What did you watch this week in classic TV on DVD(or Blu)? (2 Viewers)

[BobO'Link]

A couple of days ago I finished watching the *76!* episodes of the 2 season The Rebel (1959) (that's more than 3 seasons of a modern TV show). The non-rhyming lyrics started to grow on me by the end (but still grate a bit).

The open where a branding iron hits the wood to imprint his silhouette and smokes when the iron is removed is very well done. You really have to be watching to see where they change from the non-imprinted/burnt wood shot to the one with the fake smoke being pumped in from the back.

Lots and lots of recognizable actors:

Jack Elam:

Royal Dano and Vaughn Taylor:

Warren Stevens:

Virginia Gregg and Bobby Diamond:

Ed Nelson and Dee Pollock:

John Dehner:

Cathy O'Donnell and William Demarest:

and many, many more.

The stories were consistently good all the way through with several tying into his military past. In one a kid asks "Say... isn't that a soldier's hat?" to which he replies "It used to be..."

The last half dozen or so episodes *finally* had the announcer say "A Mark Goodson, Bill Todman Production." when it came up on screen on the closing credits.

Here's a list of all the guest stars who appeared (shamelessly lifted from Wikipedia):
Charles Aidman
Philip Ahn
Claude Akins
Michael Ansara
Barry Atwater
James Best
Robert Blake
Dan Blocker
Henry Brandon
Patricia Breslin
Victor Buono
John Carradine
Johnny Cash
Iron Eyes Cody
Elisha Cook, Jr.
Ellen Corby
Vic Damone
Royal Dano
John Dehner
Frank DeKova
William Demarest
Richard Devon
Bobby Diamond
George Dolenz
James Drury
Jack Elam
Ross Elliott
Jason Evers
Richard Farnsworth
Jamie Farr
Virginia Field
Robert Foulk
Steven Franken
Ned Glass
Mark Goddard
Virginia Gregg
Clu Gulager
Stacy Harris
Myron Healey
Richard Jaeckel
L.Q. Jones
Gail Kobe
Wright King
Otto Kruger
Ruta Lee
Lisa Lu
John Marley
Strother Martin
Lon McCallister
Tyler McVey
Patricia Medina
Robert Middleton
John Mitchum
Joanna Moore
Terry Moore
Agnes Moorehead
Ed Nelson
Leonard Nimoy
Jeanette Nolan
Tom Nolan
Jay Novello
Warren Oates
Cathy O'Donnell
J. Pat O'Malley
Gigi Perreau
William Phipps
Paul Picerni
Mala Powers
Sue Randall
Madlyn Rhue
Paul Richards
Tex Ritter
Gail Russell
Soupy Sales
Walter Sande
William Schallert
James Seay
Dan Sheridan
Frank Silvera
Bob Steele
Olan Soule
K.T. Stevens
Warren Stevens
Gloria Talbott
Buck Taylor
Vaughn Taylor
Kenneth Tobey
Harry Townes
Robert Vaughn
James Westerfield
Peter Whitney
Marie Windsor
Carleton G. Young

That's quite a roster!

Because it was so well written and produced I had to look up why it was cancelled. Turns out it's due to yet another bad decision by a network (again, from Wikipedia):

The Rebel was a ratings success for ABC, commanding 35 per cent share of the Sunday evening audience in its time slot, and was actually scheduled to be renewed for a third season, as part of a new hour-long series entitled The Rebel and The Yank, which would have again starred Nick Adams as the Rebel, and future The Virginian star James Drury starring as "the Yank", a former Union soldier working as a doctor in the South. However, despite the show's success, ABC decided to pass on the series due to two factors: first, its violence (at a time when the network was trying to withdraw from violent programming), and second, the network's new "counter-programming" format, in which a different type of show was scheduled against the network competition in that time slot, such as a comedy or variety show against an action-adventure show. Thus, The Rebel was cancelled, The Rebel and The Yank project never came to fruition, and the series was replaced by a new variety show starring Steve Allen. This program was not a success, lasting less than four months.

One of the bonus items on the set is the pilot episode for The Yank. I've not watched that yet and really hadn't planned to until reading about why The Rebel was cancelled.

 

[JohnHopper]

"However, despite the show's success, ABC decided to pass on the series due to two factors: first, its violence (at a time when the network was trying to withdraw from violent programming),"

That anti-violence campaign returned in 1969 when they cancelled The Wild Wild West, by the way.


PS: For the anecdote, actor Nick Adams was a good friend of Robert Conrad.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

One of the bonus items on the set is the pilot episode for The Yank. I've not watched that yet and really hadn't planned to until reading about why The Rebel was cancelled.

You really ought to watch that The Yank pilot, Howie, it's very good. Pity that it never went to series (and a pity that The Rebel was cancelled.) Of course, James Drury's career didn't suffer for very long, with The Virginian coming soon after.

 

[Doug Wallen]

I found The Rebel on tubi tv. I have watched the first 4 or 5 eps. and have really enjoyed it. Are the copies that are streaming the same on the dvd? Not sure if anyone would know. I have been thinking about adding this one to my collection.

 

[JohnHopper]

"However, despite the show's success, ABC decided to pass on the series due to two factors: first, its violence (at a time when the network was trying to withdraw from violent programming),"

That anti-violence campaign returned in 1969 when they cancelled The Wild Wild West, by the way.


PS: For the anecdote, actor Nick Adams was a good friend of Robert Conrad.

Actor Nick Adams appeared twice on The Wild Wild West:
"The Night of the Two-Legged Buffalo" (season 1)
"The Night of the Vipers" (season 3) (the best of the two)

 

[Jeff Flugel]

A quick update as my U.S. vacation winds down...

T.J. Hooker - 3.6 "Walk a Straight Line"
Caught this on a hotel room TV in Sequim, Washington (home of the John Wayne Marina and Resort). Stupid 80s fun, with plenty of TV-tame T 'n' A and explosive action. Heather Locklear looks about 70 pounds soaking wet and is not in any way convincing as a cop, but Bill Shatner and James Darren keep things interesting. This one's that old chestnut about the cop who drinks too much on the job and Hooker's efforts to get him to clean up his act, all the while tying up an armed robbery case.

Wagon Train
1.1 "The Willy Moran Story"
1.2 "The Jean LeBec Story"
1.3 "The John Cameron Story"
1.4 "The Ruth Owens Story"
First time watching this series. Good stuff, especially the first episode, which has a real epic sweep to it. Ward Bond and Robert Horton provide a strong center, and the caliber of guest star talent is quite high, including, in just these first four episodes alone: Ernest Borgnine, Marjorie Lord, Andrew Duggan, Ricardo Montalban (as a Frenchman!), Joanna Moore, Michael Rennie, Carolyn Jones, Claude Akins, Shelley Winters, Kent Smith, and Dean Stockwell. Sometimes things veer a bit more into straight drama territory than western action for my tastes, but the acting and scripts have remained compelling.

The Rifleman
1.3 "End of a Young Gun"
1.4 "The Marshal"
The good stuff keeps coming under the sure hand of Sam Peckinpah. "Little Joe" himself, Michael Landon, stars in "End of a Young Gun," as an outlaw who injures himself while saving Mark's life, and receives some tough love tutelage from Lucas McCain as he recuperates at his ranch. "The Marshal" introduces Paul Fix as former lawman turned drunk Micah Torrence, who sobers up in time to save McCain's bacon from baddies James Drury, Warren Oates and Robert J. Wilke (how's that for a murderer's row?) Also with a young and super-cute Abby Dalton.

The Outer Limits - 1.20 "The Bellero Shield"
Never have been able to fully embrace this show, always preferring the shorter, punchier tales on The Twilight Zone. I found this one a bit of an oddity, frankly, with strange, intense turns by Sally Kellerman and Chita Rivera (there's so much focus on the striking Ms. Rivera's feet, it felt like I was watching a Tarantino movie!) The concept of the titular shield is a cool one, however, and the ironic ending, spooky alien visitor (well-played by John Hoyt) and dynamite cinematography by Conrad Hall, all combine to put this one in the plus column.

Due South
1.0 "Pilot"
1.1 "Free Willy"
Have very fond memories of this '90s buddy cop show, and was happily surprised to see that it's even better than I remembered. The pilot especially is a very nice piece of work, with lots of wonderful location photography (in Banff National Park, and Toronto subbing for Chicago) and exciting action. What really lifts this above the norm is the writing and strong "fish out of water" premise. Paul Gross is letter-perfect as the straight-arrow, unfailingly polite Mountie who relocates to Chicago and teams up with a wise-ass American cop (played for the first two seasons by David Marciano). Lots of quirky moments and funny dialogue, courtesy of creator Paul Haggis. All good Mountie heroes need a stalwart canine companion, and Diefenbacher the deaf wonder dog continues this grand tradition in style.

Bonanza - 5.4 "Twilight Town"
Really enjoying watching all these westerns with my father...though he wasn't quite sure what to make of this, very atypical, Bonanza episode, which follows Little Joe as he wanders, delirious after being robbed and pistol-whipped in the desert, into a literal ghost town. I loved the eerie Twilight Zone vibe in this entry, which is light on action but strong on atmosphere. After watching a slew of black and white westerns, the bright, saturated colors on this one really popped.

 

[Rustifer]

Episode Commentary
My Favorite Martian
"Keep Me From The Church On Time" (S3E4)

Uncle Martin (Ray Walston) has a "futuroid" camera that spits out photos of events that take place 24 hours later (kinda smacks of a Twilight Zone episode). A picture taken of Tim (Bill Bixby) reveals his impending marriage to an indefinite lady with a mole on her back--the only identifying feature for them to go on. Thus begins a scramble to find this girl and prevent a marriage that Tim definitely doesn't want--being a confirmed bachelor and living with male Martian.

Martin and Tim begin their search at the "Kitten Club", sort of a faux Playboy key club where the waitresses wear scanty cat outfits. Apparently this is Tim's usual hunting ground for dates. After examining many of the girls for moles on their backs--an exercise that would generally get one tossed out on their ear--no luck. Enter Louise Babcock (Yvonne Craig), one of the kittens that Tim has unsuccessfully tried to date. She and her boyfriend Sam (Norman Pitlik) are currently mad at one another, so she puts some moves on Tim to make Sam jealous. Tim invites her to his house for a date, and as Louise is changing out of her kitten uniform, we discover she has a mole on her back. Oh oh.

Uncle Martin's futuroid camera; Yvonne uses one of those new-fangled wall phones; who wouldn't want a blue velour pullover?

Once she's at Tim's house fully dressed, he asks her to put her outfit back on (not too pervy) so as to be able to check out her back. Louise's Dad and boyfriend show up to beat the crap out of him. The only solution is to get Sam and Louise back together, which culminates at a goofy Justice of the Peace office in Tijuana for a $50 marriage..

The innocence of this whole event surpasses credulity. Yvonne Craig, usually smoldering hot, is way too downplayed here. Additionally, the Kitten Club appears to be about as provocative as a Burger King franchise. When the series first aired, it fit right in with the current rage of "magical partner" concepts (Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie) where wild fantasies could have been exploited but were always suppressed for the sake of public morality. As a result, the humor of My Favorite Martian was mostly pedestrian and required an overly raucous laugh track to promote whatever thin chuckles it could promote. It's a good watch for nostalgia reasons, but not so much for belly laughs.

Notes:
Ray Walston, a respected thespian, felt the role of a Martian was about a step away from being in Hell. "The possibility of spending the rest of my life being cast as a Martian and wandering about in front of a camera with antennae on my head'' was repugnant to him. In the end, however, the income was just too good to pass up. It was out of this world, one might say.

 

[Rustifer]

Wagon Train
1.1 "The Willy Moran Story"
1.2 "The Jean LeBec Story"
1.3 "The John Cameron Story"
1.4 "The Ruth Owens Story"
First time watching this series. Good stuff, especially the first episode, which has a real epic sweep to it. Ward Bond and Robert Horton provide a strong center, and the caliber of guest star talent is quite high, including, in just these first four episodes alone: Ernest Borgnine, Marjorie Lord, Andrew Duggan, Ricardo Montalban (as a Cajun!), Joanna Moore, Michael Rennie, Carolyn Jones, Claude Akins, Shelley Winters, Kent Smith, and Dean Stockwell. Sometimes things veer a bit more into straight drama territory than western action for my tastes, but the acting and scripts have remained compelling.

I have incredulously never watched an episode of this truly classic series, although it's been in syndication for a jillion years. I would watch and write about an episode or two just out of interest, but it already gets pretty good coverage in here and doesn't need me piling on.

 

[Rustifer]

That anti-violence campaign returned in 1969 when they cancelled The Wild Wild West, by the way.

Astounding as to what was considered as violent back in those days. I was not allowed to watch The Untouchables for fear of the irreparable damage to my delicate pre-teen psyche. Good thing too, I guess--since I've never desired a tommy gun, cheated on my taxes or concocted bathtub gin.

 

[BobO'Link]

My sister and I were not allowed to watch Naked City (this was halfway through its run - I was ~6, she was ~5) - no exceptions (plus it came on right at bedtime although I do recall seeing the open credits on occasion). You can only imagine what goes through the heads of kids that age with a title like that!

I purchased it on DVD when it came out but have only watched an episode or two. Of course it's *nothing* like we imagined and, from what I recall from those episodes, is a pretty standard cop show from those years. The Untouchables were off limits as well (again - right at bedtime). But I *could* and *did* watch things like The Rifleman, Maverick, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Rawhide, Have Gun Will Travel, and other westerns with the only restriction being if they came on too late.

When it came right down to it my parents were pretty lenient about TV shows with programs mainly being forbidden because they came on "too late." I really feel that my parents had the "If it's on TV then it's OK" mentality, even with the late 60s "subversive" type shows like The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. The only things I recall being censored were James Bond movies (dad was appalled with the name "Pussy Galore" in Goldfinger - "I can't believe they let them say that on TV!"), movies rated "M" and "certain magazines."

 

[BobO'Link]

I have incredulously never watched an episode of this truly classic series, although it's been in syndication for a jillion years. I would watch and write about an episode or two just out of interest, but it already gets pretty good coverage in here and doesn't need me piling on.

Do it... just do it... you know you want to...

I've seen it - some growing up and then a few years back when I purchased some episodes on DVD (don't remember if it was a "best of" set or one of the seasons). Growing up I'd only stop to watch if if there was absolutely "nothing else on." It was "OK" but not really a western - at least not in the sense that I wanted.

 

[Ron1973]

Episode Commentary
My Favorite Martian
"Keep Me From The Church On Time" (S3E4)

Uncle Martin (Ray Walston) has a "futuroid" camera that spits out photos of events that take place 24 hours later (kinda smacks of a Twilight Zone episode). A picture taken of Tim (Bill Bixby) reveals his impending marriage to an indefinite lady with a mole on her back--the only identifying feature for them to go on. Thus begins a scramble to find this girl and prevent a marriage that Tim definitely doesn't want--being a confirmed bachelor and living with male Martian.

Martin and Tim begin their search at the "Kitten Club", sort of a faux Playboy key club where the waitresses wear scanty cat outfits. Apparently this is Tim's usual hunting ground for dates. After examining many of the girls for moles on their backs--an exercise that would generally get one tossed out on their ear--no luck. Enter Louise Babcock (Yvonne Craig), one of the kittens that Tim has unsuccessfully tried to date. She and her boyfriend Sam (Norman Pitlik) are currently mad at one another, so she puts some moves on Tim to make Sam jealous. Tim invites her to his house for a date, and as Louise is changing out of her kitten uniform, we discover she has a mole on her back. Oh oh.
View attachment 62000 View attachment 62001 View attachment 62002
Uncle Martin's futuroid camera; Yvonne uses one of those new-fangled wall phones; who wouldn't want a blue velour pullover?

Once she's at Tim's house fully dressed, he asks her to put her outfit back on (not too pervy) so as to be able to check out her back. Louise's Dad and boyfriend show up to beat the crap out of him. The only solution is to get Sam and Louise back together, which culminates at a goofy Justice of the Peace office in Tijuana for a $50 marriage..

The innocence of this whole event surpasses credulity. Yvonne Craig, usually smoldering hot, is way too downplayed here. Additionally, the Kitten Club appears to be about as provocative as a Burger King franchise. When the series first aired, it fit right in with the current rage of "magical partner" concepts (Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie) where wild fantasies could have been exploited but were always suppressed for the sake of public morality. As a result, the humor of My Favorite Martian was mostly pedestrian and required an overly raucous laugh track to promote whatever thin chuckles it could promote. It's a good watch for nostalgia reasons, but not so much for belly laughs.

Notes:
Ray Walston, a respected thespian, felt the role of a Martian was about a step away from being in Hell. "The possibility of spending the rest of my life being cast as a Martian and wandering about in front of a camera with antennae on my head'' was repugnant to him. In the end, however, the income was just too good to pass up. It was out of this world, one might say.

When we had a new UHF station premiere in the early 80's, this was advertised as one of the shows. I thought it looked like the stupidest thing I'd ever saw and refused to watch it. My dad said it was one of his favorites. Still not convinced! Oh, it has Bill Bixby in it that plays on The Incredible Hulk. Now I'm convinced! It's still a fun show to watch now and then. Pro Classic TV has all of the episodes streaming on YouTube, so it's free to watch.

 

[Rustifer]

Do it... just do it... you know you want to...

Yeahhhh...I kinda do....

 

[BobO'Link]

Episode Commentary
My Favorite Martian
"Keep Me From The Church On Time" (S3E4)

Uncle Martin (Ray Walston) has a "futuroid" camera that spits out photos of events that take place 24 hours later (kinda smacks of a Twilight Zone episode). A picture taken of Tim (Bill Bixby) reveals his impending marriage to an indefinite lady with a mole on her back--the only identifying feature for them to go on. Thus begins a scramble to find this girl and prevent a marriage that Tim definitely doesn't want--being a confirmed bachelor and living with male Martian.

Martin and Tim begin their search at the "Kitten Club", sort of a faux Playboy key club where the waitresses wear scanty cat outfits. Apparently this is Tim's usual hunting ground for dates. After examining many of the girls for moles on their backs--an exercise that would generally get one tossed out on their ear--no luck. Enter Louise Babcock (Yvonne Craig), one of the kittens that Tim has unsuccessfully tried to date. She and her boyfriend Sam (Norman Pitlik) are currently mad at one another, so she puts some moves on Tim to make Sam jealous. Tim invites her to his house for a date, and as Louise is changing out of her kitten uniform, we discover she has a mole on her back. Oh oh.
View attachment 62000 View attachment 62001 View attachment 62002
Uncle Martin's futuroid camera; Yvonne uses one of those new-fangled wall phones; who wouldn't want a blue velour pullover?

Once she's at Tim's house fully dressed, he asks her to put her outfit back on (not too pervy) so as to be able to check out her back. Louise's Dad and boyfriend show up to beat the crap out of him. The only solution is to get Sam and Louise back together, which culminates at a goofy Justice of the Peace office in Tijuana for a $50 marriage..

The innocence of this whole event surpasses credulity. Yvonne Craig, usually smoldering hot, is way too downplayed here. Additionally, the Kitten Club appears to be about as provocative as a Burger King franchise. When the series first aired, it fit right in with the current rage of "magical partner" concepts (Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie) where wild fantasies could have been exploited but were always suppressed for the sake of public morality. As a result, the humor of My Favorite Martian was mostly pedestrian and required an overly raucous laugh track to promote whatever thin chuckles it could promote. It's a good watch for nostalgia reasons, but not so much for belly laughs.

Notes:
Ray Walston, a respected thespian, felt the role of a Martian was about a step away from being in Hell. "The possibility of spending the rest of my life being cast as a Martian and wandering about in front of a camera with antennae on my head'' was repugnant to him. In the end, however, the income was just too good to pass up. It was out of this world, one might say.

Thls one came on at the "wrong time" (just as we were leaving for church) so, as a kid, I never got to see more than a few minutes. I was allways a sucker for this type of show but after seeing a few episodes while in college found it rather mundane. So much so that I didn't purchase the DVDs the first time around (which turned out to be a good thing as they suffered issues being on DS discs). I'd see them on sale, think about it, and walk away. I finally caved when Shout! got the license and re-released them on SS discs. I've enjoyed what I've seen so far but it feels like its running out of steam/ideas after 2 seasons. And I still have the 3rd to go - along with that episode.

I love comedy shows but always get annoyed with the type of plot in this episode - where people go out of their way to try and avoid something or fix a miscommunication/assumption and cause more issues than if they'd just left it alone to start. Just not bothering to ask questions before jumping in head first. It's rare I find such episodes funny. I've seen so many of them they're predictable yet writers keep churning them out.

 

[Ron1973]

Thls one came on at the "wrong time" (just as we were leaving for church) so, as a kid, I never got to see more than a few minutes. I was allways a sucker for this type of show but after seeing a few episodes while in college found it rather mundane. So much so that I didn't purchase the DVDs the first time around (which turned out to be a good thing as they suffered issues being on DS discs). I'd see them on sale, think about it, and walk away. I finally caved when Shout! got the license and re-released them on SS discs. I've enjoyed what I've seen so far but it feels like its running out of steam/ideas after 2 seasons. And I still have the 3rd to go - along with that episode.

I love comedy shows but always get annoyed with the type of plot in this episode - where people go out of their way to try and avoid something or fix a miscommunication/assumption and cause more issues than if they'd just left it alone to start. Just not bothering to ask questions before jumping in head first. It's rare I find such episodes funny. I've seen so many of them they're predictable yet writers keep churning them out.

S3, of course, is in color, so that helps. The first 2 episodes are a part 1 and part 2 dealing with Uncle Martin's time machine. It's a pretty fun deviation from the other episodes. You begin to wonder how Uncle Martin got all of this equipment on his tiny spaceship. I guess the same way Ginger got all of her clothing on the island and the Howells their cash, jewels, and clothing!

 

[BobO'Link]

S3, of course, is in color, so that helps. The first 2 episodes are a part 1 and part 2 dealing with Uncle Martin's time machine. It's a pretty fun deviation from the other episodes. You begin to wonder how Uncle Martin got all of this equipment on his tiny spaceship. I guess the same way Ginger got all of her clothing on the island and the Howells their cash, jewels, and clothing!

Well... it *was* a 3 hour cruise... You *must* be prepared for these things!

 

[Rustifer]

Episode Commentary
Wonder Woman
"Formula 407" (S1E12)

When this series first aired in 1975, I tuned in for one reason only--as did most males: Lyle Waggoner's glossy hairdo. Right?

Argentine professor Moreno (Nehemiah Persoff) has invented a formula that makes rubber as strong as steel. The American Army sees this as useful so as to reinforce tires on military vehicles. It's a sorry state that our ingenuity for this formula could apply only to tires. Nonetheless, Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) and his assistant Diana (Lynda Carter) are sent to Buenos Aires to retrieve the concoction from Professor Moreno. Major Steve's first thought is whether he can share a hotel room with Diana--for cost saving measure, of course.

The Professor's lab looks to be a paean to Gilbert's Chemistry Set for Beginners--all test tubes, beakers and flasks bubbling away atop bunsen burners. The Professor is very pro-American and wants donate his invention to the country. This being 1942 in Argentina, we need to toss in some nasty Nazis who are also interested in the formula. The Nazis, played by American actors with bad German accents, are as comically villainous as only this era's TV can produce. Steve and Diana land in the Buenos Aires airport, which appears to be a house in Malibu (where this entire episode is actually filmed). Diana, dressed in her drab ensign uniform with hair pulled back in a librarian's bun and huge round eyeglasses, is made to look as mousey as possible to contrast with her Wonder Woman sparkle. Think of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.

Steve is thinking...Gee if I can just loosen that clasp...; WW helps a neighbor retrieve her dog; Why Steve, are you THAT glad to see me?

There's a whole passel of Nazis waiting to kidnap Steve and Diana on their way to the hotel. This precipitates a magical spin from Diana and POOF!--Wonder Woman appears in all her cleavaged glory. Much like Superman's disguise as Clark Kent, Major Steve does not recognize Wonder Woman as his constant companion Diana merely because she's no longer wearing glasses and her hairdo is different. This acumen is how one gets to be a Major in the army. Perhaps in her Wonder Woman outfit, his eyes never quite make it all the way up to her face.

Well, to make short work of this commentary, the rest of the story is nothing more than a tug-of-war between good and evil, with twists and turns that eventually end on a positive note for the side of good. You knew it could end no other way.

Lynda Carter never went much out of her way, personally or professionally, to exploit her obvious sexual appeal. As a result, I never found her attractive enough to sustain me through all three seasons of the show. In addition, the era change from WW II in season 1 to the mid-70's in season's 2 and 3 made little to no sense.

Notes:

Can you see why the pilot episode with Cathy Lee Crosby needed a bit of rethinking?

 

[Purple Wig]

A fistful of episodes in to Gomer Pyle: The Final Season, finding it entertaining if not as good as season 4. A bit confused, though; its billing as “the FINAL season” led me to expect the episodes would have an air of, well.....finality. A looming sense of dread perhaps. I consulted a stoned friend about this and he ventured this was perhaps an early example of today’s much praised “story arcs”. The writers intentionally decided to not drop any hints about the fate of these characters, whose entire world would soon come to an abrupt end. A grand statement about the transitory nature of life.

 

[bmasters9]

A bit confused, though; its billing as “the FINAL season” led me to expect the episodes would have an air of, well.....finality.

Which is why I like it when the last go of a series on DVD is named by either its number, or "the ____th and final season"-- that way, we know which season is the final one.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

A fistful of episodes in to Gomer Pyle: The Final Season, finding it entertaining if not as good as season 4. A bit confused, though; its billing as “the FINAL season” led me to expect the episodes would have an air of, well.....finality. A looming sense of dread perhaps. I consulted a stoned friend about this and he ventured this was perhaps an early example of today’s much praised “story arcs”. The writers intentionally decided to not drop any hints about the fate of these characters, whose entire world would soon come to an abrupt end. A grand statement about the transitory nature of life.

i recently purchased Gomer Pyle, USMC season 1, and am looking forward to digging into it. I'm mostly only familiar with Gomer from The Andy Griffith Show, but after having caught a few random episodes of the spinoff series, I think I'm going to like this one, too. I like how the show has its cake and eats it too, by having Gomer be the butt of much humor, but still the one who comes out on top because of his decency, kindness and down-home friendly nature.