Don Knotts admitted that he preferred ''The Andy Griffith Show'' to ''Three's Company''

Knotts would take Barney Fife over anyone, any day.

CBS Television Distribution

Just like you prefer some jobs over others when you look back on your career, actors, too, have their favorite roles, films, and television series that they've worked on. Don Knotts, whose comedy career spans across generations, was talented enough to have his fair share of favorites.

Just like everyone in the world had their favorite Don Knotts role, so did Knotts himself know which characters he liked better than others.

Here's a hint: It's not that shocking.

An article in the Bristol Herald Courier covered a talk Knotts gave at the East Tennessee State University. In addition to revisiting a few scenes from his previous roles and entertaining the audience with a bit of sketch comedy, Knotts was also gracious enough to answer a few questions from audience members about his career.

One of these questions was about whether he liked playing the role of Ralph Furley of Three's Company, a character Knotts popularized in the late seventies into the early eighties.

Knotts confessed, "Not as much as I liked doing Andy." He reasoned, "The new show was just too fast for me."

The actor also spoke highly of the series when discussing his favorite scene as Barney Fife. He said, "It was the scene when Barney was going out the door with a suitcase full of pickles, trying to explain what he was doing." It was a scene that wasn't necessarily intended to be comedic but, like most scenes on The Andy Griffith Show, ended with thunderous laughter.

He continued, "We didn't expect it to be anything, but it became a very funny scene."

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17 Comments

RSDORRO 10 months ago
Now Men,
Here at the Rock we have 2 Rules
#1… Obey All Rules
#2… Do Not Write on the Walls
Donald711 10 months ago
I am a huge fan of him, loved him in three's company also
Runeshaper 10 months ago
He was GREAT on both shows, IMO. I can understand why he liked Andy better though.
tootsieg 10 months ago
That scene with the suitcase full of pickles is hysterical.
WordsmithWorks 10 months ago
I never thought Don Knotts was a good fit on Three's Company. Too much of a creepy lounge lizard, even for the 70's.
JHP 10 months ago
gees there's a new revolution - he could be insolent ; insubordinate; coddled moron and a comic "genius" on TAGS
he could pick his teeth on TAGS and get the canned laugh track

and on 3s he was muted
atiq1969 JHP 9 months ago
What?
JHP atiq1969 9 months ago
watch or better yet ...listen to an Ep - everything that BARN does is followed by the (press the button) for a laugh track. And further more ANGE ALWAYS covers up for his highly trained deputy

case closed - reply if you like and disagree

I even think if Boris Karloff had the same laugh track treatment than Knotts had - he would be a comedic genuis
BradBeall 10 months ago
I could never "get into" the show Three's Company. Yes, Joyce DeWitt was drop-dead gorgeous, and John Ritter did well holding things together, but perhaps it was the way it was filmed that I didn't care for... like when somebody (mostly the older actors, including Don Knotts) would make a smart remark, and then they would smirk directly into the camera, as if to say to the audience "see, I can be funny, too". Seeing this done once might be forgivable, but it happened in most episodes, and it's absolutely cringeworthy.
Briansal BradBeall 10 months ago
You must not watch much older shows. Deadpanning into the camera was done for a majority of shows. Even on a occasion on top comedy shows. Even Dick Can Dyke. Also Joyce DeWitt was my favorite and sexy. But drop dead gorgeous?
Ilovereruns BradBeall 9 months ago
I've seen every episode of Three's Company more times than I can count and what you're referring to was done by Mr. Roper (Norman Fell) exclusively. I can't think of any other character, from regular cast member to a one off appearance, who ever did this even one time. So, you can't really blame the show, it was a Norman Fell thing.

I do agree Joyce Dewitt was always the most attractive of all the female roommates. I always found it quite odd Janet was supposed to be the "plain" looking one who guys never noticed and struggled to get dates, while it was always the blonde roommate guys were tripping over each other to get to. Janet was, in my opinion, more attractive than Chrissy, Cindy or Terry. I suppose in that regard, you could say Joyce Dewitt was actually miscast in her role.
nerstrand 10 months ago
It's funny, he did the same facial expressions and reactions as Mr Furley, that he did as Barney, yet, in my opinion, it wasn't funny. (I love Barney)
Briansal nerstrand 10 months ago
I think he was referring to the actors looking into the camera acknowledging that the viewing audience was there. Something that was done frequently in older comedy shows.
Andybandit 10 months ago
I liked DK on TAGS and TC. He was funny on both shows.
cperrynaples 10 months ago
No surprize! Barney was WAY BETTER than Mr. Furley!
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