Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Jim Nabors, Frank Sutton
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount Home Video
Release Date: December 11, 2007
If you’re looking for comedy there is something to be offered by a sitcom that deals with a bumbling idiot who just happens to be in the US Marine Corp. Gomer Pyle: USMC: The Third Season is played perfectly by Jim Nabors. You will laugh at all of the antics of Pyle and feel slightly sympathetic towards the Sergeant that is in charge of him. Gomer Pyle: USMC has been the running joke and the laughing stock of the US Service since this show first aired. He represented everything that was ignorant about less intelligent people in the service.
While nice, Gomer isn’t exactly what you would call a genius. Gomer isn’t all that smart, but his heart is usually in the right place. When you put this into a military setting there are plenty of causes for some funny scenarios. This show is filled with laughs that were just too good to pass up. Despite the age of Gomer Pyle: USMC, which aired in the 1960s, the laughs are timeless. This is as funny as it was for television viewers when it first aired.
Release Information:
Andy Griffith originally conceived the idea for Gomer, the gentle nitwit, to be placed in a situation like the Marines. He thought the harsh environment would make an entertaining backdrop and it worked. CBS wasn’t interested in airing the show back when things were first being prepared because they thought the show would not appeal to the female audience. However, when producers threatened to farm out the show to NBC and other networks, CBS was ready to put Gomer on the air.
Gomer Pyle USMC aired from 1964-1969. The third season offers five discs and 30 half-hour episodes. Gomer Pyle USMC was released on DVD by Paramount Home Video on December 11, 2007. You can purchase this season of Gomer Pyle USMC at most local retailers and on the Internet at stores like Amazon. On Amazon, this season will run you about $29.99.
The Gomer Pyle: USMC: The Third SeasonPlot
The third season of Gomer Pyle: USMC aired on television from 1966-1967. As you can imagine, Gomer will be out in full force driving Sergeant Carter absolutely crazy. In the first episode, Gomer meets a famous actress, played by Deborah Walley. She invites Gomer and his friends to her house, but his friends just aren’t willing to believe Gomer. This is just one of the amusing episodes in this set.
In “Borrowed Car”, Gomer gets into a car accident. While this might not have been funny on its own, it’s amplified by the fact that the car he was in belonged to Sgt. Carter. Next thing you know, both Carter and Gomer are being kidnapped and you can’t help but feel kind of bad for the kidnappers. Other criminals surface in “Gomer the Recruiter” when the Marines pick up a recruit that is also a bank robber and in “Caution:Low Overhead” when Gomer might have purchased a watch from a crooked individual.
Things become hilarious when Gomer considers becoming a nightclub singer. At some point he even has to make the decision whether or not to re-enlist. Other great episodes include “How to Succeed in Farming Without Really Trying”, “Gomer and the Little Men from Outer Space”, “Gomer Pyle: Super Chef”, “Whither the Weather”, and “Where there’s a Will”.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting: 
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
Considering the age of Gomer Pyle: USMC: The Third Season, these DVDs came out looking pretty good. Naturally, there is some grain here, but for the most part things looked much better than I was expecting. The video was compressed at a ratio of 1.33:1 in full screen color format. The picture is not the best that I have seen, but the small problems with grain did not ruin the viewing experience. The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono. The only issue I had was that occasionally things would be too low and I would need to adjust the volume. Otherwise, the sound was fine.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
Like many of the TV on DVD sets that have been put out by CBS and Paramount Home Video recently, there are no bonus features on the Gomer Pyle: USMC: The Third Season set. If you were hoping for some Jim Nabors commentary you might be disappointed. Otherwise, the episodes are good on their own.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
Gomer Pyle: USMC: The Third Season offers some great episodes and plenty of laughs, which is the entire point of the show and this DVD box set. The lack of bonus features might seem disappointing to some, but if you are interested in checking out the show again, this set will offer you everything that you’ve been missing. People that are interested in checking out Gomer Pyle: USMC: The Third Season for the first time, won’t have any problem picking things up right from the start of this season, but the other seasons are available on DVD, as well, if you are looking for a more complete collection.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Gomer Pyle, USMC, Comedy, Box Set, Television Show, DVD Review
