Don Knotts' experience visiting the Dick Van Dyke Show set

Did Barney Fife meet Rob Petrie?

Genesis International & CBS Television Distribution

The Andy Griffith Show was in great company on the Desilu lot. The production company, owned by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, was a relatively small collection, with just a few sound stages. However, while they may not have been as big as some of the other major studios, Desilu had an incredible track record. During the sixties, the lot housed Andy Griffith, The Danny Thomas Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Spy, and The Joey Bishop Show

So, while there wasn't a ton of interaction between the shows, downtime naturally led to visits to other sets. In Don Knotts' 1999 memoir Barney Fife, and Other Characters I Have Known, he wrote about the space the shows all shared, and how one in particular drew his admiration when he had a chance to watch from the audience.

"The Dick Van Dyke Show did not do too well in the ratings in its first season, and General Foods wanted to cancel it," Knotts wrote. He was right; we almost didn't get the legendary run of one of TV's most beloved comedies, as TDVDS was almost axed before finding its footing.

"[Producer] Sheldon Leonard was convinced the show would climb into the top ten in the second season, and he flew back East to convince General Foods. They okayed a second season, and as we all know, The Dick Van Dyke Show became on of the top programs on television."

Ok, so Knotts didn't view the show as competition, which is good news, because this let him be a bit friendlier in his assessment of The Dick Van Dyke Show. While they were in a similar genre, the two shows were very different in their presentation.

"One day," wrote Knotts, "I went over to watch them rehearse. Unlike The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show was shot with multicameras in front of an audience. I sat down next to Carl Reiner in the audience seats. Carl was the producer and head writer of the show. I turned to Carl, and asked, 'What's Dick like? I don't know him.'"

According to Don Knotts, Van Dyke's colleagues only had glowing praise for the series lead.

"Carl said, 'You know how nice Dick Van Dyke is? I'll tell you. You're a nice guy, Don. He's nicer.'"

Knotts didn't withhold his respect for the show's other main star, either.

"Mary Tyler Moore came by our sound stage once in a while to watch us work. I really admired her comedic talent."

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9 Comments

JHP 2 months ago
Did BARN get s chance to arrest Ritchie?
MadMadMadWorld JHP 2 months ago
For telling the other kids about the facts of life??? How dare you!
["Go Tell the Birds and the Bees" Nov. 17, 1965]
top_cat_james_1 2 months ago
Would have been nice to have mentioned "The Beverly Hillbillies", then the #1 program, which TDVDS followed in its second season, and became a top ten show. Mary Tyler Moore, for one, was gracious enough to acknowledge the boost they received from the positioning, saying they owed a lot to "that strange little show".
terrycomo top_cat_james_1 2 months ago
Also Star Trek!
MadMadMadWorld terrycomo 2 months ago
How could that be when Star Trek was on NBC and TDVDS was on CBS!
cperrynaples 2 months ago
Fun Fact: Knotts appeared as Barney on The Joey Bishop Show!
cperrynaples cperrynaples 2 months ago
General Foods sponsored TAGS, NOT DVDS! Procter & Gamble sponsored DVDS, and in fact saved it when CBS wanted to cancel it!
Runeshaper 2 months ago
I'm glad that the stars has admiration for each other. Happy to read this (-:
FrankensteinLover 2 months ago
Two of my fav shows ever, so awesome to hear this.
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