Andy Griffith Built the Most Beloved Town in Television History — and Was Nothing Like the Man Who Lived There
TLDR: Andy Samuel Griffith was born on June 1, 1926, in Mount Airy, North Carolina, and died on July 3, 2012, at his home on … Read more
Jim Nabors Was Gomer Pyle — and He Had One of the Greatest Singing Voices in American Television History
TLDR: Jim Nabors was born on June 12, 1930, in Sylacauga, Alabama, played Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show from 1962 to 1964, and … Read more
The Real Aunt Bee: Frances Bavier Was Nothing Like the Woman You Watched Every Week
TLDR: Frances Bavier was born on December 14, 1902, in New York City, trained as a classical stage actress at the American Academy of Dramatic … Read more
Ron Howard: Opie Taylor, Happy Days and What He’s Doing Now
TLDR: Ron Howard was born on March 1, 1954, in Duncan, Oklahoma, and was cast as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show at age … Read more
Why Don Knotts Left The Andy Griffith Show — and the Misunderstanding That Changed His Life
TLDR: Don Knotts left The Andy Griffith Show after five seasons in 1965, having won five Emmy Awards for playing Deputy Barney Fife. He left … Read more
Where Was The Rifleman Filmed — The Real Locations Behind North Fork and the McCain Ranch
TLDR: The Rifleman (1958-1963) was set in the New Mexico Territory but filmed entirely in Southern California and occasionally Arizona. The town of North Fork … Read more
Johnny Crawford Was a Has-Been at Nine — Then He Became Mark McCain, a Teen Idol, and a Jazz Bandleader
TLDR: John Ernest Crawford was born on March 26, 1946, in Los Angeles, and played Mark McCain on The Rifleman alongside Chuck Connors from 1958 … Read more
Chuck Connors Played for the Dodgers, Shattered the First NBA Backboard, and Was Brezhnev’s Favorite American — Then He Became The Rifleman
TLDR: Chuck Connors, born Kevin Joseph Connors on April 10, 1921, in Brooklyn, was one of only thirteen athletes in history to play in both … Read more
Why The Rifleman Was Cancelled, and Why Chuck Connors Was the One Who Ended It
TLDR: The Rifleman ended its run on April 8, 1963, after five seasons and 168 episodes on ABC. The cancellation was driven by a combination … Read more
The Lennon Sister Who Turned Down the Queen of England and Is Still Performing at 82
TLDR: Kathy Lennon, born August 2, 1943, in Los Angeles, was the third of the original Lennon Sisters and the group’s low harmony voice from … Read more
What Happened to Peggy Lennon, the Sister the Stalker Was Obsessed With
TLDR: Peggy Lennon, born April 8, 1941, was the second eldest of the Lennon Sisters and the group’s high soprano for 44 years on The … Read more
The Lennon Sister Who Was 9 Years Old at Her TV Debut and Is Still on Stage at 79
TLDR: Janet Elizabeth Lennon was born on June 15, 1946, in Culver City, California, the youngest of the original four Lennon Sisters. She was 9 … Read more
John McIntire Replaced Ward Bond on Wagon Train — and Made the Role Entirely His Own
TLDR: John McIntire was a radio star turned character actor who played Sheriff Chambers in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and stepped into Wagon Train after Ward … Read more
The Lennon Sister Who Walked Away From a Top-Rated TV Show to Be a Housewife — Twice
TLDR: Dianne Lennon, born December 1, 1939, was the eldest of the Lennon Sisters and the group’s vocal anchor from their 1955 debut on The … Read more
The Murder of Bert Lennon — The Tragedy That Shattered the Lennon Sisters’ World
TLDR: William “Bert” Lennon, father and longtime manager of the Lennon Sisters, was shot and killed on August 12, 1969, at the Venice Golf Course … Read more
Who Was Kathleen Peterson —The Woman The Staircase Case Turned Into Evidence
TLDR: Kathleen Hunt Peterson was born on February 21, 1953, in Greensboro, North Carolina. She graduated top of her high school class, became one of … Read more