Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell, writers for "The Andy Griffith Show", are credited with creating the character of Gomer Pyle. The character was based on an "incompetent" gas station attendant whom Greenbaum met and named after Gomer Cool (a writer) and Denver Pyle (an actor on "The Andy Griffith Show"). Jim Nabors was cast to play Gomer; he had been performing for a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, when Andy Griffith discovered him. Though originally intended to appear in only one episode, Gomer proved popular, and after appearing in seasons 3 and 4, Nabors was given his own spin-off produced by Aaron Ruben. The pilot episode of "Gomer Pyle" was filmed in 1963 as part of "The Andy Griffith Show", but was not aired until 1964, as the finale of "The Andy Griffith Show"'s fourth season.