Miss Crump.
"Barney's Physical": It's Barney's fifth anniversary on Andy's force and it may be his last year as he is an inch and a few pounds away from passing the new physical requirements for lawmen. Trivia: When producer Aaron Ruben left the show this season, he was given a plaque with a 5 on it just like the folks had engraved on Barney's watch.
"Family Visit": Barney doesn't appear in this episode. Unfortunately, Aunt Bee's sister, brother-in-law, and nephews do, and they are annoying as all git-out.
"The Education of Ernest T Bass": Ernest T. Bass wants to impress his sweet Romeena by getting an education so he ends up in Helen Crump's class and begins to regard her as a mother figure.
"Aunt Bee's Romance": An old boyfriend of Aunt Bee's arrive and he is even more annoying than her relatives in "Family Visit." He's a person who is always cracking bad jokes and is never serious. Fortunately, Andy recognizes his bad intentions. This episode includes the famous Calvin Coolidge/Mark Twain/the weather scene between Andy and Floyd.
"Barney's Bloodhound": Barney tries to train a dog named Blue in tracking down an escaped criminal. Trivia: Howard Morris (Ernest T Bass) is the voice of the radio announcer and Leonard Blush.
"Man in the Middle": One of my all-time faves! Barney is about to break up with Thelma Lou, Andy tries to help Barney by agreeing with him when he says maybe he and Thelma Lou weren't meant for each other, Barney blabs this to Thelma Lou when they patch things up, Thelma Lou gets mad at Andy and then gets mad at Helen when she says she's acting childish, Barney gets mad at Andy for taking Helen's side, Andy refers to Helen as a "third party," Barney blabs this to Helen who gets mad at Andy for not referring to her by name ("My name is Helen Crump, C-R-U-M-P")...Trust me, it's just funny!
"Barney's Uniform": Bully Fred Plummer tells Barney he's going to pop him one if he catches him out of uniform, so Barney is afraid to be seen in civvies. Luckily, Barney is taking karate lessons in Mt. Pilot with Mr. Izamoto.
"Opie's Forune": Opie discovers a wallet with fifty dollars in it. After waiting a week, he believes the money is his. Then Barney reads an announcement in Lost and Found about a missing wallet. I don't care for this one because Andy automatically thinks the worst of Opie.
"Goodbye, Sheriff Taylor": Andy considers taking a job in Raleigh and leaves Barney in charge...bad move. Trivia: First time Goober wears that goofy beanie.
"The Pageant": Aunt Bee wants the part of Lady Mayberry in the Centennial Pageant but Clara, like she is in most things, is the superior actress. I like that part when Aunt Bee calls Chief Noogatuck, Nungatook.
"The Darling Baby": The Darlings return to town with Charlene's baby daughter Andelina hoping to get her hooked up to a future mate...Opie.
"Andy and Helen Have Their Day": Barney wants to give Andy and Helen the gift of Saturday where they can relax at Myer's Lake and he will run all their errands. Of course, he keeps interrupting them with trivial matters and then believes they are engaged. Howard Morris appears as the TV repairman.
"Three Wishes for Opie": Barney buys a fortune-telling kit at an auction and thinks Count Istvan Teleky is granting them wishes. Like in the previous episode, this ultimately results in Barney believing Andy and Helen are engaged.
"Otis Sues the County": Otis falls at the jail and a slick lawyer tries to make him believe that, by suing the county, he will be helping his friends Barney and Andy.
"Barney Fife, Realtor": Barney gets into a sideline realty business and tries to get everybody to sell their houses and move into other houses.
"Goober Takes a Car Apart": Goober is suppose to be in charge of the courthouse but speedster Gilly keeps hounding him to fix his car. Caught between two responsibilities, Goober takes apart and rebuilds Gilly's car in the courthouse.
"The Rehabilitation of Otis": Barney tries to use psychology to help Otis get over his drinking problem. He ends up arresting him out of "tough love" and Otis gets so mad he decides to give his business to another jail. I like the scene where they take the Rorschach test and argue over whether the card is a bat or butterfly.
"Lucky Letter": Barney thinks he's doomed at the firing range because Andy convinced him not to send a chain letter. Now Barney's not superstitious, he's just cautious.
"Goober and the Art of Love": Andy and Barney convince Goober to date Lydia Crosswaith who turns out to be a bore and sticks her head out of the car window like a dog.
"Barney Runs for Sheriff": When Andy's job in South America falls through, he runs for sheriff as a write-in. Barney is supposed to run just a token campaign, but goes overboard.
"If I Had a Quarter Million": Barney stumbles upon a suitcase with $250,000 and tries to play it off as a newly rich to entice the crook out of hiding.
"TV or Not TV": Bogus television producers come to town pretending to be interested in creating a series based on the life of the sheriff without a gun. Their main intentions have to do with the Mayberry bank. Gavin McLeod appears.
"Guest in the House": A beautiful, young, female friend of the family stays with the Taylors and, of course, Helen goes off.
"The Case of the Punch in the Nose": Best TAGS episode ever! Barney runs across a 19-year old assault case that was never properly closed and brings back all the hard feelings leading to a schism in the town and numerous nose punches. The Bobby Gribble, Emma Larch scene is classic.
"Opie's Newspaper": Opie and Howie try to widen their scope by creating a column like "Mayberry After Midnight."
"Aunt Bee's Invisible Beau": Clara gets Aunt Bee thinking she's getting in the way of Andy and Helen's romance so she makes up that she's dating the butter-and-egg-man. Barney puts a big crack in her plans when he finds out Aunt Bee's pretend beau is married.
"The Arrest of the Fun Girls": Andy and Barney arrest the fun girls and try to hide their presence from Thelma Lou and Helen.
"The Luck of Newton Monroe": Don Rickles plays a traveling salesman who can't seem to get a break, well, save for the things that he breaks himself.
"Opie Flunks Arithmetic": Opie is having problems in arithmetic and, thanks to know-it-all Barney, Andy overreacts and makes things worse.
"Opie and the Carnival": Opie hopes to win his pa an electric razor at ashooting gallery but is cheated by crooked carnies.
"Banjo-Playing Deputy": Jerry Van Dyke is an unemployed carnival musician who happens to be related to a friend of Aunt Bee, so Bee convinces Andy to make the klutzy, stammering loser his deputy. Luckily, that didn't last and we would get Warren Ferguson (sigh) in season 6.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete Fifth Season (1960)

Hailed as "one of the greatest television shows of all time" by TV Guide, The Andy Griffith Show delighted audiences with its simple values and down-home humor. Now all 32 episodes with its landmark 5th season are available on DVD! Catch up with Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith), his son Opie (Ron Howard), his bumbling deputy Barney (Don Knotts), Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) and the rest of the gang in this classic collection that includes many fan-favorite episodes. This season also features memorable guest appearances by Don Rickles (Toy Story, Casino), Gavin MacLeod (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Love Boat) and Jerry Van Dyke (Coach) and some of the funniest moments in the show's time-honored history.

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The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete First Season (1960) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am anxiously awaiting October 12 to view these DVDs. Let's hope Paramount releases quality, like with their boxed set of The Honeymooners. Until then, here's an episode guide for your reference.
First season air dates:
October 1960-May 1961
1. The New Housekeeper: Aunt Bee comes to live with Andy and Opie when their housekeeper Rosie gets married.

2. The Manhunt: State police ask Andy and Barney to step aside while they hunt for a criminal. But Andy tricks the criminal at the end by allowing him to ?escape? in his leaky fishing boat.
3. The Guitar Player: Andy tries to help Jim Lindsey, a young guitar player from the hills, get a job with Freddie Fleet and His Band With a Beat.
4. Runaway Kid: Opie befriends an 8-year-old runaway.
5. Opie?s Charity: Andy becomes upset when Opie contributes a measly three cents to an underprivileged children?s fund.
6. Ellie Comes to Town: Andy becomes interested in the new ?lady druggist,? Miss Ellie Walker (Elinor Donahue).
7. Irresistible Andy: Andy thinks that Ellie is a ?deadly female hunter? out to get him. But Ellie will have something to say about that!
8. A Feud is a Feud: Andy tries to end a feud between two neighboring families.
9. Andy the Matchmaker: To lift Barney?s morale, Andy stages a minor robbery and encourages him to date the shy seamstress in town.
10. Stranger in Town: Mayberry citizens are perplexed by an out-of-towner who seems to know everything about everyone.
11. Christmas Story: Scrooge-like businessman Ben Weaver causes trouble on Christmas Eve, resulting in the gang having to celebrate Christmas at the courthouse.
12. Ellie for Council: Ellie?s decision to run for town council starts a war between the sexes.
13. Mayberry Goes Hollywood: All of Mayberry puts on airs when a film crew decides to shoot a movie there.
14. The Horse Trader: When he tries to sell the old town cannon, Andy disregards advice he had given to Opie.
15. Those Gossipin? Men: After Andy remarks about how women love to gossip, Aunt Bee pulls a prank to prove that men gossip just as much, if not more, than women do.
16. Andy Saves Barney?s Morale: Barney?s overzealous policies enrage Mayberry citizens. Andy steps in to save the day.
17. Alcohol and Old Lace: Andy and Barney think they?ve smashed every still in the county?until they discover that two little old ladies have their own elixir-making machine.
18. Andy the Marriage Counselor: Andy counsels a married couple who constantly bicker.
19. Mayberry on Record: Andy becomes suspicious of a man who says he?s in town to record local music talent for a new folk album.
20. The Beauty Pageant: Andy is chosen to judge a beauty contest, and its contestants include the mayor?s daughter, Floyd?s niece, and Ellie.
21. Andy and the Gentleman Crook: When an infamous, smooth-talking con artist is housed temporarily in the Mayberry jail, he enchants everyone except Andy.
22. Cyrano Andy: When Andy tries to help Barney express his feelings for Thelma Lou, Thelma Lou uses Andy?s involvement to make Barney jealous. (This is the first episode with Thelma Lou.)
23. Andy and Opie, Housekeepers: When Aunt Bee returns from an out-of-town trip, Andy and Opie go to great lengths to prove how much they need her.
24. The New Doctor: A new doctor in town arouses suspicion in Aunt Bee and Barney and jealousy in Andy.
25. A Plaque for Mayberry: The last living descendant of Revolutionary War hero Nathan Tibbs turns out to be the town drunk, Otis Campbell.
26. The Inspector: A by-the-book courthouse inspector condemns Andy and Barney?s lack of rigorous procedure at the courthouse.
27. Ellie Saves a Female: Ellie helps a female farmhand discover and express her femininity.
28. Andy Forecloses: At Ben Weaver?s insistence, Andy must foreclose on a family?s home while they?re experiencing financial difficulties.
29. Quiet Sam: Barney suspects that a mysterious new farmer is growing illegal plants (aka marijuana) on his farm. He?s shocked when he discovers what the farmer is really up to.
30. Barney Gets His Man: An escaped convict vows revenge on the man who was responsible for sending him back to prison, Barney Fife.
31. The Guitar Player Returns: Jim Lindsey returns to Mayberry amidst a hero?s welcome, but Andy suspects there?s trouble.
32. Bringing Up Opie: Aunt Bee declares that the courthouse environment has a negative effect on Opie and forbids him to spend any time there.


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete First Season (1960)

THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW – THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, a spin-off from "The Danny Thomas Show," is a comedy about a North Carolina widower named Andy Taylor who divides his time between raising his son, Opie (Ron Howard) and being sheriff of the small and virtually crime-free town of Mayberry.With next to no crimes to solve, Andy spends time philosophizing and trying to calm down his cousin, Deputy Barney, played by Don Knotts.

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