Piper’s Pets

Aaron Ruben, who was one of the main creative forces behind The Andy Griffith Show and CPO Sharkey, took a star from each and concocted Piper’s Pets — an unsold pilot. It starred Don Knotts as Dr. Donald Piper, a small town veterinarian and Peter Isacksen as his well-meaning but perpetually confused assistant, Lester. Maggie Roswell played Dr. Piper’s wife and Jacque Lynn Colton played his receptionist. NBC had it in mind as a possible mid-season replacement (which explains why it taped in September) but somehow, they felt the chemistry just wasn’t there.