Is more TV time together with Carol Burnett coming?
Q: I so enjoyed seeing Carol Burnett on her recent special marking the 50th anniversary of her classic series. Is there any chance she’ll come back to television regularly? – Anne Williams, via e-mail A: Actually, the legendary Burnett made a sitcom pilot for the current season that ABC didn’t pick up in its original form (with Amy Poehler as an executive producer), but it’s being redeveloped with Burnett still attached to it. One would think the very impressive ratings for her CBS special at the start of this month would cause the rival network to give returning her to broadcast comedy some serious thought. In the meantime, Burnett is following the lead of her close friend Julie Andrews by doing a show for Netflix. “A Little Help With Carol Burnett,” slated to premiere in 2018, will team her with a group of youngsters as they ponder some of life’s biggest questions – posed to them by other celebrities as well as a studio audience – and offer related advice.
Q: I was sorry to hear of the passing of Jim Nabors. How did he get the role of Gomer Pyle? – Barry Cash, Ormond Beach, Fla.
A: It was one of the classic stories of someone inventing a part on his own, and also being discovered by others. Bill Dana, famous for the character Jose Jimenez, saw Nabors perform comedy – and sing – at a nightspot in Santa Monica, Calif., and Dana brought him to the attention of the makers of “The Steve Allen Show.” That ultimately didn’t lead to much, but Andy Griffith saw Nabors’ act at the same site ... and had the part of gas-station worker Gomer Pyle created from what he saw Nabors do. The result was successful enough not only for Nabors to be made a regular on “The Andy Griffith Show,” but for him to be spun off into his own series. Of course, that was “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.,” which was a huge hit; however, Nabors wanted out after five years, which effectively ended the show.