Original photo by Album/ Alamy Stock Photo
The Andy Griffith Show is one of the most beloved sitcoms ever to be broadcast into our living rooms. The series ran for 249 episodes over eight seasons, starring the iconic Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor, Frances Bavier as his Aunt Bee Taylor, Don Knotts as the oafish Deputy Barney Fife, and a young Ron Howard as Andy’s son Opie. Today, this TV classic is considered not just one of the greatest shows of the 1960s, but of all time. But despite the show’s enduring popularity, there are still a few interesting tidbits that may surprise even the most avid fans. Here are five fun facts about The Andy Griffith Show.
Don Knotts Wasn’t in the Original Cast
The pilot episode of The Andy Griffith Show was originally broadcast as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show, a sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1964. The pilot featured appearances from Griffith, Bavier, and Howard, but Knotts’ Barney Fife was notably missing. In fact, Knotts was sitting at home watching television when he saw the pilot starring his friend Andy. According to Griffith, Knotts called up after the episode aired and said, “Andy, you’re going to be a sheriff, you’ll need yourself a deputy.” Just like that, the character of Barney Fife was born.
Interestingly enough, rumor has it Knotts was only initially offered a one-episode contract. However, after witnessing the on-screen chemistry between the two friends, executive producer Sheldon Leonard changed his mind and offered Knotts a series regular contract. Knotts went on to portray Fife throughout the first five seasons of the show before leaving to explore new career opportunities, though he reprised his role as Fife in later projects.
The Theme Song Has Lyrics
Each episode of The Andy Griffith Show opens with that iconic sequence of Andy and Opie carrying their fishing poles down to the river. This is soundtracked by a catchy little ditty whistled by the composer Earle Hagen. Hagen, along with his writing partner Herbert Spencer, wrote the theme song without having any idea how popular it would become. In fact, the song was so beloved it was later given a title and lyrics.
In 1961, actor Everett Sloane — who later appeared on the show as Jubal Foster in 1962 — orchestrated an expanded version of the tune with lyrics, and the song was named “The Fishin’ Hole.” Shortly after, Capitol Records released a mass-produced record of the tune featuring Andy Griffith on vocals. The song featured the lines: “We may not get a bite all day, but don’t you rush away / What a great place to rest your bones and mighty fine for skippin’ stones / You’ll feel fresh as a lemonade, a-settin’ in the shade / Whether it’s hot, whether it’s cool, oh what a spot for whistlin’ like a fool / What a fine day to take a stroll and wander by the fishin’ hole.”
The Setting Was Based on Griffith’s Hometown
While the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina, was created exclusively for the show, it was inspired by Andy Griffith’s birthplace of Mount Airy, North Carolina. In fact, people and places in and around Mount Airy were frequently referenced within the fictional world of The Andy Griffith Show. Take for example the fictional town of Mount Pilot, which was located near Mayberry in the show. Its name was taken from the very real town of Pilot Mountain, which is located about 12 miles down the road from the real-life Mount Airy.
Today, the residents of Mount Airy have embraced this legacy and transformed the town into a must-see destination for fans of the series. Locations from the show that were once entirely fictional have been transformed into real-life institutions, such as Floyd’s City Barber Shop and the Old Mayberry Jail. Visitors can even take a squad car tour in a vintage police cruiser just like Sheriff Taylor drove or pop into the Andy Griffith Museum to check out some memorabilia from the show.
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It Was the No. 1 Rated Show When It Ended
TV shows have a tendency to overstay their welcome and end up becoming less popular in later seasons. But this fate didn’t befall The Andy Griffith Show, which is one of only three shows in history to end its run at the top of the Nielsen ratings charts, a feat it shares with I Love Lucy and Seinfeld.
During its entire eight-season run, The Andy Griffith Show maintained a top-seven spot in the ratings, even during later seasons after the beloved Don Knotts left the program. When the final episode aired on April 1, 1968, The Andy Griffith Show was sitting firmly in the No. 1 spot on the charts. In fact, during its final season, the show was viewed by an estimated audience of around 15.6 million viewers, beating out The Lucy Show; Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (an Andy Griffith spin-off); and Gunsmoke, as well as every other program on television at the time.
One Spin-off Ran for Three Seasons
Although The Andy Griffith Show came to a close in 1968, it wasn’t the last we saw of those characters. During the show’s final season, producers began work on a spin-off called Mayberry R.F.D. (Rural Free Delivery). In fact, The Andy Griffith Show introduced new characters such as Sam Jones and his son Mike during its final season, with the idea that they’d become the main focus of Mayberry R.F.D. The final episode of The Andy Griffith Show was even titled “Mayberry R.F.D.,” serving as the de facto pilot for the new spin-off.
With Griffith staying on as executive producer and appearing in a few early episodes, Mayberry R.F.D. first hit the air in 1968. The inaugural episode — titled “Andy and Helen Get Married” — featured appearances by Griffith, Knotts, and Howard. It went on to enjoy a 78-episode run over the course of three seasons before the series finale aired in 1971. But that still wasn’t all: A made-for-TV reunion movie called Return to Mayberry was produced in 1986. Sixteen original Andy Griffith cast members reprised their roles for the movie, which centers on Andy Taylor as he returns home to visit his son Opie and help his friend Barney Fife run for sheriff.
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Optimism Media, and previously contributed to television programs such as "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Impractical Jokers." Bennett is also a devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
