I was watching TAGS last evening and it was something like S2, episode 7 or thereabouts. The show was really hitting its stride. And Don Knotts was the real star of not only this episode but most of the one's he was in! This guy was tasked with being the funny man and playing a lot of varied parts. He sang, danced, had his hair messed up, etc. This man was really talented.

I was watching TAGS last evening and it was something like S2, episode 7 or thereabouts. The show was really hitting its stride. And Don Knotts was the real star of not only this episode but most of the one's he was in! This guy was tasked with being the funny man and playing a lot of varied parts. He sang, danced, had his hair messed up, etc. This man was really talented.

Disagree! Andy Griffith was the star of his show. Did Don do a great job, absolutely. Did the show have a big drop in quality once Don left, absolutely. Were the 5 episodes Don appeared in during the final 3 seasons among the best of seasons 6-8, absolutely. The character of Barney works only because he has Andy Taylor at the center of the Mayberry universe to work off of. As bad as we think the final three seasons were, the audience of that time didn't agree, season 7 the show ranked number 3, season 8 it ranked number 1, the show never achieved numbers like that during the Knotts years. Griffith carried the show the final three seasons and he starred in Matlock for 9 seasons, the only time Knotts was ever the lead in a TV series was a self-titled variety show which lasted only one season.

Season 1 Andy Griffith was definitely the star. But, the quality sputtered at times with his southern fried exaggerated approach. In seasons 2-5 when AG gave Don Knotts the center stage Don Knotts episodes dominated by his comedic brilliance could of easily been called "The Don Knotts Show". Though many episodes he was absent were classic episodes too. Seasons 6-8 without Don Knotts AG was more integral to the humor being put in awkward situations by the nitwits of Mayberry. Season 1, 2-5, 6-8 are all unique and like three different shows in a lot of ways.

Thanks Duster76 and vittoscotti both for your comments. Of course Andy was the number one billed in the show and he did a great job, I guess what I was trying to say is that Don Knotts for the most part provided the comedy. I love the whole cast: Andy, Don, Frances, Ronny and the others. This was just one of the greatest sitcoms in TV history to me.

I was watching TAGS last evening and it was something like S2, episode 7 or thereabouts. The show was really hitting its stride. And Don Knotts was the real star of not only this episode but most of the one's he was in! This guy was tasked with being the funny man and playing a lot of varied parts. He sang, danced, had his hair messed up, etc. This man was really talented.

I agree that Don was the real star. It's easier to be the straight man than the funny man. They were both great though.

Don Knotts revealed why he actually preferred being the second banana to a television star (https://www.metv.com/stories/don-knotts-revealed-why-he-actually-preferred-being-the-second-banana-to-the-main-star)

Knotts explained why there was some value in being the sidekick.