My wife frequently watches reruns of The Andy Griffith Show (which ran from 1960 to 196. And she told me something that she had read, that I did not previously know, about it. The first several episodes did not feature Don Knotts ("Barney Fife"); and Andy had the good sense (and the humility) to acknowledge to his producer, and others, that he really needed someone funny to complement him. He said that he had just the person: Don Knotts, who was a personal friend of his. Note: You may notice that Don Knotts appears also on all the other shows that Andy Griffith stars in (Matlock leaps to mind; there, Don Knotts is his rather eccentric next-door neighbor). Anyway, I just think that it is a breath of fresh air to see that someone did not consider himself too big--too important--to ask to bring in someone else, who would really carry the show.
He also looked after Knotts when he went blind in old age. True life long friends like that are rare, and I cherish the two I have besides my wife.
