Overview

• The series premiered on Oct. 3, 1960, ran eight seasons and 249 episodes through 1968, and was a Top 10 hit that found new life in syndication.
• PEOPLE recounts the 1986 Return to Mayberry reunion, which reunited most surviving stars in Los Olivos, California, with Howard McNear absent due to his 1967 death and Frances Bavier too ill to participate.
• Ron Howard tells PEOPLE the show is "my childhood" and says Andy Griffith was "like a wonderful uncle" who shaped his work ethic.
• The anniversary package details personal lives, including Andy Griffith's marriage to Cindi Knight from 1983 until his 2012 death and Ron Howard's long marriage to Cheryl Howard after meeting in high school.
• The coverage notes Don Knotts' five Emmy wins for Barney Fife and marks the deaths of Knotts (2006), Griffith (2012) and Jim Nabors (2017).