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Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show
Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show
Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show
Audiobook9 hours

Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show

Written by Daniel de Visé

Narrated by George Newbern

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

A lively and revealing biography of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, this “humorous, informative, and poignant book” celebrates the powerful real-life friendship behind one of America’s most iconic television programs and “shows how the magic was created” (Library Journal).

Andy Griffith and Don Knotts first met on Broadway in the 1950s. When Andy moved to Hollywood to film a TV pilot for a comedy about a small-town sheriff, Don called to ask if Andy’s sheriff could use a deputy. The friendship and comedy partnership between Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife ignited The Andy Griffith Show, elevating the folksy television sitcom into a timeless study of human friendship. Together, they created a program with a uniquely small-town dynamic that captured the hearts of Americans across the country who watched these two men rocking on the front porch, meditating about the pleasure of a bottle of pop.

But behind this sleepy charm, de Visé’s exclusive reporting “captures the complexity of both men and the intimacy of their friendship with extreme detail and sensitivity” (Publishers Weekly), from unspoken rivalries, passionate affairs, unrequited loves, struggles with the temptations of fame, and friendships lost and regained. Although Andy and Don ended their Mayberry partnership in 1965, they remained best friends for the next half-century.

Written by Don Knotts’s brother-in-law, Andy and Don is “a rewarding dual biography that is also a lively look inside the entertainment industry in the latter half of the twentieth century” (News & Observer). Entertaining and provocative, it “captures a golden moment in modern Americana. You’ll not only return again to Mayberry, you’ll feel as though you’ve never left” (Tom Shales, Pulitzer Prize–winning television critic).
LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 3, 2015
ISBN9781442397422
Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show
Author

Daniel de Visé

Daniel de Visé is an author and journalist who has worked at The Washington Post, The Miami Herald, and three other newspapers in a twenty-four-year career. His investigative reporting has twice led to the release of wrongly convicted men from life imprisonment; he shared a 2001 Pulitzer Prize. A graduate of Wesleyan and Northwestern universities, de Visé lives with his wife and children in Maryland. He is the author of I Forgot to Remember (with Su Meck) and Andy and Don.

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Reviews for Andy and Don

Rating: 4.538461663461538 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

104 ratings13 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A surprising story about the friendship between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, and the classic show they starred in, The Andy Griffith Show -- surprising because of the revelation of their combined six marriages, their peccadillos and minor vices. I guess I would have preferred to think of them as Barney and Andy, their characters. The author is Don Knott’s brother-in-law – married to the sister of Don’s third wife, a fact he didn’t reveal until the acknowledgements at the end of the book. Both of the stars had grim childhoods. Don was bullied by his older brothers and verbally abused by his father. Andy was a spoiled mama’s boy who was bullied by his same-age friends. Neither came out of their experiences unscathed. I was surprised to learn that Don served in World War II even though he was under the minimum required weight; Andy dodged the draft by going studying to be a preacher. It was also interesting that Don was the member of the Griffith show cast who won Emmys (which Andy never did) and that he had, by far the most successful movie career post-Mayberry. The book is chock full of fun anecdotes and I especially enjoyed reading the behind-the-scenes scoop about The Andy Griffith Show and all the familiar characters. Altogether a fascinating read.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If the narrator says “ManTEA oh” one more time? to NC ears, it’s quite grating.And he mispronounces “mores.” as “moores.”So, although Brad Newman has a nice voice, won’t listen to another by him and whoever produced this at Simon and Schuster needs to up their standards.The writing is good. The story pulls back a curtain I kind of wish I hadn’t . But it adds to my respect for the creativity and persistence needed in an arts life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was an entertaining book that really provides good context for the Andy Griffith series. The reader did a good job and kept a nice, steady pace throughout. Any fan of the show will enjoy this semi-biographical sketch of its 2 main characters and their deep friendship.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very well written. Takes reader inside the two people. Well done
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Andy & Don is a sweet tale of friendship framed around one of the best comedies to come out of the 60s, The Andy Griffith Show.Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, both with rural southern backgrounds, met on Broadway and then solidified their bond on Griffith’s show.The book highlights the great friendship and comedy they shared. It also is honest about the foibles and mistakes along the way – Knotts’ debilitating hypochondria and Griffith’s explosive anger.But at its heart, the book is about an era long-gone, even in the 60s, when the pace was slower and friendship seemed deeper.You don’t have to be a big fan of the show to like this book, just a fan of simpler times and of the appreciation of small things in life.More of my reviews at my WordPress site, ralphsbooks.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sweet lifelong friendship. It was really touching to hear about two stars that were without the fake Hollywood life.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book, written by Don Knotts’ brother-in-law, is the story of both Don Knotts and Andy Griffith and their rise in show business from “No Time For Sergeants” in the 1950s to their iconic “The Andy Griffith Show” in the 1960s. The anecdots are personal and interesting. As I read the book, I was surprised at how well written it is, but at the end, the author’s bio mentions that he won the Pulitzer Prize, so that made sense. After reading some pretty heavy books before this one, I was ready for something light. And this is what “Andy and Don” was. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a fun book to read. It can be a quick read, but it wasn’t for me. I found myself getting on YouTube to watch the episodes the book was describing. It was a treat to get those inside secrets of what was going on behind the scenes.I am sure you all know someone who is an avid “Andy Griffith Show” fan. One of my brothers is such a fan. But it has to be the black & white episodes, not the color ones. I didn’t understand this distinction until I read this book. It was not the addition of color that changed the show; it was the absence of Barney.The book starts out with a scene we all remember:Andy and Barney are kicked back on the front porch. “Ya know what I think I’m gonna do?” Barney asks Andy. “I’m gonna go home, have me a little nap, then go over to Thelma Lou’s and watch a little TV.” Several seconds pass in silence. ‘Yeah, I believe that’s what I’ll do: go home, have a nap, head over to Thelma Lou’s for TV.” More silence. “Yep, that’s the plan: ride home, a little nap…”Did you know that in the 55 years since its debut in 1960, it has never left the air! Think about it…I bet it comes on every day somewhere on your TV channel line-up. Sheldon Leonard said the show would never sell. He said it was fantasy. But apparently people enjoyed fantasy, and Sheldon was proven wrong.This was a thoroughly delightful book about the classic television series, but more than that, it is about the friendship between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. What an amazing friendship they had! Andy was not an easy person to get along with, but nervous little Don could do no wrong in Andy’s eyes. They were happiest when they were together.The personal lives of both men are detailed – Andy’s temper, Don’s hypochondria, their marriages, their affairs. But beyond it all was the comedic genius of Don Knotts and the production talent of Andy Griffith. This show had the finest producers, writers, and directors available, along with an amazing cast of characters. And Andy was responsible for most of that.Andy and Don’s names will always be linked throughout history. Neither could have risen to such fame without the other. And they liked it that way. Andy & Don - forever.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book, written by Don Knotts’ brother-in-law, is the story of both Don Knotts and Andy Griffith and their rise in show business from “No Time For Sergeants” in the 1950s to their iconic “The Andy Griffith Show” in the 1960s. The anecdots are personal and interesting. As I read the book, I was surprised at how well written it is, but at the end, the author’s bio mentions that he won the Pulitzer Prize, so that made sense. After reading some pretty heavy books before this one, I was ready for something light. And this is what “Andy and Don” was. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Andy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show is a powerful book and a great one to win a free copy of from a Goodreads contest. Daniel de Vise examines the lives of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts providing a different way to look at these two iconic men. It is full of interesting facts and shines a different light on each man as a person as well as an actor.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Anyone who reads this book will be a big fan of the Andy Griffith show. A nice, linear walk down memory lane. The only thing better is watching the show itself.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I must admit, the Andy Griffiths Show did not impinge much upon my childhood. For one thing, it had ceased production by the time I was of a TV watching age and was only shown as repeats. Secondly, it was black & white, and we scorned B&W shows as old hat. I was much more aware of shows like Green Acres and the Beverley Hillbillies, which ironically were two of many shows influenced by TAGS. So reading this wonderful book was like a revelation. I was cognisant of Andy Griffiths mainly from Matlock, and Don Knotts from seemingly endless Disney movies, and had no idea that at one stage they formed a comedy partnership that is possibly without equal in TV history. Both men came from similar, dirt-poor Southern backgrounds, and both struggled long and hard before breaking through to TV stardom, although they were as different as chalk and cheese. Griffiths' gentle, fatherly TV persona concealed an explosive temper, a considerable ego and the capacity to hold grudges for a long time. Knotts' achingly funny onstage persona was matched his nervous, hypochondriac, hard-drinking, pill-popping character off-set. Yet the pair of them on screen were comedy gold, and De Vise makes the point that TAGS, a simple show about ordinary people and minor happenings in a very small Southern town, dominated American TV viewing habits from the beginning to the end of its 8 year run, and spawned a sequel, several spin-offs, a couple of reunions and endless devotion from its fans that persists to this day. This is a lovely book, a tribute to TV in its golden years, highly recommended for all TV buffs.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    **I got an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review**

    I'm one of those people who grew up watching Andy Griffith every Sunday at my grandpa's house, and then at my parent's house. It's ingrained in my childhood and just thinking about it makes me happy and I can't help but smile. I hear that whistle in the beginning and I'll sit down and watch that show. All that said, this book exceeded my expectations when it came to talking about Andy and Don. It was informative, fun, and at times heartbreaking, but I couldn't put it down! It was so well written and engaging that I looked forward to the time I got to sit down and read it and was sad to see it end. I learned so much and Mr. de Visa has a work of art here he should be proud of. Well written, smart, and hard to read at parts. Worth the read. 5 out of 5 stars.