Well Gollll-eeeee, GOMER PYLE Star Jim Nabors Marries His Partner

So it's not exactly news that Jim Nabors, the star of GOMER PYLE, is gay. I mean, I think I figured that one out when I was 10 and had it confirmed a couple years later when was in those ads for his records where he sang opera arias. Hello. Anyway, the cool part that is news is that Jim Nabors, a sprightly 82, just got hitched this week to his partner of 38 years in the state of Washington, where marriage equality passed last year on the ballot.

Nabors had never publicly discussed his being gay and that's his choice. But this week, Towleroad reported that he did do a short interview with a Hawaiian TV station (Nabors lives in the 50th state) and released the below photo taken after his big gay wedding. I think it's wonderful that he not only did he he get married but was he willing to talk about it to the media too. And also he said that he was never ashamed about being gay, was open about it to all his friends and co-workers and never "made a public spectacle of it."  I wonder if he was inspired by Ms. Foster's similar situation and announcement at the Globes?

Anyway, what's truly wonderful is that he's been in a committed relationship for nearly 40 years. God bless you Jim Nabors....and I wish you a long, happy married life.

There Is A Chinese Version Of FRIENDS Called PLANET HOMEBUDDIES

As many filmmakers know, when you make a movie and sell it overseas, the title often changes...sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad.  My short POOL DAYS is known in France as MES JOUR A LA PISCINE, which actually sounds lovely.  However, sometimes the translation can be odd to say the least. Which is the case with a new Chinese version of the American sitcom FRIENDS, which begins airing in China next week.  It's called PLANET HOMEBUDDIES. No joke.

I heard about his on JIMMY KIMMEL last night and he had a great joke about how it only took them 18 years to do this. Basically, it's the same setup as FRIENDS but set in China and will even have a theme song specially made for them by the same guy who wrote the anthemic FRIENDS song, "I'll Be There For You"...Danny Wilde of The Rembrandts. I wish there were some clips available but all there is now is this weird still, which sorta does look like the '90s. 

Black and White: Two White House Sitcoms On TV

There have been a lot of ads and hype recently about the new NBC sitcom 1600 PENN, a family show set in the White House which debuts this Thursday night.  Starring BOOK OF MORMON's Josh Gad as the unruly son of a sitting president, it could be entertaining as Gad is a pretty inventive comedian. But the show already has some competition as it is actually the second White House sitcom to debut this television season.  And the other sitcom is somewhat more true to current history in that it features a black family in the White House.

THE FIRST FAMILY premiered last September as a syndicated show (it airs in NYC on MyNetwork TV) and I randomly saw an episode of it last week when flipping channels. The president has a rambunctious extended family which notably includes Jackee Harry as his wacky sister.  The show, however, seems to have been beamed in from the 1980s and, despite its unusual premise, is bland and unfunny. I'm amazed the show hasn't gotten more attention given the reflection of the Obama White House (though this fictional family hails from Detroit!) but then again, it is just not that good. We'll see if 1600 PENN can be any better.