... and Don Knotts.

My writing today would not be complete without mentioning the passing of Don Knotts, who crossed over to the great Mayberry in the sky after a battle with lung cancer. (Note: some reports are saying "pulmonary and respiratory complications.")

Knotts, of course, was best known as Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show" in the 1960s. While the show had Andy Griffith's name in the title, Knotts was vital to the show's success; recall how the show stopped being funny after Knotts left the show to pursue a career in film.

(If you're ever in doubt as to whether any random episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" is worth watching, make note of whether the show is in color or black-and-white. If it's in color, change the channel - Knotts' departure from the show coincided with the colorization of the show.)

Don Knotts was the model for David Caruso, as his ill-advised jump to the big screen spelled career doom - such films as "The Reluctant Astronaut," "The Love God?" and "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" weren't exactly "Citizen Kane," or even "Pillow Talk." But Knotts did well in resurrecting his career and ended up doing work as varied as the swinging landlord in "Three's Company" to the TV repairman in "Pleasantville" and Mayor Turkey Lurkey in last year's "Chicken Little."

I recall the last decade, when the National Enquirer would have a slow news week and have a some variation of the following on its cover: "Andy Griffith: Six Weeks To Live!" or "Don Knotts Blind, Near Death!" Still, to hear of Knotts' actual passing is more than a little bit of a shock to me, even though the Enquirer had prepped me for this moment for years.

How iconic was Deputy Fife? In my county, Fife would often get write-in votes during presidential elections in the '80s and '90s. I imagine he still will.