The Most Popular TV Show From Your Birth Year (1951-1990)

10. 1968: The Andy Griffith Show

Sheriff Andy Taylor and Barney Fife hold a special place in the hearts of Americans of a certain age. The duo enforced the law in Mayberry in the most comedic manner possible while Sheriff Taylor navigated life as a single father raising the precocious Opie (Ron Howard). A truly wholesome show the whole family could watch, it’s no surprise to find The Andy Griffith Show was the most-viewed program in 1968.

One of the last hits to appear in black and white, The Andy Griffith Show signaled both the height and the end of an era. Though it eventually switched to color, the lasting memory of Sheriff Taylor and his Deputy will remain color-free.