My Favorite Running Gags

[gooch63]

One of the many pleasures of the show were many wonderful running gags it featured. Here are some of my favorites:

*How Oliver is constantly interrupted by others and rarely gets to finish a sentence.
*How the Hooterville Fire Dept. band always plays the same tune (whose title I can't remember).
*How everyone, but Oliver, can communicate with Arnold.
*How Oliver has trouble pronouncing certain words and stumbles over his own sentences.
*The way Mr. Haney goes to such extraordinary lengths and trouble to try to sell his junk.
*How the opening credits appear to Lisa ("Look, the names!"

[Pitooey]

Although I haven't seen the show for a while reading your views has made me remember how funny this show was. I especially like (how everyone can communicate with Arnold except Oliver).

[SanDiegoTVWatcher]

I don't understand what you mean by this:

*How the opening credits appear to Lisa ("Look, the names!"




Love Oliver, he tries so hard!

[Larry Surrell]

Gooch63,

The song the band plays is "Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight". Your post is great Those things are why I find this show so funny.

One other running gag I like is when Lisa mispronounces a word, Oliver corrects her, then somebody else comes in the house and mispronounces it the same way Lisa did, like it's the correct way to say the word and Oliver is the one mispronouncing it!

[tdr]

Yeah, it's funny how Oliver always knows the right way to spell or pronounce a word, or what attraction is located where, or how one concept applies to another, and then he is always foiled. Remember the time he was going to Washington and the locals said he was going to see the great sites-- the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower. He says "Those aren't in Washington!" Then when they get there he looks out the window and sees the Eiffel Tower!

Do you ever get the idea that one way to perceive this show is that Oliver, the successful NY lawyer, finally cracks up over wishing he could have been a farmer, and he is taken to an asylum, but in his psychotic mind he thinks he has bought a farm, and Mr. Haney, the Ziffels, the Monroes, et al, are really his fellow inmates?

[jehobden]

Originally posted by SanDiegoTVWatcher
I don't understand what you mean by this:

*How the opening credits appear to Lisa ("Look, the names!")

Love Oliver, he tries so hard!

The credits for Executive Producer (always Paul Henning), Written by (usually Jay Sommers and Dick Chevillat), and Directed by (always Richard L. Bare after the pilot) appear near the beginning of every episode after the opening credits. Usually these credits ran over an outside still picture or the opening of the scene, but often the show played w/ these credits, having them show up on pieces of toast, Lisa's hotcakes, Oliver's towel and bathrobe (of course he doesn't notice, but Lisa does), Sam Drucker's newspaper as he's printing it (He's disgusted w/ this occurrence and wads up each paper w/ a credit and throws it in the trash, saying he doesn't know the fellows.), or flashing on the screen noticeable to everyone but Oliver, though he said he could see the names also in the ep where Arnold was drafted.

[Vamphile]

gotta say one of my fave gags was the closet door in their bedroom. I laugh everytime it slides....stops....then falls.

Also by third season (i think) when eb starts to refer to them as mom and dad...and oliver corrects him for the first couple of times in a conversation then eventually gives up. Never gets old for me.

[Michael [hXc]]

The one about everyone but Oliver being able to communicate with Arnold reminds me of when they were stuck in the cellar, Lisa (referring to Arnold) said to Oliver, "He doesn't like you anyways". That was one of my favorite episodes.

[Chain Gang Member]

When Oliver makes a speech and only Lisa can hear the Yankee Doodle theme

[grnacrsfan]

Lisa's malapropisms, of coarse!!! I crack up everytime I hear them!

[mignon1]

Ralph and her Howdy Doodys for saying hello.

[baronzzz]

I like

The hotcakes for every meal
and the phone which is at the top of the pole.

[ThirteenInchEscape]

Originally posted by Jackhammer
When Oliver makes a speech and only Lisa can hear the Yankee Doodle theme

I dont remember if I realized that only Lisa could hear them, but I was going to say the way it always plays Yankee Doodle during Oliver's speeches.


Green Acres is one of the few shows where none of the running gags really get old.


Oh, another one of my favorites is the way that Lisa gives Alice orders for eggs.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by gooch63

One of the many pleasures of the show were many wonderful running gags it featured. Here are some of my favorites:

*How Oliver is constantly interrupted by others and rarely gets to finish a sentence.
*How the Hooterville Fire Dept. band always plays the same tune (whose title I can't remember).
*How everyone, but Oliver, can communicate with Arnold.
*How Oliver has trouble pronouncing certain words and stumbles over his own sentences.
*The way Mr. Haney goes to such extraordinary lengths and trouble to try to sell his junk.
*How the opening credits appear to Lisa ("Look, the names!"

I love strong coffee so I've always wanted to try a cup of Lisa's coffee.

Not so much her hot cakes, though.