Sad, it seems so many of the icons of our youth are passing away.

Was a compliment to Don or a slam at Mick?

You could also tell that Andy Griffith cared about his cast and the integrity of the show. Two things I read come to mind.

First, Howard MacNear (Floyd) had a stroke and left the show. That is when Jim Nabors joined the cast. Later Howard expressed interest in coming back. Andy wanted him back and made all kinds of accomadations for him. Look at the latter part of season 4 through about season 6 and watch Floyd. You never see him walking. They built a brace so he could stand or had him sitting down. In the last season he he was in he was sitting everytime. Setting that up so you never saw the brace or making the cuts so you never had to see him walk must have been difficult but they did it.

Second, Andy gave Ron Howard as normal of childhood as possible. When Ron wanted to play little league Andy shot around his schedule. Sometimes shooting Ron’s part of a conversation and then Andy’s later and making it look like they were there together. Ron later said when he became a director he realized how much Andy had done for him. To this day I think this is why Ron Howard never fell into that child star trap. Andy understood Ron was a child first and an actor second, not an actor who happened to be a child.

Great show, great characters. The Barney Fife character is maybe the most unique in television history.

If I have had a down day all I have to do is plug in an episode and I am cheered up.

Thanks Don and know that as long as there is television your work will always be on the air somewhere in the world.

At which point Andy would step in and rescue the kid….

- Rest well in the knowledge you brought endless hours of laughter to several generations of your fellow Americans, as well as fans in hundreds of other countries all over the world where Mayberry was syndicated….. Heres too you Don….another angel gets his star…

- Bang