Petticoat Junction “Returns”
For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.
Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.
On September 3rd, the Astound TV Network will officially launch our fall programming schedule. Among the changes to the ATVN broadcast lineup includes the return of a classic 1960s sitcom to our schedule – Petticoat Junction.
The “Junction” was somewhat revolutionary for its time in that it featured a single, widowed mother raising three kids on her own.
Veteran radio and television character actress Bea Benaderet, after three decades of small roles and guest-starring on some of the most classic programs of all time, finally got her first chance at a leading role. (She actually played the role of Lucille Ball’s trusted neighbor on Ball’s radio show that would later become the Ethel Mertz role on the TV version of the program, I Love Lucy.)
Benaderet’s character on “Junction,” Kate Bradley, was the anchor of a creative collection of zany characters that made up the fictional town, Hooterville, the show’s main setting.
Plot lines relied on feel good situations and familiar family issues with Benaderet often solving the problems of her daughters and their neighbors.
One of the highlights of the cast was their live-in Uncle Joe, played by Edgar Buchanan, who became one of the more popular sit-com figures of the early/mid-1960s television landscape.
Another popular pairing of characters were the train conductors, Floyd Smoot and Charlie Pratt, played by Rufe Davis and Smiley Burnette.
Burnette wasn’t the only actor smiling after the first several seasons of the program. Petticoat Junction became one of the most successful comedies on television for the first several years of its run.
However, the cast and crew were in for more twists and turns than anyone ever found on the Cannonball’s train tracks over the next few years. Tragically, the end of the 1960s not only started a decline in popularity for the “Junction” but some of the show’s most beloved characters met a dubious fate in real life.
We’ll have more on Petticoat Junction in a future blog entry here at the Showplace.
In the meantime, check out this program’s popular episodes making their return to the ATVN Wednesday programming schedule, starting on September 6th.
To view the complete rundown of classic programming on the Astound TV Network, check out the weekly listings here on our website.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.
