The Andy Griffith Show finds its footing as it progresses through its second season. The first few episodes when the series debuted in 1960 don’t reflect what the series would become. In the beginning, Sheriff Taylor was the focal point of both the show’s plot and its comedy.
Griffith initially presented his character as a redneck fool, happily playing the butt of the joke for a laugh. But as the show developed, it became apparent that The Andy Griffith Show was at its best when Andy was surrounded by funny people. It took the pressure off of his performance and allowed his character to be the sharp center of every episode. Rather than hilarity, moral fortitude became Sheriff Taylor’s contribution.
The standout comedic performances on the show typically come from Don Knotts. The way he vacillates from wildly over-confident to jittery and back propelled many scenes to hilarious heights. While he’s certainly the audience favorite, you might be surprised to learn who made Knotts laugh the most on set.
“Howard McNear is one of the funniest men I’d ever want to see,” Knotts told the Archive of American Television. “He was hysterical.”
While Knotts and Griffith shared a personal history that translated into onscreen chemistry, Knotts made it clear later in life that his favorite performer on the show was the actor who played Floyd the Barber.
“Howard— you really and truly couldn’t tell what he was going to do. What reading he was going to give you… What gesture he was going to give you… Because he didn’t know himself! And when they’d turn the camera on him he would just sometimes crack you up so you couldn’t finish the scene.”
While McNear’s antics certainly delighted his castmates, he may have cost the producers a considerable amount of time and money.
“I ruined a lot of takes laughing with Howard.”
