17 Things You Didn't Know About Petticoat Junction

Petticoat Junction was an American comedy that was aired on CBS for seven years – 1963 to 1970 – and was one of three TV shows situated around the same main character. But did you know these fun facts about it? 1. Welcome To Petticoat Junction Petticoat Junction came about because of the success of Paul Henning’s previous work, The Beverly Hillbillies, which aired from 1962-1971. There was even a spin-off following on from the show’s success. 2. 222 Episodes Strong There were only three of the characters to appear in all 7 seasons – Frank Cady, Linda Kaye Henning, and Edgar Buchanan. The latter was the only actor to appear in all 222 episodes. 3. Here Dog / Boy The dog in Petticoat Junction was never actually named, despite a handful of them being thrown around. It was referred to simply as “dog” or “boy”. 4. Hard Times for Bea Benaderet Sadly, Bea Benaderet’s character, Kate, was cut short just three episodes into season six when it was announced her lung cancer had returned. In the fourth episode, she gave just her voice to the show. 5. Showgirl Phyllis Phyllis Davis is known for her spot on Magnum, P.I., Beverly Hills Cop III, and The Love Boat, but she also popped up in one episode of Petticoat Junction, playing a showgirl back in 1966. 6. Open Wide Uncle Joe was played by Edgar Buchanan, and in real life, before he decided to put his acting shoes on, he was a dentist. 7. Billie + Bobbie Switched Bobbie and Billie Jo swapped roles, quite literally. At first, Bobbie was the geeky bookworm girl, and Billie was the flirty one who was into boys. At the end, they were completely the other way around. 8. There Was A Petticoat Junction Amusement Park To go along with the TV show, there was an actual theme park called Petticoat Junction Amusement Park in Panama City Beach, Florida. It was open for 14 years – 1963 – 1984. 9. Wait, Did I Miss The Finale? There wasn’t a series finale for Petticoat Junction at the end of the seventh season, which initially wasn’t meant to have happened anyway. Some consider the 4th-to-last one the ‘ending’ show. 10. You Look Young, Uncle Edgar Buchanan played the Uncle of Bea Benaderet’s character, Kate Bradley, and it may surprise you to learn that Edgar was actually only three years older than Bea. 11. Higgins Found Dog Fame The dog not only went to find fame after the movie was released, Higgins also won a PATSY award for his poochy little performance. 12. Dog / Boy Became Benji The dog actually went on to find even more fame than what he found with Petticoat Junction. You may recognize the pooch, Higgins, from the 1974 movie, Benji, another hit. 13. Nice Day For A White Wedding Betty Jo and Steve got married in real life, and the wedding on the show happened to coincide with their real-life wedding day! Linda Henning married Mike Minor – what a cool romance! 14. Uncle Joe’s Overload Here’s a fun fact for you – Uncle Joe wears not only a belt but suspenders in every episode. Take a peek for yourself! 15. Hey Pops, Remember Me? Paul Henning had to audition and interview over 1500 women to get the right one to play the Bradley sisters. It was Bea who recommended he used his actual daughter – Linda. 16. Herman Hack Was In Petticoat Junction Herman Hack was a very busy man, and as well as playing the timekeeper in two episodes of Petticoat Junction, he can also boast of over 700 other acting credits! That’s a lot! 17. Paul Gleason Popped Up Another episode (1966), there was another famous appearance. This time we’re talking about Paul Gleason, also found in big-time movies such as Die Hard, The Breakfast Club, and Not Another Teen Movie. Credits: majorten.com Share this story on Facebook with your friends.