The Andy Griffith Show and All in the Family hold a special place in television history, each for vastly different reasons. Where The Andy Griffith Show is quaint and comforting, All In the Family is brash and confrontational. The Andy Griffith Show makes you feel at ease, meanwhile, All in the Family aims to make people uncomfortable.

However, each television show has its merit, just in different ways.

In an interview with TODAY, actor Don Knotts was quick to point out the value of All in the Family. Knotts made his mark on television as Barney Fife in The Andy Griffith Show, but in the interview, he praised All In the Family for its groundbreaking material.

"Of course, All In the Family has opened up areas that have never been explored before," he said. In fact, Knotts believed that a show like All in the Family was an anomaly, especially in recent television.

"I think, in general, except for that show and two or three others that television usually doesn't hit as hard with its laughs as it used to. It's milder. You don't find yourself falling down laughing a lot and I don't know exactly what the reason for that is," Knotts said.

But while Knotts never regretted his time on The Andy Griffith Show, calling it "the best experience I've had in the business," he was willing to admit that it somewhat limited him as an actor. "I can't go too far adrift, or turn around and do a villain and draw an audience," he said.

Knotts said that he often sought roles on the stage because he was more likely to shed his Barney Fife image. "I do a lot of theater and that's the reason," he said. "I usually do different roles."

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