June 6, 1964 - Andy Griffith (pictured left with Jim Nabors), television’s hillbilly sheriff, begins the fifth and final year of his contract next fall on CBS. The actor has indicated he might quit television after next season, although nobody takes this seriously as yet. But Don Knotts, who plays a deputy sheriff on the Griffith show, has said this will be his last season in the role.
Richard Linke, Griffith’s manager, said last week his client had mixed feelings about which way to go, professionally speaking, after his contract expires.
“Truthfully, I don’t know what will happen,” Linke said. “In one way, Andy would like to do motion pictures and have more time for himself, but if a television sponsor waves a lot of money at him, this could have an effect.”
Knotts said his contract with the Griffith show would expire at the end of next season. He was in New York recently to talk to network officials about the possibility of starring in a situation comedy series in the 1965-66 season.
“I have some offers to do my own show, but things are vague at the moment,” Knotts said. “However, I don’t expect to stay on the Griffith show after next season.”
Jim Nabors, who played Gomer Pyle, a gas station operator on the Griffith show, already has left. In the story line, Gomer was recently inducted into the Marine Corps. It was a way of introducing a new comedy series on CBS next fall, “Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.”
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