The Andy Griffith Show is the epitome of what we think of as “the good ole’ days.” In the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina, doors were left unlocked, neighbors helped each other out, and the cops were basically just part of the scenery. Here are some facts that’ll transport directly to the set of the beloved show, plus a sneak peak at what happened to the actors after the show ended.
Since Ron Howard was just 6 years old at the time, he wasn’t strong enough to throw the stone far enough to land in the lake. To circumvent the problem, the assistant director hid a prop man behind a bush who actually threw the rock. On closer inspection you might notice a very subtle lag between Opie’s throw and the resulting splash.
Frances Bavier, the actress who portrayed Aunt Bee on the show, supposedly did not have much of a sense of humor. Pretty ironic career choice, huh?
They played a couple on the show. But Andy Griffith and Aneta Corsaut are said to have taken their romance off screen. Only thing is he was married at the time! Way to go breaking those Hollywood stereotypes…
The final episode was called “Mayberry R.F.D.” and it aired on September 23, 1968. The episode set up the premise for a spin-off show of the same name that aired from 1968-1971.
In the show, Barney couldn’t be trusted with a loaded gun and Andy would relegate him to a single bullet, which he would often have to take away. Don Knotts said he was sent one bullet from fans all over America.
