https://www.metv.com/stories/the-beverly-hillbillies-was-in-desperate-need-of-more-writers-as-the-series-progressed

For Henning, knowing a thing or two about hillbilly history was just as important as other skills listed on a resume.

Season 8 and definitely season 9 would have benefitted from new writers.

Fish-out-of-water sitcoms are funny and fine for about 2 years, before things get silly.

The first 3 seasons of TBH were great. I like some of the color ones as well…but in real life, the Hillbillies would well have been citified enough by year 6 or 7 living there. One they got into British castles, Honest John, women’s lib, the frogman, etc., and especially adding the Green Acres/Petticoat Junction cast (“Who’s Kate Bradley?”)—I cannot sit and watch that. It was obvious that TBH ran its course.

I DID enjoy “Robin Hood & the Sheriff” and that one where they gave the naked angels overalls in the painting for decency’s sake. I loved Mrs. Drysdale’s classic double take: “My poor Rembrandt! My poor Sam Rembra—-SAM REMBRANDT??!!” :D

cd

Fish-out-of-water sitcoms are funny and fine for about 2 years, before things get silly.

The first 3 seasons of TBH were great. I like some of the color ones as well…but in real life, the Hillbillies would well have been citified enough by year 6 or 7 living there. One they got into British castles, Honest John, women’s lib, the frogman, etc., and especially adding the Green Acres/Petticoat Junction cast (“Who’s Kate Bradley?”)—I cannot sit and watch that. It was obvious that TBH ran its course.

I DID enjoy “Robin Hood & the Sheriff” and that one where they gave the naked angels overalls in the painting for decency’s sake. I loved Mrs. Drysdale’s classic double take: “My poor Rembrandt! My poor Sam Rembra—-SAM REMBRANDT??!!” :D

cd

I liked the Boston Strong Girl wrestling episodes. It was a pretty good lampoon of prof. wrestling.

But the later seasons probably shouldn't have happened, particularly 9.

I've made the point in the past that the 1971 rural purge didn't effect the Henning shows. Junction was off in 70, the ratings on Green Acres were down and the show had run out of steam, and the Beverly Hillbillies...

Wow season 9 is so weird from a historic point of view it makes fascinating viewing. It was like someone scraping together a meal from what was left in almost empty refrigerator. The final half season the show could have been retitled to Hathaway's Hillbillies. The entire Mark Templeton story arch that ended up going absolutely nowhere, Mike Minor showing up, Jethro disappearing for a few episodes. It was really strange, the show didn't so much end as implode.

What I didn't really like was, in the very last few episodes, the Clampetts seemed just as bewildered about Beverly Hills as they did in the very first few episodes, despite the fact they'd been exposed to SO MANY THINGS, they'd been to Washington, New York, England, etc... Just watching the final episode you'd never know they'd lived in Beverly Hills for NINE YEARS! You'd think they just moved there a week or so ago lol

Oh yeah I forgot one more thing….in season 9 Mr. Drysdale was almost insane, almost a cartoon character of a stereotypical greedy banker. Unwatchable. He seemingly treated almost everyone around him as third class citizens.

Wasn’t real-life dementia starting to kick in for Mr. Bailey?

Although greedy from the start of TBH, Drysdale’s humor seemed to come out of a clever deadpan delivery—perfect for the show. More humor came out of his relationship with his Mrs. She was great.

I was growing up at a time where only *color* reruns were shown in the mornings on CBS. I made a thread long ago about TV’s “phobia” about showing ONLY color episodes (Petticoat Junction, My Three Sons, Gomer Pyle, maybe others) in the early 70s, and finally around 1975 we were able to see these fantastic B&W eps.

cd

I liked the Boston Strong Girl wrestling episodes. It was a pretty good lampoon of prof. wrestling.

But the later seasons probably shouldn't have happened, particularly 9.

When I was first watching TBH in syndication, mornings in 1970, the Boston Strong Girl vs. Granny matchup is what I recall seeing at that time. Certainly being very young I was unaware that new, primetime episodes were still being produced, no doubt my family's evening viewing had found other things to spend time on.

The Clampetts being placed in other settings like Silver Dollar City and the U.K. produced some mildly interesting scenes, but I think overall the series' quality was diminishing. Knowing that the actor playing Mark Templeton was the early choice to play Jethro does help explain the insistence on bringing him on as a new character.

When Granny fears that a dog ate Cousin Marcus in the U.K., Season 6 I believe, we're seeing a different aspect of her character where she can be portrayed as a fearful waif in contrast to a tough-as-nails woman chasing a gorilla around the mansion. This kind of irrational or childish fear would be played up even more later on:

I think I have a greater tolerance for most of the later season plots than most fans, partly because as a Petticoat Junction fan I enjoy the crossovers -- and I like seeing Lori Saunders, Mike Minor, and Charles Lane in new roles on the final season episodes. But the one plotline I find least tolerable is Granny fearing Templeton turns into a frog -- it was an okay gag, but it was beaten to death. Compare Granny's timid behavior with how she had terrorized actor Quirt Manly (Season 2).

Phil Silvers as the con man is another example of a concept that's run into the ground to a degree through repetition, but I will say that watching these late episodes on a daily basis gives the viewer a bit of an unfair 'overuse' outlook as compared with the original weekly scheduled viewing.

Oh yeah I forgot one more thing….in season 9 Mr. Drysdale was almost insane, almost a cartoon character of a stereotypical greedy banker. Unwatchable. He seemingly treated almost everyone around him as third class citizens.

Wasn’t real-life dementia starting to kick in for Mr. Bailey?

Although greedy from the start of TBH, Drysdale’s humor seemed to come out of a clever deadpan delivery—perfect for the show. More humor came out of his relationship with his Mrs. She was great.

I was growing up at a time where only *color* reruns were shown in the mornings on CBS. I made a thread long ago about TV’s “phobia” about showing ONLY color episodes (Petticoat Junction, My Three Sons, Gomer Pyle, maybe others) in the early 70s, and finally around 1975 we were able to see these fantastic B&W eps.

cd


My theory is, Margaret had divorced Mr. Drysdale and got a fairly large amount of his money, and THAT drove him over the edge. It was never said, but I like to think that's what happened.