The character of Gomer Pyle was created by Andy Griffith Show writers Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, based on a real 'incompetent' gas station attendant Greenbaum met, whose name combined those of writer Gomer Cool and actor Denver Pyle.

Jim Nabors was discovered by Andy Griffith while performing at a Santa Monica nightclub called The Horn, and was originally meant to appear in just one episode before the character proved popular enough to earn a spin-off.

The pilot episode of Gomer Pyle was actually filmed in 1963 as part of The Andy Griffith Show, but wasn't broadcast until 1964, airing as that show's fourth season finale.

The series' title went through several changes, starting as simply 'Gomer,' then 'Gomer Pyle,' before settling on 'Gomer Pyle – USMC.'

Because much of the shooting took place outdoors, the show used a single-camera setup instead of the multiple-camera setup that producer Aaron Ruben usually preferred for comedies.

The U.S. Marines gave the production 'total cooperation,' granting unlimited access to military equipment because they believed the show would be good for the branch's image; filming took place at Camp Pendleton and the Desilu studios.

Vehicles featured on the show were provided by Chrysler Corporation, unlike its parent series The Andy Griffith Show, which used Ford vehicles; notably, the Jeep brand seen in the series wouldn't actually become part of Chrysler until the AMC buyout in 1987.

Jim Nabors said he found it hard to watch the show's opening credits because many of the real Marines he had trained alongside during filming were later killed in the Vietnam War.

An audio clip of Gomer Pyle saying his catchphrase 'Surprise, surprise, surprise!' appears in Pink Floyd's 1979 song 'Nobody Home' from The Wall, though it was cut from the 1982 film adaptation.

In Gustav Hasford's novel The Short-Timers and its film adaptation Full Metal Jacket, the derogatory nickname 'Gomer Pyle' is given to a hapless recruit by his drill instructor, directly referencing the sitcom.

A brief clip of the show is shown airing in a military hospital scene in the 1994 film Forrest Gump, where a fellow soldier scolds Gump for watching it, calling it 'stupid shit.'

Jim Nabors received honorary promotions from the real Marine Corps for his portrayal of Gomer Pyle, being named lance corporal in 2001, corporal in 2007, and sergeant in 2013, despite his character never rising above private first class on the show.