How did Barney Fife get his name?
According to Andy Griffith, the character of Barney Fife was suggested by Don Knotts himself. At the same time that The Steve Allen Show was ending, Knotts was looking for work. When he saw the episode of The Danny Thomas Show featuring Andy Taylor, he called Griffith suggesting that his sheriff character might reasonably need a deputy.
What is Barney Fife's job on Andy Griffith?
Bernard "Barney" P. Milton Oliver Fife is a fictional character in the American television program The Andy Griffith Show, portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow-paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Carolina.
What happened to Barney Fife on Mayberry?
Warren serves as deputy of Mayberry under Sheriff Andy Taylor, following the departure of the previous deputy Barney Fife, when actor Don Knotts left the series. Warren is just as impetuous in his role as deputy as his predecessor Barney, and is just as bumbling.
What happened to Barney Fife on the Simpsons?
So, when Knotts decided to leave, the show had to fill the Barney Fife role. In his stead, Jack Burns was cast as the deputy to replace Barney. Deputy Warren Ferguson joined the show as Andy Taylor’s new deputy. When his character was introduced to the show, viewers found out that he was Floyd the barber’s nephew.
When did Barney become a deputy?
Barney was nevertheless proud of his war record: "I did my part in helping to whip the dreaded Hun", he boasted in the "Quiet Sam" episode. Andy administered Barney his oath of office as deputy and issued him his gun in August 1953.
How long was Warren The deputy on Andy Griffith?
Warren Ferguson was a recurring character from The Andy Griffith Show. He served as Mayberry deputy after Barney Fife moved to live and work in Raleigh. He was only in eleven Season 6 episodes before being phased out of the show due to his unpopularity.
How long was Barney Fife on Andy Griffith?
8 yearsKnotts was cast as deputy Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show. This role lasted for 8 years, from 1960 to 1968. His character was also in other television shows, such as The Joey Bishop Show, and Return to Mayberry.
Did Andy have a deputy after Warren?
The character of Andy himself took a turn, as the sheriff became rather snippy with Aunt Bee. Often overlooked in all this change — intentionally, in some cases — is Deputy Warren Ferguson. Introduced at the start of season six, Ferguson came to Mayberry as Andy's new deputy.
How many times did Barney Fife quit?
According to Daniel De Vise's book, Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show, Don Knotts begged for time off during his time on the show, which would explain why Barney was absent from time-to-time during the first five seasons. On average, he was absent from every eight episodes (7.57).
When did Warren replaced Barney on Andy Griffith?
During the first half of the 1965–1966 season of The Andy Griffith Show, in an attempt to replace Don Knotts's Barney Fife character after Knotts left the show, Burns was cast as Warren Ferguson, a dedicated but inept deputy sheriff. His character was not popular, and was dropped after 11 appearances.
What were Don Knotts last words?
While his final words were not recorded, Knott's Daughter, Karen Knotts, recalls having to leave the room to laugh out loud. Long-time friend and co-star Andy Griffith was also at Knott's bedside during his final moments. Griffith gave Knotts words of encouragement, saying “Jess (Don's real name), breathe.
Why did The Andy Griffith Show end so abruptly?
Griffith's longtime manager, Richard Linke, told book author Richard Kelly, “Andy had gotten to the point where he was physically and mentally tired and felt he couldn't add any more to the character,” he said. And so, after eight years, The Andy Griffith Show ended its run.
What was Barney's last episode on Andy Griffith?
Opie Flunks ArithmeticBecause "Opie Flunks Arithmetic" marked the final time Barney lived in Mayberry full-time (his character would return a couple of times as a special guest in the color season), it sticks in the memory. But how well do you remember it? "Opie Flunks Arithmetic" aired during which season of The Andy Griffith Show?
How did Barney get written off The Andy Griffith Show?
Knotts asked to be written out of scripts Knotts' absences from the show were usually explained with scripts having Barney on vacation at the YMCA in Raleigh, NC. A lengthy letter from him was a treat for Andy, Floyd, and sometimes Goober as they savored the single deputy's details of his stay in the big city.
How old was Aunt Bea when she was on Andy Griffith show?
58-68Frances Elizabeth Bavier (December 14, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was 58-68 when she played Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. from 1960 to 1970.
Was Bo Hopkins ever on The Andy Griffith Show?
Bo Hopkins (February 2, 1938 - May 28, 2022) appeared in one episode of The Andy Griffith Show. He also played recurring characters on the TV series "The Rockford Files" and "Dynasty".
Who played Barney Fife in Step by Step?
Barney Fife in "Step by Step". Don Knotts appeared as Barney Fife on an episode of "The Joey Bishop Show" ("Joey's Hideaway Cabin") and the pilot episode of The New Andy Griffith Show, with Andy Griffith playing the character of Andy Sawyer. He also performed with Andy and Jim Nabors in The Andy Griffith-Don Knotts-Jim Nabors Show.
What is Barney known for?
A gossip and gadfly, Barney is known for blabbing both personal and police secrets (such as Andy's scrutiny of women's rings at the jewelry store, or the locale and time of a stakeout or arrival of an armored car). While this may expose him as a halfwit, Barney is at heart a caring, amiable soul.
Why was Barney absent from Andy and Don?
According to Daniel De Vise's book, Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show, Don Knotts begged for time off during his time on the show, which would explain why Barney was absent from time-to-time during the first five seasons.
What episode does Barney get revenge on Andy?
Nonetheless, Barney still has his rare moments of courage and loyalty. Two episodes demonstrate Barney's ability to rise up to challenges. In the second season episode, Andy on Trial, a millionaire wants revenge on Andy for giving him a traffic ticket.
What does Barney suggest to Andy in The Keeper of the Flame?
In The Keeper of the Flame, when Jubile Foster accuses a group of kids (which includes Andy's own son Opie) of burning down his barn, Barney suggests to Andy that they conduct a "line-up", where they "call in every kid in Mayberry", presumably to line them all up for serious questioning.
What are Barney's talents?
Although, due to audition nerves, Barney missed his chance to be included in the folk album recorded in the episode Mayberry on Record, his performance talents range from the Harmonica, Bongo Drums, Cymbals, stage acting, and many types of dancing.
What is Barney's false bravado?
Conversely, Andy knows that Barney's false bravado is a smokescreen for his insecurities and low self-confidence.
Who played Barney Fife on Andy Griffith?
World War II. Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He was widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show, a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards.:18 .
Who was the Sheriff on the Andy Griffith Show?
The Andy Griffith Show. As Barney Fife, Knotts gets the help of Sheriff Taylor when his gun gets stuck on his finger. Knotts receives his first Emmy Award for The Andy Griffith Show, 1961. In 1960, Andy Griffith was offered the opportunity to headline his own sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968).
How many seasons did Andy Griffith have?
Knotts believed remarks by Griffith that The Andy Griffith Show would end after five seasons, and he began to look for other work, signing a five-film contract with Universal Studios.
Who is the lawman in Scooby Doo?
In 1972, Knotts voiced an animated version of himself in two episodes of The New Scooby Doo Movies: "The Spooky Fog of Juneberry", in which he played a lawman resembling Barney Fife, and "Guess Who's Knott Coming to Dinner".
Who played Andy Griffith in No Time for Sergeants?
In 1958, Knotts appeared for the first time on film with Andy Griffith in the film version of No Time for Sergeants. In that film, Knotts reprises his Broadway role and plays a high-strung Air Force test administrator whose routine is disrupted by the hijinks of a provincial new recruit.
Who played Les Calhoun in Matlock?
In 1988, Knotts joined Andy Griffith in another show, playing the recurring role of pesky neighbor Les Calhoun on Matlock until 1992.:169. After that, Knotts 's roles were sporadic, including a cameo appearance in the film Big Bully (1996) as the principal of the high school.
Who did Tim Conway voice in Chicken Little?
In 2005, he was the voice of Mayor Turkey Lurkey in Chicken Little (2005), his first Disney movie since 1979.
Who was the deputy in the show Barney?
Warren is just as impetuous in his role as deputy as his predecessor Barney, and is just as bumbling. Many of the episodes Warren appeared in were actually originally written for Barney, however, after Don Knotts’s late departure from the show following season 5, some episodes were rewritten for Warren.
Who is Warren on Mayberry?
Warren is the nephew of Mayberry barber Floyd Lawson, and hails from Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated fourth in his police academy class, but proves to be a bungler in Mayberry. Warren serves as deputy of Mayberry under Sheriff Andy Taylor, following the departure of the previous deputy Barney Fife, when actor Don Knotts left the series. Warren is just as impetuous in his role as deputy as his predecessor Barney, and is just as bumbling. Many of the episodes Warren appeared in were actually originally written for Barney, however, after Don Knotts’s late departure from the show following season 5, some episodes were rewritten for Warren. His most common trademark is his repeated questioning followed by a rapid-fire succession of the phrase "Huh?". Warren is a bachelor and a sleepwalker.
Who replaced Barney on the Andy Griffith Show?
[email protected]. As reported by author and publicist Jeff Abraham– Jack Burns had a long career, but his short turn as Barney’s replacement on the ANDY Griffith Show is remembered. Comedian and writer Jack Burns, best known for his comedy partnerships with George Carlin and Avery Schreiber, has passed away at the age of 86, ...
Who played Warren Ferguson on Andy Griffith?
During the first half of the 1965-1966 season of The Andy Griffith Show, in an attempt to replace the Don Knotts’ Barney Fife character after Knotts left the show, Burns was cast as Warren Ferguson, a dedicated but inept deputy sheriff. His character was not popular, and was dropped after eleven appearances.
Who was the actor who played the taxicab passenger in the second city?
Longer lasting was a later teaming with Avery Schreiber, whom he met when they were both members of The Second City, a live comedy and improv troupe based in Chicago. Burns and Schreiber were best known for a series of routines in which Burns played a talkative taxicab passenger, with Schreiber as the driver.
Overview
Running Gags
- One major comedic source is Barney's lack of ability with a firearm. After numerous misfires (usually a Colt or Smith & Wesson M&P .38 caliber revolver), Andy restricts Barney to carrying only a single bullet in his shirt pocket, "in case of an emergency." However, the bullet always seems to find its way back into the pistol where, predictably, it is accidentally discharged. The accidental d…
Personal Life
- Early in the series, Andy and Barney comment that they are cousins. However, several episodes muddy the lineage and suggest that Barney may not be directly related to the Taylors. On Aunt Bee's Invisible Beau, Barney tells Andy, "If she (Aunt Bee Taylor) were my aunt, I'd wanna investigate this fella" (no familial Taylor ties). In one porch dialogue, Barney speaks to Andy abo…
Performance Talents
- Although, due to audition nerves, Barney missed his chance to be included in the folk album recorded in the episode Mayberry on Record, his performance talents range from the Harmonica, Bongo Drums, Cymbals, stage acting, and many types of dancing. He also has a trained singing voice which is arguably on par with Leonard Blush. He was frequently a member of the Mayberr…
Slip-Ups
- Some continuity slip-ups can be expected, as the series had several writers. An illustration of this is with the various middle names given for both Barney and Andy. In the episode Class Reunion, Barney's middle name is Milton, though at other times he is called "Bernard P. Fife". In another episode, where he believes he is the descendant of Nathan Tibbs, a Mayberry Revolutionary hero…
World War II
- Like Andy, who was stationed in France, Barney served in World War II, although he was a file clerk who never left the United States (he stated that "me and this other fella ran the PX library" on Staten Island). (It should be noted that both Andy and Barney graduated from Mayberry Union High School in June, 1945 and that the war in Europe was over in May 1945. With at least six we…
Other Appearances
- Don Knotts appeared as Barney Fife on an episode of "The Joey Bishop Show" ("Joey's Hideaway Cabin") and the pilot episode of The New Andy Griffith Show, with Andy Griffith playing the character of Andy Sawyer. He also performed with Andy and Jim Nabors in The Andy Griffith-Don Knotts-Jim Nabors Show. He later parodied Barney Fife on the "Christmas Story" episode of "Ste…
Notes
- Calling a police officer or authority figure "Barney Fife" has become an American slang term for gross ineptitude or over-zealousness.
- Eagle Eye Barney is just one of Barney's many nicknames. A full list can be found Here.
- A full list of Barney's songs can he found here.
- Barney's Blunder are can be found here.
Famous Quotes
- "Nip it in the bud!"
- "Heartaches! Nothing but heartaches!"
- "Nip it! Nip it! Nip it!"
- "You're not talking to a jerk, you know!"
See Also