Top Ten TV Theme Songs

Let's explore PasteMagazine.com's list of theme songs, this time see what made #7 on their list:

7. The Andy Griffith Show - Earle Hagen, Herbert Spencer and Everett Sloane

That's Hagen you hear whistling the intro, but I was more impressed with this version by some guy's parrot:





I have to admit, this is one of my favorite shows, I still watch it on TV Land. I love the classic characters- Barney Fife, Floyd Lawson, Goober, Gomer, The Darlings and who can ever forget Ernest T. Bass (who, by the way only appeared in 10 episodes)? Why there is even a website devoted to the show (http://www.andygriffithshow.net)!

The show comprises 8 full seasons and 249 episodes — 159 episodes in black and white (seasons 1-5) and 90 in color (seasons 6-8). Griffith appears in all 249 episodes with Bavier coming in second at 239. Only Griffith, Howard, Bavier, Knotts, and Hope Summers appeared in all eight seasons. Knotts left the show at the end of the fifth season to pursue a career in films but returned to make five guest appearances as Barney in seasons six through eight. His last appearance was the most watched episode of the series.

The Andy Griffith Show consistently placed in the top ten during its run.

1960-1961:#4
1961-1962:#7
1962-1963:#6
1963-1964:#5
1964-1965:#4
1965-1966:#6
1966-1967:#3
1967-1968:#1

interesting tidbits:

A Neilsen study conducted during the show's last season (1967) indicated the show ranked #1 among blue collar workers followed by The Lucy Show and Gunsmoke. Among white collar workers, the show ranked #3 following Saturday Movies and The Dean Martin Show.

Don Knotts won five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, in 1961-63, 1966 and 1967, the last two for guest appearances. Frances Bavier won one Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1967. The show received its only Emmy nomination in 1967 for Outstanding Comedy Series, losing to a new show, The Monkees. In 2002, TV Guide ranked The Andy Griffith Show ninth on its list of the 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The show was filmed at Desilu Studios, with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres. Woodsy locales, including the opening sequence with its whistled theme, were filmed north of Beverly Hills at Franklin Canyon Lake.

The show's theme music, "The Fishin' Hole", was composed by Earle Hagen and Herbert Spencer, with lyrics written by Everett Sloane. Whistling in the opening sequence was performed by Earle Hagen. One of the show's tunes, "The Mayberry March", was reworked a number of times in different tempi, styles and orchestrations as background music.

The show's sole sponsor was General Foods, with promotional consideration paid for (in the form of cars) by Ford Motor Company.

The show was retitled Andy of Mayberry for its initial daytime rerun package in 1964, to distinguish the repeat episodes from the then-new episodes airing in prime time and continued to turn up in syndication over the ensuing decades.

There is a reason this show is so well liked- one word- quality.