Andy Griffith Show (DVD)
Paramount : The Complete 7th Season
APPROX. 0 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 1966 - MPA RATING: NR
" Despite the Emmys and the high Nielsen finish, Season 7 is respectable, but not outstanding.
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12) "Only a Rose"—Opie breaks off one of Aunt Bee's prize roses that she was hoping to enter in a contest and beat (who else?) Clara (Hope Summers).
13) "Otis the Deputy"—An intoxicated Otis helps foil two bank robbers who have captured Andy and Floyd, inconveniently close to his liquor stash.
14) "Goober Makes History"—When Goober returns from a three-week camping trip with a beard and everyone says how much more intelligent it makes him look, he starts to act like a know-it-all.
15) "A New Doctor in Town"—When Opie needs medical attention, Andy has to decide whether to patronize the new young doctor in town and set a good example or opt for Plan B.
16) "Don't Miss a Good Bet"—A stranger comes to town and gets them all excited about buried treasure. Can you say "con"?
17) "Dinner at Eight"—With Aunt Bee gone, the town takes it upon themselves to make sure that Andy is well fed. Too well fed, it turns out.
18) "A Visit to Barney Fife"—Andy visits Barney in Raleigh and helps him retain his detective's job.
19) "Barney Comes to Mayberry"—When a visiting movie star takes up with Barney, the women of Mayberry take notice.
20) "Andy's Old Girlfriend"—When Andy's old flame comes to town, Helen worries, especially when the two of them get lost in the woods together.
21) "Aunt Bee's Restaurant"—Aunt Bee invests in a Chinese restaurant, but it doesn't spell good fortune.
22) "Floyd's Barbershop"—Howard becomes Floyd's landlord and raises the rent, which forces Floyd to leave and means that Andy has to broker a peace between them in order to get Floyd to come back to Mayberry. One of many episodes which prepared viewers for life after Mayberry.
23) "The Statue"—The town is planning to erect a statue to honor one of Andy and Aunt Bee's ancestors, but Andy and Aunt Bee learn he was a cheat and a swindler, not someone worthy of being bronzed.
24) "Helen, the Authoress"—Andy feels neglected and throws a tantrum after Helen writes a children's book.
25) "Goodbye, Dolly"—When the milkman has to switch from horse cart to truck, his horse refuses to eat until Andy and Opie help out. Another end-of-an-era episode.
26) "Opie's Piano Lesson"—Football vs. piano. What's Opie to do when there's a conflict?
27) "Howard, the Comedian"—Funny episode has Howard entering a talent show in Raleigh and using the Mayberry townspeople as the brunt of his jokes.
28) "Big Brother"—Howard wants to be a good big brother, but that gets tough when he realizes he'd rather spend time with the lad's big sister.
29) "Opie's Most Unforgettable Character"—Andy helps Opie with ideas for a paper, and while the grade turns out just fine, the story isn't very pleasing.
30) "Goober's Contest"—In this frequently syndicated episode, mayhem results when the printer makes a mistake on a "Grab-bag-for-Cash" contest at Wally's Filling Station and leaves Goober holding the bag.
Video: "The Andy Griffith Show" really looks great in color—with surprisingly less grain than I expected, and much more natural colors than in some of the other shows that went from B&W to color. The aspect ratio is, of course, 1.33:1.
Audio: The audio is nothing special—the usual Dolby Digital Mono you get from shows of this era. But the tonal quality is pretty good, with a deep timbre that isn't too full of bass—just enough to give it a round tone.
Extras: Though there are no extras this season, I have to say that the packaging is really pretty fun and creative. Five single-sided discs are housed in three clear keep-cases, and on the cover of each is a picnic scene. Inside, each disc looks like food. Disc one is a pretzel against a gingham tablecloth, disc two is a chocolate chip cookie, disc three is an orange, disc four is a cantelope, and disc five is a tomato. But Aunt Bee, where's the chicken and pie?!
Bottom Line: "The Andy Griffith Show" is one of the top TV sitcoms of all-time, and even a weaker season has enough going for it to make it of interest—especially for fans of the show. "Andy Griffith" finished third in the Nielsen's this year, behind "The Red Skelton Hour" and top-rated "Bonanza." It's last year, "The Andy Griffith Show" would finish at Number 1, which only underscores just how beloved this sitcom was during its eight-year run. Despite the Emmys and the high Nielsen finish, Season 7 is respectable, but not outstanding.
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