The Andy Griffith Show - TV-G
TV Rating: TV-G
Network: TV Land Cast: Don Knotts, Ron Howard, Andy Griffith
Genre: Comedy
Available on: 
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Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that although this classic '60s comedy series features simplistic storylines and dated humor, it also offers timeless lessons about responsibility, kindness, and the consequences of your behavior. It's a cheerful, squeaky clean -- and very idealized -- example of strong family and community relationships in a small town.
Families can talk about what it's like to live in a small town. What are the advantages of living in a tight-knit community? Disadvantages? What do small towns offer that cities don't, and vice versa? Parents and kids can also talk about how families have been presented on television over the years. How has TV family life changed over the past 40+ years? What's the definition of family today? Do you think a single dad was a typical TV character during the '60s?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Melissa Camacho
One of television's most iconic -- and cheerful -- comedy series, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW revolves around Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith), the easygoing sheriff of the fictitious town of Mayberry, North Carolina.
Mayberry may be small, but with eccentric residents like goofy auto mechanic Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors) and easily distracted barber Floyd Lawson (Howard McNear), it's certainly not boring. Thanks to Taylor and his cousin -- rather overzealous "by-the-book" Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) -- the tight-knit but rather innocent community is protected from anything and anyone that threatens their simple, happy way of life.
Taylor is also raising his son, Opie (Ron Howard), with the help of their Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), who moved in to help run the household. The strong relationship between father and son provides the basis for many of the show's discussions about "doing the right thing" and accepting the consequences of yout actions.
The Andy Griffith Show, which aired from 1960-1968, was part of a TV trend that (somewhat ironically) epitomized traditional family values by featuring a family headed by a widowed parent. The series also provided a welcome, albeit idealized, version of simple, quiet American life during a time when the country was experiencing major civil unrest and was in the midst of the Vietnam War.
Granted, the show's humor is dated, the cast is hardly diverse, and the storylines are simplistic (especially when you compare them to today's typical family sitcom). But what makes Andy Griffith stand the test of time is its focus on kindness and the importance of community.
Fans may also enjoy the series' spin off, Mayberry R.F.D. and fellow classic sitcoms My Three Sons and Leave It to Beaver.
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ViolenceSheriff Taylor rarely wears a gun, but Deputy Fife likes pulling out his revolver (which is sometimes visible but never used). Fife carries around a bullet in his pocket. |
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Social BehaviorPositive representations of family, particularly single parenthood and father-son relationships. Sends a positive message about the strength of community and has good lessons about being kind and responsible and accepting consequences. Because Andy Taylor is a sheriff, there are references to crime and occasional arrests are made, but it's all very tame. Reflecting its original era, the cast is uniformly white. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoOne of the secondary characters (Otis) is the town "drunk." But alcohol is never visible. |
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