THE JIM NABORS HOUR

Jim Nabors’ recurring character Gomer Pyle, a backwoods mechanic on “The Andy Griffith Show” in the early 1960’s catapulted him into his own sitcom when Gomer Pyle joined the Marine Corps in “Gomer Pyle, USMC.” Fresh off that show, he was given a variety hour on CBS in 1969. Ronnie Schell and Frank Sutton, two of Nabors’ former co-stars continued with him into the new show. The show was a celebration of his relationships on television, with Andy Griffith as a guest star in a parody of “The Andy Griffith Show” on the series premiere. It also gave Nabors a chance to showcase his baritone singing voice, which had garnered him several gold records in the 1960’s. Despite the show’s strong ratings performance, it fell to axe during the 1971 “Rural Purge” on CBS.