100 Andy Griffith Show Trivia Questions and Answers (Mayberry Superfan Quiz)

The TriviaTalent Team · 7 min read

It starts with a whistle. A man and his boy, fishing poles over their shoulders, ambling down a dirt road toward the pond while that easy tune plays. For eight years, that opening told you everything was going to be all right for the next half hour.

Mayberry was the small town we all wished we came from — where the biggest crime was Otis sleeping it off in an unlocked cell and the sheriff never bothered to carry a gun. Pour a glass of iced tea, sit back on the porch, and see how much of it you still carry with you. When you're done here, wander over to our classic TV trivia questions and answers or our old TV show trivia for seniors.

Welcome to Mayberry

1. On what network did The Andy Griffith Show air?

CBS.

2. In what year did the show premiere?

1960 — its first episode aired on October 3, 1960.

3. And in what year did it go off the air?

1968, ending on April 1 of that year.

4. How many seasons did the show run?

Eight.

5. Roughly how many episodes were made in all?

249.

6. In what state is the town of Mayberry set?

North Carolina.

7. Here's a tricky one — what is Mayberry's county also called?

Mayberry. Both the town and the county share the name.

8. Which other series did The Andy Griffith Show grow out of?

The Danny Thomas Show, in a 1960 episode called "Danny Meets Andy Griffith."

9. Who created the series?

Sheldon Leonard, with Danny Thomas as an executive producer.

Sheriff Andy Taylor

10. Who played Sheriff Andy Taylor?

Andy Griffith.

11. Besides sheriff, what second local office did Andy hold?

Justice of the peace.

12. What was unusual about Andy as a lawman?

He almost never carried a gun, preferring to settle trouble with common sense and a kind word.

13. Was Andy married?

No — he was a widower, raising his son on his own.

14. What was the name of Andy's young son?

Opie.

15. Who kept house for Andy and Opie?

His aunt, Aunt Bee.

16. Who was Andy's first sweetheart on the series, early in its run?

Ellie Walker, the town druggist.

17. Which schoolteacher became Andy's long-term lady friend?

Helen Crump.

18. Who played Helen Crump?

Aneta Corsaut.

Deputy Barney Fife

19. Who played Deputy Barney Fife?

Don Knotts.

20. How many bullets was Barney allowed to carry, and where did he keep it?

Just one — and Andy made him keep it tucked in his shirt pocket rather than in the gun.

21. In the earliest episodes, how were Andy and Barney said to be related?

They referred to themselves as cousins.

22. Who was the love of Barney's life?

Thelma Lou.

23. Who played Thelma Lou?

Betty Lynn.

24. What was Barney's most famous piece of advice for handling trouble?

To "nip it in the bud."

25. How many Emmy Awards did Don Knotts win for playing Barney?

Five, for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

26. In what year did Knotts leave the regular cast to make movies?

1965, after the fifth season, though he returned for occasional guest spots.

27. In the 1986 reunion film, what finally happened between Barney and Thelma Lou?

They got married.

Opie and Aunt Bee

28. Who played Opie Taylor?

Ron Howard, billed then as Ronny Howard.

29. In the beloved episode "Opie the Birdman," what does Opie accidentally do?

He kills a mother songbird with his new slingshot, then raises her three orphaned babies himself.

30. Who played Aunt Bee?

Frances Bavier.

31. How was Aunt Bee related to Andy?

She was his aunt on his father's side.

32. In "The Pickle Story," what did Andy and Barney secretly call Aunt Bee's homemade pickles?

"Kerosene cucumbers."

33. What did Andy, Barney and Opie do to spare her feelings at the fair?

They swapped her jars for store-bought pickles — a scheme that quickly backfired.

34. Who was Aunt Bee's closest friend in town?

Clara Edwards.

The Folks Around Town

35. Who ran the filling station and said "Gol-ly" and "Shazam"?

Gomer Pyle.

36. Who played Gomer?

Jim Nabors.

37. Which service station did Gomer work at?

Wally's.

38. What was Gomer's giddy three-word catchphrase?

"Surprise, surprise, surprise!"

39. In one famous episode, Gomer catches Barney making an illegal U-turn and gleefully shouts what?

"Citizen's arrest! Citizen's arrest!"

40. Who replaced Gomer at the station — his own cousin?

Goober Pyle.

41. Who played Goober?

George Lindsey.

42. Who was the town barber?

Floyd Lawson.

43. Who played Floyd the barber?

Howard McNear.

44. Who was Mayberry's good-natured town drunk?

Otis Campbell.

45. What did Otis famously do when he'd had too much?

He let himself into the jail cell to sleep it off.

46. Who played Otis?

Hal Smith.

47. Who was the mild-mannered county clerk who joined in later seasons?

Howard Sprague.

48. Who played Howard Sprague?

Jack Dodson.

49. Who was the wild mountain man forever causing a ruckus in town?

Ernest T. Bass.

50. Who played Ernest T. Bass?

Howard Morris.

51. What was the name of the musical mountain family who came to town?

The Darlings.

52. Who played the head of that clan, Briscoe Darling?

Denver Pyle.

53. Which real-life bluegrass band played the silent, banjo-picking Darling boys?

The Dillards.

54. What was the name of Briscoe's daughter, who was sweet on Andy?

Charlene.

Behind the Scenes

55. Who composed the famous whistling theme?

Earle Hagen.

56. For how many seasons was the show filmed in black and white?

The first five.

57. When did it switch to color?

With the sixth season, in 1965.

58. Where was the show actually filmed — certainly not in North Carolina?

In California, at Desilu Studios, with outdoor scenes shot on a back lot in Culver City.

59. How did the show finish in the national ratings in its very last season?

Number one — it went out on top.

60. It was one of only a handful of series to end at number one; which other classic shares that honor?

I Love Lucy (and, later, Seinfeld).

61. Which hit spin-off followed Gomer into the military?

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

62. Which branch of the service did Gomer join?

The Marine Corps.

63. Who was Gomer's bellowing drill sergeant?

Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter, played by Frank Sutton.

64. When Andy Griffith left, the show continued under what new title?

Mayberry R.F.D.

65. Which actor took over as the new leading man on Mayberry R.F.D.?

Ken Berry, as farmer Sam Jones.

66. What was the title of the 1986 cast reunion television movie?

Return to Mayberry.

67. Which North Carolina town, Andy Griffith's own birthplace, is forever linked with Mayberry?

Mount Airy.

68. The show's "Mount Pilot" was a nod to which real nearby landmark?

Pilot Mountain.

Frequently asked questions

How many episodes of The Andy Griffith Show are there?

There are 249 episodes across eight seasons, which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1968. The first five seasons were in black and white and the last three were in color.

Why did Don Knotts leave the show?

Knotts left the regular cast in 1965, after the fifth season, to pursue a film career. He still returned now and then as a guest, and he won five Emmy Awards for playing Barney Fife.

Was Mayberry a real place?

No, Mayberry is fictional, and the show was filmed in California. It has long been associated with Mount Airy, North Carolina, which was Andy Griffith's hometown.

Did Andy Taylor really never carry a gun?

Almost never. The character preferred to keep the peace with patience and plain talk, which is a big part of why the show still feels so warm today. For more gentle rounds, try our trivia questions for seniors.

Sources

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