Granny.

Granny, but Pearl has her moments.

Granny

Pearl could sing and yodel a lot better than Granny could.

Granny or Pearl...Granny or Pearl...

The real problem with this query is that both characters could carry the show...but not at the same time.

While it is accepted by most fans of "The Beverly Hillbillies" that Daisy Moses is the matriarch of the Clampett family, there's no denying that Pearl Bodine could have just as easily filled in as the required mother figure for the family, had something happened to Granny (or Irene Ryan...one suspects this was the case when Bea Benederet was brought on as a full-time regular during the third season, following her stint as an occasional supporting player from the very beginning.)

But, whether it was the writers or the character's finely deliniated personalities, it was apparent that these two strong-willed women would've killed each other before long, and the recurring internal strife would have destroyed the subtle family dynamic that Paul Henning had constructed...better for Granny to turn her ire towards the silly socialites and mores of Beverly Hills than towards family...and better that Pearl (and Jethrine) remained the long-remebered loved ones who stayed back home.

I voted for Granny, I'm glad Bea got her own show.

Granny