Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete First Season
Golll-eeeee! The '60s' favorite TV country bumpkin, Gomer Pyle, won the hearts of viewers onThe Andy Griffith Show, and spun off in to his own wildly popular series,Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.. As the eternally cheery and clueless Gomer, Jim Nabors gives a comic tour de force performance as a newbie Marine under the command of the short-tempered Sgt. Carter, played with demonic fervor by Frank Sutton. Are Pyle and Sgt. Carter bitter foes or comedic sidekicks? "Surprise, surprise, surprise"--the secret to their chemistry was that the actors and characters were both, inseparable and adorable in their signature ways. The scrapes Gomer gets into are fairly routine and never exactly threaten national security, but Nabors' guileless delivery makes viewers tune in for more; the belly laughs are real. The boxed set includes engaging audio commentary by Nabors, who clearly still holds a lot of affection for his hapless alter-ego, as well as all 30 first-season episodes, and the pilot, which actually aired onThe Andy Griffith Show. Other gems from the archive treasure trove include appearances by Nabors onThe Lucy Show,The David Frost Show, and Nabor's own variety show, which also showcased his accomplished singing.Shazam!--A.T. Hurley