In the '60s, Carol Burnett and Jim Nabors went on the road together
Carol Burnett and Jim Nabors were a pair of comedians cut from a different cloth, yet the two still became each other's biggest fans.
They were as good of friends offstage as they were comedians onstage together.
The TV worlds constantly collided during their prime in the '60s and '70s, and we have their friendship to thank.
In 1967, Burnett was even a guest star on Gomer Pyle: USMC in the episode "Corporal Carol" and again in 1969 for the episode "Showtime with Sgt. Carol." Nabors also graced Burnett's stage with his presence over 14 times between 1967 and 1977.
The two back-and-forth friends kept each other busy with their series. The two couldn't get enough of each other and neither could viewers.
According to a 1967 interview with Longview News-Journal, Burnett and Nabors got along so well that they went on the road together to promote and perform their new special.
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"Carol and I are so identical in our thinking," Nabors said. "We are exactly alike."
Portions of the live show wowed audiences so much that they were re-created for The Carol Burnett Show and Burnett's solo hour-long special.
"We have no discipline," Burnett said about Nabors. "When we're tickled about something, we're like two amateurs onstage, breaking up. It's so unprofessional to break up. We got the giggles here rehearsing one day, and Joe (Hamilton) got mad at us. We had to take a coffee break to settle down."
According to the interview, Burnett said she was building up a stockpile of regulars who would guest star in her series. Of course, Nabors' name was in the mix. So far, she had Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. It was truly a dream team.
Between traveling with Burnett and playing the role of Gomer Pyle on his series Gomer Pyle: USMC, Nabors was one busy man. Traveling with Burnett helped him find his voice, build a friendship, and gain a few new fans.
Nabors said his series was starting to take off, in part, because it had been moved to a new time slot.
"I'm happier this year with our time slot than ever," Nabors said. "The kids who like our show, will be happier, too. Traveling as much as I have recently, you learn who your fans are. We have a lot of kids who love our show."