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75-522: Drucker ( / ˈ d r ʌ k ər / ; German: [ˈdʁʊkɐ] ) is a surname of German and Jewish origin, and may refer to: Sam Drucker, proprietor of Drucker's Store in the CBS TV shows Petticoat Junction and Green Acres . Petticoat Junction The show centers on the goings-on at the rural Shady Rest Hotel. Widowed Kate Bradley ( Bea Benaderet ) is the proprietress. Her lazy but lovable Uncle Joe Carson ( Edgar Buchanan ) supposedly helps her in

150-422: A PATSY Award , and he also was cover-featured on an issue of TV Guide . Higgins had a close rapport with Edgar Buchanan. In the official cast pictures taken each year during the run of Petticoat Junction, Buchanan is shown holding or petting the dog. Higgins went on to star in the successful 1974 film Benji which also featured Buchanan in a cameo role. Linda Kaye Henning indicated in a TV interview her father,

225-450: A water stop along the isolated branch line of the C. & F.W. Railroad. Due to a trestle demolition many years ago, the line now is entirely unconnected to any other railroad; it runs between the rural farm community of Hooterville and the small town of Pixley. Each of these towns is about 25 miles (40 km) away from the hotel, which is located roughly at the midpoint of the line. Kate Bradley says that her stubborn grandfather built

300-420: A Future President" and "The Singing Sweethearts" when her cancer was found to have returned. The third episode, "Only a Husband", was her final physical appearance on the show, in which she shared a brief scene with Mike Minor and was conspicuously absent from the other scenes that were written for her. Linda Kaye Henning recalled in 2008: "The last few shows we knew she was very ill. … She was not well enough to do

375-645: A ball. It is a popular comfort food dish, commonly found in the Southern and Midwestern United States , that is also attributed to being a French Canadian meal that originated during the Great Depression . Some sources say that chicken and dumplings originated in the Southern United States during the era of the Antebellum South and was considered a mainstay during harsh economic times. One of

450-591: A distinction is made, it is sometimes considered a different dish from "chicken and dumplings", which is known for small balls of dough rather than flat strips. In the Appalachian region of the United States, this preparation is called chicken and slicks. The Pennsylvania Dutch version is called bott boi . Chicken and dumpling soup is another variation, and is very popular in the Midwest. Pennsylvania Dutch bott boi

525-425: A double standing in. For the remaining seasons, the character was played by Lori Saunders. Woodell and Saunders resembled each other physically, but the character of Bobbie Jo was gradually revamped after the cast change, going from a shy bookworm to a humorous scatterbrain. After Saunders took over the role, she at times gave her lines "a slightly daffy delivery." The show writers picked up on this and gradually changed

600-665: A flavoring, particularly in Pennsylvanian restaurants catering to a niche market among the Pennsylvania Dutch farming communities. Created to use up leftovers, Pennsylvania Dutch pot pie developed from the more widespread baked variety. Its characteristic noodles were added as a staple of the Pennsylvania Dutch and English diets. The ease of preparing it in large quantities has made it popular for fundraisers, community dinners, and other large-scale preparations. Bott boi

675-592: A fool of himself. Early on, much of the show also focuses on the Hooterville Cannonball , an 1890s vintage steam-driven train run more like a taxi service by train driver engineer Charley Pratt ( Smiley Burnette ) and fireman / conductor Floyd Smoot ( Rufe Davis ). It was not uncommon for the Cannonball to make an unscheduled stop for the crew to go fishing, or to pick fruit for Kate's apple butter and pies. The single-tracked Hooterville to Pixley spur line

750-425: A fork. Thicker preparations are made by gently simmering the dumplings longer and/or adding flour or another thickening agent directly to the broth. Flour tortillas or canned biscuits, rolled thin on a floured surface, cut into strips, are a quick and easy substitute for homemade dough. Butter may be added to the recipe for added richness. Since chicken meat would become dry and tough if it is boiled long enough to cook

825-452: A little male dog who immediately attaches himself to her and the Bradley family. Kate, at first, is against keeping him but by the end of the episode, she is won over by him and allows him to stay. Also, in that episode, the subject of Higgins's name is addressed. At first, different names are suggested by the sisters when he first arrives ("Spike", "Prince", and "Byron"), but they never decide, so

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900-425: A movie career. In the third season (1965–66), Riley was replaced by Gunilla Hutton (not present for 11 episodes), and for the rest of the show's run, Billie Jo was played by Meredith MacRae . Bobbie Jo was played in the first two seasons (1963–65) by Pat Woodell, who left the series to start a singing career. In some scenes in a few episodes, when Pat Woodell was unavailable, Bobbie Jo was shown only from behind, with

975-453: A precursor to the CBS rural purge of the early 1970s, when all rural-themed shows were cancelled. Its final first-run episode was broadcast on April 4, 1970, and the series officially ended its primetime run on Saturday, September 12, 1970, at 9:30 pm. It was replaced one week later by The Mary Tyler Moore Show . Petticoat Junction did not have a series finale. However, "Last Train to Pixley",

1050-454: A situation comedy. The producers and CBS decided to continue the show, and Kate Bradley continued to be referred to as being "out of town." Benaderet's name was removed from the opening credits and Edgar Buchanan received star billing for the remainder of the series. Referring to the hotel, the opening theme lyrics were changed from "It is run by Kate, come and be her guest" to "It is run by Joe, come and be his guest". Although Petticoat Junction

1125-403: A type established, though, and you're any good, it can mean considerable work for you." The New York Times reported that Lane's persona was so familiar to the public, "that people would come up to him in the street and greet him, because they thought they knew him from their hometowns." In the first-season episode #32 "Dog Days At Shady Rest", Higgins , the actor dog, was featured as "Sheba",

1200-524: A version of the song "Petticoat Junction". The DVD release of the series by Brentwood Home Video replaced Massey's music with John Hickman's "Banjo Signal". The DVD release of the series by TGG Direct, Inc. replaces Massey's music with Frank Hutchison's "Train That Carried the Girl From Town". Both editions retain screen credit to Massey. After its cancellation, Filmways and Paul Henning 's company sold

1275-532: A visiting Miss Jane and Mr. Drysdale, who mistakenly believes billionaire Howard Hughes lives in Hooterville. The following is a list of Petticoat Junction episodes featuring characters from Green Acres . Only those that debuted on Acres before Junction are counted. Curt Massey sang the Petticoat Junction theme song. The song was composed by Massey and Paul Henning. Flatt and Scruggs recorded

1350-563: Is a soup popular in central and southeastern Pennsylvania , also called chicken and dumplings in the American south . Bearing no resemblance to the baked dish known elsewhere as pot pie (itself known within Pennsylvania as "meat pies"), bott boi consists of large square noodles and a meat such as chicken , ham , or beef simmered in stock. Other common ingredients include potatoes , carrots , or celery . Saffron may also be added as

1425-449: Is an old-fashioned, Victorian-style hotel, accessible primarily by train (and a poorly-maintained fire road), where guests share bathing facilities and eat together with the family at a large dining-room table. Kate Bradley cooks sumptuous meals on a wood-burning stove, and her specialty is chicken 'n' dumplings . Meals were prepared for the show by property master Vince Vecchio. In a 1966 interview, Bea Benaderet said, "I suspect that Vince

1500-401: Is better at cooking things like [my] mother used to than anybody's mother ever was." Regarding the show's title, Petticoat Junction , the hotel is located at a water stop, not a junction (where two or more railroad lines meet). The train stop is nicknamed "petticoat junction" because the Bradley sisters often skinny dip in the railway's water tower and leave their petticoats draped over

1575-883: Is related to Kate through Pearl and then later when she arrives at the Shady Rest she mistakes Uncle Joe for Kate and says "They's right about you Kate, you and Cousin Pearl are lookalikes." The episode is also part two of a three-episode crossover with Hillbillies that begins on "Granny Goes to Hooterville" and concludes on "The Italian Cook". Other crossover shows feature the Clampetts spending Thanksgiving and Christmas of 1968 in Hooterville on The Beverly Hillbillies ("The Thanksgiving Story", "The Week Before Christmas", "Christmas in Hooterville", and "Drysdale and Friend"). Finally, two consecutive 1970 episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies ("Buzz Bodine, Boy General" and "The Clampett-Hewes Empire") with

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1650-407: The Cannonball's throttle; running the train is one of her favorite pastimes, as she is something of a tomboy with an interest in mechanics. Trips on the Cannonball usually include a stop in Hooterville at Drucker's Store, run by Sam Drucker ( Frank Cady ). Drucker's is the local hub, where menfolk come to play checkers and chat. Sam Drucker is the postmaster and his telephone is a lifeline for

1725-467: The black-and-white (1963–65) episodes were not resolved, and they were not included in the syndication package until MeTV began broadcasting the black-and-white (1963–65) episodes on July 12, 2011. The airings of the black-and-white episodes were short lived, and on July 21, 2011, MeTV started airing the color episodes once again. MeTV began to air the first two black-and-white seasons of the show again on November 4, 2013. The show has rotated on and off of

1800-503: The public domain , their copyrights having lapsed. As a result, numerous discount DVDs of these episodes have been released, although with generic bluegrass -like theme music instead of the familiar opening and closing music, which is still under copyright. As of April 2019, the original black-and-white episodes of Petticoat Junction were airing on the Retro Television Network and Circle TV . The Paul Henning Estate holds

1875-486: The 1970s, Meredith MacRae and Linda Kaye Henning tried to produce Hello Again Hooterville: A Thanksgiving Reunion , but the project never came to fruition. The game show Family Feud featured a Petticoat Junction cast reunion in 1983, when Frank Cady, Linda Kaye Henning, Lori Saunders, Gunilla Hutton, and Meredith MacRae (Edgar Buchanan had died in 1979) competed against cast members from The Brady Bunch . In 1990,

1950-498: The Bradleys, Uncle Joe, and others. The fictional Hooterville became the main town for Green Acres in which Sam Drucker still ran Drucker's Store although he was also a Justice of the Peace ; Pixley was apparently the county seat although a nearby community was "Bugtussle," the original home of Jed Clampet and his family from The Beverly Hillbillies . The Shady Rest Hotel is located at

2025-656: The Burris Hotel, which was owned by her grandparents in Eldon . Once called the Rock Island Hotel, the Burris was located next to the now-derelict Rock Island Line railroad tracks. Ruth Henning's mother, Alice (Burris) Barth, also told her many stories about the hotel and about growing up in the small town of Eldon. The stories of Ruth and her mother, Alice, became the basis of the show. Linda Kaye Henning said that her father "wrote

2100-582: The Christmas-time Cannonball decorated with lights. During the episode, Floyd sings the song " Steam, Cinders and Smoke ", which was written by former cast member Smiley Burnette. It was released as a single in 1964 by Burnette and Rufe Davis (who played Floyd Smoot). At the end of the episode, Floyd decides not to retire when the people of Hooterville write him letters asking him to stay. The only actors who appeared in all seven seasons were Edgar Buchanan, Linda Kaye Henning, and Frank Cady. Buchanan

2175-740: The MeTV schedule in various time slots. On March 12, 2018, Decades TV Network and on April 23, 2018, Punch TV Studios began broadcasting the black-and-white episodes; both networks continued through with the color episodes. The color episodes have run constantly, with the show running on TV Land from 1996 to 2000. The show ran on the Retro Television Network from 2005 to 2008, and on MeTV beginning in June 2012. The program has run on three different Canadian cable channels: Prime TV from 2000 to 2002, DejaView from 2005 to 2008, and on TV Land Canada from 2006 to 2010. The black-and-white episodes from season one are now in

2250-455: The Pig , Newt Kiley, and Ben Miller, first appeared on season two of Petticoat Junction , which saw a number of scripts written by Green Acres creator Jay Sommers. Characters in all of Henning's creations often crossed over into one another's programs, especially during the first two seasons of Green Acres . During Petticoat's run from 1963 to 1968 (up until Kate Bradley's last few appearances at

2325-508: The Shady Rest Hotel. The storyline involving Betty Jo's new pregnancy was dropped and never referred to again. The second change is the addition of bumbling, but well-meaning, game warden Orrin Pike (played by actor Jonathan Daly ), who becomes Bobbie Jo's boyfriend, much to the annoyance of Uncle Joe. In the spring of 1970, despite somewhat improving ratings, Petticoat Junction was cancelled as

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2400-597: The beginning of season six), and with the exception of Green Acres , not once was there ever a connection to The Beverly Hillbillies even though Bea Benaderet had played Cousin Pearl Bodine during the latter's first season (Benaderet reprised the role for a brief cameo in the sixth season). Despite this, in a 1968 episode of Petticoat (#175 "Granny, the Baby Expert"), Granny comes to Hooterville to tend to Betty Jo and Steve's baby. Prior to her visit, she reminds Jed that he

2475-479: The character of Bobbie Jo from Paul Henning's original conception of a brainy introvert into "a high-spirited, delightfully ditzy extrovert." In 1967, the show suffered its first loss when Smiley Burnette (engineer Charley Pratt) died of leukemia right after filming wrapped for the fourth season. During the show's fifth season (1967–1968), Floyd Smoot (Rufe Davis) took over running the train alone as engineer and conductor. The absence of Burnette's character of Charley

2550-461: The character of Dan Plout is never seen again. Two years later, in the fall of 1966, Mike Minor rejoined the series as handsome crop duster Steve Elliott. Steve is originally the love interest of eldest daughter Billie Jo, but later marries (youngest daughter) Betty Jo. The three Bradley sisters (played by Linda Kaye Henning, Pat Woodell, and Jeannine Riley) form a Beatlesque band called "The Ladybugs" with their friend Sally Ragsdale ( Sheila James ) in

2625-813: The character of Sam Drucker appeared in Return to Green Acres , in what was Frank Cady's final acting role. In 1981, Linda Kaye Henning and Charles Lane both appeared in The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies , but not as Betty Jo and Homer Bedloe. Henning played a secretary named Linda, and Lane played Chief. Petticoat Junction is set in the same fictional universe as Green Acres . Both shows are set in Hooterville, and they share such characters as Sam Drucker, Newt Kiley, and Floyd Smoot. A number of core Green Acres characters, such as Fred and Doris Ziffel (originally named "Ruthie" after Paul Henning 's wife, Ruth), Arnold

2700-530: The day-to-day running of the hotel, while she serves as a mediator in the various minor crises that befall her three beautiful daughters: redhead Betty Jo ( Linda Kaye Henning ); brunette Bobbie Jo (first Pat Woodell , later Lori Saunders ); and blonde Billie Jo (first Jeannine Riley , then Gunilla Hutton , and finally Meredith MacRae ). Uncle Joe, when he is not idling in his favorite porch chair, frequently comes up with half-baked get-rich-quick schemes and ill-conceived hotel promotions which end up with him making

2775-428: The dog at that time is not actually named. Eventually, the character's name becomes simply "Dog" or "Boy". Press releases for the show referred to him as the "Shady Rest Dog". (The fifth-season episode "Higgins, Come Home" (broadcast January 27, 1968) refers to the dog's real name, but the title itself is not displayed on the episode.) Higgins remained with the show until its cancellation in 1970. During that time, he won

2850-421: The dog of Betty Jo's boyfriend Orville Miggs (played by actor Jimmy Hawkins ). That episode gave the producers an idea. It was decided at the start of the 1964–1965 season to add a new character to The Shady Rest - a dog. As a result, Higgins became a regular cast member. His first appearance was in the second season opener "Betty Jo's Dog". In that installment, coming home on the first day of school, Betty Jo meets

2925-405: The dumpling dough. Various commercial preparations of chicken and dumplings are available, including canned and frozen versions of the prepared dish. Frozen raw dumplings, typically very flat strips about 1x4 inches, can be cooked in any broth. The consistency of the prepared dish, whether homemade or purchased, varies from a thin soup to a very thick casserole-like consistency, easily eaten with

3000-528: The dumplings and thicken the broth, the chicken or parts are removed from the broth before adding the dumplings. While the dumplings are cooking, the meat is separated from the bones. When the dumplings are done and the broth seasoned and thickened, the chicken is returned to the broth. The dish is then ready to be served, but may be kept on low heat so as to not further cook the chicken. A variant known as "chicken and pastry" or simply "chicken pastry" features wide, flat noodles rolled from biscuit dough. Where such

3075-431: The earliest versions of the recipe was cornmeal dumplings cooked with turnip greens. Chicken and dumplings as a dish is prepared with a combination of simmered chicken meat , broth produced by simmering the chicken, multiple dumplings, and salt and pepper for seasoning. Sometimes finely chopped vegetables, such as carrots and celery, are added to the broth, and herbs such as dill, parsley, thyme, or chives are added to

Drucker - Misplaced Pages Continue

3150-467: The effects of her cancer treatment, as she appeared noticeably thinner and weaker. Following the conclusion of her treatment, she had revealed to the Press-Republican that despite her lengthy absence, series producer Charles Stewart would continue to write her as the lead for the upcoming sixth season. At the start of the 1968–69 season, Benaderet had completed the first two episodes "Birthplace of

3225-470: The end credits). During the third season, Elvia Allman (who had appeared in season one as Gladys Stroud) was brought on as Cora Watson for one episode (a role she reprised on Green Acres the same season). Starting with Season 4 (1966–1967), Sale's Selma was replaced by Allman. She appeared in 19 episodes in all, which extended to the end of season 7 (1969–1970). Selma's daughter Henrietta Plout (first played by Susan Walther in season 3 then by Lynette Winter)

3300-450: The end of each episode to co-star billing in the opening credits. The show's theme song lyrics were slightly altered to accommodate the change in cast. A decline in Nielsen ratings had begun in season five, when CBS moved the show from Tuesday night to Saturday night. In season six, the show failed to make the ratings top 30. With Benaderet's death and the mediocre ratings, the sitcom's future

3375-430: The episode where I have the baby." When Paul Henning realized that Benaderet would not recover, he decided that the fourth episode of season six would be the birth of Betty Jo's baby, so Benaderet's character could be included. In this episode, titled "The Valley Has a Baby", Benaderet provided only her voice for scenes of Betty Jo and Steve reading a letter from Kate; her speaking to Cannonball engineer Wendell Gibbs over

3450-497: The first two seasons, Kate's wardrobe and hair style depicted her as a dowdy country farm woman. Beginning with the third year (in color), her clothing and coiffure were much more flattering and appealing, and she wore high heels. Sickness kept Bea Benaderet away for the last third of season five as she dealt with lung cancer. She missed two episodes (#159 and 160), returned for one (#161), then missed eight more. Storylines dealt with Kate's absence by having other characters say that she

3525-413: The fourth-to-last episode to air, is in some ways like a series finale. In the episode, Hooterville Cannonball engineer/conductor Floyd Smoot decides to retire. The residents of the Shady Rest Hotel and Sam Drucker all take a ride on the Cannonball and recall (with flashbacks) such treasured memories as fishing from the train, a very pregnant Betty Jo driving the train when she is about to give birth, and

3600-551: The hotel there because that was where the lumber fell off the train. The town of Pixley, at one end of the Cannonball's route, was named for Pixley, California . A number of location shots were filmed in the real Pixley. The exact location of Hooterville is never mentioned on Petticoat Junction or Green Acres . Clues given to the location of Hooterville often conflict with each other, but nearby mentions of towns and counties place it in Southwest Missouri. The Shady Rest

3675-443: The original film elements to the first two seasons' black-and-white episodes, with the original opening and closing theme song. In 2005, it licensed 20 black-and-white episodes from season one to be released on the "Ultimate Collection" DVD set via MPI Home Video . It features the first 20 episodes of the series excluding "Cannonball Christmas". In 2008, CBS Home Entertainment (distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment ) released

3750-750: The phone and using the handcar with him to get to the hospital; and her presence at Betty Jo's bedside after the baby's arrival. The latter segments featured Benaderet's stand-in, actress Edna Laird, portraying Kate with her back to the camera. The episode additionally featured three short flashbacks of Kate from season five: "You Know I Can't Hear You When the Thunder Is Clapping", where Betty Jo reveals to Kate that Steve and she are in love; "A Cottage for Two", where Betty Jo's dream house turns out to be an old shack; and "With This Gown I Thee Wed", where Steve and Betty Jo get married. The episode aired just 13 days after Benaderet's death on October 13, 1968. Benaderet

3825-415: The popular CBS-TV series Lassie . Lockhart's character was essentially brought on as a surrogate mother figure to fill the void left by the death of Bea Benaderet, and takes up a medical practice at the hotel and also serves as a counsel of sorts for the girls. The cast was described as "most welcoming" to Lockhart as the newcomer during a difficult time. Quickly, Lockhart graduated from featured billing at

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3900-444: The same day that the final episode of Petticoat Junction aired: April 4, 1970. Bea Benaderet , who played the main character Kate Bradley, died in 1968 after a two-year illness with lung cancer; June Lockhart then joined the show as Dr. Janet Craig, a mother figure to the girls, from 1968 until the show's end in 1970. Petticoat Junction was the only one of Paul Henning's country trio not to return in an updated reunion movie. In

3975-487: The same old water tower, too." Choosing not to recast the Kate Bradley role, or to sign Rosemary DeCamp on full-time (she was also playing the mother of Marlo Thomas on That Girl ), the producers introduced the new character of Dr. Janet Craig, played by June Lockhart , who had just come from a three-year run as Maureen Robinson on Lost In Space . Previously, Lockhart had played another mother figure - Ruth Martin on

4050-485: The season-one episode "The Ladybugs". They wear mop-top wigs and perform the Beatles song " I Saw Her Standing There " with the word "Him" substituted for "Her". On March 22, 1964, mere days before this episode aired, the four actresses performed this same song as "The Ladybugs" on The Ed Sullivan Show . Ed invited his viewers to tune in later that week to see the girls on their show. Frank Cady, who played Sam Drucker,

4125-460: The semiregular character Cousin Pearl Bodine on season one of The Beverly Hillbillies . Henning felt that Benaderet had more than paid her dues and had earned the right to headline her own series. During preproduction, proposed titles for the show were Ozark Widow , Dern Tootin' , and Whistle Stop . For the first three seasons, Petticoat Junction centered on homespun humor and the village's backward mindset. Beginning in season four, however,

4200-458: The series for Bea Benaderet." Paul Henning thought the show would make an ideal starring vehicle for the veteran character actress. Since the 1930s, Benaderet had played second-banana roles on radio and television to such personalities as Jack Benny , Lucille Ball , and George Burns and Gracie Allen . She was an uncredited voice actress for many Warner Bros. cartoons, and provided the voice of Betty Rubble on The Flintstones . She also played

4275-469: The series for a seventh season. The main reason for the renewal was that it would give the series five full years of color episodes for syndication, which would be very profitable for the network. When the show returned for its seventh and final season in September 1969, two major plotline changes were made. The first is that Steve and Betty Jo, and their daughter Kathy Jo, move out of their cottage and back into

4350-407: The show along with The Beverly Hillbillies after that show's cancellation to CBS . Its distribution has changed hands over the years due to corporate changes involving Viacom , which in 2006 split into two separate companies. Today, CBS Media Ventures handles syndication. The color (1965–70) episodes were shown in syndication for many years after the show's cancellation. However, the rights to

4425-513: The show gradually took on a different feel. Stories began to focus more on the Bradley sisters, specifically on the romance of Steve and Betty Jo, who became key characters. The show became more of a domestic comedy. Musical numbers and singing became prominent. Songs featured the Bradley sisters singing as a trio, Billie Jo solo, Steve solo, or Steve and Betty Jo as a duet. Sometimes, as many as two or three songs were in each episode. The additions of Mike Minor as Steve Elliott and Meredith MacRae as

4500-405: The show's producer, had planned to run a contest to name the dog but that never materialized and thus the dog was left without a "proper" name. Another new character was introduced for the 1964–65 season to serve as a female nemesis for Kate Bradley - Selma Plout. Virginia Sale briefly reprised her role in the first season of Green Acres (her character is not mentioned by name, but is listed in

4575-544: The side. The opening titles of the series show their petticoats hanging on the tower while they are swimming offscreen. The idea for Petticoat Junction came from Paul Henning's wife, Ruth. Paul Henning said, The Shady Rest was based on a real hotel in Eldon, Missouri, run by my wife's grandmother... that's where the hotel and the train and the whole setting came from, from Ruth's reminiscences of visiting her grandma. Ruth Henning told him stories of her childhood adventures at

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4650-399: The third Billie Jo influenced this change, as they were both accomplished singers. The characters of Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo also changed. Billie Jo went from being a boy-crazy dumb blonde to a strong, independent young lady. Bobbie Jo went from being book-smart (nicknamed "the walking encyclopedia") to more of a bubble-head used for comic relief. Kate Bradley's appearance also changed. In

4725-529: The unaltered first season on DVD with new cast member interviews, original broadcast commercials. Chicken and dumplings Chicken and dumplings is a Southern United States dish that consists of a chicken boiled in water, with the resulting chicken broth being used to cook dumplings by boiling. A dumpling —in this context—is a biscuit dough, which is a mixture of flour , shortening , and liquid (water, milk, buttermilk, or chicken stock). The dumplings are either rolled out flat, dropped, or formed into

4800-548: Was altered on television and became Lisa Douglas , played by Eva Gabor . Jack Bannon , Benaderet's son, played small parts over the course of the show, usually as a boyfriend or date for one of the Bradley girls. Byron Foulger played two different recurring characters on Petticoat Junction . In the early seasons, he was banker Mr. Guerney, and in later seasons, he was train engineer Wendell Gibbs. Jimmy Hawkins appeared in five episodes as Betty Jo's love interest Orville Miggs. In season seven, Steve and Betty Jo's baby Kathy Jo

4875-506: Was cut off from the rest of the railroad 20 years before the start of the show by the demolition of a trestle. Charley and Floyd are alternately depicted as retired employees of the railroad receiving pensions and salaried railroad workers. Many plots involve railroad executive Homer Bedloe's futile attempts to cease operation and scrap the Hooterville Cannonball . Occasionally, youngest daughter Betty Jo can be found with her hand on

4950-441: Was explained by allusions in several episodes to his death. Floyd was replaced the following season by Wendell Gibbs, played by Byron Foulger . During the show's last season (1969–70), Foulger had become too ill to continue and did not appear. Davis guested as Floyd Smoot for two episodes, one of them being "Last Train to Pixley". He was also addressed off-screen in one episode as an invisible character. Coincidentally, Foulger died on

5025-426: Was hanging in the balance. CBS considered cancelling the show in the spring of 1969. The season-six finale "Tune In Next Year" was meant to be the series finale. Dr. Janet Craig receives a good job offer in another city and decides to accept it. However, at the end of the episode, Dr. Craig decides to stay when Steve and Betty Jo announce that they are going to have another baby. At the last minute, CBS decided to renew

5100-537: Was introduced at the same time and appeared in seven episodes over the next three seasons. Selma tries repeatedly to marry off the seemingly homely girl, the butt of many "plain Jane" jokes. In her next-to-last episode, the Bradley sisters give Henrietta a glamorous makeover and she is revealed to be quite attractive. Mike Minor first appeared on the series as Selma Plout's son Dan in the second-season episode "Mother Of The Bride" that aired December 15, 1964. After that episode,

5175-484: Was out of town, although it was never stated where she was or what she was doing. Paul Henning brought in temporary replacement mother-figures Rosemary DeCamp (as Kate's sister Helen) and Shirley Mitchell (as Kate's cousin Mae). In January 1968, it was announced that Benaderet's treatment was successful, and she returned for the fifth-season finale ("Kate's Homecoming") that aired on March 30, 1968. Benaderet's performance showed

5250-407: Was played by Elna Danelle Hubbell. In season six, Kathy Jo was played (uncredited) by infant twins Heather and Barbara Whiter. Heather said her sister and she landed the role when their mother heard that the producers were looking for red-haired babies. She also said that she has no first-hand memories of working on the show. Billie Jo was originally to be played by Sharon Tate . Though a cast photo

5325-409: Was popular with viewers, and her fan mail increased during her illness as she received many get-well cards and letters from fans. In the first five years of Petticoat Junction , she was indisputably the star of the show. As a result, the absence of her character had to be handled delicately. In the 1950s and '60s, it was almost unheard of for a main character on a television show to die, particularly on

5400-486: Was still beloved by fans, the central premise of a country family was lost without a motherly figure. The long absence of Kate was only mentioned once in passing during the final two seasons. In the season-seven premiere "Make Room For Baby", the Bradley sisters and baby Kathy Jo return from swimming in the water tower. Steve has paternal qualms about his daughter's safety, to which Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo wistfully reply: "Mom taught all of us to swim before we could walk. And in

5475-481: Was taken with Tate, she never appeared in the show. Though long rumored possible explanations for Tate's replacement include the emergence of racy photos of Tate, the reality is that Martin Ransohoff , Filmways producer, felt she simply was not prepared for a central role, and her agents convinced her to pass up the opportunity. Billie Jo was played for the first two seasons (1963–65) by Jeannine Riley, who left to pursue

5550-466: Was the only actor in television history to play the same recurring character on three different shows at the same time. He was a regular on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres , in addition to some late series guest appearances on The Beverly Hillbillies . Benaderet had played Mrs. Granby on the short-lived 1950 radio show Granby's Green Acres . This show was the inspiration for the Petticoat Junction spin-off Green Acres . The Mrs. Granby character

5625-636: Was the only one to appear in every episode. Linda Kaye Henning appeared in all but two episodes: "Bobbie Jo and the Beatnik" (Season 1); and "Have Library, Will Travel" (Season 2). Edgar Buchanan, who portrayed Bea Benaderet's character's uncle, was only three years older than Benaderet in real life. Veteran character actor Charles Lane played Cannonball nemesis Homer Bedloe in 24 episodes. Lane said that he perfected his stern curmudgeon character-type on I Love Lucy . Recalling in 1981 his many roles, he said "They were all good parts, but they were jerks. If you have

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