Andy and Helen had an affair in real life, which is why she stuck around for the duration. Elinor Donahue and Joanna Moore left due to Andy’s proclivities. He was married at the time, also. He and Barney both had affairs with other women on the show. The book “Andy and Don” goes into some of it, and it’s pretty shocking at times.
Juanita worked at the Bluebird Diner. There’s a real life place called The Snappy Lunch, which gets referred to now and then. I was visiting a cousin and we stopped in Siler City, I have a photo of myself by the sign. Siler City is not that far from Chapel Hill, where Andy attended college. Mt. Pilot is actually Mt. Airy, NC.
The statue of Andy and Opie stands in a small park that I found by accident in Raleigh. Someone had stolen their fishing poles. :)
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