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The Real Men Behind 'The Andy Griffith Show'

“The Andy Griffith Show” was one of the first sitcoms to portray life in rural, small-town America. The show was set in the fictional town of Mayberry, N.C. and traced the friendship of two quirky men: Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife.

While much of the show’s legacy lives on through reruns and annual Mayberry Days Festivals, less is known about the real men behind “The Andy Griffith Show.” The new book “Andy & Don: The Making Of A Friendship And A Classic American TV Show" (Simon & Schuster/2015) looks at the men’s lives and friendship both on and off the screen.

Host Frank Stasio talks with author Daniel de Visé, journalist and brother-in-law of Don Knotts, about his journey behind the scenes of “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Here are some of the most memorable scenes from the show: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBuPQgV8yBM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWcwTYg4LT4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIcyRWlJHHY

Anita Rao is an award-winning journalist, host, creator, and executive editor of "Embodied," a weekly radio show and podcast about sex, relationships & health.
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
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