Crazy Secrets You Didn’t Know About The Andy Griffith Show. Bonus: What The Stars Look Like Today!

One Of The Show’s Biggest Mysteries

Opie’s mom is mentioned only one time during the series. In an episode titled “Wedding Bells for Aunt Bee,” Andy becomes nostalgic and tells Opie how much he had loved the boy’s mother. Viewers never hear any more about her or even see a photograph. However, in an episode of The Danny Thomas Show (which spawned The Andy Griffith Show), Andy relates that she died when Opie was just “the least little speck of a baby.”

Chemistry Sells

Producers were so impressed by the chemistry between Andy and Don that they wrote up an employment contract on the spot: first for one year, then later for an additional five years. Griffith was quoted saying, “The second episode was called ‘Manhunt’ and I knew by that episode that Don should be the comic and I should play straight for him. That made all the difference.”