When the Show Went Downhill - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Penny Lane · 07-06-2001, 08:21 PM

I really disliked the show when all the singing started in the last few season's. It was really lame! Ruined a good show! SO PHONY!

[This message has been edited by NEWHART FAN (edited 07-06-2001).]

TV Guy · 07-10-2001, 07:58 PM

Agreed! The singing was horrible, and so corny!

I actually think the show started heading downhill during the third season (the first in color). It felt more artificial than the first two seasons. It got worse during the fifth season, when Bea Benaderet (Kate) was absent so frequently due to illness. And it really started scraping the bottom of the barrel when BEa Benaderet passed away at the beginning of the sixth season, and they replaced her with June Lockhart. Look at the cast during the last few seasons -- most of them don't seem like they could have grown up in a rural area like Hooterville.

GENETTE · 08-24-2003, 02:25 AM

Petticoat Junction was a great show despite all the obstacles it faced-- constant recasts of the two older girls, and the death of Bea.
If ever a show represented the idea of the little engine that could it was this show.

Four Billie Joes (if we count Sharon Tate, and two Bobbi Joes! With each recast the girls personalities altered a bit. Jeannie and Gunilla were similar at least in appearence but Meredith was a total departure especially from Jeannine. Pat Woodell and Lori Saunders were different as night and day. If one were to view the first and last episode it would seem like to separate shows.

Benny Hill · 04-24-2004, 02:43 AM

this show was so cool. the girls were gorgeous. back in the 60s everything was cool and entertaining unlike the present and future sitcoms which are considered garbage. petticoat junction is a classic and remains a classic. classic comercials to go along with classic petticoat junction were also cool.

vze3t9q9 · 05-12-2004, 09:25 PM

It fell apart when Kate died. So sad. She held the show together. It was too tough a job for June Lockhart to take over.

PracTz · 06-27-2004, 06:27 PM

When Bea Benederet died, so should the show. They'd constructed the whole show for her to be the best 'straight woman' possible to, but when she was gone, there was really no point to continue as the only vaguely interesting character left was Uncle Joe but he REALLY needed to have a strong foil like Kate to reign him in. They never once spelled out that her character was dead. .just 'gone away on a long visit'.Also, what were they thinking bringing in June Lockhart to be new 'mother hen chaperone' doctor? Does anyone think that tongues in a tiny town of Hooterville wouldn't have been wagging a mile-a-minute at the idea of this attractive woman doctor moving into a hotel 'run' (?!) [more like 'crawled'] by the lazy old bachelor Uncle Joe?

mstewart · 06-28-2004, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PracTz
When Bea Benederet died, so should the show. They'd constructed the whole show for her to be the best 'straight woman' possible to, but when she was gone, there was really no point to continue as the only vaguely interesting character left was Uncle Joe but he REALLY needed to have a strong foil like Kate to reign him in. They never once spelled out that her character was dead. .just 'gone away on a long visit'.Also, what were they thinking bringing in June Lockhart to be new 'mother hen chaperone' doctor? Does anyone think that tongues in a tiny town of Hooterville wouldn't have been wagging a mile-a-minute at the idea of this attractive woman doctor moving into a hotel 'run' (?!) [more like 'crawled'] by the lazy old bachelor Uncle Joe?

The feel of the show was gone when Bea Benederet died. It was a shame and a disgrace the way the show did not handle her passing. It was like Kate never existed.

jon123 · 08-28-2004, 04:47 PM

Amazing how PJ and Green Acres were both set in Hooterville and still had some common characters considering how different the shows were in the later years, with PJ getting cornier with the stupid singing and GA going totally surreal.

jon123 · 08-28-2004, 05:04 PM

Amazing how PJ and Green Acres were both set in Hooterville and still had some common characters considering how different the shows were in the later years, with PJ getting cornier with the stupid singing and GA going totally surreal.

Inca · 10-22-2004, 11:15 PM

Don't know... but maybe the deaths of actors, hence their characters were off limits back then? Were there other shows with a similar situation that handled it differently in those times?

janet42 · 02-26-2007, 12:32 AM

The show went downhill after Bea Benaderet died. She was the heart and soul of the show. I wish they could of said Kate died and did a episode honoring her memory, but in th 1960's the shows at that time didn't usually admit that a character has died. They just say that the character went away on a trip.

Edgar Buchanan and June Lockhart did their best, but thier characters on the show weren't as strong as Bea's character Kate Bradley. They should have cancelled the show after the 6th season.

TV Knowledge Fan · 02-28-2007, 04:35 PM

....was responsible for the decision NEVER to mention that Kate Bradley had "died", she just "went off on a long visit" {however, it was acceptable for Floyd to mourn for Charley in a brief show of emotion, after Smiley Burnette passed away}. It was traumatic enough for the entire cast to film most of the 1967-'68 season while Bea Benaderet was recovering from her cancer treatments, and more devastating, after her return, when she learned she wouldn't be around to see the end of the next one. CBS, however, insisted that the series continue, and that's why June Lockhart was brought in, after a few "transition" weeks, in late 1968. It may not have been the best idea, but it was the only one Henning had, short of shutting down production altogether. You have to remember that there were a LOT of cast changes throughout the entire series, and Bea was basically the one who "held it together". Perhaps it was the times, or the fact that TV was moving past "homespun rural comedies", that the series ended when it did.

Scoobiedoo30 · 03-02-2007, 07:17 PM

I do not think The show went downhill

TripperFan · 05-04-2007, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstewart

The feel of the show was gone when Bea Benederet died. It was a shame and a disgrace the way the show did not handle her passing. It was like Kate never existed.

So it's not me. I've searched all over to try to find an episode or even MENTION of Bea's whereabouts after her death. The closet I thought I got was when BettyJo gives birth, and Kate supposedly returns from her sister (or cousin) just in time for the big event. (they only show the back of her and you know it isn't really Bea at all but they use her voiceover - albeit an obviously ill and weak voice). Then that's it - you never see or hear about Kate again.
Very odd!

Definitely the show started to suck when Bea got sick. To me, they should have just called it quits or renamed and revamped the entire thing.
It's like if Jerry Seinfeld had called it quits on his show and they tried to keep it going without him - can't be done.

Best Man · 05-30-2007, 03:23 PM

There were other good characters besides Kate. Betty and Steve were married--lots of stories there!

07-06-2001, 08:21 PM	#1
Penny Lane Butter Pie Forum Icon Join Date: Jul 03, 2001 Location: Beneath the blue suburban skies Posts: 50,952	When the Show Went Downhill I really disliked the show when all the singing started in the last few season's. It was really lame! Ruined a good show! SO PHONY! [This message has been edited by NEWHART FAN (edited 07-06-2001).]

08-24-2003, 02:25 AM	#3
GENETTE Member Forum Cub Join Date: Aug 24, 2003 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2	The Decline of the Shady Rest Petticoat Junction was a great show despite all the obstacles it faced-- constant recasts of the two older girls, and the death of Bea. If ever a show represented the idea of the little engine that could it was this show. Four Billie Joes (if we count Sharon Tate, and two Bobbi Joes! With each recast the girls personalities altered a bit. Jeannie and Gunilla were similar at least in appearence but Meredith was a total departure especially from Jeannine. Pat Woodell and Lori Saunders were different as night and day. If one were to view the first and last episode it would seem like to separate shows.

04-24-2004, 02:43 AM	#4
Benny Hill Banned Banned!! Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 17, 2004 Posts: 40	petticoat junction this show was so cool. the girls were gorgeous. back in the 60s everything was cool and entertaining unlike the present and future sitcoms which are considered garbage. petticoat junction is a classic and remains a classic. classic comercials to go along with classic petticoat junction were also cool.

02-26-2007, 12:32 AM	#11
janet42 Three's Company Fan! Senior Member Join Date: Feb 22, 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,757	When The Show Went Downhill The show went downhill after Bea Benaderet died. She was the heart and soul of the show. I wish they could of said Kate died and did a episode honoring her memory, but in th 1960's the shows at that time didn't usually admit that a character has died. They just say that the character went away on a trip. Edgar Buchanan and June Lockhart did their best, but thier characters on the show weren't as strong as Bea's character Kate Bradley. They should have cancelled the show after the 6th season.

02-28-2007, 04:35 PM	#12
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	I believe that Paul Henning.... ....was responsible for the decision NEVER to mention that Kate Bradley had "died", she just "went off on a long visit" {however, it was acceptable for Floyd to mourn for Charley in a brief show of emotion, after Smiley Burnette passed away}. It was traumatic enough for the entire cast to film most of the 1967-'68 season while Bea Benaderet was recovering from her cancer treatments, and more devastating, after her return, when she learned she wouldn't be around to see the end of the next one. CBS, however, insisted that the series continue, and that's why June Lockhart was brought in, after a few "transition" weeks, in late 1968. It may not have been the best idea, but it was the only one Henning had, short of shutting down production altogether. You have to remember that there were a LOT of cast changes throughout the entire series, and Bea was basically the one who "held it together". Perhaps it was the times, or the fact that TV was moving past "homespun rural comedies", that the series ended when it did.

07-10-2001, 07:58 PM	#2
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	Agreed! The singing was horrible, and so corny! I actually think the show started heading downhill during the third season (the first in color). It felt more artificial than the first two seasons. It got worse during the fifth season, when Bea Benaderet (Kate) was absent so frequently due to illness. And it really started scraping the bottom of the barrel when BEa Benaderet passed away at the beginning of the sixth season, and they replaced her with June Lockhart. Look at the cast during the last few seasons -- most of them don't seem like they could have grown up in a rural area like Hooterville.

05-12-2004, 09:25 PM	#5
vze3t9q9 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 31, 2003 Location: ROCKCOVE Posts: 548	It fell apart when Kate died. So sad. She held the show together. It was too tough a job for June Lockhart to take over.

06-27-2004, 06:27 PM	#6
PracTz Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2002 Location: United States of America [Happily Living in the 20th Century] Posts: 2,711	When Bea Benederet died, so should the show. They'd constructed the whole show for her to be the best 'straight woman' possible to, but when she was gone, there was really no point to continue as the only vaguely interesting character left was Uncle Joe but he REALLY needed to have a strong foil like Kate to reign him in. They never once spelled out that her character was dead. .just 'gone away on a long visit'.Also, what were they thinking bringing in June Lockhart to be new 'mother hen chaperone' doctor? Does anyone think that tongues in a tiny town of Hooterville wouldn't have been wagging a mile-a-minute at the idea of this attractive woman doctor moving into a hotel 'run' (?!) [more like 'crawled'] by the lazy old bachelor Uncle Joe?

08-28-2004, 04:47 PM	#8
jon123 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 04, 2002 Location: Temecula Valley, CA Posts: 395	Amazing how PJ and Green Acres were both set in Hooterville and still had some common characters considering how different the shows were in the later years, with PJ getting cornier with the stupid singing and GA going totally surreal.

08-28-2004, 05:04 PM	#9
jon123 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 04, 2002 Location: Temecula Valley, CA Posts: 395	Amazing how PJ and Green Acres were both set in Hooterville and still had some common characters considering how different the shows were in the later years, with PJ getting cornier with the stupid singing and GA going totally surreal.

10-22-2004, 11:15 PM	#10
Inca Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 14, 2004 Posts: 34	Don't know... but maybe the deaths of actors, hence their characters were off limits back then? Were there other shows with a similar situation that handled it differently in those times?

03-02-2007, 07:17 PM	#13
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	I do not think The show went downhill
	__________________ Who Dat

05-30-2007, 03:23 PM	#15
Best Man Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 15, 2006 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 594	There were other good characters besides Kate. Betty and Steve were married--lots of stories there!