What You May Not Know About Andy's Love Life On “The Andy Griffith Show”



From 1960 to 1968, The Andy Griffith Show aired on CBS, with a total of 249 episodes, 159 in black and white and 90 in color, spanning 8 seasons. While a good many people tuned in to the 30-minute show every week, there are a couple of things viewers may not know about the show. Andy Griffith was never comfortable with onscreen romance. Though he had several love interests, Ellie Walker (Elinor Donahue) was the first and was featured in 12 episodes as the town pharmacist. After just one season, Donahue asked for a release from her 3-year contract, saying she never felt true chemistry with Andy. So, Donahue’s character disappeared without any explanation to the viewers. Andy’s next romantic interest was Opie’s school teacher, Helen Crump (Aneta Corsaut). She was actually supposed to appear in just one episode, so writers decided to give her a horrible last name just for fun. Little did they know she would give such a great performance, and when that became evident the producers decided to keep her. Another thing viewers may not know is that Andy and Aneta had a little fling of their own for a while, even though Andy was married. The fling was supposed to be hush-hush on the set, but it soon got out and the rumor spread like wildfire. Because so many shows drag on and on, eventually causing audience fatigue, the producers made the wise decision to end it after the eighth season. In the end, the show had the honor of being one of only three shows that ended on top, joining I Love Lucy and Seinfeld.