>>>Has anyone else noticed 2 episodes [Barney and the Choir and The Pageant] >>>that are nearly identical?
Orville Hendricks >>> Interesting observation. In both cases, John Masters is mounting a production and a key performer drops out, then he quite stupidly gives the part to someone else without even bothering to have them audition, and then makes Andy fix his mess. And while I'm on the subject, why in the world did he send to New York for an arrangement of Santa Lucia which featured a tenor soloist, when he knew Barney was the only tenor in the choir? But I digress. There are episodes of Gomer Pyle – USMC which are basically identical to TAGS episodes, but with Sergeant Carter fulfilling the "father figure" role that Andy often had to assume when helping Barney out of a jam. In one, Gomer is tricked into "proposing marriage" to a girl, who then threatens to sue for breach of promise, and in another episode, Gomer makes a pest of himself after Sergeant Carter "saves his life." They even used the same ending, with the rigged leaky gas stove. It's too bad Harvey Bullock is no longer with us. It would have been great to be able to pick his brain with regard to what appears to be outright plagiarism. Or maybe we did ask him years and years ago, and I've forgotten what he had to say. Paul Mulik _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list [email protected] http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
