The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 20, 2021

CBS/Paramount has finally released the long awaited complete series collection for 'The Andy Griffith Show.' All eight seasons span 32 discs. The season one discs are identical to the studio's 2014 season one release but everything else is new to Blu-ray.

The season one review offered more of a series overview and less a specific exploration of season one, so please click here for some broad thoughts on the show which carry over for the full series run.

The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note that screenshots are sourced from seasons two through eight; screenshots from season one can be found here.

Paramount follows up on the well-received season one release for The Andy Griffith Show from 2014 with a stunning full series Blu-ray collection. The season one discs are identical (a full video review can be found here) and truthfully much the same review could carry over for seasons two through five, which are also in black and white (seasons six, seven, and eight are in color; more on those in a moment).
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For the most part, everything in the black-and-white seasons looks amazing, but there are some issues that keep the presentation from earning a perfect score: mild fluctuations in grain density, a bit of flickering in spots, and the odd sign of print wear in the form of splotches and speckles and vertical lines do creep in with regularity. Most of the series looks pristine, spectacular, practically brand new, certainly helped by very good compression. CBS and Paramount have done quite the amazing job on bringing this series to all new high-definition life. Those who grew up watching the show, whether on first run or via reruns, are going to be in for a treat; this is far and away the premiere way to watch this classic show. Never has it looked better and likely will it never look a whole lot better than it does here for clarity, sharpness, and intricate detailing, at least at 1080p resolution. It takes full advantage of the film format and short of some future UHD release it's difficult to imagine it looking any better. The grayscale is solid, too, offering excellent shading nuance, good whites, and quality blacks and lower light shadow detail, such as in scenes when Andy puts Opie to bed. Darker clothes are a hit, too.

Seasons six, seven, and eight make the transition to color but the core textural presentation remains the same, holding steady for grain management, clarity and sharpness, and overall definition and image excellence in terms of a relative lack of major compression issues. The picture does retain a fairly steady, but still mostly light, barrage of flickering and pops and speckles and the like. The color grading is solid. There's a very natural flavor to clothes and location details. Skin is healthy and full, and various environmental details and odds and ends are in good contrast with natural color temperature. Whites are well defined, and blacks are as deep as they should be. Fans are going to be thrilled with the full spectrum of Andy Griffith excellence, now on Blu-ray.

The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The full series set for The Andy Griffith Show features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack, with the exception of season one, which includes an LPCM 2.0 uncompressed track (a review for which can be found here). Honestly, though, there's not a substantial difference in the overall presentation parameters. The DTS track is fairly center focused, imaging towards the middle, and reaching the middle, for dialogue, while music and various support effects linger somewhere between center stage and the far left and right extremes, though favoring a position closer to center. Clarity is excellent; later seasons in particular are very full and rich. Dialogue does drive most of the presentation and it is healthy and detailed for the duration. This is a simple listen for a simple show, but it sounds very good for what's available here.

The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

CBS/Paramount brings the entire eight season run of The Andy Griffith Show to Blu-ray in a massive 32-disc collection. Each season ship in its own Amaray style cases, and each disc is housed on its own hub, either fixed to one side of the case or on a flap affixed to the middle (the hubs are fairly short and it's hard to put the disc back onto them securely; expect a good number of them to be loose both from shipping and form everyday handling). All fit snuggly into a slip box which is neither overly flimsy nor super rigid. The outer box contains the usual array of content, but the spine is very spartan in design. The season one discs are 100% identical to the 2014 Blu-ray release, right down to the copyright date printed on the disc. The season one discs are blue, but all of the others are gray. Also, the inner print episode summaries from the first season have been removed, and there are no summaries to be found inside the other seven season, either. Also of note is a fairly radical menu redesign for seasons two-eight; it's more streamlined and there is no overlaying audio. Design wise, and considering what has carried over from a lone season release and what has changed, this set is just about entirely identical to CBS/Paramount's recently issued MacGyver complete series set. As with MacGyver, no DVD or digital copies are included with purchase, and the individual Amaray cases do not include their own slipcovers.

Below is a listing of the on-disc supplemental content. The supplements from season one repeat. Everything else is new to Blu-ray.

Season One, 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.

Season One, 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.

Season Two, Disc One:

• Original Sponsor Ads (1080p, 4x3, various runtimes): Viewers can watch the short clip commercials, starring the cast of The Andy Griffith Show. Each ad runs around a minute and were originally attached to the following episodes (note that these ads are only available here; they do not play in conjunction with the episode proper): Opie and the Bully, Barney's Replacement, Andy and the Woman Speeder, Mayberry Goes Bankrupt, Barney on the Rebound, Opie's Hobo Friend, Crime-Free Mayberry, and The Perfect Female. Sanka coffee and Post cereal star.

Season Two, Disc Two:

• Original Sponsor Ads (1080p, 4x3, various runtimes): Ads from Aunt Bee's Brief Encounter, The Clubmen, The Pickle Story, Sheriff Barney, The Farmer Takes a Wife, The Keeper of the Flame, and Bailey's Bad Boy. Again, Post cereal and Sanka coffee star.
• "The Pickle Story" (Colorized) (1080p, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, 25:37): The season two episode, in color.

Season Two, Disc Three:

• Original Sponsor Ads (1080p, 4x3, various runtimes): Ads from The Manicurist, The Jinx, Jailbreak, A Medal for Opie, Barney and the Choir, Guest of Honor, and Aunt Bee The Warden: More from the good folks at Sanka and Post.

Season Two, Disc Four:

• Original Sponsor Ads (1080p, 4x3, various runtimes): Ads from The County Nurse, Andy and Barney in the Big City, Wedding Bells for Aunt Bee, Three's a Crowd, The Bookie Barber, Andy on Trial, Cousin Virgil, and Deputy Otis. Sanka and Post sponsor.
• Clip from Opening Night 1962 (SD) (480i, 4x3, 3:45): Andy reads an essay from his school years.

Season Three, Disc One:

• Original Sponsor Ads (1080p*, 4x3, various runtimes): Ads from Mr. McBeevee (*in standard definition), Andy's Rich Girlfriend, Andy and the New Mayor, The Cow Thief, Barney Mends a Broken Heart, Lawman Barney, and The Mayberry Band pitching Jello-O, Sanka, and Baker's Chocolate Chips.

Season Three, Disc Two:

• Original Sponsor Ads (1080p, 4x3, various runtimes): Ads from Floyd, the Gay Deceiver; Opie's Rival; Convicts-at-Large; The Bed Jacket; The Bank Job; One-Punch Opie; Barney and the Governor; and Man in a Hurry pitching Jello-O and Sanka.

Season Three, Disc Three:

• Original Sponsor Ads (1080p*, 4x3, various runtimes): Ads from High Noon in Mayberry, The Loaded Goat, Class Reunion, Rafe Hollister Sings, Opie and the Spoiled Kid, The Great Filling Station Robbery, Andy Discovers America, and Aunt Bee's Medicine Man (*in standard definition) pitching Jello-O and Sanka.

Season Three, Disc Four:

• Original Sponsor Ads (1080p*, 4x3, various runtimes): Ads from Andy's English Valet; Barney's First Car; The Rivals; A Wife for Andy; Dogs, Dogs, Dogs; Mountain Wedding (*in standard definition), and The Big House pitching Sanka and Post Cereal.
• Clip from Opening Night 1963 (SD) (480i, 4x3, 1:59): Griffith and Knotts briefly perform a little skit.

Season Six, Disc Four:

• "Opie Joins the Marines" From Season 2 of the Television Series, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1080p, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, 4x3, 25:50): as with The Andy Griffith Show, the picture quality on this episode is solid but not as good. Some compression issues and meshy looking grain are present, but it's very watchable and sharp. Hopefully CBS/Paramount brings this full series release to Blu-ray at some point in the future.

The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is a home run release. The show is a bonafide classic, the video presentation is very good, ditto the audio, and the supplements cover a fairly wide array of content, though some new retrospectives or commentary tracks would have made a great set even better. What a great last-minute Christmas gift for classic TV fans! Very highly recommended.