What was the first regular episode of The Andy Griffith Show titled?

The first regular episode of The Andy Griffith Show was titled “The New Housekeeper.” It introduced the domestic situation that would anchor the series: Andy Taylor and his son Opie need a replacement after their housekeeper, Rose, gets married and leaves Mayberry.

Aunt Bee, played by Frances Bavier, comes from Morgantown, West Virginia, to take the job. Opie initially resists the change because he misses Rose and dislikes Aunt Bee’s different routines. By the episode’s end, the household begins settling into the family arrangement viewers would recognize throughout the series.

“The New Housekeeper” aired on October 3, 1960, and is listed as season 1, episode 1. It is distinct from the earlier backdoor pilot, “Danny Meets Andy Griffith,” which aired on The Danny Thomas Show in February 1960. “Christmas Story” is the series’ Christmas episode, while “Ellie Comes to Town” introduces pharmacist Ellie Walker; neither is the premiere.