The New Housekeeper (3 Oct. 1960)

Rose, Opie's beloved housekeeper, is leaving to get married and Andy's aunt Bee, who raised him, is coming to replace her. Opie refuses to even give her a chance and after a few mishaps by ... See full summary »

Director:

Sheldon Leonard

Writers:

Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

Stars:

Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knotts

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Andy Griffith	...	Sheriff Andy Taylor
Ron Howard	...	Opie Taylor (as Ronnie Howard)
Don Knotts	...	Deputy Barney Fife
Frances Bavier	...	Aunt Bee Taylor
Mary Treen	...	Rose
Frank Ferguson	...	Wilbur Pine
Cheerio Meredith	...	Emma Brand

Storyline

Rose, Opie's beloved housekeeper, is leaving to get married and Andy's aunt Bee, who raised him, is coming to replace her. Opie refuses to even give her a chance and after a few mishaps by Bee she decides to leave. Opie realizes she can't do anything right without him so he tells her to stay.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1960 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mayberry Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Barney Fife mentions that he and Andy Taylor are cousins.

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Goofs

Some fifteen minutes into this episode, the shadow of a boom microphone is visible, and moving, on the walls of Opie's bedroom several times.

User Reviews

Just perfect

I'm not going to repeat the plot description, but I'll say this is an excellent first episode and introduction to the characters. Andy Griffith is full of human warmth and is funny without seeming to make any effort. He also has great chemistry with the rest of the cast. Don Knotts has a couple of opportunities to shine as Deputy Barney Fife. Ron Howard is adorable as little Opie and he steals the show in this episode.

The father-son relationship between Andy and Opie shines here. Highlights include the moment when Opie tells Andy that he is planning to run away. The ensuing conversation is both hilarious and heart- warming.

The story manages to be funny and touching at the same time. It doesn't need to steal cheap laughs by resorting to off-color humor. The humor is just there, but above all there's a heart to the story: you want to spend time with these characters not just because they are funny, but because you like them. This is the opposite of shows like Family Guy, that desperately try to be funny by resorting to the lowest kind of humor and the most despicable characters they can make.