This show could have been a drama too, or a dramedy - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

robmic · 01-20-2014, 02:18 AM

"Petticoat Junction" was the sanest and most realistic of the Henning trilogy. "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres" were zany, screwball shows. I sometimes laugh out loud when watching "Hillbillies". These shows were totally out of reality and certainly never would have worked as dramas or dramedies. "Petticoat Junction", on the other hand, had a premise that would have worked well for either comedy or drama.

I love the premise of this show and sort of wish it had been a dramedy and could have dealt with some serious issues. Although, on occasion it did have some touching moments such as the scene when Kate saw Betty Jo walking down the asle in her wedding dress. I wish we had seen more character development, and I wish we had learned more about the girls' father. It was understood that he had died, but we never known when or how he died. I wish we could have seen an episode where it explained when and how he died and the effect it had on the girls, but an episode like this is not possible in a pure comedy series.

I would have loved more episodes where the girls had to work through various problems, serious stuff. Serious storylines combined with the wholesomeness and good moral values of this show would have made a fabulous show. They could have still had the comedy too. Life is full of both comedy and drama, sometimes each happening simultaneously at the same time. The actors/actresses on this show could have played either one. Am I the only one who has ever thought what PJ would have been like as a dramedy? Surely I'm not. I know that Paul Henning only wanted a comedy, and that PJ was not conceived to be anything else. I can't help thinking about the possibilities though. It could have been somewhat on the same order as "Little House on the Prairie" or "That Waltons", just set in the 1960s rural America.

tlc38tlc38 · 01-20-2014, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robmic

Life is full of both comedy and drama, sometimes each happening simultaneously at the same time.

Amen to that. That's why it's always important to have a happy heart even when the moment is dark. Always see the "funny" in every situation. Some people think it's rude to tell a joke at a "sad" moment but I think that's when a joke NEEDS to be told to make people feel better.

OH Nuts! · 01-20-2014, 12:37 PM

Of the trilogy, I like this show the best by leaps and bounds. Yes, the ideaof making PJ into a dramedy is an interesting one. I think the show could have worked nicely expanded to a dramedy. But for me anyways Bea is who made the show shine. It was great to see her finally get her own show and show just HOW MUCH she good do - fine acting and comedy - in addition to her prolific work as a voice over artist. Sadly, her illness and untimely passing made the show JTS. (The other actors in the show were good but NONE held a candle to Bea, and they could not fill the HUGE VOID she left)

missy's pop pop · 01-20-2014, 10:24 PM

"Petticoat Junction" had the most realistic characters of any of the Henning Trilogy shows. Uncle Joe was kinda lazy and silly, but in his context, he was comic relief to Kate and the girls' trials and tribulations. And it was refreshing to see Bea Benaderet when she wasn't playing third banana to Burns and Allen. Behind that loudmouth voice and cackling laugh of "Burns and Allen," Bea came across as warm and caring. No doubt her death caused the show to JTS. She was irreplaceable.

And Frank Cady as Sam Drucker was another character I loved watching. (I must admit I even enjoyed watching him in the Crest toothpaste commercials he did in the 1970s...he was just someone who came across as the salt-of-the-earth guy he must have been in real life.)

comedyfreak · 01-21-2014, 12:28 PM

I think it worked better as a comedy. I'm not for Dramedies I like to laugh not get caught up in someone else's drama.

cmulwee001 · 08-19-2014, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robmic

"Petticoat Junction" was the sanest and most realistic of the Henning trilogy. "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres" were zany, screwball shows. I sometimes laugh out loud when watching "Hillbillies". These shows were totally out of reality and certainly never would have worked as dramas or dramedies. "Petticoat Junction", on the other hand, had a premise that would have worked well for either comedy or drama.

I love the premise of this show and sort of wish it had been a dramedy and could have dealt with some serious issues. Although, on occasion it did have some touching moments such as the scene when Kate saw Betty Jo walking down the asle in her wedding dress. I wish we had seen more character development, and I wish we had learned more about the girls' father. It was understood that he had died, but we never known when or how he died. I wish we could have seen an episode where it explained when and how he died and the effect it had on the girls, but an episode like this is not possible in a pure comedy series.

I would have loved more episodes where the girls had to work through various problems, serious stuff. Serious storylines combined with the wholesomeness and good moral values of this show would have made a fabulous show. They could have still had the comedy too. Life is full of both comedy and drama, sometimes each happening simultaneously at the same time. The actors/actresses on this show could have played either one. Am I the only one who has ever thought what PJ would have been like as a dramedy? Surely I'm not. I know that Paul Henning only wanted a comedy, and that PJ was not conceived to be anything else. I can't help thinking about the possibilities though. It could have been somewhat on the same order as "Little House on the Prairie" or "That Waltons", just set in the 1960s rural America.

Get real! P J was MEANT to be a comedy. It would NEVER work as a drama or dramedy. And personally,for me the wedding episode with that 'sentimental' moment was despicable.

ILuvCarolBurnett · 03-18-2015, 02:01 AM

If you go the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences website and watch the interview with Paul Henning, he seemed to have regrets about not being as involved with PJ as he should have. It seemed he was not entirely happy with the show. I think it had great potential, but watching the reruns on MeTv, it seemed very low-key in comparison to most of the sitcoms of the 1960s. It felt like Mayberry RFD. Like you were suppose to like the characters, but nothing really exciting ever happened.

MichaelKeith · 03-18-2015, 08:43 AM

I don't have any first-hand experience of life in the country in the 1960s, but I did grow up in a small city (pop. 200,000) in the late 60s and 1970s and life really was slower and saner even in that situation. So I can well imagine that in the country in the early to mid-1960s, life really was slow, particularly in a small farming community like Hooterville.

01-20-2014, 02:18 AM	#1
robmic Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 21, 2009 Posts: 61	This show could have been a drama too, or a dramedy "Petticoat Junction" was the sanest and most realistic of the Henning trilogy. "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres" were zany, screwball shows. I sometimes laugh out loud when watching "Hillbillies". These shows were totally out of reality and certainly never would have worked as dramas or dramedies. "Petticoat Junction", on the other hand, had a premise that would have worked well for either comedy or drama. I love the premise of this show and sort of wish it had been a dramedy and could have dealt with some serious issues. Although, on occasion it did have some touching moments such as the scene when Kate saw Betty Jo walking down the asle in her wedding dress. I wish we had seen more character development, and I wish we had learned more about the girls' father. It was understood that he had died, but we never known when or how he died. I wish we could have seen an episode where it explained when and how he died and the effect it had on the girls, but an episode like this is not possible in a pure comedy series. I would have loved more episodes where the girls had to work through various problems, serious stuff. Serious storylines combined with the wholesomeness and good moral values of this show would have made a fabulous show. They could have still had the comedy too. Life is full of both comedy and drama, sometimes each happening simultaneously at the same time. The actors/actresses on this show could have played either one. Am I the only one who has ever thought what PJ would have been like as a dramedy? Surely I'm not. I know that Paul Henning only wanted a comedy, and that PJ was not conceived to be anything else. I can't help thinking about the possibilities though. It could have been somewhat on the same order as "Little House on the Prairie" or "That Waltons", just set in the 1960s rural America.

01-20-2014, 10:24 PM	#4
missy's pop pop Hooray for "Hazel!" Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 19, 2013 Location: St. Louis Posts: 396	Bea Benadaret as Kate Bradley was irreplaceable! "Petticoat Junction" had the most realistic characters of any of the Henning Trilogy shows. Uncle Joe was kinda lazy and silly, but in his context, he was comic relief to Kate and the girls' trials and tribulations. And it was refreshing to see Bea Benaderet when she wasn't playing third banana to Burns and Allen. Behind that loudmouth voice and cackling laugh of "Burns and Allen," Bea came across as warm and caring. No doubt her death caused the show to JTS. She was irreplaceable. And Frank Cady as Sam Drucker was another character I loved watching. (I must admit I even enjoyed watching him in the Crest toothpaste commercials he did in the 1970s...he was just someone who came across as the salt-of-the-earth guy he must have been in real life.)

01-21-2014, 12:28 PM	#5
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,060	I think it worked better as a comedy. I'm not for Dramedies I like to laugh not get caught up in someone else's drama.
	__________________ www.facebook.com/comedyfreak

01-20-2014, 12:37 PM	#3
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	Of the trilogy, I like this show the best by leaps and bounds. Yes, the ideaof making PJ into a dramedy is an interesting one. I think the show could have worked nicely expanded to a dramedy. But for me anyways Bea is who made the show shine. It was great to see her finally get her own show and show just HOW MUCH she good do - fine acting and comedy - in addition to her prolific work as a voice over artist. Sadly, her illness and untimely passing made the show JTS. (The other actors in the show were good but NONE held a candle to Bea, and they could not fill the HUGE VOID she left)

03-18-2015, 02:01 AM	#7
ILuvCarolBurnett Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 20, 2014 Location: Beverly Hills CA Posts: 312	If you go the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences website and watch the interview with Paul Henning, he seemed to have regrets about not being as involved with PJ as he should have. It seemed he was not entirely happy with the show. I think it had great potential, but watching the reruns on MeTv, it seemed very low-key in comparison to most of the sitcoms of the 1960s. It felt like Mayberry RFD. Like you were suppose to like the characters, but nothing really exciting ever happened.

03-18-2015, 08:43 AM	#8
MichaelKeith Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 1,139	I don't have any first-hand experience of life in the country in the 1960s, but I did grow up in a small city (pop. 200,000) in the late 60s and 1970s and life really was slower and saner even in that situation. So I can well imagine that in the country in the early to mid-1960s, life really was slow, particularly in a small farming community like Hooterville.