The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Brought to you by Post cereals and Sanka coffee. And Paramount and CBS.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 29, 2014

Return to a simpler time of life, television, and comedy with The Andy Griffith Show, perhaps the quintessential television icon that ran through much of the 1960s and entertained audiences with its simple charms, unforgettable characters, and depiction of a more relaxed way of life. The series saw its origins in an episode of the long-running 1950s staple The Danny Thomas Show (included in this set's supplements) and itself spawned Mayberry R.F.D. at the end of Griffith's run in 1968. Paramount and CBS have assembled a quaint little season one set for Blu-ray release. The four-disc package (slipcover included) features all 32 episodes, available with and without advertisement inserts over the opening titles and at episode's end. A numerically small but nonetheless impressive assortment of vintage supplemental content is included.

Father knows best.

The Andy Griffith Show follows the sometimes meandering but frequently meaningful days of Mayberry Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) and his son, Opie (Filmmaker Ron Howard). Together, they fish and frequently discuss, experience, and work through life's complexities through a rather simple, but ultimately effective, father-son relationship that's less about harsh discipline, rote memorization, and traditional education and more about learning about life by living it. That life is frequently influenced by the two other people closest to Opie, Andy's somewhat bumbling and absentminded deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) and Opie's traditional and well-meaning Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier).

While the agreeably simpler times, the more relaxed atmosphere, the effortless situational humor, and the strong thematic and comedic contrasts between the levelheaded Andy and his inquisitive, sometimes naive, and frequently well-meaning son Opie are all legitimate reasons to watch The Andy Griffith Show, the iconic program doesn't just play well through the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia. The show remains a stalwart of entertainment, a humorous and aware but not self-important program that still rings true with both its life lessons and its easygoing demeanor that champions simple solutions to life's biggest problems. The show is perfectly safe for most all ages, exploring even some darker themes with a gentleness and understanding of traditional values, even up against the cultural shifts and political upheavals of the 1960s. It was more a product, in some ways, of its previous generation than it was its own, and even through the ever-changing seasons of life the show remains a rock, an example of living at a slower pace, with fewer cares, with an integrity and honesty that seem far too often missing in today's more vapid entertainment landscape.

Of course, with that charm and simplicity comes the realization that sometimes fiction is better than fact. The show is the perfect example of escapist entertainment, more than a time capsule but also a device capable of showing the perfect, idealized world where complications are defeated with a few words of encouragement and figurative headaches are cured with a literal smile. Mayberry represents the show's main character. It's the setting rather than its stories, the pace rather than its people that truly define the show. Andy, Opie, Barney, and Bee certainly personify the ideal Mayberry way of life, but it's that way of life that is the show's main selling point, not the people who reflect it, who live it. Even the town's perpetual drunk self-polices. In Mayberry, he serves his 24 hours for public intoxication with the keys within easy arm's reach of his cell. Indeed, The Andy Griffith Show captures the essence of the "perfect world" that never wavers from a perfect balance, where everything wrong is righted into a teachable moment that will only reinforce the positives of the already idealized quality of life forevermore.

The following episodes comprise season one. Episode summaries and air dates are provided courtesy of the blu-ray insert.

Disc One:

• The New Housekeeper: Opie adjusts when Andy's Aunt Bee, who raised Andy, comes to make the house a home again. From October 3, 1960.
• The Manhunt: An escaped convict turns up in Mayberry where Andy and Barney must work with ... or around ... the state police. From October 10, 1960.
• Guitar Player: Andy helps an arresting guitar player find the road to success and on to stardom. From October 17, 1960.
• Ellie Comes to Town: Ellie May Walker, big city pharmacist, discovers what being a small town druggist is like when she arrives to run Walker Drugs for her uncle. From October 24, 1960.
• Irresistible Andy: Andy plots a diversion from what he wrongly believes is Ellie's determined intention to marry him. From October 31, 1960.
• Runaway Kid: Opie tries to help a young runaway while Andy's lesson about keeping one's word comes back to haunt him. From November 7, 1960.
• Andy the Matchmaker: Andy stages events to bolster Barney's confidence in love and crime fighting after an incident dampens his spirits. From November 14, 1960.
• Opie's Charity: Andy gets a lesson in charity when his son donates only a small amount to the Underprivileged Children's Drive. From November 28, 1960

Disc Two:

• A Feud is a Feud: An age-old family feud keeps the town awake at night when lovebirds from the two families want to marry. From December 5, 1960.
• Ellie for Council: Ellie, appalled by an absence of women on the town council, steps up to lead and meets masculine resistance. From December 12, 1960.
• Christmas Story: The town scrooge demands the lockup of a citizen over the holiday leaving Andy to find a way to save Christmas for one and all. From December 19, 1960.
• Stranger in Town: Barney is on the hunt to determine why a visiting New Yorker knows so much about the people of Mayberry. From December 26, 1960.
• Mayberry Goes Hollywood: The townsfolk strike a pose for their close-ups as Mayberry becomes the location for a Hollywood movie. From January 2, 1961.
• The Horse Trader: Andy puts his best used-cannon salesman tactics to work despite teaching Opie about fair deals. From January 9, 1961.
• Those Gossipin' Men: Andy heckles Aunt Bee about feminine gossip ... so she plots a prank to prove the men enjoy a tale as much as anyone. From January 16, 1961.
• The Beauty Contest: A small-town beauty pageant poses political problems for Andy who is named the sole judge. From January 23, 1961.
• Alcohol and Old Lace: The culprits of an alcohol-distilling ring that Andy and Barney dismantle are a rather unlikely pair. From January 30, 1961.

Disc Three:

• Andy the Marriage Counselor: Andy tries his hand at keeping the peace in the marriage of a quarrelsome couple. From February 6, 1961.
• Mayberry on Record: A record producer lands in Mayberry attempting to record Folksy musical talent, but Andy hears a different tune. From February 13, 1961.
• Andy Saves Barney's Morale: When Barney's day as acting sherif ends with nearly everyone in jail, Andy has to free him from public ridicule. From February 20, 1961.
• Andy and the Gentleman Crook: The townspeople are charmed by a high-profile con artist residing in jail, but Andy finds him anything but enchanting. From February 27, 1961.
• Cyrano Andy: When Barney struggles to express his inner soul to Thelma Lou, Andy has just the plan. From March 6, 1961.
• Andy and Opie, Housekeepers: Aunt Bee leaves her messy boys to their own capabilities when she has to attend to an ailing family member out of town. From March 13, 1961.
• The New Doctor: Ellie takes to a handsome doctor while Andy takes to the devices of Aunt Bee, Barney, and Opie to manage his jealousy. From March 22, 1961.
• A Plaque for Mayberry: The town drunk turns out to be the last surviving descendant of a Revolutionary War hero, leaving Mayberrians shocked and conflicted. From April 3, 1961.
• The Inspector: Andy deals with a local bootlegger while having his methods questioned by a rules-oriented courthouse inspector. From April 10, 1961.

Disc Four:

• Ellie Saves a Female: In an act of sisterly intervention, Ellie supports a female farmhand in finding her inner woman. From April 17, 1961.
• Andy Forecloses: Local mogul Ben Weaver strikes again, this time demanding foreclosure on a struggling neighbor's property. From April 24, 1961.
• Quiet Sam: Barney noses around when he smells something suspect in the story of a mysterious new farmer. From May 1, 1961.
• Barney Gets His Man: A man Barney is responsible for sending to prison escapes and returns to Mayberry to settle the score. From May 8, 1961.
• The Guitar Player Returns: Despite a rock star welcome for returning Mayberry musician Jim Lindsey, Andy is skeptical of the hometown hero's motives. From May 15, 1961.
• Bringing Up Opie: Believing Opie could do better if not surrounded by Mayberry's criminals, Aunt Bee forbids him from visiting the courthouse. From May 22, 1961.

The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1 hasn't undergone a full-blown restoration, but despite some inherent flaws Paramount/CBS' Blu-ray release looks quite good. The opening title sequence (and the product advertisements) frequently look soft and fuzzy, almost video-like in presentation, but the image tightens up considerably during the body. Here, viewers will enjoy a crisp, well-defined image, accentuated by a moderate, mostly even grain field that tends to spike indoors and lessen outdoors. Details are frequently excellent and often breathtaking in purity and complexity. Everything from basic facial textures to clothing seams, from badges and patches to small imperfections in jail cell doors, all look fantastic, presenting the classic lines and fixtures and accents of a long-gone time and place with enough attention to detail to allow the audience to truly become immersed in Mayberry. The black-and-white imagery shows excellent subtlety in the transitions between shades of gray. The image does suffer from light and very infrequent bouts of flickering. The main problem, however, comes in the abundance of dirt and scratches. While they appear frequently, they also appear lightly, rarely causing much of a distraction. Still, they're there and hardcore fans will be left wanting for a more fully restored presentation. Nevertheless, this is a borderline revelation considering the attention to detail and general stability that's evident under the 1080p resolution and a far superior picture next to anything audiences may have seen before during the show's original run, on reruns, or on lower resolution home video mediums.

The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1 features an LPCM 2.0 lossless soundtrack. It should come as no surprise that it's rather limited not just in spacing and range but in general delivery of sound effects and music. Opening title music and speech sounds somewhat harsh and scratchy, respectively. But like the video presentation, it tightens up a fair bit during the main program. The show is primarily dependent on dialogue, which enjoys sufficient clarity, presence, and placement. Music is light and inviting, limited in its ability to stretch and play with natural, lifelike presence, but the end result satisfies considering the limitations placed upon it. The same may be said of sound effects, which are presented with basic attention to detail and accuracy but are a far cry from the precise sound engineering found on today's top television shows.

The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1 contains several supplements scattered across the four-disc set. Episodes are available with "Original Sponsor Materials," product advertisements at the end of the opening title sequence and again at the end of each episode, the latter of which loosely ties in with some portion of the episode's storyline. The supplements are headlined by the inclusion of a full-length made for television Mayberry film from 1986.

Disc One:

• "Danny Meets Andy Griffith" From "The Danny Thomas Show" Season 7 (HD, 27:20): A season seven episode that features Andy Griffith's introduction. From February 15, 1960, several months prior to The Andy Griffith Show's premiere in October 1960. With optional English subtitles.
• The Howards' On-Set Movies (HD, color, 8:36): From the supplement: "Ron Howard's parents filmed these home movies on the set of 'The Andy Griffith Show.' This precious footage gives us a rare look at the Howard Family's behind-the-scenes life in Mayberry." The color footage is set to music and makes for a wonderfully unique glimpse into the world behind the scenes, notably the characters and sets from the years before the show's transition to color. With optional English subtitles.

Disc Four:

• Return to Mayberry Television Movie (HD, LPCM 2.0, 1:33:1 1:35:26): A 1986 television movie. The audio is extraordinarily loud at reference volume. Picture quality is rather strong, showcasing solid colors, excellent detail, and fair black levels and flesh tones. With optional English subtitles.
• "Person to Person" Interview with Andy Griffith (SD, 13:05): Mr. and Mrs. Andy Griffith sit down with Host Ed Murrow. From June 14, 1957. With optional English subtitles.

The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

With the inclusion of the television spin-off film included in season one's Blu-ray release, one can only wonder what the future holds for The Andy Griffith show on Blu-ray; it would make more sense to include it on a final season release instead, if only for chronology's sake. Nevertheless, it's a great supplement but certainly not the only reason to buy. This is quintessential television, certainly from another time and place -- it's practically alien up against today's television programming -- yet, no matter how culturally dated, a warm and welcoming step backwards into a world of simple charms, basic life lessons, good living, and moral stability. It's not just old television, it's a piece of history and one that's been nicely ported onto Blu-ray for posterity. Paramount/CBS' Blu-ray release of The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1 features flawed but nevertheless enjoyable video, decent sound, and a rather strong assortment of extra content, including a full episode from The Danny Thomas Show and the 1986 television film Return to Mayberry. Very highly recommended.