ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW - DVD review

The eighth season was the final one for "The Andy Griffith Show," one of the most beloved situation comedies of all time. Incredibly, it finished among the top 10 shows every year of its run, but with a touching farewell from fans, the Mayberry gang finished Number One in the Nielsens for the very first time. That's ironic, because the eighth season is also one of the weakest.

By this season, Andy Griffith seems tired and acts as if he could play Sheriff Andy Taylor in his sleep. The background music, the pacing, and the overall tone of this season's shows also seems sleepy, even more so than the rest of the episodes from this rural comedy.

The writers were tired, too. So many episodes this season are variations of ones from an earlier year. Rather than Andy and Barney wanting to double date and Gomer being a fifth wheel that they have to set up, for example, this time it's Andy and Sam wanting to get Goober a life of his own. Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) has another suitor, Opie (Ron Howard) has another crush, Barney (Don Knotts) makes another token appearance, Goober (George Lindsey) is still a Gomer substitute, and Howard (Jack Dodson) is still as milquetoast as it gets. But as I said, it all feels flat . . . as if they couldn't muster the energy to go out with a bang.

Perhaps the most interesting episode is "Aunt Bee, the Juror," because a then-unknown Jack Nicholson plays an innocent man on trial. This was two years before he climbed onto the back of a chopper in "Easy Rider" (1969), a move that would take him from the TV track he was on to feature films. Veteran character actor Ronnie Schell appears in another episode, as does a very young Teri Garr.

Here's the rundown on the 30 episodes from this season:

1) "Opie's First Love." Last season Opie's love life got the lead-off spot, and the same thing happens this season as Opie gets stood up for a big birthday party dance.

2) "Howard, the Bowler." Howard (Jack Dodson) ends up being a super sub on Andy's bowling team, so super that he might even bowl a 300 game. It's pretty much the barbershop quartet competition plot recycled.

3) "A Trip to Mexico." When Aunt Bee wins a trip to Mexico, she can't decide which of her two best friends to invite along.

4) "Andy's Trip to Raleigh." Uncharacteristically, Andy lies his badge off when a trip to Raleigh to talk about a case ends up being a meeting with an attractive female lawyer, poolside. But of course, Helen (Aneta Corsaut) finds out.

5) "Opie Steps Up In Class." More bad Andy behavior, as he does exactly what he tells Opie not to do when the family rubs shoulders with rich folk: put on airs.

6) "Howard's Main Event." Howard falls for the new woman at the bakery, but the former boyfriend of Millie's (Arlene Golonka) makes things complicated.

7) "Aunt Bee, the Juror." Jack Nicholson guests in this episode about Aunt Bee's jury duty.

8) "The Tape Recorder." Opie and his friend, Arnold (Sheldon Collins) bug one of the jail cells with their tape recorder, with predictable results.

9) "Opie's Group." It had to happen. Opie grows up and plays guitar for a local band, until his grades become a cause for concern.

10) "Aunt Bee and the Lecturer." Another Aunt Bee suitor episode, this time a lecturer (Edward Andrews) who seems in an awful hurry to get Aunt Bee to marry him.

11) "Andy's Investment." Andy decides to get into the laundromat game, hoping to make enough money for Opie's college fund. Not!

12) "Howard and Millie." Howard and Millie ask Andy and Helen to drive with them to West Virginia to be their best man and maid of honor, but by the time they get their the honeymoon is over.

13) "Aunt Bee's Cousin." Cousin Bradford (Jack Albertson) shows up, but Andy soon discovers that he has an ulterior motive.

14) "Suppose Andy Gets Sick." When Andy gets the flu, Mayberry is in the incapable hands of Emmett (Paul Hartman), Goober (George Lindsey) and Howard.

15) "Howard's New Life." Howard says farewell to Mayberry, but living in the Caribbean isn't what he thought it would be.

16) "Goober, the Executive." Goober buys the station from Wally, but finds out that being the boss isn't all that easy.

17) "The Mayberry Chef." When Aunt Bee gets her own cooking show in nearby Silver City, it puts a strain on the Taylor household.

18) "Emmett's Brother-in-Law." Brother-in-law Ben (Dub Taylor) talks Emmett into giving up the fix-it business and getting into insurance.

19) "Opie's Drugstore Job." First Goober gets a lesson in on-the-job responsibility, and now it's Opie's turn.

20) "The Church Benefactors." A $500 windfall sparks a debate among the congregation over how the money is to be spent.

21) "Barney Hosts a Summit Meeting." Don Knotts returns as Barney Fife, who's supposed to arrange for accommodations for an upcoming U.S./Soviet summit. Yeah, right.

22) "Goober Goes to the Auto Show." At the auto show Goober runs into an old friend, and it starts a new round of one-upmanship.

23) "Aunt Bee's Big Moment." Okay, Aunt Bee taking flying lessons? Is there anything writers wouldn't try, this last season?

24) "Helen's Past." A prior arrest comes between Andy and Helen . . . and Helen and the school board.

25) "Emmett's Anniversary." Emmett's plan to surprise his wife instead leads her to think he's having an affair.

26) "The Wedding." Howard's mother remarries, and Howard turns the home into a "swinging bachelor pad."

27) "Sam for Town Council." Sam Jones (Ken Berry) runs for town council against Emmett.

28) "Opie and Mike." Sam's son Mike (Buddy Foster) is bullied, and Opie decides to protect him . . . until a new girl distracts him.

29) "A Girl for Goober." Goober tries a dating service, and gets matched up with a Ph.D. (Nancy Malone).

30) "Mayberry R.F.D." The pilot for te spin-off series starring Ken Berry.

Video: "The Andy Griffith Show" really looks great in color-with surprisingly less grain than I expected, and much more natural colors than in some of the other shows that went from B&W to color. The aspect ratio is, of course, 1.33:1.

Audio: The audio is nothing special-the usual Dolby Digital Mono you get from shows of this era. But the tonal quality is pretty good, with a deep timbre that isn't too full of bass-just enough to give it a round tone.

Extras: Surprisingly, given that it's the last installment, there are no extras this season, though the marketing people continue with their creative packaging. Last season it was a picnic theme. This season it's objects from the schoolhouse and Emmett's Fix-It Shop.

Bottom Line: "The Andy Griffith Show" is one of the top TV sitcoms of all-time, and even a weaker season has enough going for it to make it of interest, especially for fans of the show. And there's that episode guest starring Jack Nicholson that will forever be of interest to Hollywood watchers. But by the last season, "The Andy Griffith Show" was like an NFL quarterback who tries to get in one last season, though the body (and mind) isn't up to it. The energy level just isn't there for the writers, the performers, or the directors.