Ron Howard was cast as Opie Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show (1960) after producer Sheldon Leonard saw his performance as Barnaby. The show was based on the play about Crockett Johnson's comic strip "Barnaby and Mr. O'Malley": Barnaby was a five-year-old who had a singularly inept Fairy Godfather, Jackeen J. O'Malley, Esq. No adult ever saw Mr. O'Malley. Johnson is known also for "Harold (who looks just like Barnaby) and the Purple Crayon."
Pilot for a series that didn't sell.