The Andy Griffith Show is full of interesting and surprising stories. One of the most special things is the close friendship between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts (Barney Fife). Not only were they a perfect pair on screen, they were also close friends in real life for decades, until Don Knotts passed away in 2006. However, Knotts left the show after season 5 because he thought the show would end, so he signed a contract with another studio. When Griffith decided to continue the show, Knotts could not return as an official character, but only appeared occasionally as a guest.
Meanwhile, Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee) had a not-so-harmonious relationship with Andy Griffith. She was a serious person, did not like jokes on set and often kept her distance from her co-star. However, before she died, she called Griffith to apologize for the past tensions. Interestingly, although Aunt Bee was a great cook in the film, in real life Frances Bavier did not know how to cook and did not like to work in the kitchen.
Ron Howard, who played Opie Taylor, actually grew up on the Mayberry set. As a child, he was taught to drive by Andy Griffith right there. Howard later went on to become a famous director, with films such as A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13.
The setting for Mayberry was not a real town but was built at Desilu Studios (later Paramount Studios). This set was also used in many other films, such as Gone with the Wind and Star Trek. Interestingly, some of the buildings in the film can be seen in other TV shows from the same period.
In addition, Hal Smith – the actor who played the drunken and self-confessed jailbird Otis Campbell – did not drink in real life. He was even a successful voice actor, having lent his voice to Disney animated films such as Winnie the Pooh.
One of the show’s icons is the opening theme song The Fishin’ Hole, which features Andy and Opie fishing. Few people know that this song actually had lyrics, but the producers eventually decided to just use the whistled version. When the show ended, Andy Griffith kept his sheriff’s seat as a memento of his memorable role.
Decades on, The Andy Griffith Show remains an icon of American television, with its heartwarming values and interesting behind-the-scenes stories that fans still love.
