The DVD 'Possible Spoilers'
I just got this yesterday, here's some of the special features on this set.
Audio intro's on all the episodes by Jim Nabors.
Audio commentaries by Jim Nabors and Ronnie Schell on selected episodes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Only on three episodes...
Episode 1 "Gomer Overcomes The Obstacle Course" Commentary by Jim Nabors
(I listened to this last night; it was okay; unfortunately Mr. Nabors spends more time watching and laughing at the episode than he does commenting on it. Believe it or not he has a normal sounding voice and doesn't sound anything at all like Gomer. He mentions his admiration of Frank Sutton and how dedicated he was to his profession. At the end of the episode he thanks everyone for buying the DVD set and signs off by saying "Shazaam" and "Gaah-ly" in his Gomer voice.)
Episode 8 "Gomer And The Dragon Lady" Commentary by Ronnie Schell.
The Andy Griffith Show "Gomer Pyle USMC" Commentary by Jim Nabors.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pilot Episode: "Gomer Pyle USMC". From "The Andy Griffith Show"
"The Lucy Show" Clip "Lucy Gets Caught In The Draft".
Jim Nabors On "The David Frost Show"
"Jim Nabors Hour" Clip. (This clip is a skit called, "The Brother-in-Laws" Frank Sutton is married to Jim Nabors sister in the skit. All three of them run a rooming house. Ronnie Schell even has a bit part in it. He plays a boarder who is a drunk).
Intoduction and sales promotion hosted by Jim Nabors on the Andy Griffith Episode; "Gomer Pyle USMC" I guess this was used to show perspective sponsors for the new show idea where Gomer leaves Mayberry to join the Marines. This scene was not re-mastered and does indeed show it's age.
*Special features not rated and some not closed captioned.
The episodes in this season are in black & white. There are five disks in three slim DVD cases with a cardboard slip cover. All the episodes are digitally remastered*.
*I watched disk number one this evening. The picture quality is good, however some scenes look cleaner than others. For example; one scene in the barracks shows the whole platoon and the picture is crystal clear than the camera switches to Carter talking to Gomer in the same location but the picture is noticeable grainier. All in all it's not bad for a forty year old show. The menu is easy to navigate through; but there are no chapter menu's on each episode which would have been nice; especially if you wanted to jump to a certain scene.
If any of you are familiar with the "Hogan's Heroes" releases (also by CBS/Paramount). They included a few extras like voice commentaries on the first two releases but were gone by season three. I expect the same with this series too.