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When it comes to nostalgic television shows of the 1960s that took place in the heartland, nothing beats The Andy Griffith Show. A fantastic cast featuring Griffith and fellow actors Don Knotts, Frances Bavier and Ron Howard made a lasting impression on so many Americans. After eight seasons, 249 episodes, numerous Emmy Awards and high ratings, The Andy Griffith Show ended its incredible run in 1968. It has since been in reruns on classic television networks. Here are 19 incredible facts about The Andy Griffith Show — including some behind-the-scenes secrets from the show and what happened to the lead actors in the years after the show went off the air. IT WAS A SPINOFF The concept for The Andy Griffith Show originated from a February 1960 episode of The Danny Thomas Show called “Danny Meets Andy Griffith” that set the whole show in motion. A few months later, Griffith had his own show. Definition.org via Pinterest GRIFFITH AND KNOTTS WERE ESSENTIALLY BFFS. Griffith and co-star Don Knotts had a real friendship that transcended their roles together on the show. Their friendship formed years earlier in other productions. When Knotts passed away in 2006, Griffith was at his friend’s bedside. Definition Via Pinterest THE ROCK THROW IN THE OPENING CREDITS WAS NOT REAL. During the show’s iconic opening credits, young Opie appears to throw a rock in a lake. However, Ron Howard, who was only 6-years-old at the time, couldn’t muster enough strength to do that. Instead, a production assistant hiding behind a bush threw the rock into the lake. Definition.org via The Red List THE CAR WAS AS ICONIC AS THE SHOW. The infamous squad car on The Andy Griffith Show was a Ford Galaxie 500. The producers of the show reportedly received a free Galaxie replacement from a local dealership whenever a new model came in. That’s why the car always looked brand new. The classic 1961 Ford Fairlane via classiccarlabs MAYBERRY WAS A FAKE TOWN. Sorry folks, Mayberry, South Carolina, the setting of the show was completely made up. A group of fans has a common conspiracy that the concept of Mayberry is based of the physical aspects of Mount Airy, North Carolina. Although Andy Griffith claims this rumor is false, Mount Airy happens to be where he grew up. That kind of makes sense, right? Good old Mayberry via Wikipedia To find out more behind the scenes facts press "Next," starting with the Theme Song, that was almost very different! THE THEME SONG WAS ORIGINALLY DIFFERENT. The theme song for this show was called "The Fishin Hole" which includes the whistling melody that we all remember so well. The original version of the theme song, however, did in fact not include the whistling. Instead of the whistling was a lyrical rendition that was sung by Everett Sloane. The producers felt that the song would work better with the whistling, so they stuck with that in hopes of the audience enjoying it more, and trust me they did and still do today! THE SHOW PAID TRIBUTE TO FATHERHOOD. Both Griffith and Ron Howard would later note that their father-son relationship displayed on the show was in full dedication to each of their fathers. Griffith also claimed that his reactions to Howard on the show were fully based on the same reactions that his father would give to him back in the day. Howard said that his own father inspired how he would play out the relationship between him and Griffith. You can check out their iconic father-son relationship in the video below. ANDY HAD TO GET ALL OF THE BEST JOKES ON THE SHOW The original idea of the show would include that Andy would always have the best punchlines. However, after the first bunch of episodes, the producers realized that Barney could very well be portrayed as a better comic relief for the show. Thus, they changed the show to make Andy the “setup man” and Barney the “funny man.” GRIFFITH HAD OTHER WORK BESIDES THE SHOW. Although he is remembered as the title character in the popular television show that includes his own name, Andy Griffith also had a successful career on Broadway, where he won a Tony Award. Griffith also played the main character on another television show, Matlock. Andy Griffith passed away in 2012 at the age of 86. Andy Griffith died of a heart attack in 2012 via Huffington Post SOURCE What is your favorite Andy Griffith moment? Tell us in the comments section below. RELATED: CBS Facing A Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit Over ‘Andy Griffith Show’ Theme Song