I grew up on the re-runs when local independent TV stations (known for mostly re-runs) were still common and later when TBS started showing the program. I got a lot of laughs from this show.I went on to serve in the real Marine Corps for ten years. While this show has many many technical military errors, I still get a good laugh of the comedy of the show. It's a great way to lighten up!The military aspect this show really gets right is the relationships between the sergeants and the junior enlisted men and/or the officers and the rest of the unit; for a funny show they kept that aspect believable of who was in charge and who was being led.Jim Nabors in the title role gave us a departure from the quintessential portrayals of Marines from that era; instead of a hard-charging, squared away, by-the-book hero, we got someone from the other end of the spectrum whose heart is in the right place when it comes to the military, but serves in a bumbling way! If you didn't take this show too seriously or (if you were in the service) if you weren't too gung ho, this show brought you the laughs that it should.While I echo some of the sentiments of the other reviewers like, "The Military Was Never this Funny" I also see that we have to step down and laugh a little too! Military service is serious business, hands down, but it don't mean we have to be mindless robots de-void of humor!Also. . .yes, Gomer didn't go to Vietnam, nor was it ever mentioned as the war went on as the show did; I saw in a documentary (about the military) that TV shows of the time avoided including Vietnam in their shows for fear of low viewership and ratings as that was an unpopular war. That war may have helped in its cancellation as well even if it wasn't mentioned as the American public wanted no reminders.No matter your view of the military, whether you served or not, this show provided many laughs so long as you didn't take it seriously.

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 used to enjoy Gomer Pyle when it was in black and white. But after doing a tour as a drill instructor, I couldn't stand it! How many times did Gunny Carter have to tell Pyle to do something before he did it? The funniest episodes were the ones where Gomer's still in boot camp!

In 1965 the Gomer Pyle, USMC show was switched from black and white to color. It was necessary to film the color guard and opening and closing scenes for the show in color. This was done at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, in June, 1965. I was in the recruit platoon used for the filming and I am the young Marine marching directly behind Gomer in those scenes. During most of the brief scene Sgt. Carter is between me and the camera, however the angle changes just before the scene closes. We marched from 0730 until 1430 that day just to get those few seconds of film. The platoon was Plt. 130, 1st Recruit Btn. As a side note, during a break in the filming, Frank Sutton (Sgt. Carter) asked me if I ever smiled. Being the young, indoctrinated, Gung Ho recruit I was, my reply was, "Yes Sir. When my Drill Instructor tells me to, sir!" Frank Sutton Rolled his eyes and said to Jim Nabors, "I forgot where we were for a second". After my stint in the Marine Corps, I went into law enforcement and spent more time in front of a TV camera than I cared to. I'm now retired and enjoying life to the fullest.