Petticoat Junction Theme Song

Petticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on the CBS network from 1963 to 1970. The series is part of a triad of interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning, the other two being The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres. The setting for the series was the Shady Rest Hotel just outside of the farming town of Hooterville. The Shady Rest Hotel is situated on the train line of the C.&F.W. Railroad. The show repeatedly mentions the Shady Rest Hotel as being 25 miles (40 km) from Pixley and 25 miles (40 km) from Hooterville, dead in the center. The characters seem to go to Hooterville for some things and services, like Hooterville Hospital and Hooterville High, and Pixley for others, notably supermarket shopping, beauty parlors, and movies.

The show followed the goings-on at the Shady Rest Hotel, of which Kate Bradley (Bea Benaderet) was the proprietor. Her lazy Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) helped her in the day-to-day running of the business, while she served as a mediator in the various minor crises that befell her three daughters: Betty Jo, Bobbie Jo, and Billie Jo. The actresses portraying Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo changed over the years. Billie Jo was played by Jeannine Riley the first two seasons, and then by Gunilla Hutton for one year before Meredith MacRae assumed the role for the show's remaining seasons. Pat Woodell was the original Bobbie Jo for two years, with Lori Saunders playing the part subsequently.

Betty Jo was portrayed by Linda Kaye (Henning), daughter of series creator Paul Henning, for the entire run. The character of handsome crop duster Steve Elliott (Mike Minor) was added to the show at the start of its fourth season as a love interest for eldest daughter Billie Jo. A season later, however, Steve suddenly married Betty Jo; this was a result of the real-life relationship that had developed between Kaye and Minor. After Steve and Betty Jo married, they set up housekeeping in a cottage near the tracks between Hooterville and Pixley. A baby was added the following season. They moved back to the Shady Rest Hotel in the final year of production.

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The Internet Movie Database: Petticoat Junction (1963-1970)


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