In what year did The Andy Griffith Show first air? The Andy Griffith Show first aired in 1960.
The sitcom made its official CBS debut on October 3, 1960, at 9:30 p.m. It starred Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor, the calm and thoughtful lawman of the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina.
The show grew out of a backdoor pilot on The Danny Thomas Show titled “Danny Meets Andy Griffith,” which aired earlier in 1960. That episode introduced Griffith’s Mayberry sheriff and helped establish the character and setting before the regular series began.
The Andy Griffith Show ultimately ran for eight seasons, ending in 1968 after 249 half-hour episodes. Its first five seasons were filmed in black and white, while the final three used color. Although the series was set in North Carolina, most production took place at California studios and locations.