There have been "what if" threads speculating what would have become of the show had Don Knotts stayed around after season 5. And even some speculation as to whether Jerry Van Dyke might have been a candidate to replace him, before the ill fated decision to cast Jack Burns as Warren Ferguson.

But does anyone have any other suggestions for actors that may have filled the role of deputy better than Jack Burns?

I was watching McHale's Navy last night, pondering if Joe Flynn could have broken free of his "leadbottom" reputation, when what appears to me to be the obvious choice came to mind. Carl Ballantine.

Any other thoughts?

Jerry Van Dyke would have made a good Barney, but I gotta say Don Knotts nailed the part!

But does anyone have any other suggestions for actors that may have filled the role of deputy

Art Carney, Ken Osmond. But really...it’s hard to imagine another Barney besides Don Knotts...although others would have done a good job.

I can envision that Art Carney would have done very well.

I can envision that Art Carney would have done very well.

Yup me too. Do you have anyone in mind yourself?

I think that the actor who played 'Gruber' on McHale's Navy could have done well,

Perhaps Shug Fisher would have worked out too, but they would have had to make the character a little more easy going for this to work. But I think he would have played well off of several of the other regular characters.

I don't see any of them actually

The problem with replacing Barney is coming up with a character the viewers will accept who is nothing like Barney. No actor is going to want to be hired to do a Don Knotts imitation and the public would hate them for trying Hence, Jack Burns.

Jack Burns was terrible because he was unlikeable (for me anyway), but I get the new deputy had to be different than Barney.

I would have considered bringing in an older, beloved character actor to play someone who was down on his luck and Andy gave him a chance as deputy. It would have gotten some sympathy from the audience Jack Burns never achieved.

I think a direct replacement for Barney was probably impossible and just got too much comparison and resentment. Jack Burns was proof of that. I liked Jerry Van Dyke on Coach, but he couldn't have been likeable enough or that annoying for TAGS. Jack Dodson was essentiaily a replacement for Jack Burns and Don, and did a better job than probably anyone else could have. Don was so perfect that he just could not have been equaled.

Bob Denver might have done well as Andy's sidekick since he did so well as the Skipper's sidekick.

There should have been another deputy that had his own personality.

I think Andy was the problem to any deputy replacement. He was extremely miffed that Don was moving onto bigger and better things and he was stuck doing the same gig despite being the "star".

There's been many good suggestions for the new bumbling deputy, but the big question would have been if these actors could work with Andy. TAGS was his show and I don't think Andy was going to let well known (possibly beloved) actors come on his show and steal his thunder.

After the departure of Knotts, I see Andy doing his best to be so ornery and unlikable. I think perhaps he was hoping that viewers would become teed off and stop watching the show so TAGS would get cancelled. Yes, I think Andy was miserable doing the show without Don.

I think Andy was the problem to any deputy replacement. He was extremely miffed that Don was moving onto bigger and better things and he was stuck doing the same gig despite being the "star".

I wouldn’t call Knotts’s movie career “bigger and better things”. Were any of his movies actually comedy classics?

I think Andy was the problem to any deputy replacement. He was extremely miffed that Don was moving onto bigger and better things.

I haven't heard one shred of evidence Griffith was angry with Knotts, or vice versa. Knotts said he thought the show was ending and he had a movie opportunity. Griffth gave his blessing. Griffith apparently told the cast early about this ending point that obviously didn't occur. And, Knotts was kind of a quiet guy, so he didn't press the issue.

He came back numerous times as a guest in the color episodes. And even used a lot of TAGS regular repeat actors in all of his movies who went back and forth from TAGS, MRFD, and Knott's movies. I don't see any bad blood or villains here if you go by Griffin's, Knott's, and fellow cast own words.

Here's an off the wall idea...What if they brought in an actor to portray a deputy who was always scheming to get Andy's job? Keeping it funny and not dark would have been an obvious issue.

Really off the wall: what about Howard Morris? Could have had a few episodes where Andy "tamed" him. Also he'd probably dig having the uniform to impress "Romena."

My problem with Jack Burns was that huh, huh routine. Probably his best episode was spooking Helen with his sleepwalking personality.

Here's an off the wall idea...What if they brought in an actor to portray a deputy who was always scheming to get Andy's job? Keeping it funny and not dark would have been an obvious issue.

Maybe Richard Dawson? I heard he was trying to get Bob fired, so he could be the star of the show.

I wouldn’t call Knotts’s movie career “bigger and better things”. Were any of his movies actually comedy classics?

The Incredible Mr Limpet and The Ghost And Mr Chicken have become beloved cult family classics over the years. The latter movie draws high ratings annually for Svengoolie.

Really off the wall: what about Howard Morris? Could have had a few episodes where Andy "tamed" him. Also he'd probably dig having the uniform to impress "Romena."

My problem with Jack Burns was that huh, huh routine. Probably his best episode was spooking Helen with his sleepwalking personality.

I've heard a rumour that the episode Malcolm at the Crossroads was written to test the waters to see if viewers would like having Ernest T. Bass and Malcolm Merriweather both be Andy's deputies which had been written before and influenced Burns's casting as Warren and Goober eventually replacing Warren and becoming the Deputy on Mayberry RFD. In the book whose title escapes me about the episodes written by Harvey Bullock, Jim Fritzell and Everette Greenbaum, Sam Brobrick and Bill Iverson, Bernard Fox (who played Malcolm Merriweather) was told by someone after Malcolm at the Crossroads was filmed that they wanted him to continue the deputy role and that Bob Ross (Producer who replaced Aaron Reuben for seasons 5-8 and Mayberry RFD, not to be confused with painter of the same name) wanted to see him about it. Bernard Fox went to Ross's office and Ross responded by concentrating on eating his lunch and pretending Bernard Fox wasn't in the room despite him standing in front of the desk. after a few minutes Bernard Fox sarcastically said "Bon Appetite" and stormed out as he knew neither he nor Howard Morris would be returning to the show. Though to be fair to Bob Ross I don't think it would've worked out having Malcolm and Ernest T be Andy's deputies. While Harvey Bullock (who wrote Malcolm at the Crossroads) could write Malcolm well, you really need Jim Fritzell (who from what his writing partner Everette Greenbaum said wrote the majority of both Ernest T. Bass and Briscoe Darling's dialogue for the episodes where Bass and the B&W episodes where the Darlings appeared as Jim Fritzell would've probably been a cowboy if weren't scared of horses) writing Ernest T. Bass's lines or influencing them in order to make them funny.

How about Charles Lane, or James Millhollin? Either would have made a very convincing "by the book" hard-nose for Andy to play off of.

Just think about a Charles Lane deputy locking horns with Ben Weaver....

How about Charles Lane, or James Millhollin? Either would have made a very convincing "by the book" hard-nose for Andy to play off of.

Just think about a Charles Lane deputy locking horns with Ben Weaver....
James Millhollin as Aunt Bea's print shop counterfeit boss was a stellar performance.

The Incredible Mr Limpet and The Ghost And Mr Chicken have become beloved cult family classics over the years. The latter movie draws high ratings annually for Svengoolie.

Knotts made “Limpet” before he left TAGS.

Since a female deputy certainly would've been out of the question in those years, maybe the producers would've wanted someone considered a handsome male -- to attract more female viewers:

Dick Gautier (b. 1931)
Bert Convy (b. 1933)
Lyle Waggoner (b.1935)

I think ideally they would've signed on Bob Denver as the new deputy; Bob had appeared in the series earlier as Dud Wash.