It was always interesting to me that this show totally avoided the Vietnam War. Was it some sort of statement? Otherwise how could they have gotten away with such a light comedy about the military when thousands of American kids were dying? Many were Marines...
Iraq is bad enough, but imagine if it were ten times worse in terms of KIA's and a show like this came on televsion, never mentioning the war at all. Wouldn't that be strange? Surreal?
Strange and surreal, indeed, but evidently such was most prime time TV forty years ago. Would it go over today, of course not. The 70's was the decade when the door to reality began to slowly open on television, as far as sitcoms. Before that, it was pretty much all sh*ts and giggles....
shareI used to wonder that myself when I was watching this as a child. It seemed okay for the first season and even the 2nd, but then it got so far-fetched. But where would the humor have been, if he went to Vietnam? However, this was a show that was an Andy Griffith Show spin-off. Andy Griffith had starred in the successful "No Time for Sargeants" and it seems that this show is based a lot on that movie. Of course also when a show starts, no one knows how long it will run.
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The show premiered in 1964, before the U.S. had any major troop involvement. The first major combat formation to go to Vietnam was a battalion of 9th Marines in 1965. They were initially used to defend DaNang airbase. Things didn't really start heating up until July 1966, by that time the show had 2 1/2 seasons in as a hit. Public opinion for the war declined through 1967-1968 as the was escalated. That's why the show ended. As far as popularity, I remember seeing Frank Sutton on Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base in 1968 and he drew a huge crowd, the show was very popular among the Marines and their families at the time.
shareI was thinking this very thing - that the war didn't seem to "heat up" so intensely until a couple years after the show went on the air. I remember my oldest brother was stationed on Guam with the USAF during the early to mid-'60s, and the situation in 'Nam wasn't nearly as intense then as it got later. He was very glad to be out by then.
YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT ABOUT THE SOUTH, BUT YOU NEVER SEE SOUTHERNERS HEADING NORTH WHEN THEY RETIRE.
That's because they aren't too bright in the South! They'll stay down South even after numerous tornadoes have ripped their trailer parks to pieces! That's okay with us folks up North though. We'd rather have them stay put and leave us alone!! LOL!!
sharepeople like you give the South a bad name. Shame on you. You must be in jr high.
suzycreamcheese RIP Heath Ledger 1979-2008
People do migrate from the north due to the high cost of living and taxes! It's not nearly as cold in the south during the winter months. The yankees can stay up there too as far as i'm concerned!
sharePeople do migrate from the north due to the high cost of living and taxes! It's not nearly as cold in the south during the winter months. The yankees can stay up there too as far as i'm concerned!
shareActually the show ended because Nabors left for a Variety series and he took frank Sutton and ronnie schell with him.
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Nabors had said in an interview that five seasons was enough for playing GP. If he had felt the need to carry on CBS would have obliged Nabors with more seasons. The show had peaked by season 3 so it would have done well to make it to CBS' infamous rural purge of the early 1970's.
shareAgreed. Americans really did not get up in arms over Vietnam till 1968 or 1969. And that was primarily younger people who were of draft age. At the same time very few were gun-ho over Vietnam as it was obviously a financial bailout for the military materials suppliers. I was pretty young at the end of the 1960's but most people were focused on the Cold War and NASA if they had any focus outside their communities. Joining up with hippies and protestors for most was an excuse to partake in excess drugs and sex that were present in those groups.
shareIn his commentary on the Season 1 DVD, Nabors said there was a platoon training at the base where the show was filmed, that he got to be friends with some of the guys, and that they all went to Vietnam within the year. And, yes, he was very sad about it. Seems he really got into the whole esprit de corps thing, just like on the show.
YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT ABOUT THE SOUTH, BUT YOU NEVER SEE SOUTHERNERS HEADING NORTH WHEN THEY RETIRE.
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The only battlescence that was shown was a flashback of Sgt. Carter's service in Korea.
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I heard that about the platoon. I believe he said it was the one shown during the opening credits. He also said that some of them were killed. He was real respectful to the corps.
share<<<The 70's was the decade when the door to reality began to slowly open on television, as far as sitcoms.
<<< Before that, it was pretty much all sh*ts and giggles....
Actual on-air aired blooper from the announcer:
"Stay tuned next for Gomer's piles here on most of these CBS stations"
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If you look at military movies or TV shows prior to the 1970s, the vast majority were either lighthearted comedies, or were adventure movies.
I always assumed this was because a huge percentage of the viewing demographic were veterans of WWII and Korea (or at least family members of those who served). They saw the real thing first hand, and didn't want gritty reality.
These kinds of shows and movies let people reminisce about their own experiences, while avoiding the negative aspects of them. I can definitely relate to this; I'm a veteran and two of my favorite military movies were Three Kings and Buffalo Soldiers.