Favorite Andy Griffith moments
 

Opie is not liking history class...none of the boys in the class do. Andy makes it all exciting for the boys, who subsequently learn to love history. One of the last scenes (or the last, not sure if my copy is complete):

(I'm paraphrasing)

Barney: I don't see what the problem is with learnin' dates. Dates are easy to learn, all you need is a system.

Andy: And I suppose you have a system.

Barney: I sure do. Take 1776 for example. The first number is easy, because it's the first number in the alphabet. Seven's a lucky number, so that's easy. Then, you have another 7, which is easy because you just remembered 7. Then, what's 1 from 7? 6! So...1776!

Andy: Hmmm. Don't you think it'd be easier to just remember 1776?

Barney (in a huff): Well, if you want to do everything the easy way you'll never learn anything.

Now that is just classic!


Any Andy fans out there? Favorites?

The whistling is classic.

Also, Andy once pondered why all the commotion on the field, and offered to give the guy his quarter back out of his own pocket. Charming.

I also like the part where the fella lets himself *into* *his* cell.

I liked the one where Andy nailed Helen in the back of the squad car while Barney stood lookout in case anybody came along.


Or, wait, maybe that was a different show . . . .

I was never much into the Andy Griffith Show, although my mother likes it a lot, and I often catch her watching it on TV Land.

I have only vague recall of most of the bits ... but the thing about not letting Barney keep his bullet (singular) in his gun stands out as amusing.

Yeah, that was RANDY Griffith. :p

The early Andy Griffith shows can't be beat. I urge everyone to watch a few. I didn't really like it until I was much older...Andy and Opie are awesome together. Barney and Floyd are hilarious.

DO NOT, under any circumstances, watch any Andy shows in color...the longer the show went on the worse it got, but you can't beat the writing in its early days.

I was going to make some remark like SD did, but he beat me to it. Great minds and all that.

I recall exactly one scene from one Andy Griffith show that I saw in passing as a very young child.

Barney had just learned about making a "citizen's arrest," and proceeded to immediately arrest Andy for making an illegal U-turn.

Andy then took Barney's bullet, and shot him squarely between the eyes, I believe.

Giraffes are selfish
 

Another great Barney moment:

From Episode #93, "Dogs, Dogs, Dogs"

(It's storming, and they had just taken the dogs that had overrun the town way out into a field.)

Opie: Pa, them dogs are out there. They are out there in that open field. (Thunder) I'm worried about 'em Pa.

Andy: Well, you needn't be.

Barney: Opie, you don't have to worry about 'em. What could happen?

Opie: Well, that lightning, what about that?

Barney: Oh, a dog can't get struck by lightning. You know why? Because he's too close to the ground. See, lightning strikes tall things. Now if they were giraffes out there, then we'd be in trouble. You sure don't have to worry about dogs. (Thunder)

Opie: I'm worried about 'em, Pa.

Andy: Ah..

Barney: What were dogs a million years ago, wild animals, right? Wolves, coyotes, they know how to hunt and fish and look for shelter. You take them two big Airedales. Why they looked as healthy as horses to me. And the little spotted one, he was in fine shape.

Opie: But the little one I first came in with, he was a trembler, wasn't he?

Barney: Him? why, the big ones will take care of him. The big ones take care of their own. (Thunder) And you know dogs have a way of keepin' dry. Ya know that, They're insulated, you see, they've got this fur...it keeps them cool in the summer and warm and dry in the winter. They're really set up better than human beings as far as that goes. (Thunder and lightning) And as far as the little one goes, why the big ones, they'll take care of him...the little trembly one...(Thunder) and they're short, you see, close to the ground, that way they can't get struck by lightning. Now if they wuz giraffes they'd have been hit by now, uh..., but dogs are short and they take care of their own. Giraffes don't. No, giraffes don't at all. Boy, giraffes are selfish, just run around looking out for number one, getting hit by lightning, but dogs....

(Thunder) You just gonna sit there or you coming with me??

Andy Griffith is one of my top 5 favorite shows of all time.

I thought of quite a few scenes to post on this thread but when I wrote them down, it just didn't work.

I have always loved the show... although it's no dick van dyke

You're dealing with two different genres, though. Andy Griffith was about giving you a bit of a chuckle, yes, but mostly about making you feel good at the end.

Dick van Dyke was all about The Laugh.

The only truly outstanding episode of The Dick van Dyke Show is "It May Look Like a Walnut." The others were amusing.

Was that the Planet Twylo episode? Classic. Awesome.

The one with Richie and the woodpecker also sticks in my mind.