Mayberry’s Gomer Enlists: He’s Armed and Hilarious

Mayberry good ol’ boy Gomer Pyle is becoming a man.

He’s been in uniform before (working at Wally’s filling station) and carried weapons (during unfortunate stints as a deputy), but now he’s ready to serve more than Mayberry and North Carolina--the whole United States.

This episode of “The Andy Griffith Show,” which was spun off into “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.,” airs Friday at 10 a.m. on KTTV Channel 11. Gomer (Jim Nabors) decides to become a Marine and meets Sgt. “I can’t hear you!” Carter (Frank Sutton).

If you look at Pvt. Pyle and fear for the free world, just be happy the spinoff wasn’t “Goober Pyle, U.S.M.C.” or “Barney Fife, CIA.”

In fact, there would be no spinoff for Barney--Don Knotts left Mayberry in 1965 and went straight to Hollywood and the movies--but Aunt Bee, Goober and Howard would stick around in “Mayberry R.F.D.,” a second “Andy Griffith Show” spinoff.

That one was an overhaul of the series when Griffith left. Ken Berry became the lead, as farmer Sam Jones, a widower with a young son (some things never change). The boy, Mike, was played by Buddy Foster, whose face is not quite as familiar as that of his younger sister, Jodie Foster.

“Mayberry R.F.D.” lasted only three years (“Gomer Pyle” ran five), but not because it didn’t do well in the ratings; it was a victim of CBS’ anti-rural purge and, along with “Green Acres,” “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Hee Haw,” was canceled in 1971.

YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS . . . : What series was “The Andy Griffith Show” spun off from? (We’ll give you the answer next week.)

SET YOUR VCR: It’s worth watching the “Star Trek” episode “The Deadly Years” (Saturday at 12:30 a.m. on KCOP Channel 13) to see how absurdly TV viewed post-middle-age in 1967. A disease makes some of the crew get old quickly. By the time of his competency hearing, Kirk (William Shatner) is supposed to be somewhere between 60 and 72 but acts more like 130. (See how you like it now, Shatner--you’re 66.)

Sam’s out and Frasier’s in this week on “Cheers.” Diane and Sam are kaput in the two-parter “I’ll Be Seeing You” (tonight and Friday at 11 p.m. on KTLA Channel 5). The next two-parter, “Rebound” (Monday and Tuesday at 11 p.m.) introduces Dr. Frasier Crane (14 years ago).

Patrick Swayze plays a GI whose leukemia prevents him from donating blood to a wounded pal on “MASH” (Saturday at 12:30 a.m. on KTTV Channel 11). That was 1981--six years before he was dancing dirty.

An Emmy for writing went to the “thirtysomething” episode “Business as Usual” (Friday at 11 a.m. on Lifetime), in which Michael finds out the reason for his dad’s visit.

Jan gets in some last-minute whining as KTLA Channel 5 wraps up a week of “Brady Bunch” episodes devoted to her. They include “Jan the Only Child” (today at 1:30 p.m.). Next week it’s Greg in the spotlight. On Monday he wants his own, groovy pad; on Feb. 27, he becomes Johnny Bravo--for a while.

The tables are turned on Broderick Crawford--who rode with the “Highway Patrol” for 156 episodes in the ‘50s--in “CHiPs” (Friday at 6 a.m. on TNT) when Jon and Ponch give him a speeding ticket (in a show from 1977).

Lucy comes back from Europe with a little bundle--and it’s not a baby brother for Little Ricky--on “I Love Lucy” (Sunday at 5:30 p.m. on KTTV Channel 11).

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