Don Knotts: Andy Griffith ''was a conscientious, tireless worker''

Knotts was nuts about the show!

June 5, 2024, 1:50PM By MeTV Staff

CBS Television Distribution

Working relationships are tough; functional ones are invaluable. Clocking in and seeing the same people daily can be a chore unless you've surrounded yourself with like-minded folks who all share a goal. Even then, the power hierarchy of almost any job can disrupt and overturn the best workplace intentions. A great boss is priceless.

One workplace that seemed to get it right was the set of The Andy Griffith Show. From the top down, everybody on the show went on to reflect positively on their experience.

In his autobiography, Barney Fife and Other Characters I Have Known, Don Knotts spends a great deal of time praising the show and its star, his friend Andy Griffith.

"Andy Griffith was having the time of his life," Knotts recalled about the show.

"His enthusiasm and sense of fun was catching, and the set crackled with it all day long. You never saw a happier cast in your life. We were having fun. I couldn't wait to go to work in the morning. The star of the show always sets the tone, and Andy certainly set a wonderful tone in this one."

Knotts said that Griffith was a great scene partner, but also a great leader.

"Besides being the star, Andy owned the major share of the show, and that made him the boss," Knotts wrote.

"And he was a good boss. It was clear right from the beginning that he was a conscientious, tireless worker who kept his eye on the script and the cast and the crew. Very little escaped Andy's notice."