The Real Men Behind 'The Andy Griffith Show'

By Anita Rao,

Published December 3, 2015 at 12:11 PM EST

Andy Griffith and Barney Fife shoot their first scene on 'The Andy Griffith Show.' The production was supposed to revolve around Andy; but once producers saw the magic between Andy and Don, they set about reordering the show around their relationship.

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Andy and Barney shoot their first scene on 'The Andy Griffith Show.' The production was supposed to revolve around Andy; but once producers saw the magic between Andy and Don, they set about reordering the show around their relationship.

CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Andy Griffith poses for a high school-era portrait, already sporting an unruly mop and a Lincoln-esque brow. He was a bit too clean-scrubbed to fit in among the other working-class boys in Mount Airy.

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Andy poses for a high school-era portrait, already sporting an unruly mop and a Lincoln-esque brow. He was a bit too clean-scrubbed to fit in among the other working-class boys in Mount Airy.

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

A humble supporting actor wasn’t normally permitted to join the producers in tweaking scripts, but Andy Griffith insisted Don Knotts get a seat at the table.

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A humble supporting actor wasn’t normally permitted to join the producers in tweaking scripts, but Andy insisted Don get a seat at the table.";

Allan Grant/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

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Don Knotts poses outside his home with Kay and their children, Karen and Tom. Most of the show's cast lived in the fashionable communities west of Hollywood, but Don lived east, in the sleepy bedroom community of Glendale.

CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Andy Griffith and Don Knotts clown with Jim Nabors, the Alabama boy Andy discovered singing arias at a Santa Monica nightclub. For all his renown, Gomer Pyle would remain on the show for just 23 episodes before striking out on his own.

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Andy and Don clown with Jim Nabors, the Alabama boy Andy discovered singing arias at a Santa Monica nightclub. For all his renown, Gomer Pyle would remain on the show for just 23 episodes before striking out on his own.

CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Andy Griffith and Don Knotts at a Hollywood party in 1981. Though they mostly worked apart after the show, Andy and Don never missed a chance to stoke their friendship.

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Andy and Don at a Hollywood party in 1981. Though they mostly worked apart after the show, Andy and Don never missed a chance to stoke their friendship.

Ron Galella/WireImage/Getty Images

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Don and Andy in the Mayberry-esque kitchen of 'Matlock.' Don reunited with Andy as a guest star in 16 episodes; it was the most fun either man had had since the old days.

Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

Book cover of 'Andy and Don' about the relationship between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts.

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Simon and Schuster

“The Andy Griffith Show” was one of the first sitcoms to portray life in rural, small-town America. The show was set in the fictional town of Mayberry, N.C. and traced the friendship of two quirky men: Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife.

While much of the show’s legacy lives on through reruns and annual Mayberry Days Festivals, less is known about the real men behind “The Andy Griffith Show.” The new book “Andy & Don: The Making Of A Friendship And A Classic American TV Show" (Simon & Schuster/2015) looks at the men’s lives and friendship both on and off the screen.

Host Frank Stasio talks with author Daniel de Visé, journalist and brother-in-law of Don Knotts, about his journey behind the scenes of “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Here are some of the most memorable scenes from the show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBuPQgV8yBM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWcwTYg4LT4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIcyRWlJHHY