In praise of Don Knotts: Celebrating the TV favorite who made Emmy history twice!
The competition is hot and heavy this year for the Emmy for guest actor and actress in a comedy series. Will Maya Rudolph win her third Emmy in this category for NBC’s “Saturday Night Live?” Or will Jamie Lee Curtis win her first Emmy for her powerful turn in “The Fishes” episode of FX’s “The Bear”? Veteran Christopher Lloyd is looking to receive his first Emmy in 32 years for his role as Larry Arbuckle on Max’ “Hacks.” While Bob Odenkirk, who won two writing Emmys over 30 years ago, may finally earn one for acting as Uncle Lee on FX’s “The Bear.”
Over the years everyone from Colleen Dewhurst (“Murphy Brown”), Carol Burnett (“Mad About You”), who at 91 is up for the Emmy for supporting actress in a comedy series for “Palm Royale,” Jane Lynch (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), John Cleese (“Frasier”) and Mel Brooks, who received the honor three times in a row as Uncle Phil in “Mad About You,” have all won in the guest performer category.
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But a decade before the creation of the guest performer category, Don Knotts won two of his five Emmys as Barney Fife on the beloved CBS comedy classic “The Andy Griffith Show” after he had left the series to pursue a career in film. Remember 1966’ “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken”? In 1999, TV Guide ranked Fife as ninth on the list of the top 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time. It is an extraordinary character who is hysterically funny but full of pathos. He may be a self-important individual who considers himself an expert on every topic and a ladies’ man extraordinaire to boot, but underneath he is lonely, nervous and scared. He uses his bravado to cover up his insecurities. Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith), his son Opie (Ron Howard), Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) and his girlfriend Thelma Lou (Betty Lynn) are his family and give him the love and nurturing he so craves.
Knotts and Griffith had appeared together on Broadway and in the 1958 film version of “No Time for Sergeants” and their easy breezy chemistry has transcended the decades. It was Knotts who came up with the character. Griffith would later say that Knotts’ performance as Barney made the series. Griffith was uncomfortable handling the comedy Knotts allowed him to be the straight man. “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.”
After he left the series in 1965, he returned for five guest appearances. He won his fourth Emmy for the episode 17 of the sixth season – “The Return of Barney Fife.” And he is as funny as he is heartbreaking. Barney, who had left Mayberry to join the police force in Raleigh, comes back for the 18th high school reunion. It’s ironic that he returns driving a used Edsel, the Ford car that was such a flop with consumers it was discontinued in 1960 just two years after it launched. But to Barney, his Edsel is practically a Cadillac. Though he’s just dealing with fingerprints in Raleigh and living at the Y. Barney regales Andy, Opie and with his fabulous life, important career and the many women in his life. He’s most eager to see his girlfriend Thelma Lou who left Mayberry shortly after he moved away. Barney literally beams when she shows up at the reunion, union but get out your hankies when he learns she’s married.
Knotts earned his fifth and final Emmy for “Barney Comes to Mayberry,” the 19th episode of season seven. This time around, he’s scored a success as a policeman in Raleigh, but the women in his office aren’t impressed. On Andy’s suggestion, Barney decides to take a two-week vacation in Mayberry. When he sees a band and a huge crowd of people at the train station in Mayberry, he thinks the celebration is for him. Of course, it’s not. Also on the train is popular film actress who is premiering her latest movie in Mayberry. She grew up in Mayberry and when to school with Andy and Barney. When her publicist learns that she had dated Barney, he realizes it will be a great photo opportunity to have Barney accompany her to the premiere. But Barney being Barney, he believes she wants to have a relationship, His heart is broken yet again, when he discovers she’s left town to be with her fiancé. But all is not lost for Barney. When his female co-workers see him in the paper with the film actress, they start treating him differently.
The actor resurrected Barney for the first episode of the sequel “Mayberry R.F.D.” in 1968 and reprised the role in the 1986 reunion movie “Return to Mayberry.” And Barney’s life had come together. He was now the sheriff in Mayberry. And he finally marries the love of his life Thelma Lou.
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