8 of 13

Write now Article Tools

Page 6 of 6

but got into such trouble. You're something, you know that, Andy would tell him, while Barney just wanted to 'nip it! Nip it in the bud'. Aunt Bee kept the house, while Opie challenged his pa to follow his own words of wisdom. Some of my favorite episodes are those where Andy says one thing to Opie but does another, until Opie challenges him. There was the time Andy exaggerated the history of a cannon and another time when he covered up the condition of his house when it was up for sale. Ron Howard as Opie could really give his pa a stare of hurt and disbelief until Andy would realize the error of his ways and confess the truth. My favorite show, though, was Man in a Hurry. That's all about taking time to relax and enjoy the good things that life has to offer. The Andy Griffith Show is one of those good things, full of great characters and sweet laughs. Andy Taylor was an imperfect man and maybe that's why we loved him so much.

Honorable Mentions: Candid Camera, Leave it to Beaver, The Patty Duke Show, Bewitched, Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, Family Affair, The Governor and J.J. - I just ran out of room, but these shows were all marvelous and some made a permanent niche in our TV culture. Candid Camera is probably the first reality show, but considering how much fun it was, it's a comedy to me. From the identical cousins to the twitching nose and from the shoe phone to Mrs. Beasley, these shows all made us laugh in all the right ways.

Personal Favorites That I Have to Add: Love on a Rooftop, Occasional Wife, My Mother the Car, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir - I had to mention these simply because while not huge successes across the board, I laughed at these shows and enjoyed them tremendously as a child. I realize fully that My Mother the Car is one of TV's worst shows ever, but it was so ridiculous, that I laughed like heck.

Shows That At Least Rank a Shout Out: Dennis the Menace, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Bachelor Father, McHale's Navy, My Favorite Martian, F-Troop, I Dream of Jeannie, The Flying Nun, Hogan's Heroes - These shows all demanded at least a small note because they, too, are part of our TV landscape. Sally Field might wish she'd never worn that habit, but millions were entertained, and who could forget Ray Walston as Uncle Martin? The PT-73 gave us Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway at their very funniest, and long before Charlie or Blake Carrington, John Forsythe was delighting us as Bachelor Father. These shows were hits, one and all.

The sixties: a decade of comedy, and those listed within this article are among the best comedy shows ever produced. They're pure laughter and suitable for the entire family. They are magic, and they are the foundation of comedy today.

Learn more about this author, Marcia Studley.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6

Add your voice

Know something about The best TV comedies of the 1960s?
We want to hear your view. Write now!