The Andy Griffith Show returned with their third season on October 1, 1962.
Season Overview[]
The Andy Griffith Show hits its stride during the third season, (1962-63). Andy Griffith perfects his level-headed portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor; Don Knotts is unsurpassed as the comically neurotic, and best-loved Deputy Barney Fife; and Ron Howard continues his legendary run as Opie Taylor. The season opens with the endearing episode, "Mr. McBeevee", introducing Opie's friend in the trees, who Andy and Barney both believe to be a figment of Opie's imagination. From there, every episode is a renowned classic, e.g. "Floyd the Gay Deceiver", starring the dashing Howard McNear as Floyd Lawson, the best, and only barber in Mayberry; "Andy and Opie Bachelors", offering some of the season's greatest quips; and "The Darlings Are Coming," that crazy clan of mountain musicians, consisting of The Dillards, and the young, beautiful and overtly flirtatious, Charlene Darling, played by the very talented Maggie Peterson, and the patriarch of the family, Briscoe Darling, portrayed perfectly by the legendary Denver Pyle. The season is acclaimed for introducing several new, recurring characters into the cast, including Jim Nabors, as our beloved Gomer Pyle, Joanna Moore, as "Miss Peggy", and the future Mrs. Andy Taylor, Helen Crump, played by Aneta Corsaut. Don't miss the season highlight, "Man in a Hurry," a touching story in which Malcolm Tucker, played to perfection by Robert Emhardt, delivers the now-famous summation of life in the small town of Mayberry: "Outrageous… a whole town is standing still because two old women's feet fall asleep!" This is one of the reasons why this beloved sitcom remains a timeless treasure.
Major Characters[]

Episodes[]
# | Image | Title | Airdate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
01 | ![]() |
Mr. McBeevee | October 1, 1962 | |
Opie starts talking about his new friend Mr. McBeevee, but his description is hard to believe. | ||||
02 | ![]() |
Andy's Rich Girlfriend | October 8, 1962 | |
Andy has a rich girlfriend who accuses him of being a snob. | ||||
03 | ![]() |
Andy and the New Mayor | October 15, 1962 | |
Mayberry's new mayor doesn't like Andy or the way he does his job. | ||||
04 | ![]() |
Andy and Opie Bachelors | October 22, 1962 | |
Aunt Bee leaves town for a few days, leaving Andy and Opie to take care of themselves. When Peggy volunteers to cook for them, Floyd tries to convince Andy that she is trying to catch a husband. | ||||
05 | ![]() |
The Cow Thief | October 29, 1962 | |
The mayor calls in an investigator from the state capital to help solve a string of cow thefts. | ||||
06 | ![]() |
Barney Mends a Broken Heart | November 5, 1962 | |
Andy has a tantrum when Peggy entertains a friend from out of town. | ||||
07 | ![]() |
Lawman Barney | November 12, 1962 | |
Barney confronts two farmers selling produce illegally. | ||||
08 | ![]() |
The Mayberry Band | November 19, 1962 | |
Mayberry's town band is the worst in the state and Mayor Stoner refuses to allow them to go to the state capital to preform. | ||||
09 | ![]() |
Floyd the Gay Deceiver | October 1, 1962 | |
Floyd tries to impress his pen pal Madeline Grayson by posing as a wealthy man. | ||||
10 | ![]() |
Opie's Rival | December 3, 1962 | |
Andy's new girlfriend is the new county nurse named Peggy. Everyone likes her except Opie, who is jealous of all the time they spend together. | ||||
11 | ![]() |
Convicts-at-Large | December 10, 1962 | |
Barney and Floyd run out of gas while coming home from a fishing trip. They find while looking for a telephone and are captured by three female escaped convicts. | ||||
12 | ![]() |
The Bed Jacket | December 17, 1962 | |
Aunt Bee wants a pretty bed jacket for her birthday. | ||||
13 | ![]() |
The Bank Job | December 24, 1962 | |
Barney demonstrates the bank's vulnerability to robberies. | ||||
14 | ![]() |
One-Punch Opie | December 31, 1962 | |
A new boy in town causes trouble. | ||||
15 | ![]() |
Barney and the Governor | January 7, 1963 | |
Barney issues a citation when the governor's chauffeur parks in a no parking zone. | ||||
16 | ![]() |
Man in a Hurry | January 14, 1963 | |
A motorist becomes frustrated with Mayberry's simple, relaxed ways. | ||||
17 | ![]() |
High Noon in Mayberry | January 21, 1963 | |
A man Andy put behind bars returns to Mayberry. | ||||
18 | ![]() |
The Loaded Goat | January 28, 1963 | |
Andy and Barney devise a plan to save a dynamite-eating goat. | ||||
19 | ![]() |
Class Reunion | February 4, 1963 | |
Andy meets an old girlfriend at his high school reunion. | ||||
20 | ![]() |
Rafe Hollister Sings | February 11, 1963 | |
Rafe Hollister represents Mayberry at a formal musical event. | ||||
21 | ![]() |
Opie and the Spoiled Kid | February 18, 1963 | |
Opie's work ethic is corrupted by a spoiled friend. | ||||
22 | ![]() |
The Great Filling Station Robbery | February 25, 1963 | |
Andy suspects young Jimmy Morgan is robbing Wally's Filling Station. | ||||
23 | ![]() |
Andy Discovers America | March 4, 1963 | |
Andy gets into hot water with Opie's new teacher Helen Crump. | ||||
24 | ![]() |
Aunt Bee's Medicine Man | March 11, 1963 | |
Colonel Harvey, a traveling medicine man comes to Mayberry and captivates Aunt Bee. | ||||
25 | ![]() |
The Darlings Are Coming | March 18, 1963 | |
The musical mountain family descends upon Mayberry. | ||||
26 | ![]() |
Andy's English Valet | March 25, 1963 | |
An Englishman works off a fine by acting as Andy's valet. | ||||
27 | ![]() |
Barney's First Car | April 1, 1963 | |
An elderly con woman sells Barney a car. | ||||
28 | ![]() |
The Rivals | April 8, 1963 | |
Opie falls in love with Thelma Lou. | ||||
29 | ![]() |
A Wife for Andy | April 15, 1963 | |
Barney plays matchmaker for Andy. | ||||
30 | ![]() |
Dogs, Dogs, Dogs | April 22, 1963 | |
The courthouse is overrun with dogs. | ||||
31 | ![]() |
Mountain Wedding | April 29, 1963 | |
Ernest Bass makes his intentions known to Charlene Darling. | ||||
32 | ![]() |
The Big House | May 6, 1963 | |
When the Mayberry jail is called upon to lodge two hold-up men captured by the state police, Barney finds himself with more than he can handle. |
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Season 2 The Andy Griffith Show | Season 4 The Andy Griffith Show |