The Andy Griffith Show-I can’t get enough

The Andy Griffith show debuted in 1960 when I was 2 years old. Now, 62 years later I simply cannot get enough of it. The series ran for 8 years but I have a special love for the 159 black and white episodes that were shown during the first 5 seasons. If I have watched each program at least 10 times that’s 1590 viewings but I know I have enjoyed so much more than that. One episode that is near and dear to my heart is the Christmas special which was the 11th program in season one. There is a Scrooge like character named Ben Weaver who goes from saying “Christmas? Haa” to being warm and caring and bearing gifts by the end of the episode.

In my neck of the woods, the local CBS affiliate would air this holiday show on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day for three decades. This local station also aired reruns of The Andy Griffith Show every weekday afternoon at 5:30 PM for 30 years. If you visited my grandmother or mother in law during that time of the afternoon they would shush you and today I am the same way. I just can’t get enough of this beloved series and I am thankful that I can binge watch these classic television programs in several ways.

Eight episodes of The Andy Griffith Show once ran on TV Land from 4:00 until 8:00 PM weeknights and I loved it. I taped the ones I might not be able to watch and enjoy later. I once had 12 episodes taped and watched them over and over during a weekend of snow and ice. I eat popcorn and drink green tea or kombucha tea while I enjoy the antics of the folk in Mayberry North Carolina. My youngest son says hearing the music makes him think of his great grandmother who used to watch all the time so I guess I have turned into my grandma. There are thousands of television programs available to watch on Cable, streaming services, and the Internet but I’m stuck in a time warp of binging on Andy Griffith. Ron Howard portrayed little Opie Taylor and I love how he interacts with the adults.

I find that binge-watching Andy Griffith returns me to a time when life was so different and peaceful. It relaxes me to see Andy and Barney singing on the front porch on Sunday afternoons. I grew up in a small town where we actually sat on our porches on Sunday evenings. I love sitting curled up in bed and laughing at the antics of these characters who often resemble the Keystone Cops. Sometimes I actually do feel guilty that I have such pleasure from watching an old television series. You can also catch Andy and the gang from 8:00-9:00 PM Monday through Friday on MeTV. From 5:00-7:00 PM WZBJ a local station also airs episodes of Andy Griffith. Because this series is shown on multiple stations I can tape different sets of episodes over a period of time without getting bored.

I usually have 8-12 episodes taped at one time. I watch them for a while and then I tape new ones to enjoy. Sometimes I simply enjoy the shows as the television networks air them. My second favorite episode is the one about the alleged haunted house. It turned out to be moonshiners trying to scare everyone away from their stash but there was a lot of drama and tense moments. This episode is what led to Don Knotts starring in the movie THE GHOST AND MR CHICKEN.

The actors on this series became like family to those who grew up watching and we have a special affection for each one. I have such a feeling of warmth and contentment when I view these programs over and over again. Each episode is hilarious and although I’ve laughed at the jokes hundreds of times in the past, and know all the lines I can’t wait to laugh again. With some television shows, I get bored and don’t like looking at repeat episodes but something about Andy Griffith and his crew is addictive. When the local station stopped airing the 5:30 PM episodes there was a great outcry from viewers but it was explained that on the sister network there would be multiple episodes instead of one.

The Andy Griffith Show has not been off the air once during the past six decades and that speaks volumes. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia aspect but I believe the appeal for me is that the characters seem so real and remind me of people in my hometown. There is no logical explanation for how I, myself and others continue to binge watch programs that we have seen possibly 30 or 40 times each. I have probably seen the Christmas episode over 100 times thanks to having it recorded.

Even so, I continue to enjoy watching it each holiday season. I also enjoy Barney singing to Juanita on the phone and laughing out loud at the episode where the goat eats the dynamite. Every baby boomer (those born between 1948-1964 probably have many favorite episodes of this timeless classic.

Baby boomers who grew up watching The Andy Griffith Show feel as if the characters are part of their family.There are so many fond memories attached to these black and white episodes that it’s similar to recalling actual fun times with your loved ones. When things slowed down because of COVID, it was The Andy Griffith show that gave me something to do to pass the time and made me laugh. If you enjoy Nostalgia, laughing until you cry, good clean fun, and black and white television programming, then I highly recommend binging on The Andy Griffith Show. The first 5 seasons are truly television gems.