After fifty years, the most incompetent soldier in the Marine Corps is finally getting a promotion! Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. The Complete Series includes all five seasons of the classic sitcom. Watch the hilarious antics of naive country boy Gomer (Jim Nabors) and loudmouthed Sergeant Carter (Frank Sutton) in this hit spin-off from The Andy Griffith Show.

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Video Quality

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series makes a sterling debut on Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 4×3 aspect ratio. This set contains all five seasons spread across 20 discs, giving the 150 episodes plenty of room to breathe. The series was previously remastered when it was released on DVD, but now fans can see these gorgeous masters in full HD glory. Instances of print damage have been cleaned up immensely with only the most minor specks popping up. This transfer maintains the natural film grain that helps showcase subtle details in the uniforms and production design.

Overall clarity and detail are quite nice, and skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in the medium shots. Physical features such as hair remain well defined without devolving into a splotchy mess. This series remains remarkably consistent throughout its five-season run with earlier seasons looking just as gorgeous as the later episodes. The first season is in fetching black-and-white while the remaining four seasons look equally as nice in color. Colors are saturated quite favorably. Black levels hold up well with crush not serving as an overwhelming issue, and highlights remain firm. This new presentation from Paramount and CBS Home Entertainment is very impressive, and it is sure to please fans of the series.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray set comes with a solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that preserves the artistic intention of a series that is not too sonically ambitious. The score for the series is easygoing and radiates out without any stumble in fidelity. There is never a moment where the music threatens to overshadow competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. Atmospheric sounds such as the sounds of certain vehicles are rendered well alongside everything else. There do not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. CBS and Paramount have given this series the perfectly executed audio presentation it deserves.

Special Features

Pilot Episode – “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” from The Andy Griffith Show: The episode of The Andy Griffith Show that led to this series is presented here in full in HD.

Sales Presentation: A two-and-a-half-minute introduction from Jim Nabors in which he discusses what the new series is going to look like for audiences.

Audio Commentary on Gomer and the Dragon Lady: Actor Ronnie Schell, who played “Duke” on the show, gives some insight into this episode.

Final Thoughts

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. is a great example of giving audiences what they want. After proving to be a fan favorite on The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer was given his own spinoff series that brought his simple, folksy charm to a unique new setting. Rather than use the series to comment on what was happening in the real world, it chose instead to offer a bit of escapism. While there was not too much variation from season to season or episode to episode, the focus on character kept this a show that delivered stable laughs throughout its run. CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount have delivered a Blu-Ray collection that is a homerun Not only do we get the entire series on 20 discs at a very reasonable price, but the A/V quality is consistently excellent and there are even a few special features. It is a wonder that this show made it to Blu-Ray, and fans of the show will be extremely pleased with the results. Highly Recommended

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.: The Complete Series can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: CBS Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.