I've got a bunch of Hillbillies episodes on DVD, but none of them plays the Ballad of Jed Clampett. Every early B&W episode I've got starts with short lyric-free banjo tune. Anyone know when the song was introduced at the opening, and what DVDs include it??

"The Ballad of Jed Clampett" was on the episodes right from the time CBS started airing them, in the fall of 1962. I don't know why it's not on any of the DVDs of the show. But, from what I read, it WILL be on the DVD set of the first season that MPI is releasing next month.

i think what happened was the company had the right to produce the episodes but the copyright for the music was still in effect and they did not want the extra cost involved in paying Flatt and Scruggs or whoever owns the song.