Take a hard look at the cover of that DVD for “The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Fifth Season.” It symbolizes the way season five bridged the show’s Emmy-winning era of Knotts-fortified greatness to the show’s era of George “Goober” Lindsay-fueled mediocrity.
Season five, broadcast in 1964 and 1965, was the last to offer us on a weekly basis Don Knotts as the agonizingly ill-equipped deputy sheriff Barney Fife. In season five (the last in black and white and the first to make do without writer John Whedon), Barney discovers he’s physically too puny to be a deputy, Barney tries to train a police dog, Barney argues with – and loses – Thelma Lou, Barney is menaced by a bully, Barney fills in as sheriff when Andy goes on a job interview in Raleigh, Barney ruins Andy’s romantic picnic, Barney believes a ghost is granting wishes, Barney moonlights as a real estate agent, Barney and Otis the Drunk have a falling out, Barney freaks out when Andy disregards a chain letter, Barney challenges Andy in the race for sheriff, Barney finds $250,000, Barney is duped by crooks posing as a TV crew, Barney gets involved with Floyd’s assault case, Barney gets in trouble with the visiting “fun girls” from Mt. Pilot, and Barney jails a visiting salesman (Don Rickles).
Oh, and Ernest T. Bass falls for Helen Crump!
So if you can wait another three and a half months for your “Buffy” bargains? The slimcase sets seem the way to go.
If you own no "Buffy" season-sets at this time? The best deal of all remains the Buffy Chosen Collection, which gives you all seven seasons of the series, plus all the extras and a bonus disc, for just $169.99.