Stories
Andy Griffith admitted that The Andy Griffith Show wasn't a hit in major cities
Mayberry’s charm wasn’t for everyone!
October 29, 2026, 1:45PM
Frances Bavier was ''adopted'' by her Andy Griffith Show family
Bavier's chosen family loved her just as much as they loved Aunt Bee.
October 20, 2026, 1:00PM
George Lindsey loved playing the role of Goober on The Andy Griffith Show
George Lindsey played the role of Goober so well that he had a hard time separating his real life and his Mayberry life.
October 15, 2026, 11:30AM
How a creative partnership became a lifelong friendship for Don Knotts and Andy Griffith
Barney Fife wasn’t the only thing Don Knotts took from Mayberry!
October 8, 2026, 10:00AM
The actor behind Barney's cousin Virgil became one of Mayberry's biggest movie stars
Michael J. Pollard got nominated for an Oscar seven years after playing Don Knotts' awkward cousin.
October 6, 2026, 1:30PM
Andy Griffith used to ''grade'' scripts on The Andy Griffith Show—here’s the grade George Lindsey received
A+ for Andy!
October 5, 2026, 2:54PM
Even as a child on The Andy Griffith Show, Ron Howard had aspirations of becoming a director
From Opie to "Action!"
October 2, 2026, 11:38AM
Andy Griffith addressed rumors that he based Andy Taylor off of his own father
Find out what Andy Griffith had to say about his dad’s connection to Mayberry!
September 28, 2026, 10:00AM
Don Knotts said that playing a journalist drew attention to The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)
"Stick a press card in your hat brim, put a pencil behind your ear, dangle a cigarette from the corner of your mouth, and bang out a hot exclusive on a cold typewriter, is sound advice for any actor looking for a meaty role that the public likes," said the actor.
September 18, 2026, 3:39PM
Don Knotts signed anxious autographs when he was in character as the ''nervous man''
"I’ve learned to give folks what they expect," Knotts said.
September 18, 2026, 9:00AM
Don Knotts had dreams of playing a dramatic role
The actor, well known for his comedy, wanted to try his hand at a more serious role.
September 17, 2026, 3:46PM
Don Knotts said that the box office was a much better indication of success than television ratings
“I know what I can do best, and the studio lets me work on the scripts,” said the actor.
September 17, 2026, 2:03PM
Andy Griffith nearly became a minister instead of an actor
"I studied for the ministry for three years back in North Carolina before I got started in show business," said Griffith.
September 17, 2026, 11:10AM
This was the advice Don Knotts gave to actors seeking their ''big break'' in Hollywood
"Get known, and time will take care of the rest."
September 16, 2026, 3:26PM
Don Knotts said there was a bit of Barney Fife in this film character
“I’ve tried to capture the kind of comedy these stars used to do - where there was a little guy constantly getting beaten down, then riding the crest for a while, and finally falling back down,” said Knotts.
September 15, 2026, 1:36PM
Here's how Howard McNear developed Floyd the Barber's mannerisms
McNear reveals the real-life inspiration behind Floyd the Barber!
September 15, 2026, 10:23AM
Don Knotts said the Barney Fife character came to him in a dream
Barney Fife was nervous before Mayberry knew his name!
September 11, 2026, 3:15PM
Andy Griffith: ''Any time I get a chance to work in North Carolina, I’m going to take it.''
"It’s hard to leave, and it is wonderful to go back."
August 28, 2026, 4:22PM
Andy Griffith said that Sheriff Taylor was ''too good''
"There has to be a flaw," said the actor.
August 26, 2026, 1:23PM
Andy Griffith encouraged the writers of The Andy Griffith Show to write more Barney Fife plots
"Of course, Barney is my favorite character," said Griffith. "And Don was my favorite actor."
August 25, 2026, 9:50AM
Fans had questions for Aunt Bee, but apparently not about her cooking
Aunt Bee could whip up a feast, but apparently fans weren’t looking for her recipes!
August 24, 2026, 10:15AM
Fans of The Andy Griffith Show would see Hal Smith in public and ask if he was sober
"I don't know if they think I'm an actor or a drunk," Smith said.
August 20, 2026, 1:30PM
Working on The Andy Griffith Show taught Frances Bavier the value of small towns
Bavier wanted a little Mayberry of her own.
August 10, 2026, 1:52PM
Don Knotts said that most child actors were ''a pain in the neck''
He wasn't a fan of child actors... but Ron Howard was the exception.
August 6, 2026, 1:33PM
Andy Griffith describes the first time Jim Nabors ever sang onstage
Nabors was so good, people booed Andy off the stage!
July 28, 2026, 2:05PM
Here's why people kept giving Don Knotts bullets as gifts
The deputy's signature single bullet became so iconic that fans gave him hundreds of them.
July 15, 2026, 10:00AM
Betty Lynn revealed she had ''a little crush'' on Andy Griffith
No wonder Barney was always the jealous type.
July 13, 2026, 11:55AM
![Don Knotts: ''Andy [Griffith] gave me my big break.''](https://cdnmetv.metv.com/moOL3-1778777364-7873-blog-don%20knotts%20emmy.png)
Don Knotts: ''Andy [Griffith] gave me my big break.''
A talented actor, Knotts remained thankful to his friend.
July 8, 2026, 11:15AM
Ron Howard wasn't worried about being typecast as Opie Taylor
Howard wasn't worried about his "Opie" image.
July 7, 2026, 9:37AM
Andy Griffith said The Golden Girls was one of the only sitcoms he watched in the Nineties
From Mayberry to Miami!
June 24, 2026, 1:45PM
Andy Griffith said that fate played a big role in his success
Gotta have a little faith that a little fate will guide the way forward.
June 18, 2026, 10:25AM
Here's why Barney Fife worked on TV, but not in real-life
While he may not have survived real-life police work, he would’ve kept the squad on its toes!
June 11, 2026, 1:40PM
Ron Howard believed that Andy Griffith was a natural leader
Howard remembers what it was like working with Griffith.
May 26, 2026, 2:53PM
Frances Bavier was glad there was no ''glamour'' in playing Aunt Bee
Her role as Aunt Bee was so influential that it began to pour into her personal life.
May 18, 2026, 1:30PM
Many fans expected George Lindsey to know everything about cars
Many fans thought Lindsey knew as much about cars as Goober did, but that wasn't the case.
May 15, 2026, 3:40PM
Andy Griffith was a fan of Don Knotts years before they met
''I knew I recognized that voice!''
May 12, 2026, 11:05AM
George Lindsey said he was Hollywood's favorite second choice
Lindsey lost out on a role to Nabors, but still made it to Mayberry anyway.
May 11, 2026, 9:00AM
Andy Griffith went home to brush up on his accent whenever he had the chance
Griffith had to go down home to brush up on his accent.
May 8, 2026, 11:01AM
Don Knotts would write poetry in his time away from The Andy Griffith Show
Knotts was a silly comedian who wrote some serious poetry after his time in Mayberry.
May 7, 2026, 3:30PM
Here’s why Andy Griffith wanted to give Jim Nabors a chance on his series
Griffith made sure Nabors was one of his Mayberry neighbors!
May 5, 2026, 2:46PM
Andy Griffith and Don Knotts had the friendship everyone wanted
Griffith only had a few, but very meaningful words to say about his friend, Don Knotts.
May 4, 2026, 10:00AM
Andy Griffith knew the importance of making his show funny
"We'd better be funny," Griffith said.
May 1, 2026, 1:50PM
MeTV invites you to the fishin' hole with the Month of Mayberry, all May long!
Join MeTV as we travel down to Mayberry with specially themed weeks, reunion specials, and more!
April 20, 2026, 10:05AM
About that time Don Knotts was ''Man of the Year'' at a college fraternity
We already knew Don Knotts was the man, but his former frat gave him the title of "Man of the Year."
April 15, 2026, 2:30PM
Andy Griffith felt that Andy Taylor’s strength came from being relatable
Andy Taylor was "just a regular guy," and that was his greatest appeal.
March 26, 2026, 3:05PM
The Andy Griffith Show faced its fair share of challenges during development
The show's rural setting made things difficult.
March 24, 2026, 3:25PM
Ron Howard used to ask himself ''What would Andy do?'' when he was raising his children
What would Sheriff Taylor do?
March 11, 2026, 3:11PM
Andy Griffith thought Matlock was too much like this other TV lawyer
At first, Griffith had his reservations.
March 10, 2026, 1:37PM
Former child star Ron Howard on how he directs children
Howard does what he can to level with kids on his sets.
March 9, 2026, 2:30PM
Don Knotts had a secret comedy talent at the beginning of his career
Ol' Barney was no dummy!
March 6, 2026, 2:58PM
7 nutty things you never knew about Howard Morris of The Andy Griffith Show
Ernest T. Bass was also Mayor McCheese, Jughead Jones, Atom Ant and so much more!
March 3, 2026, 1:30PM
Here's the real reason Andy Griffith never had a wife on The Andy Griffith Show
Who had time for a relationship when Barney was in the picture?
February 28, 2026, 1:05PM
Don Knotts: ''I can't stand'' the Andy Griffith Show's schedule
Being deputy of Mayberry was no easy feat!
February 26, 2026, 2:28PM
Andy Griffith's catastrophic appearance on Ed Sullivan
What it was... was a disaster!
February 25, 2026, 1:40PM
The Andy Griffith Show cast bought Ron Howard an unbelievable 6th birthday present
And it wasn't a fishing rod!
February 19, 2026, 1:54PM
George Lindsey was a proud supporter of the Alabama Special Olympics
Lindsey was a passionate supporter of the Alabama Special Olympics.
January 27, 2026, 10:51AM
Country music star Brad Paisley was inspired by The Andy Griffith Show
Brad Paisley watches The Andy Griffith Show, and now you can watch Andy Griffith in one of Paisley's music videos.
January 20, 2026, 1:16PM
Frances Bavier loved acting more than she loved her husband
Aunt Bee was a strong, successful woman who didn't need a man!
December 31, 2025, 1:58PM
Frances Bavier struggled to turn Aunt Bee off while at home
When show business got tough, Bavier went shopping!
December 24, 2025, 9:30AM
Andy Griffith once calculated what it would cost to give the Twelve Days of Christmas
"Plus sales tax."
December 22, 2025, 1:13PM
In 2003, Andy Griffith released a Christmas album!
Ange wishes us all a Merry Christmas with several holiday classics.
December 19, 2025, 3:25PM
11 behind-the-scenes photos of Christmas on classic TV to get you in the holiday spirit
Ho-Ho-Here's some holiday cheer from classic TV stars!
December 19, 2025, 1:01PM
How a former sitcom star made his directorial debut on The Andy Griffith Show's ''Christmas Story''
The former Fibber McGee became Andy Griffith's ace thanks to a ''hunch.''
November 26, 2025, 10:01AM
This Thanksgiving, let's toast to Don Knotts' last movie character: a cartoon turkey
His comedy in the Sixties inspired the Chicken Little character Mayor Turkey Lurkey. Naturally, Don Knotts voiced the character, too.
November 25, 2025, 1:50PM
Here's what Betty Lynn was paid for all her 26 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show
Thelma Lou was rich... in spirit!
November 6, 2025, 10:27AM
Gomer Pyle's Frank Sutton said he was a ''killer turned to comic''
From drama to comedy: Here's how Sutton made the switch to the funny side.
September 22, 2025, 3:30PM
Clint Howard: ''Ron's shadow is a pretty cool place to be''
The inside scoop from the star of Ice Cream Man.
September 10, 2025, 1:06PM
Marines loved Frank Sutton and he loved the Marines
Sutton's popularity in the role of Sgt. Carter had people running to sign up for the Marine Corps.
September 10, 2025, 1:00PM
Andy Griffith and Elvis Presley did a cowboy comedy skit together in 1956
But first, Elvis had to sing to a dog.
September 8, 2025, 3:50PM
Andy Griffith took it personally when Elinor Donahue left his show
"Ellie didn't fraternize much with Andy or Don."
August 21, 2025, 9:17AM
Ron Howard explained why The Andy Griffith Show wasn't as simple as everyone assumed
It takes a lot of work to make something look easy.
August 18, 2025, 11:36AM
Aunt Bee coached Jim Nabors through his first day on the set of The Andy Griffith Show
Even Gomer Pyle needed some homespun encouragement now and again.
August 14, 2025, 2:12PM
George Lindsey was given some surprising acting advice by Andy Griffith during production of The Andy Griffith Show
Lindsey was gifted some powerful advice from Sheriff Taylor himself.
August 8, 2025, 10:20AM
A bit of foul language once earned George Lindsey a hit from Francis Bavier's umbrella
Beware Aunt Bee's umbrella!
August 7, 2025, 3:54PM
George Lindsey on Don Knotts: ''He's simply as good as they get.''
"He takes acting one step further than anybody else."
August 7, 2025, 9:21AM
George Lindsey had his Goober hat bronzed after The Andy Griffith Show had ended
The hat that made Goober a star.
August 6, 2025, 11:26AM
George Lindsey almost won the role of Andy Griffith's understudy during No Time for Sergeants
Griffith was almost introduced to Lindsey years before the two appeared in The Andy Griffith Show together.
August 4, 2025, 1:51PM
Don Knotts on returning to a television series after The Andy Griffith Show: ''I feel if I never did another one, it wouldn't worry me.''
"It's a pretty tough life," said the actor.
August 1, 2025, 1:12PM
Don Knotts considered it a compliment to be remembered as Barney Fife
Knotts welcomed Barney with open arms.
July 31, 2025, 2:49PM
Andy Griffith on the end of The Andy Griffith Show: ''I wasn't doing the series justice''
"My concentration just wasn't there."
July 31, 2025, 2:32PM
Jud Fletcher from the Andy Griffith Show proved it's never too late to chase a dream
Burt Mustin had a long life and an amazing career
July 25, 2025, 2:23PM
This sitcom legend was in The Andy Griffith Show AND The Office!
George Ives had quite the career!
May 28, 2025, 10:21AM
Ron Howard's daughter said that she became her father's ''momager'' during his recent return to acting
"I was very nervous for him."
May 28, 2025, 9:40AM
Howard McNear recovered from a stroke to return to Mayberry
Not even health complications kept Floyd away for long
May 22, 2025, 4:20PM
Did you catch this subtle Don Knotts tribute in Jerry Van Dyke's only appearance on The Andy Griffith Show?
Aunt Bee can't believe it!
May 15, 2025, 1:40PM
Here's why you never saw Don Knotts faint on The Andy Griffith Show
One of the show's key writers kept it out of scripts. Find out why!
May 13, 2025, 1:48PM
The forgotten reunion that brought Andy, Barney and Gomer back together
Long before Return to Mayberry, the stars re-aligned onstage!
May 12, 2025, 1:04PM
The harrowing film role that pushed Andy Griffith to pursue a career in comedy
"I don't ever want to do that again," said Griffith.
May 9, 2025, 3:30PM
Barney Brainteaser: How many years did Deputy Fife keep Mayberry in line?
Dispute the deputy dates!
May 9, 2025, 12:06PM
Andy Griffith said that Don Knotts ''is the funniest man I’ve ever known''
"When Don does it, you fall down dead laughing."
May 9, 2025, 12:00AM
Both of these Mayberry women played Rob Petrie's mom on The Dick Van Dyke Show
Somehow both members of the Women's Historical Society became Laura's mother-in-law.
May 8, 2025, 1:00PM
Betty Lynn from the Andy Griffith Show retired to Andy Griffith's hometown
Betty Lynn left L.A. for Mount Airy in 2007.
May 8, 2025, 11:26AM
Before Mayberry: The comedy sketch that launched Andy Griffith’s career
Andy Griffith’s career took off with a football sketch he wrote on the fly. Here’s the surprising story behind his breakout comedy hit.
May 5, 2025, 8:36AM
Onionhead: The film that flopped so hard, it gave us The Andy Griffith Show
It was the film that, strangely enough, led the actor to The Andy Griffith Show.
May 2, 2025, 3:01PM
Frances Bavier almost said no to playing Aunt Bee— and it changed everything
Uncover the emotional journey of Frances Bavier, from skepticism to love for her role as Aunt Bee, and how it shaped The Andy Griffith Show forever.
May 2, 2025, 2:00PM
Howard Morris, better known as Ernest T. Bass, became a director to help a ''watered down'' television industry
The actor was more than just a face on The Andy Griffith Show.
May 2, 2025, 1:55PM
Don Knotts' daughter: ''When he was dying, he was making us laugh in hysterics.''
When he was around his loved ones, Knotts was even funnier than Barney Fife.
May 2, 2025, 9:27AM
Don Knotts said that trying to make Andy Griffith break character on The Andy Griffith Show made him funnier
They were best pals, and even better actors.
May 1, 2025, 4:20PM
Frances Bavier is in the pilot of The Andy Griffith Show, but she did not play Aunt Bee
Her first Mayberry character was Henrietta Perkins.
May 1, 2025, 3:37PM