The Definitive Andy Griffith Show Reference: Episode-by-Episode, with Cast and Production Biographies and a Guide to Collectibles [Paperback]

Dale Robinson (Author), David Fernandes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2004 | ISBN-10: 0786420685 | ISBN-13: 978-0786420681

On the February 2, 1960, episode of The Danny Thomas Show, entertainer Danny Williams (Danny Thomas) is arrested for a traffic violation by a small-town sheriff named Andy Taylor, played by a good-natured Southern actor named Andy Griffith. Thus was born one of the most popular television shows of the 1960s—The Andy Griffith Show.

From the time it officially debuted in October 1960, The Andy Griffith Show was a perennial favorite on CBS, finishing its eight-year run as the top-rated show on television. It also produced some of the most remembered characters (Andy, Opie, Aunt Bee, and Barney Fife) of the era. Each of the show’s 249 episodes is fully detailed here, including air dates, cast and production personnel, guest stars, and a bevy of facts about that particular episode. The 1986 television movie Return to Mayberry is covered in detail. Brief biographies of the show’s major stars, producers, directors and writers are also provided.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A truly amazing amount of ‘Andy’ facts, trivia, and other information...detailed accounts of each episode" -- Ashe Mountain Times

"Capture[s] all the down-home charm of small-town life" -- Burlington County Times

"The episode guide is incredible!" -- The TV Collector

About the Author

Writers Dale Robinson, a regular contributor to The Mayberry Times, and David Fernandes have been writing together for several years. They have traveled to Mount Airy, North Carolina, several times to research their works on The Andy Griffith Show. They are also the authors of A Guide to Television’sMayberry R.F.D. (1999) and live in Jacksonville, Illinois.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (August 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786420685
• ISBN-13: 978-0786420681
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,099,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, but no episode index!, February 17, 2006

By 

D. Alan (CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Definitive Andy Griffith Show Reference: Episode-by-Episode, with Cast and Production Biographies and a Guide to Collectibles (Paperback)

Like another reviewer here at first glance I was disappointed after spending $35 on this...the printing looks second rate and the half-tone pictures are barely on the good side of awful...BUT...after looking through this quite a bit, it is very evident that a lot of time and research was put into it, and I think it's quite a nice book.

One glaring drawback is the lack of any kind of episode index or episode table of contents. I was looking for "The Pickle Story" and had to thumb through the entire book to find it. Hard to believe the authors would spend hours on the smallest details and not spend a little time to make a basic episode index. Took 1 star off for that.

Also, I do wish the episode guide had them in the order aired and not produced. Makes watching the DVDs and trying to find an episode a mess (further justifies 4 stars instead of five). But I do recommend it if you want detail. It has lots of detail and is very complete (except no episode index---argghhh!)

Includes info on rare pilot and the pilot for Mayberry RFD where Andy gets married and Barney is his best man.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just THE Best..., May 22, 2002

By 

KC (Everywhere, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Definitive Andy Griffith Show Reference: Episode-By-Episode, with Cast and Production Biographies and a Guide to Collectibles (Library Binding)

This book has everything you would need to know and most fans of this show NEED to know a lot! Buy one for you and another for a gift. Then check out the authors book about Mayberry RFD! Again very very good. You can tell the author loves the show and thats the kinda guy I want to read, because so do I!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to collection., January 10, 2007

By 

B. Tasch - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Definitive Andy Griffith Show Reference: Episode-by-Episode, with Cast and Production Biographies and a Guide to Collectibles (Paperback)

This book is a great starting point for any fan of The Andy Griffith Show. There is no single book that puts together everything that a fan would want, but this one is a must have. Coupled with other books that Amazon recommends on The Andy Griffith Show, Robinson's book is an excellent addtion to a collection.