By the sixth season, when the Clampetts went to England and mixed with hippies (policeman to Granny: "Are you the little lady who smokes crawdads?" . . . Granny: "Yes, but first I need a little pot!") "The Beverly Hillbillies" -- a show that catapulted to number one in the nation almost from its start and remained in the top ten four out of its five years, was clearly on its way down.
It's difficult to judge what viewers will accept. On "Remington Steele" Remington and Laura didn't, and the show petered out at 94 episodes (the last 6 of which should never have been made). In a very similar show, "Moonlighting," Maddie and David did . . . and the show petered out at just under seventy episodes. A similar number of episodes of very similar shows which both went under fast despite taking totally different directions.
The Hillbillies tried the inclusion of hippies and "pot" jokes to be topical, trying to show some relevance to the rising younger crowd. In other words, selling out, since the younger crowd was what bought stuff from the advertisers. But selling out was not the problem. The show felt tired after five years of a nearly record-breaking run ("The Giant Jackrabbit" episode still holds the highest ratings for a non-special thirty-minute sitcom).
Then Jethro, trying to join the Reserves, blunders into a plot headed by Ulysses Grant to restart the Civil War and -- in Granny's view -- lead another invasion of the USA by "the north" (her grasp of history is notoriously weak -- this should be pointed out since the grasp most people these days have of US history is incredibly weak, if it exists at all!) In an effort to save the USA, Granny, Jethro and Elly May arm to confront Grant and his insidious invasion at the Culpeper Plantation.
In fact, Ulysses Grant is plotting to invade the Culpeper Plantation -- for a movie probably based on the September 12, 1863 skirmish called "Culpeper Court House" (though that was not a Grant battle; it sounds Civil-Warish, anyway). The boys in blue and gray are actors, the Culpeper Plantation is a set, and Grant is an milquetoast actor with such a severe hangover his beard hurts.
Thinking Granny has flipped her lid, but willing to do anything to appease her family, banker Drysdale (who, we discover, hails from Chicago) adopts a Confederate general's uniform, replete with a nifty grey beard and a somewhat battered southern accent.
But it's Granny who saves the day, shooting the insidious Grant down with Minié ball ammunition made out of Elly May's ladyfingers pastry. But no one is really hurt, and when Granny, in a more humane spirit, offers the actor playing Grant succor with her corn squeezin's, the two develop a beautiful friendship.
While some people may shout ugly epithets at anyone who dares show a gray uniform or a Confederate flag, it's all done in a wacky sense of humor. Remember, "The Beverly Hillbillies" was created at the time of the Civil War centenary, and Granny's devotion to the south was meant to emphasize her age and how out of touch she was with modern reality.
Whatever, Irene Ryan has a field day playing Granny, and everyone else takes a back seat to the little lady who single-handedly tries to ward off a foreign invasion and save the United States.
Granny fans will love this show.
It's difficult to judge what viewers will accept. On "Remington Steele" Remington and Laura didn't, and the show petered out at 94 episodes (the last 6 of which should never have been made). In a very similar show, "Moonlighting," Maddie and David did . . . and the show petered out at just under seventy episodes. A similar number of episodes of very similar shows which both went under fast despite taking totally different directions.
The Hillbillies tried the inclusion of hippies and "pot" jokes to be topical, trying to show some relevance to the rising younger crowd. In other words, selling out, since the younger crowd was what bought stuff from the advertisers. But selling out was not the problem. The show felt tired after five years of a nearly record-breaking run ("The Giant Jackrabbit" episode still holds the highest ratings for a non-special thirty-minute sitcom).
Then Jethro, trying to join the Reserves, blunders into a plot headed by Ulysses Grant to restart the Civil War and -- in Granny's view -- lead another invasion of the USA by "the north" (her grasp of history is notoriously weak -- this should be pointed out since the grasp most people these days have of US history is incredibly weak, if it exists at all!) In an effort to save the USA, Granny, Jethro and Elly May arm to confront Grant and his insidious invasion at the Culpeper Plantation.
In fact, Ulysses Grant is plotting to invade the Culpeper Plantation -- for a movie probably based on the September 12, 1863 skirmish called "Culpeper Court House" (though that was not a Grant battle; it sounds Civil-Warish, anyway). The boys in blue and gray are actors, the Culpeper Plantation is a set, and Grant is an milquetoast actor with such a severe hangover his beard hurts.
Thinking Granny has flipped her lid, but willing to do anything to appease her family, banker Drysdale (who, we discover, hails from Chicago) adopts a Confederate general's uniform, replete with a nifty grey beard and a somewhat battered southern accent.
But it's Granny who saves the day, shooting the insidious Grant down with Minié ball ammunition made out of Elly May's ladyfingers pastry. But no one is really hurt, and when Granny, in a more humane spirit, offers the actor playing Grant succor with her corn squeezin's, the two develop a beautiful friendship.
While some people may shout ugly epithets at anyone who dares show a gray uniform or a Confederate flag, it's all done in a wacky sense of humor. Remember, "The Beverly Hillbillies" was created at the time of the Civil War centenary, and Granny's devotion to the south was meant to emphasize her age and how out of touch she was with modern reality.
Whatever, Irene Ryan has a field day playing Granny, and everyone else takes a back seat to the little lady who single-handedly tries to ward off a foreign invasion and save the United States.
Granny fans will love this show.
