Season 5 marked two notable lasts for this beloved series, which never fell below the Top Seven in the ratings. This was the last season in black and white. More devastating, it was multi-Emmy-winner Knotts' last season as Barney Fife. By the penultimate episode, "Opie and the Carnival," he is just gone, an unceremonious departure for an iconic character so integral to the show's success. That "Banjo-Playing Deputy" in the season finale is Jerry Van Dyke, who might have been a worthy replacement for Knotts. Instead, he reportedly turned down the role to star in his own sitcom, My Mother, the Car. The rest is TV infamy. By this time, though, The Andy Griffith Show's best years were behind it. But this season contains at least two classics, "Goodbye Sheriff Taylor," in which Barney is sheriff for a day while Andy interviews for a job in Raleigh, and "The Case of the Punch in the Nose," in which Barney reopens an unresolved 1946 case involving Floyd the Barber and Charley Foley. And with episodes featuring the late Howard Morris' Ernest T. ("The Education of Ernest T."), the Darling family ("The Darling Baby"), Mt. Pilot "fun girls" Skippy and Daphne ("The Arrest of the Fun Girls"), and a guest star turn by Don Rickles ("The Luck of Newton Monroe"), Andy Griffith Show devotees are advised to take the Fifth. --Donald Liebenson

Season Six

Ask a certain portion of diehard Andy Griffith Show fans why the series' sixth season (1965-66) is less well-loved than others from its eight-year run, and the answer boils down to four words: "Warren Ferguson" and "color episodes." Played by veteran comedian and writer Jack Burns, Warren was the replacement for Don Knotts' Barney Fife as Andy's sheriff, and lasted for just eleven of the season's 30 episodes before vanishing without a trace. The brickbats heaved at Warren are undeserved, though; replacing the multi-Emmy-winning Knotts was a task that few performers would have relished facing (and indeed, Knotts earned another Emmy for his return to the series in two episodes, "The Return of Barney Fife" and "The Legend of Barney Fife"), and Burns certainly gives his all (including his signature, rapid-fire "huh-huh-huh" gag line) to the character. He's no Barney Fife, and who could be, aside from Knotts? As for the color issue, the debate seems to be centered entirely around preference, although it's true that in syndication, viewer response has been traditionally stronger to the black-and-white broadcasts of seasons 1-5.

Aside from the Barney/Warren and color controversies, the sixth season is notable for the final appearances of supporting characters Malcolm Merriweather (Bernard Fox) and Ernest T. Bass (the great Howard Morris) in "Malcolm at the Crossroads" (in which the pair tangle over a crosswalk), as well as such fun episodes as "The Taylors in Hollywood" (Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bee react to a movie being made about them, with The Love Boat's Gavin McLeod as the movie Andy); "Andy's Rival" (Charles Aidman guest stars as a new teacher whose working relationship with Helen Crump makes Andy nervous); and "Otis the Artist" (an amusing Warren episode, in which he suggests painting to Otis as a substitute for drinking). Andy Griffith completists will also note the presence of Jack Dodson in the episode "Lost and Found"; Dodson would later join the series as Deputy Howard Sprague and transition with most of the supporting cast to Mayberry R.F.D. As with previous Griffith boxed sets, this five-disc set features no extras. --Paul Gaita

Season Seven

The Andy Griffith Show's seventh season (1966-67) was the beginning of the end for the venerable family comedy (Griffith brought it to a close with the next season), but the gentle humor and likable characters that helped make it one of the most popular series on television are still in fine form. Chief among the season's plusses is a two-episode return visit from Don Knotts as Barney Fife--in "A Visit to Barney Fife," Andy helps his former deputy find his footing at his new precinct in Raleigh, North Carolina, while in "Barney Comes to Mayberry," Barney reunites with his old flame, Irene Flogg, now a glamorous movie star. The latter episode, among the most popular of the series, won Knotts his fifth Emmy for portraying Barney. Otherwise, it's business as usual in Mayberry, with series regulars Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee), George Lindsey (Goober), Hal Smith (Otis), and a very grown-up Ron Howard (Opie) delivering their usual warm and funny performances. The show's new face, Jack Dodson (later Mickey Malph on Happy Days) fares considerably better as a Barney substitute than the ill-fated Jack Burns; as mother-dominated town clerk Howard Sprague, Dodson gets some very funny moments, especially in "Howard the Comedian," where he embarrasses the citizens of Mayberry with his TV standup debut. Also on hand: Aneta Corsaut as Helen Crump, Denver Pyle and the Dillards as the hillbilly collective known as the Darling Family, and an ailing Howard McNear as Floyd the barber; McNear had suffered a stroke and lost much of his mobility, but Griffith made arrangements that allowed him to continue on the show in a more relaxed capacity. Though perhaps not up to par with its earlier, black-and-white episodes, the seventh season of The Andy Griffith Show still has plenty of what made the show an enduring classic: low-key charm and homespun humor. The five-disc set has no supplemental features. --Paul Gaita

Season Eight

All good things must come to an end--even a classic TV series like The Andy Griffith Show--but most would hope to close out their network run like the venerable rural comedy series did, with its popularity intact (Griffith brought the show to a close with its ratings at #1) and its episodes still featuring the gentle, observant humor that marked every visit to Mayberry since its debut in 1960. Few changes can be seen in the 30 episodes compiled here, save for the color broadcast (which came to pass during the '65-'66 season) and the arrival of Sam Jones (the likable Ken Berry), another amiable widower who became the focus of the spin-off series, Mayberry R.F.D. Otherwise, it's business as usual in Mayberry, which includes a welcome return visit from Don Knotts' Barney Fife (in "Barney Hosts a Summit Meeting," where he convinces Andy to let the U.S. and Soviet governments host a summit in his home), a turn in the role of deputy for Goober (George Lindsay) in "Suppose Andy Gets Sick," a great deal of tomfoolery by newer characters Howard Sprague (Jack Dodson) and Emmett Clark (Paul Hartman), and guest appearances by Jack Nicholson ("Aunt Bee the Juror"), Allan (The Brady Bunch) Melvin ("Howard's Main Event") and Morgan Brittany as "Opie's First Love." Fans may debate on the quality of the final season in comparison to those that preceded it (and to be fair, there are a handful of less-than-stellar episodes, most notably "Opie's Group," which finds Andy's son joining a rock band), but the comfortable performances by the cast help to smooth over any rough patches. As with all previous Griffith boxed sets, no extras are featured here. -- Paul Gaita