I know Granny usually comes across as tough and domineering. But she is really a PRISONER to that family. She really doesn't have any freedom like the other family members have. And I realy thought the way they treated her was CRUEL sometimes.

Whenever she doesn't wanna participate in something Jed always gets big Jethro to pick her up and carry her, I know that is looked at as funny, but it really STRIPS someone of their dignity.

Even the move to California was a FORCED move, Granny wanted to stay back home but she is physically FORCED to move.

I never really liked that part of the show. Realistically I don't see WHY they wouldn't have just left Granny at the cabin, Jed says something like, "I aint leaving you here alone." BUT she seemed MORE than able to live on her own and take care of herself.

But I really did not like that part of the series to take someone who's lived in a place for 60 plus years who is HAPPY there beyond belief and pick them up and FORCE them to move to a place they are miserable in to spend their twilight years.

And in one episode she was terrified to get on a ship and again big Jethro grabs her up and carries her aboard. I can relate to be afraid of water. I mean she's a grown-ass woman around 70 years old, if she didn't want to go on the boat, let her stay HOME!!! I really dunno why Jed thought she had to go EVERYWHERE the rest of the famiyl went, even to the point of FORCING her.

^ I can kind of see it both ways.
Jed was head of the family and when he decided to move he expected them to go with him. And of course Granny was a big part of the family. Even though she wanted to stay at the cabin, it wasn't practical since they lived outside of town. In the winter months she would have been isolated out there, she could have gotten hurt or sick, could have run out of food & firewood. I imagine Jed considered all that & decided it was best for her to go with the family. As for making her do things she didn't want to do, she was usually okay with it afterwards. And those scenes generally got some major laughs.

I think the point is that Jed, Elly, and Jethro couldn't live without Granny! Elly couldn't cook!! And Jed and Jethro wouldn't cook because that was woman's work!! So they couldn't leave Granny back in the cabin in Bug Tussle. They would have starved!!

I used to also find Granny's character to be a little contradictory.

I mean when she would get angry and riled up, EVERYONE acted scared of her and steered clear of her and ppl acted like the KNEW better than to rile her up.


YET OTHER TIMES, she seemed pretty much at everyone's mercy, and times when she acted scared of her family, and when they were forcing her, they didn't act scared at all of her.

I used to always think when they were forcing her to do things she didn't want to do, why didn't she pull out her TOUGH personality and have them all scared and put in their places?

I used to also find Granny's character to be a little contradictory.

I mean when she would get angry and riled up, EVERYONE acted scared of her and steered clear of her and ppl acted like the KNEW better than to rile her up.


YET OTHER TIMES, she seemed pretty much at everyone's mercy, and times when she acted scared of her family, and when they were forcing her, they didn't act scared at all of her.

I used to always think when they were forcing her to do things she didn't want to do, why didn't she pull out her TOUGH personality and have them all scared and put in their places?
Granny is no different than any other human being. She shows different emotions in different circumstances. And sometimes those emotions seem to contradict each other. It's probably more noticable in Granny's case because her emotions are so extreme!!

Granny is no different than any other human being. She shows different emotions in different circumstances. And sometimes those emotions seem to contradict each other. It's probably more noticable in Granny's case because her emotions are so extreme!!


I guess you're right. Jed did the same thing. There were times he actually seemed frightened of Granny's temper.
Yet sometimes when he would get control of her he didn't seem scared at all.

I thought that the writing for Granny was excellent overall, with the notable exception of her overreacting to Mark Templeton (Roger Torrey) as a naval frogman in the final season. That went on too long and her character was generally stronger than the basket case she was portrayed as, in that series of eps.

Oh I forgot about this thread, but I was watching more of the eppis and was reminded of this thread.

And yeah some of the episodes remind me of the point I was trying to make is that Granny, although she DOES seem to call a lot of shots in the family, but I think she has LESS freedom than anyone in the family.

Jed always just kinda took her along everywhere like he OWNED her as property.

It seems like Jethro and Elly Mae had more freedom than she did, I mean if they were going somewhere and Elly or Jethro didn't want to do, I think he would pretty well be ok with them opting out, I mean I can't see Jethro or even Elly being picked up and carried along and forced to go or participate.

It often made me wonder if Granny had been a MALE character and say he was the old grandpa instead of grandma, I wonder if Jed would still kinda take total charge of HIM like he does Granny in cases?

^ I can kind of see it both ways.
Jed was head of the family and when he decided to move he expected them to go with him. And of course Granny was a big part of the family. Even though she wanted to stay at the cabin, it wasn't practical since they lived outside of town. In the winter months she would have been isolated out there, she could have gotten hurt or sick, could have run out of food & firewood. I imagine Jed considered all that & decided it was best for her to go with the family. As for making her do things she didn't want to do, she was usually okay with it afterwards. And those scenes generally got some major laughs.
But that's all she evry knew. I think even after all those years living in Beverly Hills she still had a hard time with city life, at least harder living in the city then the others.

I know Granny usually comes across as tough and domineering. But she is really a PRISONER to that family. She really doesn't have any freedom like the other family members have. And I realy thought the way they treated her was CRUEL sometimes.

Whenever she doesn't wanna participate in something Jed always gets big Jethro to pick her up and carry her, I know that is looked at as funny, but it really STRIPS someone of their dignity.

Even the move to California was a FORCED move, Granny wanted to stay back home but she is physically FORCED to move.

I never really liked that part of the show. Realistically I don't see WHY they wouldn't have just left Granny at the cabin, Jed says something like, "I aint leaving you here alone." BUT she seemed MORE than able to live on her own and take care of herself.

But I really did not like that part of the series to take someone who's lived in a place for 60 plus years who is HAPPY there beyond belief and pick them up and FORCE them to move to a place they are miserable in to spend their twilight years.

And in one episode she was terrified to get on a ship and again big Jethro grabs her up and carries her aboard. I can relate to be afraid of water. I mean she's a grown-ass woman around 70 years old, if she didn't want to go on the boat, let her stay HOME!!! I really dunno why Jed thought she had to go EVERYWHERE the rest of the famiyl went, even to the point of FORCING her. She was part of the family so why should she have been left behind.

She was part of the family so why should she have been left behind.


I'm Frump from years ago and started this thread.

I'm just saying she is a GROWN ADULT, and I think it's a little undignified to pick a grown adult up and carry them along like a child.

Let's not forget that there's a certain underlying pathos in Granny's life if for no other reason than she's a widow who's outlived at least one child (Elly Mae's mother Rose Ellen) if not two (Jethro's father the late Mr. Bodine). Hence she's outlived her entire original family and she may have been widowed twice insamuch as her surname was Moses yet ,if Jethro's father was her son, that means she'd been previously married to a Mr. Bodine!

IOW, they should let her be and not try to force her to go places she'd rather not.

Let's not forget that there's a certain underlying pathos in Granny's life if for no other reason than she's a widow who's outlived at least one child (Elly Mae's mother Rose Ellen) if not two (Jethro's father the late Mr. Bodine). Hence she's outlived her entire original family and she may have been widowed twice insamuch as her surname was Moses yet ,if Jethro's father was her son, that means she'd been previously married to a Mr. Bodine!

IOW, they should let her be and not try to force her to go places she'd rather not.

In an alternate reality, it might have been good to have Jed, Jethro and Elly move to Beverly Hills, and let Granny stay in the Hills in the cabin... Some episodes could focus on Jed, Jethro and Elly in the mansion in Beverly Hills, and some could focus on Granny and Pearl back in the Hills perhaps.

And I never really thought of Jethro's father being Granny's son. I think Granny is Jethro's great aunt by marriage....at least that is how she explained the geneology in one episode. I don't think Granny and Jethro are blood related.

In an alternate reality, it might have been good to have Jed, Jethro and Elly move to Beverly Hills, and let Granny stay in the Hills in the cabin... Some episodes could focus on Jed, Jethro and Elly in the mansion in Beverly Hills, and some could focus on Granny and Pearl back in the Hills perhaps.

And I never really thought of Jethro's father being Granny's son. I think Granny is Jethro's great aunt by marriage....at least that is how she explained the geneology in one episode. I don't think Granny and Jethro are blood related.


First of all, Jethro called Jed ' Uncle Jed' (and not 'Cousin Jed')which would make sense if Jed was the widower of his late father's sister.

Secondly, I can recall at least once in the later years in which there's speculation of Jethro possibly getting married and having 'young uns's of his own which Granny refers to as HER future great-grandchildren. Of course said speculation fizzles out almost by the end of the episode.

Anyway, I think since his mother was Jed's Cousin Pearl, I think it's possible that Jed could have been cousins to her AND the late younger Mr. Bodine could have been Granny's late daughter Rose Ellen's brother/half-brother. All of which would have hardly been unheard of among hillbillies!

First of all, Jethro called Jed ' Uncle Jed' (and not 'Cousin Jed')which would make sense if Jed was the widower of his late father's sister.

Secondly, I can recall at least once in the later years in which there's speculation of Jethro possibly getting married and having 'young uns's of his own which Granny refers to as HER future great-grandchildren. Of course said speculation fizzles out almost by the end of the episode.

Anyway, I think since his mother was Jed's Cousin Pearl, I think it's possible that Jed could have been cousins to her AND the late younger Mr. Bodine could have been Granny's late daughter Rose Ellen's brother/half-brother. All of which would have hardly been unheard of among hillbillies!


In one episode Granny talks about the family geneology, and says that strictly speaking Jed and Jethro are second cousins. I'm assuming Jethro just calls Jed "Uncle" because of the vast age difference and Jed has taken more of an "uncle" type role in Jethro's life, I think that's just kinda how thing worked in the Hills in that era....just like everyone calls Granny "Granny" even though technically she's not their grandmother.

So, if Jethro had children, I'm sure Granny would likely see them as her "grandchildren" even though technically they'd be her great great nephews or nieces.

I know Jed and Pearl are cousins, even though I used to think they were brother and sister.

But when I was really young I used to think Jed and Granny were husband and wife. lol

I always assumed Pearl was Jed's first cousin, if that is correct then Jethro would be his first cousin once removed. If Pearl is his second cousin then Jethro would be his second cousin once removed. If my original assumption is correct (Pearl and Jed are first cousins) then Elly May and Jethro are second cousins. But wait, there's more!

As far as Granny and Jethro being related this actually could help explain the Uncle Jed designation. If Granny's son was Pearl's husband (which suggests Granny was also a Bodine at one time in her life) this would have meant Rose Ellen was Jethro's aunt and by extension her husband Jed could be considered his uncle. Of course Elly and Jethro would be first cousins and second cousins (related on both sides of the family). One final point, and I think we can all agree on this, the less we know about how Jethrine fits into all of this the better.

Even though we may disagree re Jethro being Granny's actual grandchild (and the late Mr. Bodine being Granny's son), she DID at the very least bury her daughter Rose Ellen so that can't have been any good!

I used to also find Granny's character to be a little contradictory.

I mean when she would get angry and riled up, EVERYONE acted scared of her and steered clear of her and ppl acted like the KNEW better than to rile her up.


YET OTHER TIMES, she seemed pretty much at everyone's mercy, and times when she acted scared of her family, and when they were forcing her, they didn't act scared at all of her.

I used to always think when they were forcing her to do things she didn't want to do, why didn't she pull out her TOUGH personality and have them all scared and put in their places?
That's an interesting point. Maybe this is how they knew she was serious about not wanting to do something, because if she was she would get all riled up and no one could force her to do something. But if she just protested verbally and allowed herself to be carried or forced, she was just being Granny.

Maybe she didn't really want to stay home all alone in the woods for the rest of her life. Just trying to give a happy answer here.

If this was real life, Jed would have built it bought a fine home for his family and not move to California. Lots of rich people back home. Maybe it wouldn’t be a mansion, just a nice four bedroom house. Spent the rest of his money on charities or businesses back home.

If this was real life, Jed would have built it bought a fine home for his family and not move to California. Lots of rich people back home. Maybe it wouldn’t be a mansion, just a nice four bedroom house. Spent the rest of his money on charities or businesses back home.
Not the most exciting premise for a TV show.

Granny was Jed's mother - in - law.

Widower Jed Clampett's late wife's full name is Rose Ellen Moses. Granny, Rose's mother and Jed's mother-in-law's name is Daisy Moses.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055662/trivia/