I would watch Petticoat Junction at my grandmother’s and loved seeing Kate Bradley’s three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and Betty Jo…
The show was created by Paul Henning who also created The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres. All three shows were in the same universe so to speak. They all crossed over into each other’s shows. Petticoat Junction took place in Hooterville, the same location as Green Acres. The show ran 7 seasons from 1963 to 1970.
The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley (Bea Benaderet) and the three daughters. The Hotel is usually empty and barely staying open. The only way to the Hotel is the train called the Cannonball ran by engineer Charley Pratt (Smiley Burnette) and fireman/railway conductor Floyd Smoot (Rufe Davis). Uncle Joe played by the great character actor Edgar Buchanan was more a hindrance than a help. Joe would come up with get rich quick schemes that would cost the Kate money and time.
They did have a dog…name “The Dog” played by Higgins…better known as the original Benji. Sam Drucker played by Frank Cady was a cast member in this show and in Green Acres. Out of the three shows, this one was probably the weakest but I still enjoyed it…and I still watch it.
The show lasted 7 seasons. Bea Benaderet died of lung cancer on October 13, 1968, during the 6th season. Her position in the show…but, not her character was replaced by June Lockhart as the matriarch of the Hotel. She played Dr. Janet Craig, a medical professional who rents a room at the Shady Rest Hotel…and gives the three sisters advice.
The ever-changing sisters…
The first two seasons the sisters were played by – Billy Jo – Jeannine Riley, Bobbie Jo – Pat Woodell, and Betty Jo – Linda Kaye Henning
In the third season, Jeannine Riley and Pat Woodell left the show. They were replaced with Gunilla Hutton and Lori Saunders (my favorite)… and of course, Higgins played “The Dog”
In the 4th season, Gunilla Hutton left the show and was replaced with Meredith MacRae. This would remain the lineup until the end.
Petticoat Junction was a good family show with laughs. Who wouldn’t want to stay at the Shady Rest Hotel and travel to Hooterville and Pixley on the Cannonball? Seeing Betty Jo, Billy Jo, and Bobbie Jo would not be a chore either.
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I watched The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres, but I somehow missed this one.
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It was a fun show with crossover appearances especially by the Green Acres cast…including Arnold.
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There must have been a place where the Cannonball crossed over to a different dimension just before it got to Green Acres because there were no square eggs in Petticoat Junction. They never showed the black and white episodes when I was young, just the ones that were in color. I never saw the black and white episodes just until a few years ago.
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I like the black and white better but yea I don’t remember the black and white when I was younger… same with Gunsmoke
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Yea but that was a dream on the square eggs. It wasn’t as surreal that is for sure but when the other cast came over like Eb… he was the same… but yea they not the same
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Yeah, It was a dream and when the dream was over Lisa told the refrigerator to close and it did like in the dream.
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I like the number 5 toaster…that is probably my favorite episode.
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I didn’t know it was tied in to Green Acres…not a bad concept. Don’t think I ever watched Petticoat Junction, but did watch Green Acres, though so long ago I barely remember it. I somehow thought it (Petticoat Junction) was a “sanitized” version of Peyton Place, but doesn’t look like it was serious like that at all.
Gotta love those 60s and 70s shows that explain the whole premise of the show in the opening theme! No need to be confused…
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I watched the movie (on youtube) just a couple of weeks ago.
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That is right. The movie was made of the first four episodes…around a couple of years ago I rediscovered it and have been watching it ever since.
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I remember Uncle Joe, Kate, and Benji (not sure what his name was on this show) but the girls and the railroad guys are a blur. Funny how the mind remembers. I watched it because it was on but don’t remember particularly liking it one way or another.
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His name on the show was… “The Dog”…really that was it.
It wasn’t as good as the other two but good.
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I loved this show. In fact, I watched an episode before I got up this morning. 🙂 I never knew what happened to Bea Benaderet. How tragic. June Lockhart did a good job, but it wasn’t the same as when Bea was there.
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It was really sad. The doctors cleared her after radiation therapy cancer free…but a few weeks later she had fatigue and not long after died. Lockhart did do a good job.
Fun note about Lockhard you might know. She loves rock and roll. She carried a picture of David Bowie with her and took some of the Lost In Space Cast to the Whiskey-A-Go-Go to see Gregg and Duane Allman.
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That’s heartbreaking about Bea.
I like June Lockhart even more now. Wow, wouldn’t have expected her to be that much of a rock and roll fan. I just don’t think there was a way to replace Bea in that show.
Speaking of rock and roll, I’m going to see The Fab Four Beatles tribute band tonight. I haven’t seen this one before but tribute shows are always such a blast.
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No one could have replaced her on that show. It was made for her to star in…she worked so long to get a show of her own and then that.
Have a good time. I had tickets to a tribute show earlier this summer in Nashville but a bad storm came and it was cancelled. It could be the same one…the one I was going to see featured Rain.
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That’s a shame about the cancellation. There’s a tribute that’s called Rain, and it’s supposed to be really good. Is that it? I’d like to see that one sometime.
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Yes… and Jason Bonham’s Band was opening up.
Have a great time!
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Loved all 3 shows this was the most orthodox of the 3, beverley hillbillies still holds up as a fantasy pastiche commentary on greed and manipulation, but green acres was and is still groundbreaking in breaking conventions and having a cast of bizarre loveable characters inhabiting a universe of inverted logic, especially lisa and hank kimble. Inspired the simpsons!
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Hank Kimble has to be one of my favorite characters of all time. That show was as surreal as you could get.
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Wasn’t she Jethro’s mother on The Beverly Hillbillies….. Kimble and Haney two great characters from Green Acres. Would love to have a jeep like Kimble drove–and of course the jacket he wore. both should be in the Smithsonian.
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That Ford Bronco…which I love and his jacket…most definitely. He would drive you crazy but it was great.
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A show wasn’t complete without at least a token appearance by Hank and Haney! It’s uncanny how Haney always seemed to know what Oliver Wendell was going to need.. Dodgers now in an elimination game. I didn’t think it would get this far…
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I didn’t either since they only had to face Max once. Washington has a great starting pitching staff but the problem is…The Dodgers love the launch angle…base hits are not a bad thing.
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Hopefully it doesn’t happen but is Roberts in trouble if they lose?
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I would hope not but with todays game you just don’t know.
I can’t wrap my head around this new manager logic.
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I agree- It seems like organizations have the quick hook anymore. I was thinking the other day how when a team loses it’s always the head coach- or managers fault- from the fans. How come the players rarely get the blame? As a Pirate fan one of the few times I recall a player getting the blame is their failure in the early 90’s blamed on Bonds post season failures.. people were blaming Hurdle all season- like c’mon anyone is going to produce a winner with the players he was given this year?
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In todays game the manager juggles egos but how many decisions are his now? The GMs want a certain lineup and I wonder what percentage is what?
I have a friend who is a Red’s fan who is disgusted at the rebuilding they did after their success with Baker. He points at the Pirates and say…hey they fired the coach… see…they know what they are doing. I told him the same thing you told me…about Weaver or Martin couldn’t manage them to victory….
He is a good example of blaming. The players who don’t perform should have way more of the blame. Now bullpen decisions and some others yea I get but as a whole? No
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A manager can only do so much- when Taillon went down early in the season for the year- that was pretty much it- you can’t lose your top pitcher on an already thin staff and do well. With the injuries they had- again no depth anywhere- their final record is about what is expected. Firing Hurdle isn’t going to bring about any change. … The Reds- remember all the trades they made last winter- adding vets- mostly washed up vets or troubled players like Puig- that was a quick fix bound to fail. Kemp was done. Puig will never figure it out…
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Puig has all the tools in the world but no common sense. That is why the Dodgers were elated to find a taker… and to get what is now the number 5 and 7 prospect in their minor league system was great. My friend loved those trades at the time because he saw it as trying to win…I told him you don’t change your path to rebuilding.
In todays game you have to have depth is the most important thing…but yea with your top pitcher…hard to replace him if not impossible.
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teams have to be patient- i think the reds made those moves to try and be instantly competitive and to win the fans over… look what we are doing! you will never catch the pirates throwing money at a problem! lol
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You can do that if you have built up enough to build around…but yea the cake wasn’t done yet. Yep to win fans like my friend. Now he wants the manager’s head.
lol… It happened before we started to talk I believe… but I was shocked they traded for Archer. I will admit…I thought it was good at the time…I was wrong with that one.
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That Archer trade was so uncharacteristic of them- trading young talent. Archer has been awful. … the Reds- those pick ups seemed like a mini-version of what the Dodgers did years ago- picking up parts that don’t fit and hoping it works out….
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I always liked Archer and was hoping the Dodgers would pick him up…He just bombed. I thought that was different than what they would normally do…it gave me some hope they were changing a bit…
Yes like you said…the Reds trying to make their fans happy but hurt their future.
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I certainly didn’t think when the trade was made that Archer would be as he has- I figured they got a good pitcher.
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