The Andy Griffith Show (TV Series) Helen, the Authoress (1967) User Reviews

Oh be nice Andy

[jimmyscustomer · 8/10 · 31 January 2018]

This episode is another gem found in the last few colorized seasons. There really isn't a funny man featured for a lot of minutes in the episode. Helen's book gets a publisher. Most of the episode hinges on Andy put in uncomfortable situations being a second banana to Helen's new found success.

Andy and Helen in the Richmond publishers office making Andy feel inconsequential is a classic. One old gag after another. Name mixups, no chair for Andy, cutting Andy short mid sentence. It all works.

Glamourous Match Game panelist Elaine Joyce playing quite forward Mavis Neff trying to steal Andy from Helen is a highlight.

Howard McNear sick from strokes steals the show as usual as Floyd describing Mavis's reputation.

Pretty Realistic

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 4 January 2020]

When Helen;s book attracts a publisher, her life begins to change. She finds out that writing the book is only the first step. Suddenly, there are meetings and rewrites and lots of distraction from her normal life. Also, when the community gets wind of her success, they begin to talk to Andy as if he were a secondary character. He will be the one hanging on to Helen's money. Their fight is different from just about anything done in this show before.

Mt Airy to Richmond 264 miles 3 hrs 49 mins

[vitoscotti · 9/10 · 15 August 2022]

Floyd, Howard & Goober agitating usually in control Andy is memorable. Great Floyd line about the scout leader losing his job because he dated Mavis. Looker Mavis Neff (Elaine Joyce) is a highlight with the car and throwing it in Helen's face at the diner scenes. Howard gets a funny jab in there calling Mavis "quite forward". The publisher's office scene is one of TAGS best. Great gags all funny. Best line by Robling Flask (Laurie Main), "I went wild with my pastels". Andy is an oversensitive jerk but the episode needed something to push against Helen's success for some laughs and tension. A truly classic season 7 episode.

The transformation of Andy Taylor

[kchiefs1 · 5/10 · 21 October 2022]

I'm a huge fan of TAGS for years. I decided to rewatch the color episodes of the show to see what went wrong.

I've come to the conclusion that Andy Taylor took over the Barney Fife part after he left and that's what basically made these episodes lackluster. I still enjoy watching the other characters on the show but the transformation of Andy as the central normal character into Barney Fife ruined it.

Still a good show but not great like before.

I gave this episode a 5/10 because of how Andy got flustered by Helen's success because it is how Barney would have acted if Thelma Lou had become successful.