There’s something special about seeing our favorite stars from The Andy Griffith Show enjoy life with one another when the cameras weren’t rolling. We dug into the photo archives and grabbed some memorable shots of Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knotts and others to give you a glimpse of what life was like on the Mayberry set back in the 1960s.
In the idyllic town of Mayberry, North Carolina, widowed sheriff Andy Taylor (Griffith) always had someone to keep in line, even if it was just his bumbling cousin Deputy Barney Fife (five-time Emmy winner Knotts), his beloved Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) or his precocious son Opie (a young Ron Howard). As warmhearted as Griffith’s trademark grin, the CBS family comedy finished its eight-season run atop the ratings chart in 1968, and remains a popular show in syndication to this day.
Enjoy this trip down memory lane.
Don Knotts, Andy Griffith and Jim Nabors pose for a quick photo while on a break.
“We’ll I’ll be …” that handsome guy sure looks familiar. Andy Griffith poses in front of his publicity portrait at the studio during Season 6 (1965-66).
How cute are these two?! Ron Howard and his brother Clint Howard on the set in 1963.
Don Knotts, Andy Griffith, Ron Howard and Frances Bavier celebrate a birthday!
Ron Howard and Andy Griffith enjoy some silly time in 1962.
It makes you smile just looking at this photo shot in September of 1962.
“The way I see it, if you’re raising a child, you’re a parent. If you’re raising a boy, you’re a dad,” said Andy Griffith in Season 4. What an adorable shot of the two on the Desilu lot.
Don Knotts, Ron Howard and Andy Griffith sharing some laughs.
More on set photos from 1962.
Ron Howard on set with his dad Rance Howard.
Ron Howard on set with his dad Rance Howard, who was an actor and writer.
Andy Griffith and Don Knotts.
Ron Howard passing time on the studio lot.
