70THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW

Aired: CBS, 1960-1968

Writing in the San Francisco Chronicle upon the death of Andy Griffith, David Wiegand pointed out that Sheriff Andy and the good folks of Mayberry, N.C., found wide appeal in primetime in an era when "the sexual revolution, the divisiveness of the Vietnam War and the general rejection of traditional values' by younger Americans had an impact on TV. Some sitcoms tried to adapt to the cultural changes and ended up looking ridiculous for trying. Others simply threw in the towel." Aaron Ruben, one of the show's longtime producers, told the Archive of American Television that the show struck a chord because it conjured "a grown-ups' Oz." Ruben and Sheldon Leonard are credited as the show's driving creative forces, as well as Danny Thomas. Thomas was already a sitcom star thanks to Make Room for Daddy, and it was his production company that developed the Griffith series.