Millions of baby boomers the world over grew up with the same electronic babysitter—the living room television. Stop any number of people on the street and ask them to do one of the following: recite the preamble to the Constitution, or sing the theme song to the Beverly Hillbillies. If history is any indication, the Hillbillies will emerge the conquering champions.
Television was a special part of our childhood. It whisked us into worlds beyond our own. We fell in love with many of its endearing characters and welcomed them into our living rooms with open arms, and to this day, their funny and familiar faces retain a special place in our memories and our hearts.
As a classic television fan and historian, I wanted to delve deeper to find out more about these special friends, and go beyond what had previously been written in articles and books to find the answers to questions that casual, as well as die-hard fans have always wanted to ask. I wished to capture their first-hand accounts and preserve for posterity the historical significance of their time on some of the most beloved shows in television history.
In this edition of Living Room Legends, Jim Nabors, who starred as the lovable and good-natured Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle-USMC, breaks with tradition and treats fans to a fun stroll down memory lane about his time on two of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1960’s. I hope TV fans of all ages will share in my enthusiasm at attempting to capture these golden moments, and savor the rich oral history of these small screen classics, and that these memories and anecdotes will continue to enlighten, entertain, and endure for generations to come.
