The Andy Griffith show - wikipedia The Andy Griffith show For other uses, see Andy Griffith ( disambiguation ). The Andy Griffith Show Play media Opening sequence including `` The Fishin ' Hole '' Genre Sitcom Created by Sheldon Leonard Starring Andy Griffith Ronny Howard Don Knotts Frances Bavier Theme music composer Earle Hagen and Herbert W. Spencer Opening theme `` The Fishin ' Hole '' Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons 8 No. of episodes 249 ( list of episodes ) Production Executive producer ( s ) Sheldon Leonard Danny Thomas Location ( s ) Desilu Culver ( 1960 -- 67 ) Paramount Studios ( 1967 -- 68 ) Camera setup Single - camera Running time 25 -- 26 minutes Production company ( s ) Danny Thomas Enterprises Mayberry Enterprises Distributor CBS Films ( before 1971 ) Viacom Enterprises ( 1971 -- 95 ) Paramount Domestic Television ( 1995 -- 2006 ) CBS Paramount Domestic Television ( 2006 -- 07 ) CBS Television Distribution ( 2007 -- present ) Release Original network CBS Picture format Black - and - white ( 1960 -- 65 ) Color ( 1965 -- 68 ) Audio format Monaural Original release October 3, 1960 ( 1960 - 10 - 03 ) -- April 1, 1968 ( 1968 - 04 - 01 ) Chronology Followed by Mayberry R.F.D. Related shows The Danny Thomas Show Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. The Andy Griffith Show is an American situation comedy which aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to September 6, 1971, with a total of 249 half - hour episodes spanning over 8 seasons, first in black and white and then in color, which partially originated from an episode of The Danny Thomas Show. It originally starred Andy Griffith in the role of Andy Taylor, the widowed sheriff of the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina. Other major characters include Andy 's inept but well - meaning deputy, who is also his cousin, Barney Fife ( Don Knotts ) ; Andy 's spinster aunt and housekeeper, `` Aunt '' Bee Taylor ( Frances Bavier ), and Andy 's precocious young son, Opie ( Ron Howard ). Eccentric townspeople and temperamental girlfriends complete the cast. Regarding the tone of the show, Griffith said that despite a contemporary setting, the show evoked nostalgia, stating in a Today Show interview : `` 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. On separate occasions, it has been ranked by TV Guide as the 9th - best and 13th - best show in American television history. Though neither Griffith nor the show won awards during its 11 - season run, co-stars Knotts and Bavier accumulated a combined total of six Emmy Awards. The series spawned its own spinoff, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. ( 1964 ) and a reunion telemovie, Return to Mayberry ( 1986 ). After the eighth season, when Andy Griffith became one of the original cast members to leave the show, it was retitled Mayberry, RFD with Ken Berry and Buddy Foster replacing Andy Griffith and Ron Howard in new roles. Reruns of the show are often aired to TV Land, MeTV, and SundanceTV, while the complete series is available on DVD. The show has also been made available on streaming video services such as Netflix. An annual festival celebrating the show, Mayberry Days, is held each year in Griffith 's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina. Contents 1 Origin 2 Production 2.1 Griffith 's development of Andy Taylor 3 Plot and characters 4 Episodes 5 Reruns, spinoffs, and reunions 6 Reception 6.1 Ratings 6.2 Awards and nominations 6.2. 1 Emmys 6.2. 2 TV Land Awards 7 Merchandise and pop culture 7.1 Video releases 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links Origin Sheldon Leonard, producer of The Danny Thomas Show, and Danny Thomas hired veteran comedy writer Arthur Stander ( who had written many of the `` Danny Thomas '' episodes ) to create a pilot show for Andy Griffith, featuring him as justice of the peace and newspaper editor in a small town. At the time, Broadway, film, and radio star Griffith was interested in attempting a television role, and the William Morris Agency told Leonard that Griffith 's rural background and previous rustic characterizations were suited to the part. After conferences between Leonard and Griffith in New York, Griffith flew to Los Angeles and filmed the episode. On February 15, 1960, The Danny Thomas Show episode `` Danny Meets Andy Griffith '' aired. In the episode Griffith played fictional Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry, North Carolina, who arrests Danny Williams ( Thomas 's character ) for running a stop sign. Future players in The Andy Griffith Show, Frances Bavier and Ron Howard, appeared in the episode as townspeople Henrietta Perkins and Opie Taylor ( the sheriff 's son ). General Foods, sponsor of The Danny Thomas Show, had first access to the spin - off and committed to it immediately. On October 3, 1960, at 9 : 30 pm, The Andy Griffith Show made its debut. Production Knotts and Griffith as their characters in a still taken from the October 7, 1965 one - hour variety special The Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, and Jim Nabors Show The show 's production team included producers Aaron Ruben ( 1960 -- 65 ) and Bob Ross ( 1965 -- 68 ). First - season writers ( many of whom worked in pairs ) included Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart, Arthur Stander and Frank Tarloff ( as `` David Adler '' ), Benedict Freedman and John Fenton Murray, Leo Solomon and Ben Gershman, and Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. During season six, Greenbaum and Fritzell left the show and Ruben departed for Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., a show which he owned in part. Writer Harvey Bullock left after season six. Bob Sweeney directed the first three seasons save the premiere. The show was filmed at Desilu Studios, with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City, California. Woodsy locales were filmed north of Beverly Hills at Franklin Canyon. Don Knotts, who knew Griffith professionally and had seen The Danny Thomas Show episode, called Griffith during the developmental stages of the show and suggested the Sheriff character needed a deputy. Griffith agreed. Knotts auditioned for the show 's creator and executive producer, Sheldon Leonard, and was offered a five - year contract playing Barney Fife. The show 's theme music, `` The Fishin ' Hole '', was composed by Earle Hagen and Herbert Spencer, with lyrics written by Everett Sloane, who also guest starred as Jubal Foster in the episode `` The Keeper of the Flame '' ( 1962 ). Whistling in the opening sequence, as well as the closing credits sequence, was performed by Earle Hagen. One of the show 's tunes, `` The Mayberry March '', was reworked a number of times in different tempo, styles and orchestrations as background music. The show 's sole sponsor was General Foods, with promotional consideration paid for ( in the form of cars ) by Ford Motor Company ( mentioned in the credits ). Griffith 's development of Andy Taylor Initially, Griffith played Taylor as a heavy - handed country bumpkin, grinning from ear to ear and speaking in a hesitant, frantic manner. The style recalled that used in the delivery of his popular monologues such as `` What It Was, Was Football ''. He gradually abandoned the ' rustic Taylor ' and developed a serious and thoughtful characterization. Producer Aaron Ruben recalled : He was being that marvelously funny character from No Time for Sergeants, Will Stockdale ( a role Griffith played on stage and in film )... One day he said, ' My God, I just realized that I 'm the straight man. I 'm playing straight to all these kooks around me. ' He did n't like himself ( in first year reruns )... and in the next season he changed, becoming this Lincolnesque character. As Griffith stopped portraying some of the sheriff 's more unsophisticated character traits and mannerisms, it was impossible for him to create his own problems and troubles in the manner of other central sitcom characters such as Lucy in I Love Lucy or Archie Bunker in All in the Family, whose problems were the result of their temperaments, philosophies and attitudes. Consequently, the characters around Taylor were employed to create the problems and troubles, with rock - solid Taylor stepping in as problem solver, mediator, advisor, disciplinarian and counselor. Plot and characters Main articles : List of The Andy Griffith Show characters and List of The Andy Griffith Show guest stars From left : Deputy Barney Fife ( Don Knotts ), Opie Taylor ( Ron Howard ), Sheriff Andy Taylor ( Andy Griffith ), and Aunt Bee ( Frances Bavier ) The series plot revolves around Sheriff Andy Taylor ( Andy Griffith ) and his life in sleepy, slow - paced fictional Mayberry, North Carolina. Sheriff Taylor 's level - headed approach to law enforcement makes him the scourge of local moonshiners and out - of - town criminals, while his abilities to settle community problems with common - sense advice, mediation, and conciliation make him popular with his fellow citizens. His professional life, however, is complicated by the repeated gaffes of his inept deputy, Barney Fife ( Don Knotts ). Barney is portrayed as Andy 's cousin in the first, second, and sixth episodes, but is never again referred to as such. Andy socializes with male friends in the Main Street barber shop and dates various ladies until a schoolteacher becomes his steady interest in season three. At home, Andy enjoys fishing trips with his son, Opie ( Ronny Howard ), and quiet evenings on the front porch with his maiden aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee ( Frances Bavier ). Opie tests his father 's parenting skills season after season, and Aunt Bee 's ill - considered romances and adventures cause her nephew concern. Andy 's friends and neighbors include barber Floyd Lawson ( Howard McNear -- but played by Walter Baldwin in the 1960 episode `` Stranger in Town '' ), service station attendants and cousins Gomer Pyle ( Jim Nabors ) and Goober Pyle ( George Lindsey ), and local drunkard Otis Campbell ( Hal Smith ). There were two mayors : Mayor Pike, who was more relaxed, and Mayor Stoner, who had a more assertive personality. On the distaff side, townswoman Clara Edwards ( Hope Summers ), Barney 's sweetheart Thelma Lou ( Betty Lynn ) and Andy 's schoolteacher sweetheart Helen Crump ( Aneta Corsaut ) become semi-regulars. Ellie Walker ( Elinor Donahue ) is Andy 's girlfriend in the first season, while Peggy McMillan ( Joanna Moore ) is a nurse who becomes his girlfriend in season 3. Ernest T. Bass ( Howard Morris ) made his first appearance in Episode # 94 ( `` Mountain Wedding '' ). In the color seasons, County Clerk Howard Sprague ( Jack Dodson ) and handyman Emmett Clark ( Paul Hartman ) appear regularly, while Barney 's replacement deputy Warren Ferguson ( Jack Burns ) appears in season six. Unseen characters such as telephone operator Sarah, and Barney 's love interest, local diner waitress Juanita Beasley, as mentioned in the first season, are often referenced. In the series ' last few episodes, farmer Sam Jones ( Ken Berry ) debuts, and later becomes the lead of the show 's sequel, Mayberry R.F.D.. Don Knotts, Aneta Corsaut, Jack Dodson, and Betty Lynn also appeared on Andy Griffith 's later show Matlock. Episodes Main article : List of The Andy Griffith Show episodes Season Episodes Originally aired Nielsen ratings First aired Last aired Rank Rating 32 October 3, 1960 ( 1960 - 10 - 03 ) May 22, 1961 ( 1961 - 05 - 22 ) 27.8 31 October 2, 1961 ( 1961 - 10 - 02 ) May 7, 1962 ( 1962 - 05 - 07 ) 7 27.0 32 October 1, 1962 ( 1962 - 10 - 01 ) May 6, 1963 ( 1963 - 05 - 06 ) 6 29.7 32 September 30, 1963 ( 1963 - 09 - 30 ) May 18, 1964 ( 1964 - 05 - 18 ) 5 29.4 5 32 September 21, 1964 ( 1964 - 09 - 21 ) May 3, 1965 ( 1965 - 05 - 03 ) 28.3 6 30 September 13, 1965 ( 1965 - 09 - 13 ) April 11, 1966 ( 1966 - 04 - 11 ) 6 26.9 7 30 September 12, 1966 ( 1966 - 09 - 12 ) April 10, 1967 ( 1967 - 04 - 10 ) 27.4 8 30 September 11, 1967 ( 1967 - 09 - 11 ) April 1, 1968 ( 1968 - 04 - 01 ) 27.6 The show comprises 8 full seasons and 249 episodes -- 159 episodes in black and white ( seasons 1 -- 5 ) and 90 in color ( seasons 6 -- 8 ). Griffith appears in all 249 episodes with Howard coming in second at 209. Only Griffith, Howard, Bavier, Knotts, and Hope Summers appeared in all eight seasons. Knotts left the show at the end of season five to pursue a career in films ( on the show it is told that he takes a job as a detective with the State Police in Raleigh ) but returned to make five guest appearances as Barney in seasons six through eight. His last appearance in the final season in a story about a summit meeting with Russian dignitaries `` ranked eleventh among single comedy programs most watched in television between 1960 and ( 1984 ), with an audience of thirty - three and a half million. '' Reruns, spinoffs, and reunions Sam Jones ( Ken Berry ) and his son Mike ( Buddy Foster ) were recurring characters in the final season of The Andy Griffith Show, setting up the sequel series Mayberry R.F.D.. In 1964, daytime reruns began airing. The show was retitled Andy of Mayberry to distinguish the repeat episodes from the new episodes airing in prime time. As of 2017, the show has been seen in syndication for 53 years. At the end of season four ( May 1964 ), the backdoor pilot `` Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. '' aired, and the following September, the spinoff series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. debuted with Jim Nabors in the role of Gomer and Frank Sutton as drill instructor Sergeant Vince Carter. In the last episodes of the eighth season, as Andy Griffith was preparing to leave, the character Sam Jones, played by Ken Berry, was introduced as the new star, and the series was reitled Mayberry R.F.D.. Most of the cast members continued their original roles, with Bavier becoming Sam 's housekeeper. To create a smooth transition, Andy and Helen were married in the first episode with the new title and remained for a few additional episodes before leaving with a move to Raleigh, effectively ending their appearances. After RFD 's cancellation in 1971, George Lindsey played Goober for many years on the popular country - variety show Hee Haw. In 1986, the reunion telemovie Return to Mayberry was broadcast with several cast members reprising their original roles. Absent, however, was Frances Bavier. She was living in Siler City, North Carolina, in ill health, and declined to participate. In the TV movie, Aunt Bee is portrayed as deceased ( and in fact Bavier did die three years later ), with Andy visiting her grave. Griffith and Howard reprised their roles a final time for a Funny or Die skit supporting the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama. Reception Ratings The Andy Griffith Show consistently placed in the top ten during its run. A Nielsen study conducted during the show 's final season ( 1967 -- 68 ) indicated the show ranked number one among blue collar workers followed by The Lucy Show and Gunsmoke. Among white collar workers, the show ranked number three following Saturday Movies and The Dean Martin Show. The Andy Griffith Show is one of only three shows to have its final season be the number one ranked show on television, the other two being I Love Lucy and Seinfeld. In 1998, more than five million people a day watched the show 's reruns on 120 stations. Awards and nominations Emmys 1961 Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor or Actress in a Series : Don Knotts -- Won Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor -- Nominated ( Winner : The Jack Benny Program ) 1962 Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor : Don Knotts -- Won Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor -- Nominated ( Winner : The Bob Newhart Show ) 1963 Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor : Don Knotts -- Won 1966 Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy : Don Knotts for `` The Return of Barney Fife '' -- Won 1967 Outstanding Comedy Series -- Nominated ( Winner : The Monkees ) Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy : Don Knotts for `` Barney Comes to Mayberry '' -- Won Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy : Frances Bavier -- Won TV Land Awards Favorite Second Banana : Don Knotts -- Won ( 2003 ) Single Dad of the Year : Andy Griffith -- Won ( 2003 ) Legend Award -- Won ( 2004 ) Merchandise and pop Culture Dell Comics published two The Andy Griffith Show comic books during the show 's first run, with art work by Henry Scarpelli. In 2004, copies in near - mint condition were priced in excess of $500 each. The show 's enduring popularity has spawned considerable merchandise since its first run, including board games, bobblehead dolls, kitchenware, books, and other items. In 2007, a line of canned foods inspired by the series was made available in grocery stores across America. Griffith 's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina annually hosts a week - long `` Mayberry Days '' celebration featuring concerts, parades, and appearances by the show 's players. In 1997, the episode `` Opie the Birdman '' was ranked No. 24 on TV Guide 's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, TV Guide ranked The Andy Griffith Show ninth on its list of the 50 Best Shows of All Time. Bravo ranked Andy Taylor 63rd on their list of the 100 greatest TV characters. In 2003, the country band Rascal Flatts released the song Mayberry and many of the lyrics pay tribute to the show. The cable television network TV Land erected bronze statues of Andy and Opie in Mount Airy and Raleigh, North Carolina ( see : Pullen Park ). The Taylor Home Inn in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, is a bed - and - breakfast modeled after the Taylor Home. The Mayberry Cafe in Danville, Indiana, features Aunt Bee 's Fried Chicken and a replica of Andy 's Ford Galaxy police car. In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Andy Griffith Show # 15 on their list of the 60 Greatest Shows of All Time. Video releases In the late 1980s, Premier Promotions released various episodes on VHS. Most tapes had either two or four episodes. In the early to mid-1990s, United American Video released VHS tapes of various episodes. They either had two or three episodes. These compilations were culled from episodes early in the show 's run that had lapsed into the public domain ; these episodes continue to be circulated on unofficial video releases. Between 2004 and 2006, Paramount Home Entertainment and later in 2006, CBS DVD released all eight seasons as single - season packages on Region 1 DVD. The Andy Griffith Show : The Complete Series was first released as a 40 - disc boxed set in 2007. In addition to all 249 episodes of the series, its bonus features included the episode `` Danny Meets Andy Griffith '' from The Danny Thomas Show which served as the pilot, the episode `` Opie Joins the Marines '' from Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. which featured Ron Howard and the 95 - minute, made - for - television comedy film Return to Mayberry. In 2016, The Andy Griffith Show : The Complete Series was repackaged and released again as a 39 - disc set that featured all 249 episodes of the series but did not include the bonus feature disc. Sixteen episodes from the season three, which lapsed into the public domain after CBS neglected to file copyright renewals on the episodes in 1989, are available on discount DVDs. The 2007 lawsuit CBS Operations Inc v. Reel Funds International Inc. ruled that the episodes in question were derivative works based on the copyrighted episodes even though the episodes themselves were not under copyright and granted CBS indirect copyright over the public domain episodes ; the ruling enjoined Reel Funds International, a public domain distributor, from selling DVDs with those episodes within the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. DVD Name Ep # Release Date The First Season 32 November 16, 2004 The Second Season 31 May 24, 2005 The Third Season 32 August 16, 2005 The Fourth Season 32 November 22, 2005 The Fifth Season 32 February 14, 2006 The Sixth Season 30 May 9, 2006 The Seventh Season 30 August 29, 2006 The Final Season 30 December 12, 2006 The Complete Series 249 May 29, 2007 The Complete Series 249 February 16, 2016 Note : The Region 1 release of The Third Season contains two episodes edited for syndication : `` The Darlings Are Coming '', which had several scenes cut, and `` Barney Mends a Broken Heart '', which had its epilogue cut. References Jump up ^ `` Andy Griffith & Don Knotts on The Today Show ''. NBC Today Show. March 4, 1996. Retrieved September 10, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows ''. Associated Press. February 11, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Fretts, Bruce ; Roush, Matt. `` The Greatest Shows on Earth ''. TV Guide Magazine. 61 ( 3194 -- 3195 ) : 16 -- 19. Jump up ^ `` Mayberry Days ''. The Surry Arts Council Presents Mayberry Days. ^ Jump up to : Kelly, Richard. The Andy Griffith Show. Blair, 1981. Jump up ^ Beck, Ken, and Jim Clark. The Andy Griffith Show Book. St. Martin 's Griffin, 1995. Jump up ^ Brooks, Tim ; Marsh, Earle ( 2007 ). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 - Present ( Ninth Edition ). Ballantine Books. p. 1682 - 1685. ISBN 978 - 0 - 345 - 49773 - 4. Jump up ^ Terrace, Vincent ( 2009 ). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2007. McFarland. p. 66. ISBN 0 - 7864 - 3305 - 1. Jump up ^ Thomson, Katherine ( December 21, 2008 ). `` Inside Ron Howard 's Obama Video Endorsement -- EXCLUSIVE ''. The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 2, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Classic TV Hits : TV Ratings ''. Jump up ^ Ted Rueter ( January 22, 1998 ). `` What Andy, Opie, and Barney Fife Mean to Americans ''. The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on May 24, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009. Jump up ^ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/scarpelli_henry.htm Jump up ^ Overstreet, Robert M... Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. 34th edition. House of Collectibles, Random House Information Group, May 2004. Jump up ^ `` Special Collector 's Issue : 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time ''. TV Guide ( June 28 - July 4 ). 1997. Jump up ^ `` The 100 Greatest TV Characters ''. Bravo. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Vandals toss paint on statue of Andy and Opie in N.C. ( Front ) ''. Associated Press. February 25, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2013. -- via HighBeam Research ( subscription required ) Jump up ^ `` A little touch of Mayberry : B&B recreates Andy Griffith 's TV show home ''. Associated Press. July 27, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Winston.com ''. winston.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` CBS Operations Inc v. Reel Funds International Inc ''. gpo.gov. Further reading Beck, Ken ; Clark, Jim ( 1985 ). The Andy Griffith Show Book ( trade paperback ). New York : St. Martin 's Press. ISBN 0 - 312 - 03654 - X. Beck, Ken, and Clark, Jim. Mayberry Memories. Rutledge Hill Press, 2000. Fann, Joey. The Way Back to Mayberry. Broadman and Holman, 2001. ISBN 0 - 8054 - 2420 - 2. Kelly, Richard. The Andy Griffith Show ( John F. Blair, 1981 ). ISBN 0 - 89587 - 043 - 6. McElroy, Kathleen. `` Remembering Mayberry in White and Black : The Andy Griffith Show 's Construction of the South, '' Memory Studies, 8 ( Oct. 2015 ), 440 -- 53. Pérez Firmat, Gustavo. A Cuban in Mayberry : Looking Back at America 's Hometown. Austin : The University of Texas Press, 2014. Vaughn, Don Rodney ( November 1, 2004 ). `` Why `` The Andy Griffith Show '' is Important to Popular Culture ``. Journal of Popular Culture. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : The Andy Griffith Show Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Andy Griffith Show. The Andy Griffith Show at TV.com The Andy Griffith Show at TV Guide Watch full episodes of The Andy Griffith Show on TVLand.com Public domain episodes of The Andy Griffith Show The Andy Griffith Show on IMDb The Andy Griffith Show at epguides.com Behind The Scenes of The Andy Griffith Show The Andy Griffith Show - related interview videos at the Archive of American Television The Andy Griffith Show Characters Episodes Guest stars Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Mayberry R.F.D. Return to Mayberry Mayberry, North Carolina TV series The Andy Griffith Show Episodes Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Episodes Characters Mayberry R.F.D. Episodes Telefilm Return to Mayberry Main characters Andy Taylor Opie Taylor Bee Taylor Barney Fife Elinor `` Ellie '' Walker Sam Jones Gomer Pyle Goober Pyle Recurring characters Ernest T. Bass Otis Campbell Helen Crump Briscoe Darling Jr. The Darlings Clara Edwards Warren Ferguson The Fun Girls Floyd Lawson Flora Malherbe Howard Sprague Thelma Lou Related programs No Time for Sergeants The Danny Thomas Show The Jim Nabors Hour The New Andy Griffith Show Related topics Mount Airy Pilot Mountain Desilu Productions Rural purge `` What it Was, Was Football '' Mayberry Machiavelli Nielsen Media Research top - rated United States network television show 1950s 50 -- 51 : Texaco Star Theater 51 -- 52 : Arthur Godfrey 's Talent Scouts 52 -- 53, 53 -- 54, 54 -- 55 : I Love Lucy 55 -- 56 : The $64,000 Question 56 -- 57 : I Love Lucy 57 -- 58, 58 -- 59, 59 -- 60 : Gunsmoke 1960s 60 -- 61 : Gunsmoke 61 -- 62 : Wagon Train 62 -- 63, 63 -- 64 : The Beverly Hillbillies ( S1, S2 ) 64 -- 65, 65 -- 66, 66 -- 67 : Bonanza 67 -- 68 : The Andy Griffith Show ( S8 ) 68 -- 69, 69 -- 70 : Rowan & Martin 's Laugh - In 1970s 70 -- 71 : Marcus Welby, M.D. 71 -- 72, 72 -- 73, 73 -- 74, 74 -- 75, 75 -- 76 : All in the Family ( S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 ) 76 -- 77 : Happy Days ( S4 ) 77 -- 78, 78 -- 79 : Laverne & Shirley ( S3, S4 ) 79 -- 80 : 60 Minutes 1980s 80 -- 81, 81 -- 82 : Dallas ( S4, S5 ) 82 -- 83 : 60 Minutes 83 -- 84 : Dallas ( S7 ) 84 -- 85 : Dynasty 85 -- 86, 86 -- 87, 87 -- 88, 88 -- 89 : The Cosby Show ( S2, S3, S4, S5 ) 89 -- 90 : Roseanne ( S2 ) / The Cosby Show ( S6 ) 1990s 90 -- 91 : Cheers ( S9 ) 91 -- 92, 92 -- 93, 93 -- 94 : 60 Minutes 94 -- 95 : Seinfeld ( S6 ) 95 -- 96, 96 -- 97 : ER ( S2, S3 ) 97 -- 98 : Seinfeld ( S9 ) 98 -- 99 : ER ( S5 ) 99 -- 2000 : Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 2000s 00 -- 01 : Survivor ( S2 - AO ) 01 -- 02 : Friends ( S8 ) 02 -- 03, 03 -- 04, 04 -- 05, : CSI : Crime Scene Investigation ( S3, S4, S5 ) 05 -- 06, 06 -- 07, 07 -- 08, 08 -- 09, 09 -- 10 : American Idol ( S5, S6, S7, S8, S9 ) 2010s 10 -- 11 : American Idol ( S10 ) 11 - 12 : NBC Sunday Night Football 12 - 13 : NCIS ( S10 ) 13 - 14, 14 - 15, 15 - 16, 16 -- 17 : NBC Sunday Night Football Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Andy_Griffith_Show&oldid=807591134 '' Categories : American television sitcoms The Andy Griffith Show characters 1960s American television series 1960 American television series debuts 1968 American television series endings Black - and - white television programs CBS network shows English - language television programs Nielsen ratings winners North Carolina culture Police comedies Television series by CBS Television Studios Television shows set in North Carolina Television spin - offs Television programs adapted into films Television programs adapted into comics Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Hidden categories : Subscription required using via Pages containing links to subscription - only content Good articles Use mdy dates from June 2013 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017 Articles prone to spam from December 2015 All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2015 Articles with dead external links from October 2017 Articles using Template : EmmyTVLegends title Articles containing video clips Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Cymraeg Deutsch فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית 日本 語 Simple English Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Edit links This page was last edited on 28 October 2017, at 22 : 59. 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Question: who wrote the theme to the andy griffith show
Answer: Earle Hagen