The Andy Griffith Show season 1 episode guide

Episode guide to The Andy Griffith Show season 1 – Andy, Barney (Don Knotts) and Aunt Bee are here… but Helen Crump isn’t … see how it all started

The New Housekeeper

Rose, Opie’s beloved housekeeper, is leaving to get married. Andy’s Aunt Bee, who raised him, is coming to replace her. Opie refuses to even give her a chance and after a few mishaps by Bee she decides to leave. Opie realizes she can’t do anything right without him so he tells her to stay. Original airdate: October 3, 1960

The Manhunt

The state police notify Barney about an escaped prisoner heading toward Mayberry. They plan to use the courthouse as their headquarters for the big manhunt. Captain Barker and his men arrive, and make their plans. Which don’t include Andy or Barney, and leave to set up their roadblocks. Not willing to be left out, the two spring into action. Soon, Barney is caught off guard by the criminal, who takes his gun and ties him up. Stung by Barker’s words after reporting the turn of events, Andy comes up with a plan to capture the escapee, earn the respect of the state police, and regain the townsfolk’s confidence. Original airdate: October 10, 1960

The Guitar Player

Andy arrests Jim Lindsey, a talented young street musician. He tries to steer him to New York where he can make his music pay off. Jim declines, saying he’s not ready yet and Andy can’t convince him otherwise. When a tour band stops in Mayberry for lunch, Andy sees his chance and arrests both the band and Jim and his guitar. After some arguing and a little wisdom from Andy, Jim plays a song. Then a deal is made and Jim joins the band. Original airdate: October 17, 1960

Ellie Comes to Town

New pharmacist Ellie Walker comes to town to help out her ailing uncle. She quickly incurs the wrath of Emma Brand, and the town. By refusing to sell Emma her pills without a prescription. Emma, a hypochondriac, takes to her sickbed and milks it for all it’s worth. Ellie relents and Emma survives …. But with an upset stomach from eating all the food her friends and neighbors brought over. Original airdate: October 24, 1960

Irresistible Andy

Andy is tickled after Ellie accepts his invitation to the church picnic and dance. But soon comes to think that it is a scheme by Ellie and Fred, who talked Andy into asking his niece, to get her a husband. To put the “desperate, determined hunter” onto other “quarry”, Andy tells several other men that Ellie finds them attractive. Opie spills the beans and Ellie breaks the date and decides to go with Barney. Andy talks Barney out of going and winds up chaperoning Ellie and her other date. Original airdate: October 31, 1960

Runaway Kid

After giving Opie a lesson on trust, loyalty and keeping promises, Andy learns that “Tex”, one of his son’s playmates, is a runaway from a nearby town. Who Opie promised he wouldn’t tell on. Opie is confused when Andy expects him to break his word and give him the boy’s last name. Andy must find a way to reunite the boy with his worried parents. And show a disappointed Opie that sometimes breaking your word is the best thing to do. Original airdate: November 7, 1960

Andy the Matchmaker

After being teased about not having anything to do, Barney’s self-esteem is at its lowest. He’s ready to quit the force. In order to build his confidence so he will ask Miss Rosemary to be his steady girlfriend, Andy and Ellie stage a fake robbery at the drugstore. The man Barney catches turns out to be wanted in Chattanooga and Barney becomes a hero. With a swelled head he decides to “look around first” before committing to Miss Rosemary …. Until Andy shows an interest in her. Original airdate: November 14, 1960

Opie’s Charity

Andy is upset when he finds out that Opie gave only three cents to a charity drive. He starts to teach the boy about sharing with others less fortunate. When he finds out the reason Opie can’t contribute more is because he is saving up to buy his girlfriend Charlotte something, Andy thinks he’s going to squander it on toys. He calls him a playboy. Aunt Bee scolds Andy for not having more faith in his son. Andy must eat crow when Opie tells him he is going to buy Charlotte a new coat for next winter because her mother cannot afford to. Original airdate: November 28, 1960

A Feud Is a Feud

A young couple wakes the Taylors late at night and wants to get married. Andy barely gets started when Hanna’s father bursts in and stops the wedding at gunpoint. Followed by Josh’s father, who has the same intentions. It seems that the Carters and Wakefields have been feuding for years. The patriarchs ain’t about to let one o’ theirs marry one o’ them, so Andy backs down. In the morning Andy decides the best course of action is to end the feud before marrying the couple. So …

Ellie for Council

When Ellie wonders why there are no women running for the city council and doesn’t like Andy’s answers. Especially his use of the word silly. So, she decides to run herself. And causes a minor war between the sexes in Mayberry!Original air date: December 12, 1960

Christmas Story

Mean old Ben Weaver catches Sam Muggins moonshining and insists Andy lock him up, even though it’s Christmas Eve. In order to keep Ben off his back and still have the party they had planned, Andy arrests Sam’s wife and children as “accessories before, during, and after the fact,. He deputizes Ellie, Opie, and Aunt Bee to help watch the prisoners. Everyone is having a good time except Ben. He spies on them and tries to get himself arrested because he’s too ornery to admit he wants to participate. Andy finally arrests him after he figures it out. But he lets Ben stop by his store to pick up a few things he might need …. Presents for the others. Original air date: December 19, 1960

Stranger in Town

When a stranger comes to town and knows people’s name and all about them, folks become scared and suspicious. They want Andy to do something about him. Since Ed Sawyer has broken no laws, Andy refuses. Things get even more curious when he tells Andy that Mayberry is his hometown …. Even though he has never been there before. After being rejected by everyone, Lucy Matthews in particular, Ed asks Andy for help. And he tells him how Mayberry became his hometown. As Andy is calling the newspaper with the story, Ed is confronted by a group of townsfolk who want to run him out of town. Andy steps in and tells his story to the crowd, which backs down and welcomes him to town. Original airdate: December 26, 1960

Mayberry Goes Hollywood

When a Hollywood producer wants to make a picture in Mayberry, some on the town council think he might ridicule the town or its people. Andy takes Mr. Harmon on a tour of Mayberry and satisfies himself that the man has no intention of poking fun at anything. The Mayberry Gazette prints the story under a banner headline. Soon, the whole town goes crazy decorating businesses and themselves ala Holywood. Despite Andy’s objections, Barney, the council, and even Aunt Bee and Opie are caught up in the hysteria. When Mr. Harmon returns he cannot believe what he sees. He pleads that things return to normal so he can make his movie. Original airdate: January 12, 1961

The Horse Trader

After Opie gets cheated in a trade and intends to cheat another boy in return, Andy reminds him of “The Golden Rule”. The good dad tells him that honesty is the best policy. When the town council appoints Andy and Barney to sell an old cannon, they have no luck. Until an antique dealer comes through town. He is hesitant at first, but Andy makes up a history for the old gun. And the man agrees to buy it for $175. When Opie follows Andy’s example and trades a broken cuff link as a button off General George Washington’s uniform for a pair of roller skates and money, Andy realizes he broke the golden rule himself and tries to make amends. The dealer still wants the cannon so Andy cuts the price to $20. Original airdate: January 9, 1961

Those Gossipin’ Men

Irritated that Andy is teasing her and her friends because their latest round of gossip has Barney’s cut finger ending with him shooting himself dead in just a few hours, Aunt Bee decides to turn the tables on him. She hints that there might be more to a traveling shoe salesman from New York than meets the eye. Andy, Barney, and the rest of the men in town start to speculate about his real occupation. When Wilbur Finch requests a TV for his room at the hotel, the men soon believe he’s a talent scout for a television show.

They call on him, one by one, to order shoes, but really to audition themselves or their children. Mr.Finch sells 67 pairs of shoes, a new record! He leaves Mayberry renewed, while the men stand there pointing fingers at each other. Bee and Emma smile and wave from across the street. Original airdate: January 16, 1961

The Beauty Contest

Andy is picked to be the judge of the beauty contest at the upcoming Founder’s Day celebration. Then, the townsfolk drive him crazy by parading their sweethearts, daughters, and nieces in front of him to try to influence his vote. Ellie, Andy’s natural choice, is angry with him and will not enter the contest. So he will have to choose from the others. When the time comes, Ellie is in the contest, entered by Aunt Bee. But if Andy votes for her she will never speak to him again. Andy, unable to vote for Ellie, and unwilling to vote for any of the others, makes an unusual choice. Original airdate: January 23, 1961

Alcohol and Old Lace

Sisters Jennifer and Clarabelle Morrison give Andy and Barney the locations of a still the lawmen haven’t had any luck tracking down on their own. And another they don’t even know about. After arresting the lawbreakers and smashing up their stills, the lawmen are congratulating themselves for getting rid of moonshining in Mayberry …. When Otis staggers in drunk. Otis refuses to tell where he got the liquor. So Andy and Barney are making plans to mount a posse. When Opie tells them about the “flower-making machine” he saw in the Morrison sisters’ hothouse. Turns out the sisters were just getting rid of competition so they could raise the price of their own “elixir”. Original airdate: January 30, 1961

Andy the Marriage Counselor

After being warned for the last time about fighting and disturbing the peace, Fred and Jenny Boone are at it again the next morning. Barney hears them and brings them in. Since nothing else has worked, Andy tries a little experiment. He makes them come in every morning for fifteen minutes to sit and speak politely to one another. Which seems to work. At home, he tells Opie and Billy they will earn five cents each for playing nice after he catches them fighting.

Well, the Boones learn to be polite to each other but start snapping at everyone else. Fred assaults his card-playing buddies and Jenny almost takes Aunt Bee’s head off over an innocent remark. Billy stops coming over to play because it’s no fun anymore. Andy realizes that “what looks like ‘rasslin’ to one is dancin’ to another”. And he calls off the experiment after ten days. Original airdate: February 6, 1961

Mayberry on Record

Barney’s unhappy with his meager paycheck and thinks about investing in the stock market. Andy warns him about con men and shows him how easy it would be to swindle someone. Just then Ellie comes in with Mr. Maxwell, a producer who needs Andy’s help in rounding up local talent to make a record album of folk music. When folks find out how much money there is to be made if the record is a hit, they invest in it. Andy finds out and thinks they have all fallen for the oldest con game in the world …

Andy Saves Barney’s Morale

Barney is acting sheriff when Andy goes to Centerville, and he’s just itching to throw his weight around. When Andy returns eight hours later, half the townsfolk are in jail on flimsy charges. Andy dismisses every charge and sends them all home. And Barney becomes the town’s laughingstock. His morale is soon so low that even Hilda Mae fails to raise it. Andy starts hinting that he can’t have a deputy who folks make fun of and is going to fire Barney. When Barney tries to quit, the folks he arrested put themselves back in jail! They praise him for upholding law and order in Mayberry. Barney feels vindicated and his confidence returns. Original airdate: February 20, 1961

Andy and the Gentleman Crook

The state police call and want to leave “Gentleman Dan” Caldwell in the Mayberry jail for a day or two pending his extradition to Atlanta. Barney quickly cleans up the place and kicks Otis out in preparation for their important prisoner. Caldwell soon arrives and in no time has Barney and Aunt Bee eating out of his hand with his compliments and polite manner. Opie would rather listen to the crook’s stories than his own father’s. While playing cards with Barney, Caldwell takes his gun. When he is about to lock Aunt Bee and Opie in the cell with Barney in an attempt to escape Andy walks in and foils his plan. Original airdate: February 27, 1961

Cyrano Andy

Barney just can’t seem to loosen up on his dates with Thelma Lou; he’s ill at ease and can’t put two words together unless he’s talking shop. He has no trouble telling Andy how he feels about Thelma Lou. “She’s the cats.” But he just can’t tell her. After Andy tells Thelma Lou how Barney feels, she decides to make him jealous. She tells him that Andy came calling on her. Barney’s ready to fight; he won’t listen to Andy’s explanation and makes a play for Ellie. When Ellie tells Andy what happened he wishes he’d never got involved. But Ellie figures out how the two of them can set the other two straight and things work out. Original airdate: March 6, 1961

Andy and Opie, Housekeepers

After scolding Opie and Andy for being so messy around the house, Aunt Bee gets a call from cousin Edgar to help out with Maude, who got the “versitis”. Bee leaves for Mt. Pilot, reluctantly, the next morning but worries that Andy and Opie won’t be able to survive without her. In just a couple of days the house becomes a pig sty. Bee calls to say she will be returning by the afternoon bus. So Andy and Opie hurry to clean up the house and finish with time to spare. When Opie says Aunt Bee will be happy when she finds out they can get along without her, Andy realizes they made a terrible mistake. So they mess up the house again.

Miss Edwards sees the mess and cleans everything up while Andy and Opie are picking up Aunt Bee. Returning home and seeing how neat it is, Bee does think they can get along without her and is on the verge of tears. Andy and Opie quickly start messing up the house again and she catches them. She thinks they are trying to clean up and scolds them, puts on her apron and goes to work. Original airdate: March 13, 1961

The New Doctor

Andy assumes Ellie will be going to the social with him even though he hasn’t asked her …. Until Bee tells him girls do not like being taken for granted. He goes to the drugstore to ask her, but instead is introduced to Dr. Benson, who’s new in town, and unmarried. As they are drinking sodas, Barney starts worrying Andy about Ellie and the doctor becoming attracted to one other. After Bee scolds him and Opie says he’s scared, Andy finally calls on Ellie one evening and asks…well, orders her to the social with him.

She agrees as Dr. Benson arrives and she invites him to go with them. The next day Andy sends Barney to the drugstore to spy on Bob and Ellie. And he thinks they are planning their wedding. Andy rushes over to “fight for what’s mine” and inadvertently proposes to Ellie. Bob says let’s make it a double ceremony. It turns out that Dr. Benson’s fiancée is arriving next week. Original airdate: March 27, 1961

A Plaque for Mayberry

Members of the Women’s Historical Society think that the direct descendant of a Revolutionary War hero may be living in Mayberry. They borrow town records for their research. Barney uses the library and deduces that he, himself, is the person they are looking for. When the women announce that town drunk Otis Campbell is the real descendant, the mayor and town council have a fit. They want Andy to get Otis out of town and bring in a substitute to accept the award. Andy refuses, saying it wouldn’t be fair to Otis. Somewhat late for the ceremony, Otis and his wife show up dressed in their Sunday best. The women present the plaque to Otis who says he can’t take credit for being born. So he gives the plaque to the mayor for the town of Mayberry. Original airdate: April 3, 1961

The Inspector

With the state inspector coming, Barney rushes out to get a prisoner and returns with Otis, who’s drunk. Ralph Case arrives, doesn’t like what he sees and starts writing down violations. Andy, who was out, comes in with a birthday cake for Otis and Case questions his methods. He leaves ready to recommend impeachment.

Ellie Saves a Female

When a farmer’s daughter won’t buy cosmetics for herself because her father wouldn’t approve, Ellie decides to give the girl a few of the items. Contrary to Andy’s warning about meddling. Andy and Ellie go to Flint’s place to deliver the items. But the father refuses to let Frankie keep them and offers no explanation. Barney talks to Flint, to no avail, then takes Frankie into custody and delivers her to Ellie at home. When Frances returns, her father doesn’t even recognize her at first. Although he thinks she’s “right pretty”, he still needs her to help work the farm because he has no sons. Unlike Jenkins, his neighbor, whose sons are working just beyond the fence. There’s disappointment all around until Andy tries an experiment to show Flint what the most efficient use of his one asset, his daughter, might be. Original airdate: April 17, 1961

Andy Forecloses

Businessman Ben Weaver wants Andy to serve a foreclosure notice on the Scobeys after Lester Scobey misses a payment. Andy and Barney come up with the money themselves, but Ben refuses it, saying he is now owed the entire balance. He threatens Andy if he doesn’t serve the paper. Barney starts the “Save the Scobey House Fund” while Andy finds legal ways to stall the process. Andy takes Lester’s eyeglasses so he can’t read the notice. They even hold a rummage sale, at which Ben gives Andy an ultimatum. Original airdate: April 24, 1961

Quiet Sam

Barney thinks that taciturn Sam Becker is hiding something. He investigates and comes to the conclusion that Sam is tending someone with a bullet wound. With a storm coming, the lawmen drive up to Sam’s place to satisfy Barney’s curiosity. They find him out disking his field well after dark. Back in the courthouse, with the storm raging and Barney on patrol, Andy gets a call from Sam to come to his place. Barney gets the message from Otis and, assuming the worst, calls Floyd to raise a posse. He then heads out to rescue Andy. Turns out Sam’s wife is about to give birth, but Doc Winters is out of town. Andy is going to deliver the baby. Barney keeps Sam occupied while Andy successfully delivers a baby boy. Floyd’s posse gets there in the morning when it’s all over. Original airdate: May 1, 1961

Barney Gets His Man

Barney catches a man littering and starts to write him a ticket when the man sees a state police car and tries to flee. He and Barney get tangled up and fall to the ground and the policemen credit Barney with the capture. “I’ll get you for this, deputy,” Eddie Brooke threatens a befuddled Barney as they lead him away. With a gathering crowd congratulating him, Barney quickly recovers and swaggers away, spending the rest of the day basking in the limelight. But then the man escapes from custody … Original airdate: May 8, 1961

The Guitar Player Returns

The town gives a big “Welcome Home” to Jim Lindsey, a local boy who became “prosperous and famous” playing guitar with Bobby Fleet’s band. He’s out on his own now and bragging about all the offers he’s getting. Andy becomes suspicious, though, when he finds out Jim is not paying any of his bills and borrowing money. When he finds out Jim’s not getting any mail either he asks Bobby Fleet to come to town. Bobby tells him the whole story and is ready to take Jim back. Andy catches Jim as he’s about to leave town and has to arrest him to get him to see Bobby. Who pays his debts and offers him a raise to rejoin the band. Jim agrees and they shake on it. Original airdate: May 15, 1961

Bringing Up Opie

After an incident at school, Aunt Bee decides that the jail is a bad influence on Opie. So Andy has to tell him the courthouse is off limits from now on. Bee gives Opie the job of planting “spinish” but his heart’s just not in it. He misses his father, and Andy misses him just as much. Tired of watering his garden, Opie walks to the courthouse but Andy sends him home. Where he wanders off again, this time kicking a can, which takes him first to the old Johnson mine, which caves in while he’s trying to enter. Then to a house where he trades the can for apples.

He eats his fill and promptly falls asleep in the back of a pickup truck. He winds up in Elm City after dark. In the meantime, Bee has noticed his absence and called Andy, who starts searching. After a call, Andy retrieves Opie. After he tells Aunt Bee of his adventures she decides that he needs to see more of his father at the courthouse. Original airdate: May 22, 1961