Fuzileiro das Arábias

For those of us who were very young and just discovering the fun of watching TV comedies with our parents you couldn't ask for better shows than the Andy Griffith Show and it's spin-offs. Perhaps the best spin-off show was Gomer Pyle USMC. It's excellence is due primarily to the chemistry between Jim Nabors and Frank Sutton. The writing was good too, but these pros made that easier because they could carry the load so effectively.

Of course the show's formula was lifted wholesale from the already successful Andy Griffith's comedic career. That formula started, as far as I know, with Andy's routine called "What It Was Was Football" which I still think of when I see a "big orange" soda (Crush or similar ilk)! It was honed further by the movie "No Time For Seargeants" and then refined for sitcoms in The Andy Griffith Show. American loved the formula so as long as it was changed enough to camouflage the sameness...Success was almost guaranteed.

Oh yeah, the formula was basically exploiting, in a kind way, the innocence of someone who was naive and stripped of all pretension. It worked to the "nth-degree" with Jim Nabors as Gomer! He was so believable that it likely sabotaged him after his stint as Gomer. That can happen when a character is so fully inhabited by an actor who is both a great actor and is so well suited for a persona that you see this as the person's natural persona. In spite of this, I see his whole acting career as a qualified success due to the fact this show will continued to loved by millions more around the world...Especially now that it's out on DVD.

Simply put, "they don't make 'em like they used to" and this is truly a gem of a series.

When Andy Griffith hired Jim Nabors to portray Gomer Pyle on his hit Mayberry sitcom, the Alabama born actor-singer played the part so well that a spin off was created for him. It turned out to be Gomer Pyle, USMC, putting his naive personality against the tough, no-nonsense Sergeant Carter, played by Frank Sutton. The show ended up becoming one of TV's most successful spinoffs, never falling out of the Nielsen Top 10 ratings.

I remember watching Gomer Pyle for many years and I thought it was a very funny show. A couple of episodes I remember was the one when Gomer and Sgt. Carter were in Washington and Gomer really wanted to say "Hey!" to the President. Recently, i saw the two episodes with Carol Burnett, including the one where Gomer and Sgt (promoted from Corporal) Carol Barnes sang a duet. It was one of several episodes that showcased Nabors' outstanding singing talent.

Also added to the hysteria were Ronnie Schell as Duke Slater and Allan Melvin as Sgt. Hacker.

After five years, Gomer Pyle ended its run, not because of low ratings, but because CBS offered Nabors a variety show and he decided to leave the sitcom and focus on the new show. But we'll always remember his stint as one of TV's funniest marines. Shazam!

i'm in the service also and the last person was wrong on his commits. after seeing the stuff i've seen in the navy and marine corp (no offence to the marines ) i would totally believe that show the other person was talking about even sergant bilko is more believeable now. if you know anything about gomer pyle they made the show funny but it did have some real points to it the did not intend to make fun of the marines they intended to have fun with the marines.i wish this show would of lasted well into the 70's and possible the 80's 4 star in my book.

I ve always enjoyed "Gomer Pyle" Frank Sutton played Vince Carter so well..certainly one of the great supporting actors in television. Of course the situations Gomer got into were a bit unbelievable,but after all it was escapist TV in he 60's.

The first season of theshow will be released in December with commentaries and some extras including a clip from the Jim Nabors Hour,which also starred Ronnie Schell and Frank Sutton.

One of the reviewers mentioned Ronnie Schell was with the show the entire run. He was not in the 1967-68 season. He starred in a short lived sitcom with Joby Baker "Good Morning World" He did return in 1968 as a corporal for the remainder of the series.

I been a fan of this show ever since it's debut in 1964, I was ten years old. I sure did laugh at all the things that Gomer got into and even though Sergent Carter yell at Gomer alot, I knew that deep down inside he really like the country boy from Mayberry North Carolina