Sketch o’the Week: Gomer Pyle!

Gaaaah-lee! Just when I was thinking I’d run out of shows I actually watched after school as a kid, I remembered this one. “Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.” was, of course, a spin-off of “The Andy Griffith Show” featuring the Mayberry NC gas station attendant turned Marine “corpse” recruit Gomer Pyle played by Jim Nabors, My caricature also features the often exasperated drill instructor Sgt. Carter, played by Frank Sutton. This show wasn’t syndicated as often as some at that time, so I only caught it occasionally when it did run.

One thing I always wondered about… was “Gomer” his actual name, or a nickname? For all I knew, his real name might have been Harold. His cousin back in Mayberry was named “Goober”, and I couldn’t believe that was an actual name, so I figured “Gomer” was probably a nickname also.

Of course, this was back when I was a kid in the 70’s. These days there’s this thing called the internet, and you can find out all sorts of stuff on it. Some of that stuff is even true, although not much. I can find no evidence anywhere that “Gomer” was not the character’s actual name (nor “Goober” for that matter). In fact, there’s direct evidence it IS his actual name. Apparently in the episode “Pay Day” (season 1, episode 6) Gomer’s paycheck is seen to be made out to “Gomer S. Pyle”. So, not only is his legal name “Gomer”, but his middle name begins with “S”. The jury’s still out on Goober. 

I had some fun with this sketch, but I am sure if Gomer saw it he’d say “Shame, shame, shame!”