The little girl Lori played by Victoria Paige Meyerink was added in season 6. Were they trying to reach a younger audience by adding her or did they want Oliver & Lisa to experience parenthood? Any ideas or thoughts on it?

The evidence is mixed here, the Henning shows all used multiple episode story lines and the addition of the Lori character could have been nothing more than a storyline that ran its course.

That said, the show was trending downward from a rating standpoint so adding a child to the cast might have been an effort to generate renewed enthusiasm for the aging series. Sometimes these ideas are developed prior to the end of the season before and the scripts are drafted. If that was the case a couple of things may have changed the ultimate direction of season 6. The first, Petticoat Junction was cancelled meaning Frank Cady's salary was now solely carried by Green Acres increasing the budget for the show . Second, it may have been clear by the time work began on the season 6 episodes that CBS was moving in a different direction and would be cancelling the series after the upcoming season so why add an additional character along with additional cost. Keep in mind that the final two Green Acre episodes were not actually Green Acre episodes but were backdoor pilots for new series, and neither had anything to do with rural people or rural life.

I didn't really see the need for the Lori character, but I guess the writers were trying something new by adding her. I liked all the info you posted, what were the backdoor pilots you mentioned?

I started watching Green Acres again from beg. to end a few years back and now I'm actually watching season 6 with that little girl in them. She's cute and spunky and makes the viewing a little more fun. So I like this new addition even though it's only short lived. That same chubby girl was also in some recently seen Family Affair episodes and also in My 3 Sons as Dodie's other friend other than Jodie Foster. So she must have been hot in the TV sitcom biz at that time.

I also remember last time I watched the whole series seeing those gosh-awful 2 last NON-Green Acres episodes. I felt really gypped of 2 genuine Green Acres eps. when I had to put up with those pilot craps.

I didn't really see the need for the Lori character, but I guess the writers were trying something new by adding her. I liked all the info you posted, what were the backdoor pilots you mentioned?

The first pilot, which was the second to last Green Acres episode, was for a series tentatively titled Pam starring Pamela Franklin (the pilot did not sell). The concept had Franklin playing the daughter of a proprietor of a hotel located in Hawaii (her father is played by Don Porter). Think Gidget working in her father's hotel. Oliver and Lisa book the honeymoon suite and wackiness ensues as Pam had other plans for the suite.

The Ex-Secretary (the final Green Acres episode) was a failed pilot for a series which would have had Elaine Joyce in the lead role (the series had no working title). Joyce played Oliver's ex-secretary Carol, Oliver contacts her to ask a favor and the rest of the action involves Carol and the individuals in her universe (Lisa and Oliver barely appear in this episode).

It's one of the worse final episodes in the history of television.

It would have been so easy to do a genuine final episode too. They could have Oliver and Lisa moving back to the city or if not that then they could finally realize they were stupid to buy that dump from Haney and actually buy a working farm with a real home and embrace the country life from there with sane neighbors. Oliver could also throw Lisa out on her ear considering how always on the opposite side of her husband she became. Either ending would have been fine with me.:wave:

I didn't really see the need for the Lori character, but I guess the writers were trying something new by adding her. I liked all the info you posted, what were the backdoor pilots you mentioned?

METV is going through the final season 6 episodes this week, the pilots are slated for Thursday and Friday if you're interested in seeing them.

The first pilot, which was the second to last Green Acres episode, was for a series tentatively titled Pam starring Pamela Franklin (the pilot did not sell). The concept had Franklin playing the daughter of a proprietor of a hotel located in Hawaii (her father is played by Don Porter). Think Gidget working in her father's hotel. Oliver and Lisa book the honeymoon suite and wackiness ensues as Pam had other plans for the suite.

The Ex-Secretary (the final Green Acres episode) was a failed pilot for a series which would have had Elaine Joyce in the lead role (the series had no working title). Joyce played Oliver's ex-secretary Carol, Oliver contacts her to ask a favor and the rest of the action involves Carol and the individuals in her universe (Lisa and Oliver barely appear in this episode).

It's one of the worse final episodes in the history of television.
they weren't all THAT bad; but they weren't very good...I'm glad both of them weren't picked up

METV is going through the final season 6 episodes this week, the pilots are slated for Thursday and Friday if you're interested in seeing them.

Thanks for the tip. I watched the Hawaiian Honeymoon episode last night, it was okay. I like Don Porter but wasn't crazy about Pamela Franklin. I'll either watch or record tonight's final episode.

they weren't all THAT bad; but they weren't very good...I'm glad both of them weren't picked up

They both had their merits but the writing was really subpar for a Jay Sommers script.

I always thought the second one (The Ex-Secretary) had a more enjoyable plot and better acting. I actually wish that one was picked up for a series.

I also wouldn't have minded a series being made from the 2nd one.

In Season 5, the show fell out of the top 30 in Neilsen ratings.
The addition of Lori, reminds me of when The Brady Bunch added cousin Oliver and The Partridge Family adding Ricky Stevens.

The kids were getting too old to keep the Brady Bunch fresh and when The Partridge Family moved from Friday night to Saturday night the ratings went from number 19 on Friday night to number 78 on Saturday night.