List of Petticoat Junction episodes
This is a complete list of all 222 episodes of the 1963 to 1970 television sitcom Petticoat Junction. There were 74 episodes in black-and-white and 148 in color.
Nielsen ratings/TV schedule[edit]
During its first four years, Petticoat Junction was a major ratings success. However, with the departure of Kate following the third episode of season 6, the show's ratings declined continuously. Another reason was the show's new time-slot, which was Saturdays at 9:30 p.m., an extremely weak airing time.
| Season | Episodes | Premiered | Ended | Timeslot | Seasonal rank | Overall rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38 | September 24, 1963 | June 9, 1964 | Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M. | #4 | 30.3 | |
| 2 | 36 | September 22, 1964 | June 15, 1965 | Tuesdays at 9:30 P.M. | #15 (tie) | 25.2 | |
| 3 | 34 | September 14, 1965 | May 10, 1966 | #21 | 22.3 | ||
| 4 | 32 | September 13, 1966 | May 9, 1967 | #23 (tie) | 20.9 | ||
| 5 | 30 | September 9, 1967 | March 30, 1968 | Saturdays at 9:30 P.M. | Not in the Top 30 | ||
| 6 | 26 | September 28, 1968 | March 29, 1969 | ||||
| 7 | 26 | September 27, 1969 | April 4, 1970 | ||||
Episodes[edit]
Season 1 (1963–64)[edit]
All episodes in black-and-white
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Spur Line to Shady Rest" | Richard Whorf | Paul Henning | September 24, 1963 | 001 |
|
Homer Bedloe, trouble-shooter for the C&F W Railroad, is sent by railroad president Norman P. Curtis (Roy Roberts) to the little community of Hooterville to find out why a branch line doesn't connect with the main line. The branch line carries the "Cannonball" train, and is vital to the Shady Rest Hotel, run by Kate Bradley, her three grown daughters and "Uncle Joe" Carson. If Bedloe succeeds in shutting down the Cannonball, Kate faces ruin. John Ashley appears as passenger Fred. Eddie Quillan appears as passenger Dick. Note: Bedloe is played by Charles Lane in the first of 24 appearances on the show. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Quick, Hide the Railroad" | David Alexander | Paul Henning & Mark Tuttle | October 1, 1963 | 002 |
| Kate uses a combination of charm, subterfuge, and wiles to prevent Homer Bedloe from catching the Hooterville Cannonball and getting to Pixley in order to initiate proceedings that would permanently terminate the train's operation. She has to keep him at the Shady Rest long enough to convince him that the Cannonball is an integral part of the valley's life. When all else fails, Kate gets Sam, the Hooterville Jack of all professions, to scare Bedloe into changing his mind. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "The President Who Came to Dinner" | David Alexander | Ed James & Seaman Jacobs | October 8, 1963 | 004 |
|
C&F W Railroad President Norman P. Curtis is incensed that ace troubleshooter Homer Bedloe utterly failed to scrap the Hooterville Cannonball. Taking matters into his own hands, he decides to do it himself, incognito. Although Curtis doesn't t intend on appearing as such, he comes across to Kate and others in the valley as a hobo after he takes a tumble in a field, ripping and dirtying his suit and losing his wallet in the process. But, he has a change of heart when he experiences Kate's hospitality and kindness. Eve McVeagh appears as Miss Hammond, Curtis' secretary. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Is There a Doctor in the Roundhouse?" | David Alexander | Ed James & Seaman Jacobs | October 15, 1963 | 005 |
| Norman Curtis, who has fallen in love with life at the Shady Rest, is still staying there for free without Kate yet knowing his true identity. He accidentally breaks the throttle handle of the Hooterville Cannonball and folks can't get to Kate's annual Shady Rest Jamboree. Norman decides to come clean about his identity. The problem is no one believes him. In fact, they all believe he's crazy. But the executive tries to make amends with a determined effort to obtain the nearly-nonexistent replacement part. Norman brings three of his friends in to help, who everyone also think are hobos. Thanks to Norman, the Jamboree is a success. Charles Meredith appears as George Prentice. Addison Richards appears as General Frank Newton. Douglass Dumbrille appears as Dave LaSalle. Cheerio Meredith appears as Nettie. Mary Young appears as Lydia. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Courtship of Floyd Smoot" | Sherman Marks | Ed James & Seaman Jacobs | October 22, 1963 | 006 |
| Floyd Smoot, the conductor, is courting a woman through the mail. But, when she ends it after receiving a photo of him, he loses all confidence. Kate tries to help him think all the women from Hooterville and the surrounding area have eyes for him, but instead he gets the idea that Kate has been secretly in love with him. Kate comes up with a plan to get Flyod's mind off of her. Meanwhile, the Hooterville Hornets football team and their coach Uncle Joe are on a losing streak. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Please Buy My Violets" | David Alexander | Richard Baer | October 29, 1963 | 003 |
|
Uncle Joe spends Kate's money to buy cases of lousy smelling men and women's cologne to make a fast buck reselling it. The money was intended to put screens in the hotel that will keep mosquitoes from chasing away paying guests. Kate figures out a way to sell all the cologne to salesmen Mr. Blake (George Cisar) and Mr. Gordon (Phil Gordon). The men are going to sell it as insecticide. Olan Soule appears as a Coffee Salesman. Note: First appearance of Fred Ziffel (Hank Patterson). Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "The Ringer" | David Alexander | Richard Baer | November 5, 1963 | 007 |
| Betty Jo enters the annual Shady Rest Horseshoe Tournament and becomes the first female contestant in the tournament's history. But she experiences conflicting emotions when she finds herself with an opportunity to defeat the legendary Pixley Fats (Henry Calvin). After a talk with Kate, Betty Jo decides that winning means more to Pixley Fats than to her, because that's all he really has in life. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Kate's Recipe for Hot Rhubarb" | Jean Yarbrough | Dick Wesson and Joel Kane | November 12, 1963 | 008 |
|
When Billie Jo has to come up with a fourth for her double date with Junior Hocker and Junior's visiting friend Roger Budd (Jack Bannon), Kate suggests Bobbie Jo to her. Billie Jo doesn't think Bobbie Jo would be a good fit as she knows all the boys see Bobbie Jo as a book worm instead of a fun girl. Convincing Bobbie Jo may be more difficult as Bobbie Jo admits that she just doesn't feel comfortable around boys yet. She goes on the date, but comes home early saying she just can't compete with Billie Jo. Kate tries to teach Bobbie Jo how to flatter a man the way Billie Jo does. On her next date with Roger, things go much better. George Cisar appears as Mr. Blake. Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "The Little Train Robbery" | Sherman Marks | Ed James & Seaman Jacobs | November 19, 1963 | 009 |
| Two young men, Arthur Gilroy and Lowell Rightmeyer (Jimmy Hawkins), are on their way to rob the bank in Pixley. They change their plans when they learn that the next day, the Cannonball, without any armed guards, will make its run from Hooterville to Pixley for the bank shipment. Arthur and Lowell decide to stay the night at the Shady Rest. Kate and the family are happy to have two polite and handsome young men stay with them. Arthur and Lowell do hold up the train the next day. But, Kate and Uncle Joe are also on the train and they recognize the masked bandits. When Arthur and Lowell learn that the bank shipment is only deposit slips, they decide to rob the Shady Rest instead. But will Kate, her family, Charley and Floyd be able to turn around Arthur and Lowell's criminal lives? Norman Leavitt appears as Trooper Benson. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Bedloe Strikes Again" | David Alexander | Paul Henning & Mark Tuttle | November 26, 1963 | 010 |
| The Cannonball and its primary passenger, Uncle Joe, are pelted with eggs after the Hooterville Hornets, coached by Uncle Joe, are drubbed in what may be their worst game ever. Another unexpected passenger on that run is Homer Bedloe, who is surprisingly cordial and pleasant. Uncle Joe doesn't see anything wrong with Bedloe being cordial and taking it like a man in defeat in his efforts to scrap the Cannonball. Kate on the other hand believes Bedloe is up to no good. News gets to Sam that John Fisher (John Hoyt) and Max Thornton (John Hubbard), two bigwigs from the railroad, are coming for a surprise inspection the following day. When Kate learns this news, they have to go clean-up the Cannonball. Plus, they have to keep Bedloe preoccupied so that he won't know what they're up to. And third, they have to railroad the visiting bigwigs about how deluxe the service on the Cannonball is. Fisher and Thornton are very impressed with the service. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Uncle Joe's Replacement" | David Alexander | Story by : Dick Wesson and Marty Roth Teleplay by : Marty Roth and Dick Wesson & Joel Kane | December 3, 1963 | 011 |
|
Kate and the girls go to Drucker's store to pick up the pocket watch they ordered for Uncle Joe's birthday present. While there Kate, in an effort to boost Herby's confidence, inadvertently offers him a job as Assistant Manager at the hotel. Now Kate doesn't have the heart not to give him the job, so she decides that she can give him some menial tasks at the hotel. Uncle Joe believes he is being put out to pasture with Herby showing up. He goes in search of another job. He gets one, telling everyone that he is an executive with some large company. Kate follows him and finds out his big job is actually mopping floors in a cafe. Kate and Sam have to figure out a way to get both Herby and Uncle Joe back to their real jobs. Beverly Wills as Mrs. Norton. Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis are credited but do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Honeymoon Hotel" | Guy Scarpitta | Keith Fowler and Phil Leslie | December 10, 1963 | 012 |
| Uncle Joe has come up with another scheme to attract guests to the hotel: advertise it as a wedding/honeymoon destination. Uncle Joe manages to get Sam, the county judge, to swear him in as temporary Justice of the Peace before Sam goes away on a hunting vacation at Lost Lake. All Uncle Joe has to do is file the documentation at the courthouse to make it legal. After Uncle Joe performs his first wedding, for a young couple named Walter Shepherd (Tommy Ivo) and Elsie Gregg, Uncle Joe realizes that he forgot to file the documentation at the courthouse. Kate and the gang do what they can to stall Walter and Elsie consummating what they believe is their marriage, while Uncle Joe searches for Sam. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "A Night at the Hooterville Hilton" | Jean Yarbrough | Story by : Ed James & Seaman Jacobs Teleplay by : Bill Manhoff | December 17, 1963 | 015 |
|
A brochure made by Uncle Joe describing the incomparable Shady Rest Hotel of the future is accidentally mailed to The Centerville Sun Express travel columnist Gladys Stroud (Elvia Allman). In the brochure was the vision of what he hoped the hotel would one day be, including indoor ice rink, bowling alley, and swimming pool. Gladys decides to come and review the Shady Rest. Now the family has to scramble to keep her from finding out the truth and closing them down for lying. Despite their best efforts, Gladys finds out. Uncle Joe manages to sweet talk Gladys into not closing them down. Shug Fisher appears as a Salesman. Note: This is the first of Elvia Allman's 19 appearances on the show. Smiley Burnette appears in one scene but is not credited. Rufe Davis does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "Cannonball Christmas" | Guy Scarpitta | Paul Henning and Mark Tuttle | December 24, 1963 | 014 |
|
The Bradleys, Sam Drucker, Herby, Charlie and Floyd are decorating the Cannonball for its annual Christmas Eve trip of caroling, gift-giving and merriment around the valley. But, Homer Bedloe is determined to be a Scrooge and take possession of the train on Christmas Eve. Railroad President Norman Curtis finds out what Bedloe is up to and goes to Hooterville to stop him. Note: Linda Henning does not appear in this episode, although her voice is heard and a stand-in doubles for her. The only scene she "physically" appears in is redubbed footage from the episode "Quick, Hide the Railroad". | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "Herby Gets Drafted" | Jean Yarbrough | Story by : John Elliotte Teleplay by : John Elliotte and Dick Wesson | December 31, 1963 | 013 |
| Herby is depressed when he gets drafted, so the girls cheer him up by suggesting he could be an astronaut. Uncle Joe hears this and decides he needs to promote Herby's future political career to the whole town. When Herby gets a discharge for minor medical problems, Kate finds a way for him to save face with Billie Jo and the rest. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "Bobbie Jo and the Beatnik" | Jean Yarbrough | Bill Manhoff | January 7, 1964 | 018 |
|
Bobbie Jo brings home Alan Landman (Dennis Hopper), a mad-at-the-world young poet and slacker who has won her heart. Despite Bobbie Jo liking him in every respect, he dismisses her way of life. Bobbie Jo wants to prove him wrong, while deep down she wants to find out for herself if Alan is really right about how meaningless her conventional life is. The family's impression of Alan is quite dismal. Kate has to figure out a way to make Bobbie Jo come to the conclusion on her own that Alan and his life do not deserve to be romanticized. Hugh Sanders appears as Roger Stanley, a man that helps Kate. Note: Linda Henning does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "My Daughter the Doctor" | Jean Yarbrough | Ed James & Seaman Jacobs | January 14, 1964 | 016 |
| Billie Jo receives a $500 insurance endowment, which her late father set aside for his first-born to become a doctor. But Billie Jo wants to go to Hollywood to become an actress. Kate thinks that Hooterville's long time doctor, Dr. Depew, can talk Billie Jo into it. But Kate's thinks that Dr. Depew's handsome new assistant, Dr. Clayton Harris (Adam West), would be able to convince Billie Jo even more. So using Uncle Joe as a patient with non-existing symptoms, Kate hopes to have Dr. Harris make a thorough examination with Billie Jo as his assistant, exposing her to the wonders of modern medicine. But, Billie Jo faints at the first sight of blood. Paul De Rolf appears as Paul Henderson. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "Hooterville vs. Hollywood" | Jean Yarbrough | Dick Wesson | January 21, 1964 | 017 |
| Billie Jo is still determined to use the $500 from her father to go to Hollywood to become a movie star. It doesn't help that Uncle Joe, who wants to go with her, is fueling her dream. Kate talks with Judge Drucker to see if she can legally prevent Billie Jo from going to Hollywood, but he advises against it. Dr. Depew (Don Beddoe) believes Kate's mistake between Dr. Harris and Billie Jo was throwing them together in a professional relationship. He thinks they should throw them together in a doctor/patient relationship. First, they have to trick Billie Jo into thinking she's sick. Then, they have to get Dr. Harris to come by each day to check on her. Kate believes there is one more piece to complete the puzzle, courtesy of a fake edition of the Hooterville World Guardian. | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | "Visit from a Big Star" | Ralph Levy | Bill Manhoff | January 28, 1964 | 019 |
| Uncle Joe has made a deal with Lucy Wayne (Joan Marshall), the secretary of movie star Lane Haggard, for them to stay for two weeks at the Shady Rest. Incognito as Mr. Jones, Haggard, according to Miss Wayne, needs to get some rest and relaxation away from prying public eyes. But upon their arrival, Miss Wayne believes Uncle Joe has duped her. It seems that Joe has told the entire valley about their stay. Miss Wayne also wanted no attractive women around to fall under Haggard's movie idol charms. Kate and the girls are not quite as homely as Uncle Joe described them. The problem arises that those charms do surface without Haggard realizing what he is doing. The three girls, not used to such words from a big city man, believe what he tells each of them. But, the words are just niceties which he says to every attractive female. Kate tries to protect her girls and she also tries to help the one person to who those charms really do mean something, Lucy. | ||||||
| 20 | 20 | "Last Chance Farm" | Guy Scarpitta | Hannibal Coons & Harry Winkler | February 4, 1964 | 020 |
|
Business is bad at the Shady Rest and Kate needs to make a $200 bank loan payment. Uncle Joe meets Henrietta Boswell and Gertrude Hawley, who are lost and looking for Madame Bovary's Hideaway Reducing Farm. He convinces them that the Shady Rest is the most exclusive reducing farm and charges them $200 for a week. The catch is that Uncle Joe provides them with a money back guarantee. Uncle Joe tries to hide from Kate why the women are staying at the hotel. With a rigged scale, Joe has to convince the two that the secret to weight loss is to eat whatever they want as long as it is combined with turnip greens. He also has them do what would normally be considered all his chores. Ultimately, the two women do whatever they can to find what they believe is Kate's miracle weight loss and youth secret. Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 21 | 21 | "The Very Old Antique" | Jean Yarbrough | Jack Raymond | February 11, 1964 | 021 |
| When Kate unexpectedly sees Homer Bedloe in Hooterville, she knows trouble is in store. Bedloe plans on selling the Cannonball, a seemingly one-of-a-kind antique locomotive. His buyer is millionaire retired train man and antique train aficionado, Phillip Waterhouse (Everett Sloane). Waterhouse is an old, ornery and snobbish man who generally gets what he wants. With Charley and Floyd's help, Kate hopes she can convince Waterhouse that the train is in such disrepair that it's not worth buying. Kate's plan backfires when she learns Waterhouse enjoys repairing old trains. She hopes that with the family's help, she can get through to Waterhouse the necessity of the train to the valley. | ||||||
| 22 | 22 | "The Art Game" | Guy Scarpitta | Jerry Seelen & Leo Rifkin | February 18, 1964 | 022 |
| A traveling salesman guest leaves Uncle Joe a set of six paint-by-number canvases in lieu of a cash payment. Joe decides to take up painting and hopes to make money with his new venture. Mr. Cheever (Lyle Talbot), an antique dealer, buys Joe's first painting. Joe now thinks he is a new art master on his way to success. However, the dealer only wanted the valuable picture frame. Before wrapping up the painting, Joe trades the frame for one he believes is nicer. News of the painting sale spreads throughout Hooterville. People come by to see Joe's other paintings, including E. T. Gibbs (Ian Wolfe) from a local museum. Gibbs hates the paintings, which depresses Joe. Cheever comes back to get the original frame he bought. Kate comes up with a plan for Cheever to get the frame and for Joe to feel better. Olan Soule appears as Mr. Parks, Cheevers' assistant. | ||||||
| 23 | 23 | "Betty Jo's First Love" | Guy Scarpitta | Hannibal Coons & Harry Winkler | February 25, 1964 | 023 |
| Betty Jo has her first crush on a boy named Orville Miggs (Jimmy Hawkins). But the object of her affections is more interested in tinkering with cars than he is in romance. As such, all Orville sees in Betty Jo is a mechanic's expert assistant. Kate doesn't want to see Betty Jo get hurt. Kate thinks he will see her in a different and more romantic light if she wears a dress and becomes a bit more feminine. But nothing they try makes Orville really notice Betty Jo, and ultimately give her her much wanted first kiss. If the family is able to accomplish their task, will Betty Jo ultimately think it was worth it? Jack Bannon as Roger Budd. | ||||||
| 24 | 24 | "Behind All Silver, There's a Cloud Lining" | Jean Yarbrough | Martin Ragaway | March 3, 1964 | 024 |
| Homer Bedloe is back in Hooterville trying yet again to find a way to shut down the Cannonball. He believes there must be something in the financial books since Charley and Floyd have not submitted a report in twelve years. That plan ends up being more confusing to Bedloe than it's worth pursuing. Meanwhile, Uncle Joe is given the task of digging a drainage ditch down by the tracks. He finds the lazy way to do it by advertising that guests can dig for silver down by the tracks. He figures others will do the digging for him. Bedloe decides to sell leases all along the track from Hooterville to Pixley for people to prospect for silver. In the process, all the digging will just rip up the track, leaving the train unable to run without major repairs to the track. Kate can see through Bedloe's scheme and she devises a way to outsmart him once again to keep the Cannonball running. Glenn Strange appears as Hawley. | ||||||
| 25 | 25 | "The Talent Contest" | David Alexander | Dick Wesson | March 10, 1964 | 025 |
|
A regional talent contest is being held in Hooterville with the winner being awarded $50 and a trip to Chicago for the television broadcast final. Kate worries that competition among the girls will affect the family. Uncle Joe has other thoughts where he wants the girls to compete their hearts out with the goal of winning. The girls agree in that they figure Kate could use the $50. With the ulterior motive of being the adult chaperon for his winning niece in going to Chicago for the final, Uncle Joe tries to convince all the credible competition not to enter the contest. Kate wants the contest to be fair and undoes all of Joe's scheming. After their performances, the girls decide they were only thinking of themselves and drop out of the competition. Nora Marlowe as Mrs. Whipple Note: Bobbie Jo sings "Three Little Words," Billie Jo recites "The Raven," and Betty Jo dances to "Oh! Susanna." At the end, the girls harmonize on "The Hooterville Cannonball." | ||||||
| 26 | 26 | "Kate and the Manpower Problem" | Guy Scarpitta | Dick Wesson & Joel Kane | March 17, 1964 | 026 |
|
An old school chum named Emily Mapes (Rosemary DeCamp) thinks it's time Kate was married again. She tells the girls to round up some prospects to go to the Shady Rest to court Kate. The girls do this by offering special rates to single men. However, Uncle Joe thinks that if Kate finds a man, he will lose his job. Joe even pretends to be the house detective and tells guest Grover Woodstock (Walter Reed) to leave Kate alone. Kate finds out from Grover what her daughters have been up to. She comes up with a plan with all the men to teach her girls a lesson. Robert Carson appears as Wilbur Spriggs. Note: This was Rosemary DeCamp's first appearance on the show; she appeared again in the last six episodes of Season Five as Kate's sister Aunt Helen during Bea Benaderet's absence. Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 27 | 27 | "The Ladybugs" | Donald O'Connor | Paul Henning & Mark Tuttle | March 24, 1964 | 027 |
|
Beatlemania has hit Hooterville by storm. Uncle Joe recruits Billy, Bobbie, and Betty Joe along with their friend Sally Ragsdale (Sheila James) to form their own band called the Ladybugs.[1] Colonel Partridge (Jesse White), a booking agent, comes to the Shady Rest to see the girls in action. Partridge likes what he hears and wants to book the girls. Sally's father, Sheriff Ragsdale, comes by and says he wants his daughter to finish school and not tour the country. Uncle Joe thinks he has a way to save the group and dresses up as a Ladybug. Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 28 | 28 | "The Hooterville Flivverball" | Jean Yarbrough | Hannibal Coons & Harry Winkler | March 31, 1964 | 028 |
| Uncle Joe gets angry at Charlie and Floyd when he is left behind by the Cannonball. He decides to start his own transport business by using Orville Miggs' "Flivverball", an old car converted into a railway car. At first the Flivverball is a success. Kate must now deal with the feuding groups before the Cannonball goes out of business. | ||||||
| 29 | 29 | "Kate the Stockholder" | David Alexander | Jerry Seelen & Leo Rifkin | April 7, 1964 | 030 |
| Norman Curtis, President of the C&FW Railroad, is currently on vacation in Europe. He left instructions not to do anything to the Cannonball while he's gone. However, Homer Bedloe has a scheme to shut down the Cannonball for good. He hopes to do it without disobeying Curtis' orders. The plan entails Bedloe being appointed Superintendent of the Cannonball. He would then enforce an efficiency program with an impossible to meet new schedule. He expects Charley and Floyd will eventually just give up. Kate and the gang go to the stockholders meeting where she believes they've got a secret weapon to ruin Bedloe's plans. | ||||||
| 30 | 30 | "Kate and the Dowager" | Dick Wesson | Dick Wesson | April 14, 1964 | 031 |
| Mr. Bunce (Jonathan Hole) with the bank is doing an inspection of the hotel and is not planning on extending Kate's financing. Wealthy socialite Clara Watkins (Doris Packer) checks into the hotel with her son Sonny. Bunce will only extend Kate's financing if Mrs. Watkins recommends the hotel to her friends. Meanwhile, annoying Sonny is constantly chasing after Billie Jo. Mrs. Watkins wants the two of them to get married. While Kate has done whatever she can to please Mrs. Watkins, she has to say no to that. Uncle Joe decides to romance Mrs. Watkins instead and she soon accepts his marriage proposal. Kate comes up with a plan to save Joe and the hotel. | ||||||
| 31 | 31 | "Charley Abandons the Cannonball" | David Alexander | Hannibal Coons & Harry Winkler | April 21, 1964 | 032 |
|
Charley begins to believe that everyone seems too busy to spend any time with him. Floyd has started to call on the widow Sarah Lawrence. Uncle Joe has a speech he has to prepare, so has no time to go fishing with him. Kate has far too much work to do around the hotel. Charley doesn't want to spend his time alone and miserable running the Cannonball. He decides to quit and move to the big city. Kate tries to manufacture ways of keeping Charley in the valley before his replacement Bill Tuttle (Bob Hastings) comes and takes over his job. When Charley realizes how much he is loved and needed, he finds a way to talk Tuttle out of staying. Note: Pat Woodell does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 32 | 32 | "Dog Days at Shady Rest" | David Alexander | Andy White | April 28, 1964 | 033 |
| Kate receives a telegram from Railroad President Norman Curtis that he is sending Homer Bedloe with someone named Fred. Fred is actually Mr. Curtis' housekeeper's aged basset hound. Curtis believes Fred needs some good country air and space to re-energize himself. Curtis also hopes that Bedloe will soften his ways in the process. Bedloe comes up with the plan to "ruin" Fred and have him return to Curtis in worse shape than he arrived. That will hopefully sour Curtis' view of the Shady Rest and what it stands for. Kate figures out a way to bring back spirit to Fred and a way to break Bedloe's spirit. | ||||||
| 33 | 33 | "A Millionaire for Kate" | Richard L. Bare | Martin Ragaway | May 5, 1964 | 034 |
|
An old friend of Kate's from high school is coming for a visit. Kate admits that she had a crush on H.J. Grant (Hayden Rorke) back then. His letter implies that he is now wealthy, and is coming back to the valley on personal business. Uncle Joe, however, believes that Herbie is a con artist after Kate's money. Uncle Joe decides he needs to break up any chance of a romance between Kate and Herbie. Orville finds a newspaper article that proves Herbie is wealthy. Now Joe wants Kate to marry Herbie. But Kate and Herbie want to remain just friends. Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 34 | 34 | "Bedloe and Son" | Dick Wesson | Dick Wesson | May 12, 1964 | 035 |
| Homer Bedloe arrives at the Shady Rest with his son, Homer Bedloe Jr. (Steve Franken), who is as hateful and devious as his father. He even looks like his father down to the horn-rimmed glasses. Bedloe Sr.'s plan is that he wants to appear the loving and caring father, bringing his son up right. Then he will leave Jr. alone at the Shady Rest to snoop around and find a way to shut down the Shady Rest and the Cannonball for good. But Jr. comes to like everyone because he is treated with kindness and goodwill for no apparent reason. | ||||||
| 35 | 35 | "Local Girl Makes Good" | David Alexander | Jerry Seelen & Leo Rifkin | May 19, 1964 | 036 |
| Business executive Mary Jane Hastings (Elena Verdugo) returns home to Hooterville to receive the Chamber of Commerce award. She commands attention just by her very presence, with everyone being at her beck and call. Kate doesn't like the effect Mary Jane has on her girls. Kate blames Mary Jane's assistant Steve (Peter Hansen), who is setting the example that what Mary Jane wants, she gets. Kate learns that Steve is in love with Mary Jane. Kate tells Steve he needs to stop being the ever obedient servant. But when Steve stands up to Mary Jane, she fires him. After learning that Mary Jane is in love with Steve, Kate finds a way to bring them back together. Bart Patton appears as Phil Willis. | ||||||
| 36 | 36 | "Cave Woman" | Guy Scarpitta | Story by: Richard Baer Teleplay by: Richard Baer and Joel Kane | May 26, 1964 | 037 |
|
Uncle Joe wants to dig out an old cave to use as a wine cellar for the hotel. Kate receives a telegram from Brooks T. Webster (John Clarke), who wants to possibly hold a convention at the Shady Rest. He will be arriving that afternoon. Uncle Joe causes a landslide covering up the cave entrance with Kate inside the cave. They will need Ding Woodhouse's tractor to remove all the rubble to get Kate out. But Ding's tractor needs some work done on it and won't be ready until the morning. Mr. Webster arrives and insists on dinner, but Kate isn't there to cook. Uncle Joe comes up with a plan to feed Mr. Webster and get the convention business. But is Mr. Webster the only one they need to impress? Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 37 | 37 | "Kate Flat on Her Back" | Guy Scarpitta | Joel Kane | June 2, 1964 | 038 |
|
Kate has sprained her ankle which means she will be off her feet for three or four days. Now that Mr. Webster's gone, the family has to prepare for Mr. Feasel's (Barry Kelley) visit. He is the one that will decide if the convention will be held at the Shady Rest. Uncle Joe decides to make some changes to the hotel he's sure will appeal to conventioneers. He also hires Smokey Harner (Don Dubbins), a country singer and guitarist. Hearing about all the new ideas, Kate believes Uncle Joe and the girls may be running the hotel better than she did. Mr. Feasel arrives early and is not impressed with anything about the hotel. Kate recovers quicker than Dr. John Rhone (Willis Bouchey) expected. But she wants to keep her recovery a secret because she thinks everything is running smoothly and wants the family to feel good about themselves. With everything going wrong in the hotel, Mr. Feasel leaves. Kate finds out that Feasel has left. But he later returns for a very unusual reason. Note: Pat Woodell, Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 38 | 38 | "The Genghis Keane Story" | Jean Yarbrough | Jack Raymond | June 9, 1964 | 029 |
| Kate's former grade school teacher returns to Hooterville. Kate and her children reminisce how Miss Adelaide "Genghis" Keane (Lurene Tuttle) was so strict on all the children, and she was a dreaded teacher. Kate and the girls are surprised to find that the elderly schoolteacher is no longer the tyrannical disciplinarian she used to be. They all get together to bring Miss Keane's confidence back. It doesn't take long for Miss Keane to become a disciplinarian again and Kate and the girls are beginning to regret what they did. Before Kate can confront her, Adelaide acknowledges that she has gone too far and is scaring people off. Kate finds a way for Miss Keane to be happy again. Eddie Quillan appears as Mort. Barbara Pepper appears as Ruth Ziffel. Ken Osmond appears as Harold Boggs. | ||||||
Season 2 (1964–65)[edit]
All episodes in black-and-white
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 1 | "Betty Jo's Dog" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | September 22, 1964 | 6401 |
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It's the first day of school and Kate is having trouble getting a couple of her daughters motivated to go. Betty Jo has a new friend, a little dog that follows her back from school. Kate refuses to let Betty Jo keep the dog, despite it being cute and well trained. Kate believes that he must belong to someone. Betty Jo brings him back to school, but he stills follows her home. Kate decides to let the dog stay until the owner claims him or until the dog starts to cause problems for the family. The dog does end up causing some problems, but Kate has a change of heart and let's him stay. Douglas Evans appears as Mr. Pierson. Note: "Dog" is played by Higgins (dog), one of the best-known dog actors of the 1960s and 1970s, in the first of his 149 appearances on the show. | ||||||
| 40 | 2 | "Race Against the Stork" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | September 29, 1964 | 6402 |
| Henry Barton (Robert Easton) is dropping off his pregnant wife Elsie (Olive Sturgess) at the Shady Rest. While the baby isn't due for two weeks, Henry still wants someone to watch Elsie as he will be gone for three days. The women aren't at all worried, but Uncle Joe is quite concerned. Joe gets even more panicked when Kate tells him most babies arrive in the middle of the night. He comes up with an elaborate plan involving some of the men of the valley to get Doc Stuart (Frank Ferguson) to the Shady Rest if Elsie has the baby in the middle of the night. Without telling anyone, Joe has a trial run of his plan at 3am just to make sure it all goes smoothly. Everyone is quite mad at Uncle Joe. To make matters worse, Joe does it a second time. When Elsie does actually go into labor, it looks as though someone else will have to help with the delivery. Tom Fadden appears as Ben Miller. Kay E. Kuter appears as Newt Kiley. Walter Baldwin appears as Grandpappy Miller. Hank Patterson appears as Fred Ziffel. Barbara Pepper appears as Doris Ziffel. | ||||||
| 41 | 3 | "Have Library, Will Travel" | Richard L. Bare | Hannibal Coons & Harry Winkler | October 6, 1964 | 6403 |
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Uncle Joe isn't thrilled with the idea of turning the Cannonball's baggage car into a mobile library. He likes even less having to build the library shelves. But after meeting her, Uncle Joe grows extremely fond of pretty librarian Phyllis Marsh (Dianne Foster as Diane Foster). Despite their age difference, among other things, Joe is not shy about romancing Phyllis. Phyllis has to find a way to let him down easy without hurting his feelings, because she is actually engaged. Phyllis introduces her fiance Hal Jackson (Robert Harland) to Kate. Kate comes up with a plan to show Uncle Joe how inappropriate he and Miss Marsh are as a couple. Note: Linda Henning does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 42 | 4 | "The Umquaw Strip" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | October 13, 1964 | 6404 |
| Sam, Charley, Floyd and Uncle Joe are rehearsing a reenactment of the signing of the treaty between the Umquaw Indians and the C&FW Railroad. The treaty gave Indian land in the vicinity of Deadman's Curve to the company. Joe thinks the reenactment will bring in tourists to the area and guests to the hotel. Meanwhile, Norman Curtis (Roy Roberts) wants the company's stockholders' meeting to be held at the Shady Rest with Homer Bedloe (Charles Lane) presiding. Norman tells Bedloe he doesn't want anyone to vote for anything that would harm Kate or the people of the valley. Bedloe finds out about Joe's treaty reenactment plan. He then finds out that the Umquaw never signed the treaty according to C&FW files. Bedloe lets the Umquaw know. Despite not really wanting to do it, Chief Fleeteagle (Benny Rubin) and Black Salmon (Bernie Kopell) make what will be a profitable deal for them and the end of the Cannonball. Kate may come up with the best deal of them all. William O'Connell appears as Martin Evans. | ||||||
| 43 | 5 | "As Hooterville Goes" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | October 27, 1964 | 6406 |
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Hooterville has a long standing record of being the first community to have their political votes submitted to the state. Pip Winslow from Crabwell Corners is taking bets that they will beat Hooterville this year, because they have a new automatic voting machine. Hooterville may lose regardless because of a disagreement between Kate and Selma Plout. Selma threatens to cast her ballot late in the day just to spite Kate. A letter from the Governor comes addressed to the Hooterville Chamber of Commerce, which doesn't exist. So they can open the letter, Joe, Charley and Floyd create the Chamber. The Governor hopes they can extend their 20 year record. Kate believes she has a way for Selma to change her mind. Despite a couple of set-backs, Hooterville gets their votes in first. Note: Virginia Sale makes her first of eight appearances on the show, six of them as the valley's prickly resident Selma Plout, later played in 17 episodes by Elvia Allman. Pat Woodell does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 44 | 6 | "My Dog the Actor" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | November 10, 1964 | 6405 |
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Betty Jo wants to enter Dog in a contest to make a commercial for Tailwagger Dog Food. The winner also receives a $500 cash award. Kate tries to discourage Betty Jo because Dog doesn't have a chance against purebreds. The girls are thrilled when they receive a letter telling them that Dog is one of the five finalists. The letter also says that Mr. Talbot (Ross Elliott) with the dog food company will be coming by to see Dog. What they don't know is that Henry Brewster, the local photo-finisher, who sent in both his and the Bradleys' entries, got the pictures interchanged. This means that Mr. Talbot was really naming Henry's collie one of the five finalists. But after meeting Dog, Mr. Talbot has an idea for a whole series of other commercials. He would like to use Dog and the entire family. Uncle Joe's meddling may ruin everything and Dog may have a say in how things go. Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 45 | 7 | "The Great Buffalo Hunt" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers | November 17, 1964 | 6407 |
| Uncle Joe shocks Kate by bringing home a buffalo! Kate tells him to take it back, but all sales were final. It's part of his scheme to dupe wealthy British sportsman Lord Harold Faversham (played by popular British character actor and bon vivant Reginald Gardiner) into coming to "Shady Rest Hunting Lodge" to hunt wild buffalo. But, the buffalo is far from wild and the girls want to keep him as a pet. Another problem arises when Joe spooks the buffalo, who runs off, leaving Lord Faversham nothing to hunt for. Joe stalls Faversham for three days. The Lord is growing tired of Joe and threatens to sue, while the girl try to protect their new pet. Kate comes up with a way for Faversham to have all the hunting he wants. | ||||||
| 46 | 8 | "Betty Jo's Pen Pal" | Guy Scarpitta | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | November 24, 1964 | 6408 |
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The girls are trying to learn some Japanese to make Betty Jo's Japanese pen pal, Nobuko Takamura, feel at home for her visit. Nobuko has come to the US to attend college to improve her English so that she can teach it back in Japan. She would also like to learn American customs. Nobuko tells Joe that in Japan, the women do the yard work. Joe gets Nobuko to do his chores until Kate puts a stop to it. On a picnic, Nobuko can't help but serve Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo's boyfriends. Kate tells Nobuko that the men should be the ones helping the women. Nobuko catches on to that custom quite quickly. Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 47 | 9 | "Bedloe's Nightmare" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | December 1, 1964 | 6409 |
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Billie Jo is upset that the Cannonball is late and she believes it has outlived its usefulness. Meanwhile, Homer Bedloe, the Hooterville Cannonball's arch-enemy, has been having terrible nightmares about the train. To get rid of them, his psychiatrist Dr. Leonard suggests that he "learn to love" the Cannonball. The Cannonball has been encountering some broken tracks. Kate decides to let the C&FW Railroad know. Bedloe writes back that he will fix the tracks. When Bedloe visits the Shadyrest Hotel, he is surprised how friendly everyone is being to him. Everyone except Uncle Joe. But Kate was just gas-lighting Bedloe and didn't really believe the change in him when he said he loved the train. She finds out Bedloe is planning to remove the old damaged tracks instead of replacing them to shut down the Cannonball. Kate comes up with a plan to stop him. Note: Pat Woodell does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 48 | 10 | "Kate's Bachelor Butter" | Guy Scarpitta | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | December 8, 1964 | 6410 |
| Jack Crandall (Stanley Adams), who is with H-D-L Food Products, is a passenger on the Cannonball. He is stunned when the train stops just so Charley and Floyd can pick apples for Kate's special recipe: Bachelor Butter. She gives it to the bachelors of the valley as a thank you for all they do for her over the course of the year. Jack Crandall tastes the butter and really likes it. He brings a couple jars back to his company to see if he can produce it for sale. Jack sends Kate a letter stating he wants to buy the recipe for H-D-L and will pay her $250. He will pay her another $250 after she shows him how to make it in their laboratory kitchen. At the test kitchen, Mr. Stevens (Ray Montgomery) and Mr. Kimberly (John Alvin) are having a hard time translating Kate's measuring process into a precise recipe. When the apple butter doesn't turn out right, Kate has all her equipment from home brought to the test kitchen, including her oven. Jack understands when the next batch doesn't turn out either. | ||||||
| 49 | 11 | "Mother of the Bride" | Guy Scarpitta | Jay Sommers | December 15, 1964 | 6411 |
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Kate doesn't have anything against Dan, Billie Jo's boyfriend, that is except his mother is Selma Plout, her arch-enemy. Kate and Selma are once again arguing at the Every Other Wednesday Afternoon Discussion Club. Kate doesn't even mind talk of Billie Jo and Dan perhaps getting married. Uncle Joe tells Kate there's a real possibility that the two are going to get married and she might want to think about becoming friends with Selma. Kate makes an attempt to be nice to Selma, but that doesn't work out too well. Rumors are flying and it's starting to look as though Billie Jo and Dan are going to elope. Sam makes a call to Pixley and finds out that Dan got married. Kate and Selma start crying in each others arms. Turns out Dan married Emily Lawrence (Diane Bond) and Billie Jo was just helping. Phil Gordon as Harvey. Note: This was Mike Minor's only appearance on the show before becoming a regular cast member in the fourth season Pat Woodell and Smiley Burnette do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 50 | 12 | "The Lost Patrol" | Richard L. Bare | Teleplay by: Jay Sommers & Jack Harvey Story by: Henry Sharp | December 29, 1964 | 6412 |
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Kate learns from Sam that the US Army is conducting war games in the area around the Shady Rest. Kate is worried about her three daughters because they are swimming in the water tower and wearing bikinis. Three lost soldiers from the Blue Squad - Hank Benton, Tod Langwell and Stu Howard - come to the Shady Rest after they spot the girls. Kate doesn't mind the GIs and the girls spending time together, as long as someone else is keeping an eye on them. General Patterson (Edward Platt) of the Green Squad arrives at the Shady Rest and is captured by the three GIs. More and more soldiers come by and they wind up having a large party. Kate manages to get the General to go along with things. Jack Bannon appears as Jack Bevans. Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 51 | 13 | "Smoke-Eaters" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | January 5, 1965 | 6413 |
| Uncle Joe has formed the Hooterville Volunteer Fire Department Volunteer Band. The band is so bad that it is driving paying guests away from the hotel. Joe hoped to raise money with the band to form an actual Hooterville Volunteer Fire Department. An upset Joe tells Kate she should come up with a better way to raise the money. After asking for donations only raises $62, Kates decides they need professional help. Kate wants to contact Henry Phillips (Parley Baer), who works for a company that manufacture fire equipment, and ask his help. Calling in an outsider irks Uncle Joe and he says he can get all the equipment they need for the $62 they have. Joe winds up buying a bunch of junk. Mr. Phillips arrives and after a plan gone wrong by Joe, Kate finds a way to have Mr. Phillips get them what they need. Another plan of Joe's goes wrong and the Hooterville train station winds up burning down. | ||||||
| 52 | 14 | "The Curse of Chester W. Farnsworth" | Richard L. Bare | John L. Greene & Jay Sommers | January 12, 1965 | 6414 |
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It's a dark and stormy night in Hooterville. Mr. Richardson (Hal Smith) is a guest at the hotel. Uncle Joe tells him about the curse of Chester W. Farnsworth (Doodles Weaver), a guest at the hotel fifty years ago. He was a traveling drummer and notorious hotel towel thief. On a stormy night like this, he stole a Shady Rest towel from his room, went out into the night and was never seen again. Since then, Chester has been haunting all the hotels that he stole towels from. He has to return them all before he can end up in his final resting place. Joe figures it won't be long before Chester visits the Shady Rest. After Joe tells the story, strange events start to occur. Kate finds out that a bunch of salesmen who were supposed to be guests won't be returning until the curse has been lifted. When more strange things occur, Kate decides to talk to Doc Stuart. He recommends speaking with Dr. Melman, a psychiatrist and an expert is paranormal events. Something happens to make everyone believe that Chester arrived and the curse has been lifted. But did he actually show up? Note: This was Dog's first appearance in the closing credits, running alongside the tracks. | ||||||
| 53 | 15 | "There's No Flame Like an Old Flame" | Richard L. Bare | John L. Greene & Jay Sommers | January 19, 1965 | 6415 |
| Uncle Joe has been receiving and sending what appears to be love letters. Kate eventually learns that Joe is writing to Mary Alice Perkins (Lurene Tuttle). Kate is upset because Mary Alice stood Joe up at the altar several years ago and ran off with his best man, George Perkins. Joe tells Kate that George has passed away. He also admits he never loved anyone but her, and that he has now forgiven her. It seems she is coming to the Shady Rest to marry Joe. When Mary Alice arrives, Kate is put off by her snobbish ways and meddling. Boo Boo Webster (George Cisar), Mary Alice's lawyer, shows up to give the bride away. As the wedding starts, Dog brings Joe a letter that says Mary Alice has run off with Boo Boo. Everyone is kind of relieved, including Joe. | ||||||
| 54 | 16 | "Billie Jo's First Job" | Richard L. Bare | Teleplay by: Jay Sommers & Lou Huston Story by: Kitty Buhler & Stanley Davis | January 26, 1965 | 6418 |
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Billie Jo wins a contest at secretarial school and is offered her first job. She will be private secretary to author Oliver Fenton (Ernest Truex). World traveling Fenton is coming to Hooterville because his next book is based in a small town. He has rented one of the houses in town. Selma tells Kate that Fenton writes "those kind of books". After reading one of Fenton's books, Kate tells Billie Jo that she can't work for him. Uncle Joe tells Kate she has to trust Billie Jo. When Billie Jo meets Fenton, she finds him to be a graying old man. She now knows that her mother's worries are ill-founded. After Kate sends some spies to check on her, Billie Jo decides to have a little fun and test just how much her mother does truly trust her. Kate goes to confront Fenton and realizes Billie Jo was playing games with her. Note: Pat Woodell does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 55 | 17 | "A Matter of Communication" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | February 2, 1965 | 6419 |
| The girls are upset that they don't have a telephone at the hotel. They can't communicate with their friends and are social outcasts. Kate says it would cost $800 for the telephone company to install two miles of line just to get to the hotel. The girls have to get their calls at Drucker's Store and it's starting to disrupt his business. Sam refuses to take any more calls for them. Uncle Joe decides to start his own telephone company. He plans on using the barbed wire fencing surrounding all the local farms as the primary communication lines. He also plans to tap illegally into the Hooterville Telephone Company's line, but Sam doesn't let him. Joe comes up with a really complicated alternative. It's not long before the whole plan falls apart. | ||||||
| 56 | 18 | "Kate Bradley, Girl Volunteer" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | February 9, 1965 | 6420 |
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Volunteer fire chief Uncle Joe has designed a new nighttime alarm system. When a valley resident sets off a skyrocket in the event of a fire, a volunteer will fire off a cannon. But there soon is opposition to Joe's plan because, even though the canon fires blanks, things still get damaged. A fire breaks out on the Cannonball. Because Joe has all the fire equipment at the Shady Rest, Sam has to call the Crabwell Corners Volunteer Fire Department. Joe challenges Bink Sharfells (Dick Wessel), Crabwell Corners Fire Chief, to see which volunteer fire department is the best. When none of Hooterville's firefighters want to accept the challenge, it looks like Joe will lose by default. Kate and the girls offer to help. The contest winds up a tie. Joe suggests a game of checkers to break the tie. Bink loses the game to Dog. Note: Pat Woodell does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 57 | 19 | "Hooterville Crime Wave" | Guy Scarpitta | Jay Sommers & Larry Miller | February 16, 1965 | 6421 |
| Convicts Barney Dawson (Marc Lawrence) and Max James (Paul "Mousie" Garner) have escaped from the state penitentiary. Meanwhile, Uncle Joe, a member of the CIA (Criminal Investigators' Alliance), accuses Sam of running a lax and inefficient post office. Joe believes that if Sam posted photos of some criminals, he could capture them for the reward money. Sgt. Horton (Bert Freed) from the state police comes by and tells them about Barney and Max being in the area. Joe asks if there's any reward for them and he is told no. Later that evening, Barney and Max show up at the hotel. Because of Dog, Sam and Sgt. Horton arrive and the convicts are caught. | ||||||
| 58 | 20 | "For the Birds" | Richard L. Bare | Teleplay by: Jay Sommers Story by: John L. Greene & Paul David | February 23, 1965 | 6422 |
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The Cannonball has temporarily ceased operations. The reason is a bird has built a nest on top of the smokestack and has laid five eggs. Charley and Floyd refuse to move the train until the eggs have hatched. They figure it will be two weeks before they hatch. When Homer Bedloe hears of this news, he is all in support of what Charley and Floyd are doing, he even puts an article in the paper about it. But he has a reason why he wants to help the birds: If the train doesn't run for two weeks, he can shut it down permanently. Homer shows up at the hotel and Kate is suspicious of his motives. Billie Jo and Betty Jo overhear Homer's plan and tell Kate. Kate comes up with a plan to save both the Cannonball and the birds. William O'Connell appears as Martin Evans. Note: Pat Woodell does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 59 | 21 | "Modern Merchandising" | Richard L. Bare | Howard Harris & Jay Sommers | March 2, 1965 | 6423 |
| O'Donnel's, a new supermarket, has just opened in Pixley. Sam hasn't had a customer since it opened. Even Uncle Joe goes to O'Donnel's to check it out. While there, Joe manages to annoy Mr. O'Donnel (Willis Bouchey). Kate and the girls are still loyal customers of Sam's. Sam starts to have anxiety attacks and doesn't recognize Kate and Betty Joe. Kate and Doc Stuart convince Sam to take a two week vacation. Kate and the girls agree to look after the store for him. They decide to reorganize the store. Kate briefly leaves Joe in charge of the store and he puts in an overly large grocery order. This could cause irreparable damage to both the store's financial health and Sam and Kate's sanity. Jackie Searl appears as Jack Hull. | ||||||
| 60 | 22 | "Visit From the Governor" | Richard L. Bare | Howard Harris & Jay Sommers | March 9, 1965 | 6424 |
| The Governor announces that he will make a grassroots tour of the state. Uncle Joe is excited by the news, but no one else seems to care. The Governor has not announced his itinerary, but he is welcoming invitations from interested communities. Joe hopes to be able to advertise that the Governor slept at the Shady Rest. Joe says he sent an invitation and believes that the Governor is coming to Hooterville. Joe has a hard time organizing a welcoming as everyone is still not that excited. When the Cannonball arrives, there is no Governor. Turns out Joe forgot to mail the invite. Florence Lake appears as Emily Simpson. | ||||||
| 61 | 23 | "A Borderline Story" | Richard L. Bare | Howard Harris & Jay Sommers | March 16, 1965 | 6425 |
| Uncle Joe sees some surveyors down by the railroad tracks next to the hotel. He mistakenly believes that a new road is going to be built there. Kate learns from surveyor Ralph Craig (William Bakewell) that the last survey done twenty-five years ago was incorrect. The new survey shows that the border between Hooterville County and Pixley County runs right through the Shady Rest. Joe and Kate find out there's money to be made from curiosity seekers. Mr. Travis (J. Edward McKinley), from the Pixley License Division, tells Kate there's a lot of red tape in operating a business in two counties. Licenses and fees required could cost her in the thousands. Mr. Lindley (Murray Alper), from the Health Dept., also finds costly problems. Mr. Dixon (Milton Frome), from the Pixley Building Dept., finds more issues. Kate comes up with a permanent solution with the help of the Cannonball. Sam Edwards appears as Ned Balsam. | ||||||
| 62 | 24 | "The Shady Rest Hotel Corporation" | Richard L. Bare | Howard Harris & Jay Sommers | March 23, 1965 | 6426 |
| Uncle Joe mentions investing in the stock market and Kate reminds him about the bad stock he had her invest in once before. Meanwhile, the hot water heater in the hotel springs a leak. They'll need to buy a new one. Joe suggests selling stock in the Shady Rest Hotel Corporation to pay for it. Sam is willing to sell Kate a heater at cost for $97.50. Kate doesn't have that much. She also gets turned down for a loan at the Pixley Bank. Joe sells stock to Sam, Charley and Floyd to cover the cost of the water heater. They do this because they know Kate wouldn't accept a loan from them. Kate is not happy and still considers it charity. She comes up with a plan to teach Joe a lesson. Mr. Guerney (Byron Foulger), from the bank, brings Kate some good news. Phil Gordon appears as Mr. Osgood. | ||||||
| 63 | 25 | "A Tale of Two Dogs" | Richard L. Bare | Howard Harris & Jay Sommers | March 30, 1965 | 6427 |
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Crabwell Corners is suing the Town of Hooterville for possession of a Spanish-American War cannon. Crabwell Corners feels it is rightly theirs. Meanwhile, Tad Winslow of Crabwell Corners challenges his lazy dog, a blood hound named Speedy, against Betty Jo's dog in an obedience contest. If Tad wins, Betty Jo has to get Billie Jo to go with him to the upcoming Pioneer Dance. Betty Jo finds out that Billie Jo already has a date with her steady, Henry Brewster. Kate and Uncle Joe want to speak to the Winslows to call off the bet. But things intensify, with now the winner getting either the Crabwell Corners' fire engine or the Spanish-American War cannon. To make matters worse, Kate and Joe find out that Speedy isn't Tad's dog after all. Tad has a well trained German Shepherd. The day of the contest arrives. The score is close, but Dog pulls a trick of his own and wins. Minerva Urecal appears as Martha Winslow. Robert Shayne appears as Mr. Fillmore. Note: Pat Woodell, Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 64 | 26 | "The Black Box" | Richard L. Bare | Howard Harris & Jay Sommers | April 6, 1965 | 6428 |
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Kate's spring cleaning coincides with the US Air Force doing maneuvers over the valley. Part of those maneuvers includes testing out a new high powered camera. It looks like an ordinary black box with wires coming out of it and is set to explode twelve hours after any unauthorized removal from the plane. Colonel Millbank (Richard Erdman), who is flying the aircraft, accidentally loses the camera. It winds up landing on the Shady Rest property. Joe finds it and thinking it might be valuable, brings to the hotel. But as often as Kate and the girls try to get rid of it, Dog keeps bringing it back. General Elmer Loomis and Millbank make it to Hooterville. With little time to spare, they get to the hotel and start searching for the box. Dog brings them the box with no time left. However, the box winds up being a dud and doesn't explode. Jack Bannon appears as Technical Sergeant. Guest star: Fred Clark, who played Harry Morton opposite Bea Benaderet in 75 episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. | ||||||
| 65 | 27 | "Bedloe's Most Fiendish Scheme" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | April 13, 1965 | 6416 |
| Kate has a lot of outstanding debts, plus she hasn't made a mortgage payment in six months. Mr. Guerney (Byron Foulger), the President of the Pixley Bank, informs her that there is a new majority shareholder of the bank. Because of this, she has two weeks to pay $138 on her mortgage or the bank will have to foreclose. Mr. Guerney didn't tell Kate that the majority shareholder is Homer Bedloe, who hopes to ruin Kate. The girls say they will get part time jobs to help raise the money. Kate gets a job as a short order cook, but she doesn't last long at it. Kate and the girls do come up with the amount needed, but some of it's in I.O.U.s. Bedloe says that isn't good enough and still wants to foreclose. Mr. Guerney comes up with a way to give Kate a little more time. Peter Leeds appears as Gus Clegg. | ||||||
| 66 | 28 | "Bedloe Gets His Comeuppance" | Richard L. Bare | Jay Sommers & Lou Huston | April 20, 1965 | 6417 |
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In this second half of a two-part story, Homer Bedloe has controlling interest in the Pixley Bank and has fired its President, Mr. Guerney. He has decided not only to foreclose on Kate's mortgage, but foreclose on all the bad mortgages in the valley. That will make the Cannonball's services useless. The Shady Rest is going to host a Monte Carlo night as a modest fundraiser. Whoever wins the most fake money by the end of the evening wins the secret grand prize. Betty Jo's friend Willie gets vibrations off of the roulette wheel and can guess the number every spin. Uncle Joe wants send Willie to Vegas to win enough money to solve all their problems. With Willie's help, Kate comes up with a plan to save the valley and get rid of Bedloe. Harold Peary as Mr. Davis. Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 67 | 29 | "The Mayor of Hooterville" | Richard L. Bare | Howard Merrill & Stan Dreben | April 27, 1965 | 6430 |
| Because they don't have one, Uncle Joe wants to be named the Mayor of Hooterville. And as mayor, he would get an all expenses paid trip to the state capitol for the state's mayors' convention, and a free haircut. Sam, Charley and Floyd think that having a mayor isn't such a bad idea, but the person should be elected. They and the girls convince Kate to run, even though she really doesn't want to. When Joe learns Kate is running, he decides to move out of the Hotel. Selma Plout will do anything she can to make sure Kate doesn't win. She even becomes Joe's campaign manager. Selma also has another reason to help Joe, she would like to be the mayor's wife. Kate comes up with a plan to get both her and Joe off the hook. | ||||||
| 68 | 30 | "Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Jinx?" | Guy Scarpitta | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | May 4, 1965 | 6429 |
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Lately, bad things have been happening to people whenever Uncle Joe is around. He is now getting the reputation of being a jinx. Joe is initially upset by all the talk of him being a jinx. But then he decides to offer his services as a jinx for a fee. Sam hires Joe to jinx Crabwell Corners so they don't get the new box factory, and it instead comes to Hooterville. As hard as Joe tries, that factory still winds up going to Crabwell Corners. Kate says that proves that Joe is not a jinx. But, could there be another jinx at the Shady Rest? William Fawcett as Pip Winslow. Jack Pepper as Mr. Harrington. Note: Pat Woodell does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 69 | 31 | "The Chicken Killer" | Richard L. Bare | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | May 11, 1965 | 6431 |
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Hinky Mittenfloss (Percy Helton), the new dog catcher, is constantly trying to catch Dog. Hinky now believes that Dog killed three of Luther Craig's (Guy Wilkerson) chickens. He takes Dog to the County Dog Pound where he will eventually be put down. Kate, Betty Jo and Uncle Joe consult with lawyer Melvin Randall (Walter Reed). Melvin thinks that Kate is more than capable of handling the case before a judge. Though hesitant at first, Judge Murdock allows the case to proceed. With the help of a cat, Arnold the pig and Dog, Kate almost wins the case. But Dog grabbing Joe's chicken sandwich seals his fate. That is until Betty Jo wakes up from her dream. Note: Jeannine Riley, Pat Woodell, Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 70 | 32 | "Why Girls Leave Home" | Richard L. Bare | Teleplay by: Jay Sommers, Howard Harris & John Bradford Story by: John Bradford | May 18, 1965 | 6432 |
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Music Professor Lieberschmit (Sig Ruman) recommends that would-be singer Bobbie Jo go to New York City for three months to take singing lessons. Kate barely manages to borrow $300 for Bobbie Jo's trip from Mr. Guerney at the bank. Billie Jo announces that her secretarial school is giving her a chance for a secretarial job at a Hollywood studio. Along with the job there is also the possibility of a screen test. Kate is able to get an extra $100 from Mr. Gurney. Then Betty Jo announces that she has received a Phys-Ed scholarship at a school in New Hampshire. Kate figures that only one girl can go and now has to decide which one. Before Kate can, the girls decide Billie Jo should be the one. Billie Jo says she has fallen for a boy and that Bobbie Jo should go. Bobbie Jo says it will cost too much in New York and that Betty Jo should go. Betty Jo says she found out it's an all girl school and doesn't want to go. Note: Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis are credited but do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 71 | 33 | "There's No Stove Like an Old Stove" | Richard L. Bare | Allan Manings & Hugh Wedlock, Jr. | May 25, 1965 | 6433 |
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Fed up with chopping wood for Kate's old wood-burner, Uncle Joe tries to convince Kate to buy a new electric stove. Joe tells Kate that people have stopped coming to the hotel because the old stove is ruining her cooking. Joe writes to New York food critic Lucius J. Penrose (veteran English stage and screen character actor Alan Mowbray) and asks him to come to the hotel to taste Kate's cooking. With a new oven and Penrose's stamp of approval, the hotel could be famous. Joe sabotages the old stove and then tells Kate he has already ordered the new one. The new stove shows up, but it has to be put together. Penrose arrives and is not impressed with the new oven. He says that the only reason he agreed to come was to get a meal cooked on an old fashioned wood burning stove. Kate winds up cooking the meal in the Cannonball's wood burner. Grady Sutton appears as a Chef. Note: Jeannine Riley does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 72 | 34 | "The Brontosaurus Caper" | Richard L. Bare | Howard Merrill & Stan Dreben | June 1, 1965 | 6434 |
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Betty Jo is giving up baseball to devote her life to science. The family finds out that she has a crush on Roland Barrett, her new science teacher. Dog brings home a large animal bone which Betty Jo takes to Roland. Roland is very interested in the bone and would like to find out where Dog got it from. Dog brings home more and more bones and Roland believes they could be from a brontosaurus. The family starts to believe the bones are buried below the hotel. Kate is not thrilled when they start digging a hole in the lobby floor. Clarence McGill (Ken Drake), curator for the Pixley museum, comes to the Shady Rest. It seems the museum has been closed for repairs. Clarence caught Dog sneaking in and stealing the bones from the baby brontosaurus skeleton. Jonathan Hole as Mr. Earnshaw. Note: Pat Woodell, Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 73 | 35 | "The Hairbrained Scheme" | Guy Scarpitta | Bernie Kahn & Lila Garrett | June 8, 1965 | 6435 |
|
Uncle Joe gets his friends Sam, Charley and Floyd to invest $15 in his latest get rich quick scheme. Kate makes him give back the money, and also makes him promise no more schemes. Joe runs into his simpleminded friend Hector (Robert Easton). Hector tells him that his hair has been growing like crazy since he started drinking his goat's milk. Joe buys the goat and hopes to get rich selling the goat milk to bald men. Despite his promise to Kate, Joe tells her about selling the goat milk as a baldness cure. Kate comes up with a plan to try and teach Joe a lesson and she gets Sam and Floyd to help her. Note: Pat Woodell does not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 74 | 36 | "There's No Business With Show Business" | Richard L. Bare | George O'Hanlon & Charles Tannen | June 15, 1965 | 6436 |
|
Their latest traveling salesman guest sneaks out of the hotel without paying his bill. Kate and Uncle Joe find a guidebook for traveling salesmen listing certain hotels that can be scammed. Joe's name is mentioned as an easy mark. Harry Harmon (George O'Hanlon), the owner of a traveling circus, has a similar guidebook. He plans to con Joe into letting the flat-broke circus troupe take up lodging at Shady Rest. Harry claims he'll pay for 5 rooms and then he sneaks in the rest of his performers. Kate becomes suspicious when she thinks she sees people that haven't registered, more food is being consumed than should be, and she hasn't seen any money yet. Kate finds Harry's guidebook and, realizing that she has been taken, kicks everyone out. Iris Adrian as Mary Sills. Charles Tannen as Mr. Haley. Don Megowan as Freddie. Felix Silla as Baron Munchin. Note: This episode is the last one to be filmed in black-and-white and the last one where Jeannine Riley plays Billie Jo and Pat Woodell plays Bobbie Jo. Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
Season 3 (1965–66)[edit]
All episodes from Season 3 onwards filmed in color
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | 1 | "Dear Minerva" | Richard L. Bare | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | September 14, 1965 | 6501 |
|
Sam has added an advice column called Dear Minerva to the newspaper, and Sam is Minerva. Kate thinks that the column should be written by a woman. Sam convinces Kate to be Minerva as long as no one knows it's her. Kate has a hard time writing the column in the hotel without anyone finding out. The column becomes a big hit, but writing it and taking care of things at the hotel takes its toll on Kate. Sam gets a call from a large newspaper that wants to syndicate the Dear Minerva column. He writes a note about it to Kate. The girls intercept the note and, misunderstanding what Sam wrote, they believe Sam and Kate are in love. They write to Minerva and ask her advice. "Minerva" eases the girls concerns and announces that this is her last column. Note: This episode is the first one to be filmed in color and the first one where Gunilla Hutton plays Billie Jo and Lori Saunders plays Bobbie Jo. | ||||||
| 76 | 2 | "The Baffling Raffle" | Richard L. Bare | Howard Harris & Arthur Marx | September 21, 1965 | 6502 |
|
Oliver Wendell Douglas and Lisa Douglas are staying overnight at the hotel. They are moving into their newly purchased farmhouse, the run down Haney place. When Joe finds out that Oliver is a lawyer, he wants to ask him how to get out of jury duty. Oliver inadvertently gives Joe an idea and Joe gets Kate to take his place. Joe finds out that he won a television set in a raffle, but he has to claim it by noon tomorrow. At first Joe can't find the ticket, then he remembers it's in the suitcase that Kate took to Pixley. As hard as he tries, Joe can't get a message to a sequestered Kate. Kate does come home in time, but something else prevents Joe from claiming his prize. Ray Kellogg appears as Henry the Bailiff. Sidney Clute appears as Waiter. Dan White appears as 1st Juror. Guest stars from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas and Eva Gabor as Lisa Douglas | ||||||
| 77 | 3 | "The Dog Turns Playboy" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | September 28, 1965 | 6503 |
|
Betty Jo and Bobbie Jo and a group of friends are trying to plan a fund-raising stage production to buy some playground equipment for the kids. Because of casting problems, Betty Jo comes up with an idea: rewrite the play for an all canine cast with Dog in the lead. Lawyer Arthur Bronson (William Lanteau) arrives at the hotel. He informs them that a former guest of the hotel, Mr. Kroger, who has just passed away, has left $200 to Dog. Dog is generous to his friends, and wants to buy them things. But Dog is letting the money and fame go to his head. Dog learns the hard way that fame and wealth can be fleeting, and that keeping to commitments is more important. Paul De Rolf appears as Jeff. Henry Z Jones, Jr. appears as Herbert. Guest star from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis do not appear in this episode. | ||||||
| 78 | 4 | "The Good Luck Ring" | Richard L. Bare | Howard Harris & Arthur Marx | October 5, 1965 | 6504 |
|
Bobbie Jo is entering an upcoming spelling bee, but it may be a losing battle against stuck up but excellent speller Henrietta Watson. Cora Watson (Elvia Allman), Henrietta's equally stuck up mother, protests Sam's appointment as judge since she feels he will be biased in favor of Bobbie Jo. As such, Oliver Douglas, is appointed the new judge. Bobbie Jo doesn't have the confidence to win, until she finds a scarab ring. Now it seems she is flooded with good luck. Slowly, the family begins to believe in the power of the ring when they too get what they want when wearing it. Uncle Joe loses the ring and buys another one. After winning the spelling bee, Bobbie Jo realizes it wasn't because of the ring. Byron Foulger appears as Mr. Guerney at the Bank. Guest stars from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas and Eva Gabor as Lisa Douglas | ||||||
| 79 | 5 | "Joe Carson, General Contractor" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | October 12, 1965 | 6505 |
|
Because Uncle Joe is supposed to paint the Hotel, he gets the idea that he can go into business as a general contractor. He finds out that the wealthy Douglases are looking for a contractor to help fix up the "Green Acres" farmhouse. He does get Mrs. Douglas to hire him. Although Joe knows nothing about construction work, he tries to juggle the hotel and the Douglas jobs. Joe also finds that he may be scheming rich, but cash poor. He needs to find some additional capital to get both jobs going. Uncle Joe's scheming affects Kate in unexpected ways, so she comes up with a plan to set Uncle Joe straight. Guest stars from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas and Eva Gabor as Lisa Douglas | ||||||
| 80 | 6 | "Bobbie Jo's Sorority" | Guy Scarpitta | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | October 26, 1965 | 6506 |
|
Bobbie Jo has been nominated for membership into Hooterville High's only sorority. She is worried as she knows many girls who were nominated but didn't pass the initiation. The head of the sorority, Henrietta Watson doesn't want Bobbie Jo in the sorority. She devises what she believes is an impossible initiation task for Bobbie Jo. Bobbie Jo must get a date with the school's star athlete, Stonewall Jackson, who seems only interested in sports and not girls. Bobbie Jo enlists Betty Jo to teach her some things about sports. Thanks to Betty Jo, Bobbie Jo gets the date and her membership. Bobbie Jo also has a way to get back at Henrietta for the difficult initiation task. Guest star: Bobby PickettGuest stars from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas and Eva Gabor as Lisa Douglas | ||||||
| 81 | 7 | "A Doctor in the House" | Hollingsworth Morse | Frank Crow | November 2, 1965 | 6507 |
|
Uncle Joe answers the ad of Dr. Mathew Bailey. Dr. Bailey is looking for office space in return for free medical service. Kate doesn't think it's a good idea, especially with everyone in Hooterville going to see Doc Stuart (Frank Ferguson). But once the girls get a look at the young and handsome Dr. Bailey, there is no way they're going to let Kate let him get away. So they open up an office for Dr. Bailey adjacent to the hotel lobby. But Kate is right, there is no business for Dr. Bailey as many locals see him as too young and inexperienced. The girls and Uncle Joe go on a marketing spree to round up patients, to no avail. Doc Stuart unwittingly gives Kate an idea to boost Doc Bailey's clientèle. Kate's plan takes an unexpected turn. Elsie Baker appears as a townswoman. Dave Willock appears as Touhey Benson. Guest star from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas | ||||||
| 82 | 8 | "Hooterville A-Go-Go" | Charles Barton | Charles Tannen & George O'Hanlon | November 9, 1965 | 6508 |
|
The Every Other Wednesday Afternoon Discussion Club, with its new member Lisa Douglas, is planning on holding a square dance as a high school benefit. The Bradley girls decide to try and get King Ring a Ding, the big rock 'n' roll star, to perform at the benefit instead. Who shows up unexpectedly at the hotel instead is Herbie Willits, who used to live in Hooterville and who Kate encouraged to become a singer. Kate wants Herbie to sing at the benefit. What Kate and girls don't realize is that Herbie is King Ring a Ding. When Herbie hears that no tickets have been sold mainly because he's the "headliner", he comes up with a plan. Uncle Joe has his own plan, not realizing what Herbie's plans actually are, and in the process almost ruins the benefit. Maudie Prickett appears as Tillie Finney. Milton Frome appears as Reece Garrett, Herbie's manager. Guest stars from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas and Eva Gabor as Lisa Douglas Songs: "Live It Up" and "Red River Valley", both sung by guest star Ray Hemphill. "Steam, Cinders and Smoke", sung by Smiley Burnette and Rufe Davis | ||||||
| 83 | 9 | "Hooterville Hurricane" | Stanley Z. Cherry | David Braverman & Bob Marcus | November 16, 1965 | 6509 |
| Boxer Kid Dynamite is offering $100 to anyone who can stay in the ring with him for three rounds without going down. Uncle Joe is trying to find a fighter who he can train, while keeping the majority of the prize money as a training fee. He thinks he's found that person in Herman Crawley, the strong as an ox but not too bright plumber Kate hires. Joe sets up a makeshift boxing ring at the hotel to train Herman, which doesn't sit too well with Kate. When Joe meets Kid Dynamite and his brazen manager mother Mrs. Hogan (Marjorie Bennett), Joe thinks there's no way Herman can lose. So Joe makes a $500 versus the hotel side wager with Mrs. Hogan on the outcome. What Uncle Joe doesn't realize is that Herman has a particular weakness. Uncle Joe has to protect Herman's weakness and find out and exploit the Kid's weakness. Even though Herman prevails, the fight is not as profitable as it should have been. | ||||||
| 84 | 10 | "Betty Jo Goes to New York" | Guy Scarpitta | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | November 23, 1965 | 6510 |
|
Mrs. Douglas asks an excited Betty Jo to accompany her on a week long trip to New York City as her guest. After an initial hesitation, Kate allows Betty Jo to go. When Betty Jo returns to Hooterville she's a changed person, putting on airs and believing country life is beneath her. Kate initially believes Mrs. Douglas is to blame for Betty Jo's new snooty attitude, but quickly realizes that she isn't. Kate does get some help from Mrs. Douglas for an upcoming visit by Gregory Tremayne, a young gentleman Betty Jo met in New York. Gregory's visit ultimately shows Betty Jo where her heart lies. Guest stars from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas and Eva Gabor as Lisa Douglas. | ||||||
| 85 | 11 | "Bedloe's Successor" | Stanley Z. Cherry | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | November 30, 1965 | 6511 |
| Homer Bedloe (Charles Lane), arch-enemy of the Hooterville Cannonball, returns in abject disgrace and poverty to Hooterville Valley. He has been replaced by Wilbur Goodfellow (Donald Curtis), who supposedly is the exact opposite of Bedloe in every way. Bedloe is looking for somewhere to stay, at least for a little while. Goodfellow arrives to inspect the spur line and the Cannonball. After his inspection, Goodfellow plans to make major investments into the line. He plans to send the Cannonball in for a refit and to loan a new locomotive as a temporary replacement. Everyone is excited by all this news. After Kate goes to the cinema in Pixley, she discovers the whole thing is a scam and that Bedloe and Goodfellow are working together. William Bakewell appears as an actor. | ||||||
| 86 | 12 | "The Crowded Wedding Ring" | Stanley Z. Cherry | Ben Starr | December 7, 1965 | 6512 |
| One of Kate Bradley's old swains named Ralph Denton (Whit Bissell) sends a telegram stating that he is coming by the hotel for a few days. Uncle Joe thinks Kate is acting just a little too nonchalantly, which means she still has feelings for him. Ralph shows up with his overbearing and busybody spinster sister, Mabel (Hope Summers). The girls and Uncle Joe do whatever they can to preoccupy Mabel so that Ralph and Kate can have some romantic alone time together. But Joe's spending so much time with Mabel leads to an unintended marriage announcement. | ||||||
| 87 | 13 | "Uncle Joe Plays Post Office" | Stanley Z. Cherry | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | December 14, 1965 | 6513 |
|
Joe insults Sam about the way he runs the post office, so Sam lets Joe take over. Joe decides to set up the post office at the hotel's reception desk. Kate tries to persuade Joe to give the post office back to Sam and for Sam to take it back. Joe tries to gather the equipment he needs to run the post office, even if it means confiscating what he needs in the name of the federal government. Customers treat the new post office like it was still in Drucker's Store, wanting to buy groceries. Things start falling apart around Joe and after the Government steps in, the post office is moved back to Sam's store. Damian O'Flynn appears as Mr. Wickersham. Guest star from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas | ||||||
| 88 | 14 | "What's a Trajectory?" | Stanley Z. Cherry | Fred Fox & Irving Elinson | December 21, 1965 | 6514 |
| It's been a month since there have been any guests at the hotel. But then a Mr. Reynolds (Arthur O'Connell) checks in. To Kate and the girls, Mr. Reynolds seems like a nice, friendly man, but Uncle Joe doesn't trust him. Mr. Reynolds pays in cash and reserves the entire hotel so he won't be disturbed. Joe hears that the Benton Bank was recently robbed of $3,000 and he's certain Reynolds is the robber. Uncle Joe handcuffs Reynolds to the elevator. Betty Jo hears that the robber has been captured. But before Joe can apologize to Reynolds, he has mysteriously left. | ||||||
| 89 | 15 | "The Butler Did It" | Dick Moder | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | December 28, 1965 | 6515 |
| Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo are entering contests where they are required to send in food can and box top labels. This leaves much of Kate's pantry left with unlabeled cans and boxes. Bobbie Jo manages to win the contest sponsored by Gibney's Old English Tomato Sauce, with first prize being a traditional English butler for one month. Unannounced, their new butler, Faversham (Maurice Dallimore), arrives on their doorstep. Kate tries, but she just can't get used to giving up control of the chores around the hotel. Uncle Joe turns the hotel into a bit of old London and puts an add in the paper. He also wants to organize a fox hunt, but things don't turn out as planned. | ||||||
| 90 | 16 | "Better Never Than Late" | Stanley Z. Cherry | Ben Starr | January 4, 1966 | 6516 |
| Uncle Joe advertises to hotel guests Billie Jo's services as a stenographer. Mr. Norton (Herbert Anderson), a salesman who wants to write a business letter to Frank Mortimer, hires her. Norton dictates a letter that is harsh and scathing as Mortimer reneged on an order. But Norton decides not to send the letter until he returns to the office. He learns when he returns to the office that Mortimer has come through with his large order and a promise for a future order. Norton can't find the letter. He returns to the Shady Rest to see if he left the letter there. They all learn that Uncle Joe found the letter and mailed it. To get the letter back, Kate has to battle Sam, an absent minded Floyd, Pixley postmaster Foley (Vaughn Taylor), and locksmith Tad Fiskee (Herbie Faye). Kate still can't get it back. But a good hearted Floyd may ultimately come to the rescue. Vinton Hayworth appears as Mr. Grant. Harry Harvey Sr. appears as Mr. Billings. | ||||||
| 91 | 17 | "Betty Jo Catches the Bouquet" | Dick Moder | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | January 11, 1966 | 6517 |
| Gladys Knockleheimer and Bernie McKenzie are holding their wedding reception at the hotel. They are the fifth set of friends of Billie Jo's that have gotten married. Both Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo are excited by the idea of getting married, but Betty Jo is not interested. When Betty Jo catches Gladys' bouquet, she is terrified that she will be next to get married. Kate decides it's time to have a talk with her about the issue. Betty Jo misinterprets her mother's advice and starts going around and asking boys to marry her. Betty Jo then receives gifts from a secret admirer. Kate discovers it was Betty Jo sending gifts to herself because she didn't want to appear to have no one interested in her. Charles Briles appears as Doug Keefer. Paul De Rolf appears as Larry. Winnie Coffin appears as Mrs. Jessop. | ||||||
| 92 | 18 | "Billie Jo's Independence Day" | Dick Moder | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | January 18, 1966 | 6518 |
| Billie Jo wants to move out of the hotel and into her own apartment in Pixley. Kate repeatedly says no. Kate finally gives in, but she has to approve of the place and the landlord. She only agreed because she believes there is not an apartment to be found in Pixley. However, Billie Jo finds a place that meets Kate's standards. After a few days, Billie Jo says she loves her independence, even though all the comforts of home are not quite there. But not long after she becomes homesick and finds a way to come back. Minerva Urecal appears as Martha Griffin, the landlord. | ||||||
| 93 | 19 | "Yogurt, Anyone?" | Dick Moder | Clifford Goldsmith | January 25, 1966 | 6519 |
|
High-schooler Betty Jo is on the verge of breaking up with her latest boyfriend Edward. He believes Betty Jo is intellectually immature. The problem is that she now has no date for Saturday night's basketball game. Betty Jo meets an older college boy named Chuck, who is visiting relatives in Hooterville. Chuck believes Betty Jo is an intellectual Emily Dickinson College girl, which she doesn't correct. In an effort to impress Chuck on their upcoming date, Betty Jo tries to be what she believes a college girl should be. But in the end, she finds she's better off with Edward. Meanwhile, Uncle Joe is collecting loose pieces of string to roll into one really big ball. Guest star from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas | ||||||
| 94 | 20 | "Only Boy in the Class" | Guy Scarpitta | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | February 1, 1966 | 6520 |
|
It's the start of the new semester at Hooterville High and there are seven new girls and one new boy enrolled. Bobbie Jo takes pity on the new boy, Walter Thorp, as he is the only boy in her home economics class. Bobbie Jo is attracted to the athletic Walter, and wants to make him feel welcome. She and Betty Jo try and get someone to switch classes with Walter, but they have no luck. There is an upcoming home ec class exam, which is to prepare a full dinner for one's imaginary spouse's imaginary boss in twenty minutes. Kate comes up with a way to help Walter get a passing grade. Guest star: Bobby Pickett | ||||||
| 95 | 21 | "The County Fair" | Hollingsworth Morse | Lila Garrett & Bernie Kahn | February 8, 1966 | 6521 |
|
The annual county fair is coming soon. Betty Jo picks Everett the pig for Hooterville High's cutest livestock contest. Bobbie Jo will be singing in the talent contest. Uncle Joe hopes to win all the prizes at the baseball throwing booth. Although she wasn't going to enter the cake baking contest again, Kate reconsiders. It seems that Everett only perks up when Bobbie Jo is singing. At the fair, they learn that the livestock contest and the talent contest will be at the same time. Betty Jo figures out how Bobbie Jo can be in two places at the same time. Betty Jo and Bobbie Jo both win their contests, but Uncle Joe manages to ruin it for Kate. Tim Rooney appears as Douglas. Paul De Rolf appears as Bruce. Guest star from Green Acres: Pat Buttram as Mr. Haney | ||||||
| 96 | 22 | "Jury at the Shady Rest" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | February 15, 1966 | 6522 |
| An accident at the county courthouse has blown off the roof of the building. Uncle Joe gets the jury of the current case sequestered at the Shady Rest. But things don't run as smoothly as Joe figured. They have to figure out sleeping assignments for the shortage of rooms. It also seems as though the gluttonous jurors refuse to reach a verdict because they like Kate Bradley's food so much. Then a baby in the hotel complicates things further. Some of the jurors animals invade the hotel. With the Judges help, Kate finds a way to have the jurors leave. Parley Baer appears as Bailiff Vince Tucker. Emory Parnell appears as Sheriff Blake. | ||||||
| 97 | 23 | "The Invisible Mr. Dobble" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | February 22, 1966 | 6523 |
| Kate receives a letter from a Mr. Donald Dobble requesting a reservation for two rooms for him and a friend. Mr. Dobble's friend, David Benton (Frank Aletter), arrives and acts as though Dobble were with him. But Kate sees no one but Mr. Benton. Mr. Benton seems crazy as he sees and talks to an invisible man. Kate believes that Mr. Benton is probably overworked. When no one else seems concerned that they haven't seen Dobble, Kate starts to feel that she is the one going crazy. Kate continually tries to sneak a peak at or speak directly to Mr. Dobble to no avail. The girls start to worry about Kate, especially when they see her talking to no one. Kate asks Benton and Dobble to leave and to not worry about paying their bill. A Mr. Robinson (Russ Conway) comes by looking for Benton. It seems Benton defrauds hotels into getting free room and board with his invisible man scheme. | ||||||
| 98 | 24 | "It's Not the Principle, It's the Money" | Charles Barton | David Braverman & Bob Marcus | March 1, 1966 | 6524 |
| Kate hopes to have a convention take place at the hotel. But, they are in competition with the Pixley Hotel, which has more modern conveniences. Kate decides to do a face lift of the hotel's rooms, with Uncle Joe doing most of the work. Meanwhile, Kate gets a letter telling her of a property tax increase of $6. She is relieved but Uncle Joe is livid. Joe sends a scathing letter to J.C. Albright (Don Haggerty), of the tax review board, demanding the taxes be lowered. Albright decides to go to the Shady Rest to handle the problem personally. Uncle Joe makes the hotel look as shabby and run-down as possible to justify the tax decrease. Mr. Forbes (Don Keefer), the convention organizer, arrives and Joe mistakes him for J.C. Albright. Mr. Forbes decides against the Shady Rest for the convention. After fixing the hotel up again, J.C. Albright arrives and Joe thinks he's the convention organizer. Despite losing the convention, they do get a refund on their taxes. | ||||||
| 99 | 25 | "War of the Hotels" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | March 8, 1966 | 6525 |
| The Shady Rest is full with guests, while the Pixley Hotel is just about empty. The Pixley Hotel's unscrupulous owner, Murdock Sneep (played by familiar character actor J. Pat O'Malley), suggests to Kate that they merge their businesses. Kate declines as she knows how empty the Pixley Hotel is. An angry Sneep threatens to ruin Kate. He starts with an aggressive advertising campaign. Sneep and Kate then both try to one up the other. But soon both realize this no-holds-barred "hotel war" is costing each of them money and someone else is capitalizing on their feud. Jack Bannon appears as Ed. | ||||||
| 100 | 26 | "The Windfall" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | March 15, 1966 | 6526 |
| The hotel is empty and bills piling up. In order to get some money, Kate suggests Uncle Joe find a paying job. Joe appears to be looking for a job, but he does his best not to get one. Joe takes a break in an empty lot in Pixley with Dog. While there, Dog digs up a tin can full of money. Uncle Joe doesn't tell Kate about the money, but Dog makes him feel guilty. Joe secretly pays off all of Kate's bills. Even though she doesn't know who to thank, Kate is surprised and happy. Uncle Joe learns that the money was probably stolen from the Crabwell Corners Bank. Joe takes what moneys left and returns it to the can. He then finds out that the stolen money was found somewhere else. But before he can get the money back, he hears that someone else's dog dug it up. Guy Wilkerson appears as Lud Watson. Christine Williams appears as First Showgirl. Phyllis Davis appears as Second Showgirl. Joyce Nizzari appears as Hat Check Girl. Jack Perkins appears as Guard. | ||||||
| 101 | 27 | "Second Honeymoon" | Charles Barton | Danny Simon & Rick Mittleman | March 22, 1966 | 6527 |
| Uncle Joe is excited by a letter from Jeff and Nancy Anderson (Stephen Dunne and Emmaline Henry). They honeymooned at the hotel and are planning on returning for their tenth wedding anniversary. This gives Joe the idea to market the hotel as a second honeymoon haven for past honeymooning guests. The girls suggest they hold a gala reunion. They send out invitations and all the invitees have to do is fill in the dates they will be staying. The plan doesn't work as every single couple turns them down. The Andersons arrive and are looking forward to a quiet second honeymoon. But Joe's constant attention and picture taking is starting to bother them. Kate promises the couple she'll get Joe to stop taking pictures. Joe manages to get the happy couple arguing. He then finds a way to get them together again. | ||||||
| 102 | 28 | "Kate Sells the Hotel" | Charles Barton | Ray Allen | March 29, 1966 | 6528 |
| Carter Deming is a writer and the only current guest at the hotel. He tells Kate that he gets ten times more work done at the hotel than he does in his own home in New York. Uncle Joe lets Kate know that the bank turned down Kate's latest loan request. Kate realizes that she has never been able to make a go of the hotel. Mr. Deming offers to buy the hotel from Kate. Not knowing about the possible deal, the girls imply that they'd love to live in New York City. When Mr. Deming offers Kate much more than the hotel is really worth, Kate reluctantly accepts his offer. Kate tells the girls that the hotel is sold and they are upset. Despite what they said, they don't want to move from the Shady Rest and Hooterville. The problem is that Kate verbally promised Mr. Deming that she wouldn't back out of the deal. Joe tries to figure out a way to have Mr. Deming want to back out, but nothing works. Mr. Deming actually comes up with a reason to not buy the hotel. | ||||||
| 103 | 29 | "Kate Bradley, Peacemaker" | Charles Barton | Story by : Poot Pray & Tom Koch Teleplay by : Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | April 5, 1966 | 6529 |
|
The cheap refrigerator that Uncle Joe bought isn't working, so Kate sends him into Pixley to get some ice for the icebox. Floyd and Charley are having a fight over who is the boss of the Cannonball and then they have a fight over a missing apple. Because of this, Joe can't get to Pixley and Kate's food will spoil. Kate gets the two to patch things up, but then Joe says something and they start fighting again. Kate has Betty Jo bring in the analytical mind of Mr. Douglas to assist in convincing the two to make up, but that doesn't work. Joe uses the hand car to get some ice, while the Cannonball strike continues. Floyd and Charley make up, but once again Joe does something to break them up again. Kate finally comes up with a way to get the two to be friends again. Hank Worden appears as Farmer. Guest star from Green Acres: Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas | ||||||
| 104 | 30 | "Whatever Happened to Betty Jo?" | Guy Scarpitta | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | April 12, 1966 | 6530 |
| Kate is cleaning out the storage closet. She wants the family members to go through their belongings to see what can be thrown away. Uncle Joe thinks they should start an antiques business with the junk. Everyone is around to help except Betty Jo, who should have been on the afternoon Cannonball run from school. Floyd and Charlie tell Kate that they saw Betty Jo that morning. She was all made up and had a suitcase. It looked like she was about to run away to elope. Kate and the girls look for clues in Betty Jo's room. They find a notebook that leads them to believe that Betty Jo might be thinking of eloping with the new boy in town, Peter Latimer (Charles Briles). Betty Jo is actually just coaching baseball to Peter were no one can see them. Kate visits Mrs. Latimer (Florence Lake) to tell her that their children have eloped. When Betty Jo and Peter come home, everyone finds out that they were worrying over nothing. | ||||||
| 105 | 31 | "Every Bachelor Should Have a Family" | Guy Scarpitta | Erna Lazarus | April 19, 1966 | 6532 |
| Kate's widowed friend Vera Wilson (Molly Dodd) has been dating Ronnie Beckman (Hugh Beaumont in the first of three appearances on the show), a bookkeeper who moved to the valley five years ago. Kate wants to know when they're getting married, but Vera says the relationship is going very slowly and she doesn't want to seem pushy. Kate runs into Ronnie on the Cannonball. He tells her that he's not sure about marriage as he has always been alone. Floyd thinks that Kate and Ronnie are sweet on each other. Ronnie wants to stay at the hotel to see how happy real family life can be. When they arrive, the sisters are fighting. Kate tells them they have to look like a happy family in front of Ronnie. Uncle Joe thinks Ronnie wants to marry Kate for her money, so he talks down family life. Kate tells Ronnie that they were putting up a front and that they often fight. Ronnie is glad, as it wouldn't be natural to be that nice all the time. | ||||||
| 106 | 32 | "The Young Matchmakers" | Charles Barton | Story by : Dick Wesson & Joel Kane Teleplay by : Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | April 26, 1966 | 6531 |
|
It seems that every night everyone has something to do except for Kate. Uncle Joe tells Kate that she needs to get out herself. The girls decide to try and find Kate an eligible bachelor. They first tell Kate that they're grown up now, she doesn't need to take care of them and she should go on a date. That direct approach doesn't work. Their next attempt fails as well. They then ask Mrs. Douglas for her advice. Mrs. Douglas suggests holding a lonely hearts club gathering at the hotel. Three desperate men show up at the hotel hoping to meet some women. Once she knows what is going on, Kate finds a way to get each of the men to leave. Jack Collins appears as Hubert Thatcher. Norman Leavitt appears as Clyde Rambo. Jack Bannon appears as Betty Jo's Date. Paul De Rolf appears as Bobbie Jo's Date. Guest star from Green Acres: Eva Gabor as Lisa Douglas | ||||||
| 107 | 33 | "Hooterville Valley Project" | Charles Barton | Story by : Ronny Pearlman Teleplay by : Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | May 3, 1966 | 6533 |
| Uncle Joe is excited about a new capital works project for the valley. The plan is to dam up Bleeker Creek which will create a new lake in the area. Kate points out to Uncle Joe that the location of the new lake does not mean that the hotel will be lake front property, but rather be under water in the middle of the lake. When she sees how this project will devastate her and the Cannonball, she knows Homer Bedloe is behind it. Kate needs to collect two hundred signatures for a restraining order petition. When Kate comes up two signatures short, Mr. Fletcher (John Hoyt), the Commissioner of Conservation, says nothing will stop them from putting in the lake. Uncle Joe's dog winds up saving the Shady Rest. (This episode is the last one where Gunilla Hutton plays Billie Jo.) | ||||||
| 108 | 34 | "Betty Jo's Bike" | Guy Scarpitta | Jay Sommers & Howard Harris | May 10, 1966 | 6534 |
| Betty Jo wants to buy her friend Willie's motorized bicycle. Kate says she can if she is able to come up with the money. Betty Jo gets a babysitting job on the condition that Kate is around to supervise, to which Kate reluctantly agrees. Kate winds up doing most of the work. Now many other babysitting offers and many other babies come out of the woodwork. Unfortunately, the jobs are all for the same night and under the same condition of Kate supervising. With help from the family, they make it through the night. Willie says he'll trade his bike for the family dog, but Betty Jo refuses. | ||||||
Season 4 (1966–67)[edit]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 109 | 1 | "Young Love" | Charles Barton | Ronny Pearlman | September 13, 1966 | 6601 |
|
Uncle Joe starts a Free Wedding and Honeymoon Contest to promote business for the Shady Rest Hotel. Out of all the entries, one stands out: that of Laura Bentley (Sylvia Field) and Tony Allison (Ernest Truex), a young couple whose parents will not allow them to get married. However, when they arrive at the hotel, they are actually an elderly couple whose respective grown children objected to their marriage. Kate and the girls still want to give them the best wedding and honeymoon the hotel has ever seen. Laura's daughter Violet (Janet Waldo), and Tony's son Herbert (William Bakewell), arrive just in time to stop the wedding. Kate tries a little reverse psychology to get the bride and groom back on track. Kate's ploy has an unintended consequence which threatens not only the wedding but Laura and Tony's relationship altogether. In the end, Laura and Tony get married along with Violet and Herbert. Richard Hale appears as Judge Clarke. Note: This is the first one where Meredith MacRae plays Billie Jo. Guest star from Green Acres: Tom Lester as Eb Dawson | ||||||
| 110 | 2 | "Birdman of Shady Rest" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart | September 20, 1966 | 6602 |
|
While the girls are swimming in the water tower, a bi-plane flies overhead. The pilot, distracted by the beautiful girls he sees in the water tower, crashes the plane by the railroad tracks next to the hotel. The family manage to get the unconscious injured pilot up to the hotel. For all three girls, it's love at first sight. Each of the girls do whatever they can to gain Steve's favor while they nurse him back to health. Steve will do whatever he can to stay at the hotel as long as possible. Kate and the girls later learn that he is a crop duster. Uncle Joe believes Steve's a Russian spy. Steve tries to use Uncle Joe's belief to his advantage. George Chandler appears as Dr. Barton Stuart. Note: Mike Minor makes his series debut as young crop-dusting pilot Steve Elliott. | ||||||
| 111 | 3 | "Hooterville, You're All Heart" | Guy Scarpitta | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | September 27, 1966 | 6603 |
| Steve's plane is still sitting damaged where it crashed near the railroad tracks by the hotel. Henry Sharp (Jesse White), from the finance company, comes by because Steve has missed a payment. Steve has barely enough money to repair the plane let alone make his regular payments. Trying to get Sharp to give Steve some time fail. Steve decides to cut corners in repairing the plane. Kate, the girls and Uncle Joe try to help him raise some money, which ends up not being easy. Sunday at church, Reverend Jones (Lloyd Corrigan) enjoyed Steve's singing so much, he starts a contribution drive. They raise enough money to fix the plane and Steve decides to stay in the valley. | ||||||
| 112 | 4 | "He Loves Us, He Loves Us Not" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | October 4, 1966 | 6606 |
| Steve spends time individually with Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo doing their favorite activities. Because of this, each girl believes that Steve has chosen her to be his girl. Meanwhile, Uncle Joe tries to talk Steve into starting Carson-Elliot Air Express. Steve has no intention on marrying anyone at this point in his life. Kate and Steve devise a plan to scare off each of the girls. But their plan almost backfires when it come to Billie Jo. | ||||||
| 113 | 5 | "The All-Night Party" | Richard C. Moder | Dick Conway | October 11, 1966 | 6604 |
|
Since she is now in junior college, Bobbie Jo thinks she's all grown up. She decides to go to an all night party with her friends. Kate refuses to let her go to the all-nighter, despite Bobbie Jo telling her that all the other mothers are letting their daughters go. Kate learns that none of the mothers want their daughters to stay out all night. Kate says Bobbie Jo can stay out until 01:30 and the Cannonball will be ready to pick the girls up at that time. Bobbie Jo and all the other girls plan to stay out all night anyway. Bobbie Jo and the girls decide to go home, but Kate has a surprise waiting for her and the others on the Cannonball. Melinda Casey appears as Mary Jane Burris. Sheila Bromley appears as Mrs. Burris. Guest star from Green Acres: Tom Lester as Eb Dawson Song: "Tomorrow's Okay By Me," sung by Mike Minor | ||||||
| 114 | 6 | "Cannonball, Inc." | Richard C. Moder | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 18, 1966 | 6605 |
| Charley and Floyd derail the Cannonball going around Deadman's Curve. They believe the reason for the derailment was that Floyd had removed too many of the railroad ties to stoke the engine. Uncle Joe calls the C&FW Railroad, who agree to pay the necessary $300 insurance deductible for the repairs. Homer Bedloe (Charles Lane) shows up and finds out that a railroad employee's negligence caused the accident which in turns means the insurance company will not pay. Kate comes up with a plan where she gets some valley residents to put up the money and become stockholders of the train. But the Hooterville residents, taking over operation of the Cannonball, demand so many changes that the train's crew decides to quit. Kate finds a way for everyone to get their money back and to have Charlie and Floyd back at their jobs. Virginia Sale appears as Maude Blake. | ||||||
| 115 | 7 | "Kate Grounds Selma Plout" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | October 25, 1966 | 6607 |
|
Kate Bradley tangles with Selma Plout when Selma tries to lure pilot Steve Elliott into marriage with her daughter, Henrietta. Selma tries to throw both money into Steve's crop dusting business and gourmet meals to entice Steve. Selma ramps up her fight one notch by moving herself and Henrietta into the hotel to be closer to Steve. Kate, knowing Billie Jo and Steve are officially dating, comes up with a plan. She enlists the help of Floyd and Charley to get Selma uninterested in Steve. Note: Elvia Allman's first of 17 appearances as Selma Plout; Lynette Winter's first of 7 episodes as Henrietta. | ||||||
| 116 | 8 | "The Almost Annual Charity Show" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 1, 1966 | 6609 |
|
It's almost time for the Almost Annual Charity Show, and everyone is looking forward to Steve and Billie Jo performing a duet together. Selma strong-arms Sam, the overseer of the show, into appointing her the show's committee chair, a job usually held by Kate. Selma wants a few changes to the performing roster, including Steve singing with Henrietta. A worse change is that Selma makes herself the headliner, she playing the part of a singing Cleopatra. When news spreads around the valley of Selma's starring role, ticket sales plummet. Kate sets up a money back guarantee scheme at least to get people to the auditorium. Selma gets a case of stage fright and the show goes on without her. Songs: "Hawaiian Wedding Song", sung by Mike Minor & Meredith MacRae. "Stout-Hearted Man", sung by Elvia Allman. "Steam, Cinders and Smoke", sung by Smiley Burnette & Rufe Davis. "I Believe", sung by Mike Minor. | ||||||
| 117 | 9 | "How Bugged Was My Valley" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz and Lou Huston | November 15, 1966 | 6610 |
| Kate sees Steve as a possible future son-in-law. She believes his life as a pilot is too dangerous and she would like to see him get a different job. When she learns that Steve has a journalism background, she convinces Sam to turn over the running of the Hooterville World Guardian to Steve. With no crop dusting work to be had in the valley, Steve accepts the offer. This move doesn't sit well with Uncle Joe, president of the Carson-Elliott crop dusting empire. Joe goes on a quest for crop dusting business from their valley neighbors. With no bugs infesting the crops, Joe manufactures some business with the help of some plastic bugs. Kate finds out and reprimands Joe, but things work out for Steve in the end. Guy Wilkerson appears as farmer Roy Turlock. | ||||||
| 118 | 10 | "Twenty-Five Years Too Late" | Ezra Stone | Charles Stewart | November 22, 1966 | 6611 |
| Kate's first boyfriend, Walter O'Connor (Dennis O'Keefe), who is now a major league baseball manager, is coming to stay at the Shady Rest. While Kate is excited to see Walter, she is still just as anxious and nervous about him actually asking her to marry him. Regardless of Walter's intentions, his being there makes Sam come to the realization that he too has feelings for Kate. Walter proposes to Kate, but she turns him down. | ||||||
| 119 | 11 | "The Runt Strikes Back" | Charles Barton | Dick Conway | November 29, 1966 | 6612 |
|
There's a dance on Saturday. Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo will only accept a date from either Steve or Don, the new young doctor in the valley. Neither Steve or Don have asked anyone to the dance yet. Billie Jo believes she has the right of first choice being the oldest. Left out is Betty Jo, who feels she has the right to be included in the dating discussion. Not wanting to take it anymore, Betty Jo decides to strike out on her own by moving out and getting a job. Through a series of misunderstandings, Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo wind up going to the dance with Eb and Betty Jo shows up with Steve and Don. It's not long before the girls are paired off with the boys they should've been with all along. Guest star from Green Acres: Tom Lester as Eb Dawson | ||||||
| 120 | 12 | "Is There a Doctor in the Valley?" | Ezra Stone | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | December 13, 1966 | 6613 |
| Young Doctor Craig announces that he's leaving the valley since there just isn't enough business for him and Doc Stuart. Kate thinks she's come up with a solution for him to stay. He should specialize in house calls for people who can't make it into the office. He enlists the help of Floyd and Charley, who wait for him as he makes his stops along the rail line. Homer Bedloe arrives to see what trouble he can stir up to shut down the Cannonball. Bedloe thinks he can use Doc Craig's new business as a reason to shut down the train, because it delays the schedule. Kate figures out what Bedloe is up to. But, she also figures out how to have the doctor treat his patients and still have the Cannonball arrive on time. | ||||||
| 121 | 13 | "The Santa Claus Special" | Guy Scarpitta | Paul Henning & Mark Tuttle | December 20, 1966 | 6614 |
|
It's the Christmas season, and everyone's in a rush to decorate the Cannonball in preparation for their annual caroling and gift delivery runs. Their plans are placed into jeopardy with the arrival of Homer Bedloe. He says that what they are doing is against railroad policy and he won't allow it. Kate hopes that Bedloe will have some heart, and she tries to use her best Christmas spirit in treating Bedloe with kindness to change his mind. Only Norman Curtis (Roy Roberts), the President of the Railroad, may be able to make Bedloe change his mind. Guest star from Green Acres: Tom Lester as Eb Dawson Note: This is a color remake of the first season Christmas episode "Cannonball Christmas"; black-and-white stock footage of the Cannonball on its caroling run from that episode was used here | ||||||
| 122 | 14 | "My Daughter the Secretary" | Guy Scarpitta | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | December 27, 1966 | 6615 |
| The local Discussion Club is sending their secretary to the weekend long national conventional, all expenses paid. That means Billie Jo, but she doesn't really want to leave Steve for an entire weekend. However, Selma doesn't ever remember voting for someone to fill the position permanently. She wants to hold a special vote to elect a permanent recording secretary. Selma is pushing for Henrietta to go instead of Billie Jo. The outcome of the resulting vote, with only Billie Jo and Henrietta on the ballot, is a tie. Both Selma and Kate think they have the answer to breaking the tie with their respective daughter coming out on top. Both daughters may have other things on their mind. | ||||||
| 123 | 15 | "The Rise and Fall of a Tycoon" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 3, 1967 | 6616 |
| Homer Bedloe shows up unexpectedly. He's come to announce there will be a new general manager for the Cannonball, who will oversee the train's operations. That person is Uncle Joe. Uncle Joe begins to act like a tyrant in bossing around Charley and Floyd. Charley, Floyd and everyone in the valley are mad at Uncle Joe for his new operating rules. Charley and Floyd quit leaving Uncle Joe to operate the train on his own, which he doesn't know how do. That's exactly why Bedloe appointed Uncle Joe. Norman Curtis, President of the CF&W is arriving shortly to make an inspection. Kate gets Charley and Floyd to resume their jobs so that the train can look to be operating efficiently. They may have a problem in doing so after what Uncle Joe did to the train. | ||||||
| 124 | 16 | "His Highness the Dog" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 17, 1967 | 6618 |
| A crew is filming a commercial at Lost Lake. The commercial stars Prince Hamlet of Kronenberg von Auschwile III, a rather large and imposing but valuable dog. Mr. Morton (Bartlett Robinson), the film crew director, needs Steve to fly him immediately to make a connection to a flight to New York. Hamlet can't risk the flight in Steve's plane, so he has to stay at the Shady Rest under the care of Uncle Joe. With all the special treatment Uncle Joe and the girls give Hamlet, Dog feels like the forgotten family member. So, Dog runs off. Uncle Joe makes Hamlet track Dog's scent, but Hamlet gets away. Everyone comes to realization who is really the valuable dog, when Dog finds Hamlet. | ||||||
| 125 | 17 | "Girls! Girls! Girls!" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 24, 1967 | 6617 |
| Jealousy will permeate the Shady Rest Hotel. After he agrees to go to the turnabout dance with Bobbie Jo, Tommy Johnson has to back out due to another commitment. As Billie Jo and Steve recently had a fight and Billie Jo isn't speaking to him anymore, Bobbie Jo feels that Steve is fair game. Steve accepts Bobbie Jo's invitation. Tommy tells Bobbie Jo that he now can make it to the dance since the other commitment is no more. Since she already has a date with Steve, she now refuses Tommy. Feeling Tommy is now fair game, Betty Jo wants to ask him to the dance. Tommy says yes to Betty Jo's invitation. The problem with these pairings is that the girls are now jealous about each others boyfriends. Add to the mix Jerry Massett, a mechanic friend of Steve's from his air force days, who is visiting Hooterville. Jerry ends up asking a free Billie Jo to the dance, which makes Steve jealous. A storm helps the girls get together with their proper boyfriends. | ||||||
| 126 | 18 | "Temperance, Temperance" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 31, 1967 | 6619 |
|
Jeremiah Priddy (John Hoyt), a temperance lecturer, is coming to the valley. Meanwhile, Betty Jo has a quiet little boy following her around, even back to the hotel. They learn his name is Clint (Buddy Foster) and try to make sure he's OK until they find out who he belongs to. Eventually they find that his father is Mr. Priddy and that Clint has run away. It seems Mr. Priddy is less than a friendly or hospitable man. Mr. Priddy deals with his son much as he deals with anyone who drinks: unyielding. Kate has a change of heart about Mr. Priddy when she learns a little more about him. She uses this information to try and bring him and Clint closer together. Note: The girls sing Sisters (song) and Steve sings The Glory of Love (song). | ||||||
| 127 | 19 | "A Star is Born?" | Charles Barton | Dick Conway & Al Schwartz | February 7, 1967 | 6620 |
|
The National Amateur Hour is screening for new talent, and are holding auditions through the valley's own radio Station K. The winning performer is to receive $200. Once Uncle Joe hears about the prize money, he thinks that Steve and Billie Jo should enter. Sydney Sparks (Peter Leeds), a talent agent who heard Steve and Billie Jo, wants to represent them if they win the contest. His plans are for them to go on the road as a nightclub act. The family has mixed emotions. They are happy for the potential new career, but sad to see Steve and Billie Jo possibly leave for good. Billie Jo wants to do it and sees no down side. Steve doesn't as he doesn't want to be continually on the road living out of a suitcase. Uncle Joe thinks he may have a way so that Steve and Billie Jo don't have to make the decision themselves. Walter Baldwin appears as Grandpappy Miller. Hank Worden appears as Roy Turlock. Walker Edmiston appears as the Announcer. Song: Frank Loesser's "No Two People", sung by Steve (Mike Minor) and Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae). | ||||||
| 128 | 20 | "Shoplifter at the Shady Rest" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | February 14, 1967 | 6608 |
| Pixley's Sheriff Crandall (Barry Kelley) is going on a fishing vacation. Uncle Joe makes an arrangement with Sam, the valley's justice of the peace, to house kleptomaniac shoplifter Eustace Pockle (Ben Lessy) at the hotel. Kate doesn't like the idea, but allows Eustace to stay. Unfortunately for Kate and the hotel guests, Uncle Joe treats the hotel more like a jail than a hotel. Kate and the girls treat Eustace more like a hotel guest than a prisoner. Eustace, on the other hand, treats the hotel like any other place: somewhere to snatch trinkets. Just as Sheriff Crandall announces his early return to pick-up Eustace, Eustace escapes from the Shady Rest. They hope to be able to find him before Sheriff Crandall makes it back. Olan Soule appears as Stanley Benson. Alice Nunn appears as Mrs. Benson. | ||||||
| 129 | 21 | "Don't Call Us" | Charles Barton | Dick Conway & Al Schwartz | February 21, 1967 | 6621 |
|
Billie Jo is excited by the news that Sydney Sparks, the talent agent that approached her and Steve following their radio talent show win, got her an audition at the Flamingo Room in Springdale. Kate isn't too sure that she wants Billie Jo to pursue this career. Following the audition, Billie Jo is certain she got the job. Kate receives the news that Billie Jo didn't get the job because she didn't have a big enough name to draw in customers. With help from Uncle Joe and Sam, Kate thinks she knows a way for Mr. Austin (Frank Nelson), the Flamingo Room's manager, to change his mind. Billie Jo, based on a comment by Uncle Joe, may kill her own chances of show business success by her warped sense of what it means to be a star. Songs: Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It) and I Enjoy Being A Girl, both sung by Meredith MacRae | ||||||
| 130 | 22 | "Hey, Look Me Over" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 28, 1967 | 6623 |
| Steve has been spending a lot of time with Betty Jo. He's giving her flying lessons and she's his grease monkey in the airplane's repairs and maintenance. Billie Jo becomes jealous of her younger sister. Billie Jo tries to be more like Betty Jo and be a grease monkey for Steve. While Betty Jo tries to act more grown up in an effort to be seen in a more feminine light. Neither Billie Jo or Betty Jo achieve what they wanted. Betty Jo in particular feels let down as she wanted to feel like a threat to Billie Jo. After Steve's attempts to make it up to Betty Jo while letting her down easily fail, Betty Jo decides to take drastic measures to get what she wants. | ||||||
| 131 | 23 | "That's Max???" | Charles Barton | Al Schwartz & Lou Huston | March 7, 1967 | 6622 |
| Steve receives a telegram from his old flying buddy, Max Donohue. Max wants Steve as a business partner up in Cascade Valley. Steve decides to not accept Max's offer. Kate suggests to Steve that Max join him in Hooterville, which Steve knows wouldn't work but doesn't say why. Without Steve's knowledge, Uncle Joe sends a reply telegram to Max, asking him to relocate to Hooterville to join the Carson-Elliott Enterprises. Max decides at least to investigate, which doesn't sit well with Max's business and personal partner Jack. Max arrives and turns out to be a woman. Max will need to get an agricultural flying license from the state capitol, which Billie Jo and the rest of the family misinterpret to mean a wedding license. There will be a wedding, but it will be Max and Jack. | ||||||
| 132 | 24 | "The Fishing Derby" | Charles Barton | Dick Conway | March 14, 1967 | 6624 |
| Business at the Shady Rest is worse than usual. Uncle Joe speaks to Sam about the Shady Rest and Drucker's Store jointly hosting a fishing derby on Lost Lake. Joe figures that they can advertise expensive prizes, such as a boat, outboard motor and fishing gear, and order the prizes on a 30-day layaway plan. Since Sam and Joe always catch the biggest fish on Lost Lake year after year, Joe figures one of the two of them will win the derby and they can return the prizes before the 30 days. In the meantime, the hotel will be filled up and Drucker's Store will be busy with new customers. Kate has no idea of the underlying scam when she agrees to the derby. The derby does bring in business to both the hotel and store. But it also brings in Rod Granger (George Ives) from the Riverside Chronicle, who seems able to out-fish Sam and Joe. Just when it looks as though Mr. Granger is going to win, Joe comes in with a bigger fish. | ||||||
| 133 | 25 | "Kate's Big Deal" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 21, 1967 | 6625 |
| Without telling anyone in the valley the reason why, Kate takes a trip to the big city. When she returns she tells everyone that she decided to sell the hotel and she went to the city to finalize the terms of the deal with the buyer, Mr. Holloway (Vinton Hayworth), a chain hotelier. The money from the sale will provide any opportunity the girls want. The valley residents are sad to see Kate and the girls leave, but the girls are initially happy about the news. But the girls all come to the realization that they still like calling the Shady Rest home, especially after Steve announces that he's staying regardless. Kate comes to understand what life in Hooterville and at the Shady Rest really means to them all. But she feels that she made a verbal agreement with Mr. Holloway that she ethically cannot back out of. Uncle Joe tries to use a little emotional blackmail to convince Kate not to sign to final papers. | ||||||
| 134 | 26 | "Author! Author!" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 28, 1967 | 6626 |
|
Bobbie Jo is ecstatic that the poem she submitted to a magazine has been accepted for publication. Sam ends up devoting the entire front page of the World Guardian to Bobbie Jo. The notoriety changes Bobbie Jo. She also starts hanging out with Stanley Harper (Jimmy Hawkins), a beatnik, pseudo-intellectual from the coffee house crowd. Kate learns from Steve that the coffee house she is hanging out in, in Springdale, isn't quite what Kate had first imagined. Kate goes to see if it is a place suitable for Bobbie Jo. Kate finds a way to show Bobbie Jo that being a beatnik does not always equate to true art and intellectualism. Jack Perkins appears as a Beatnik Painter. Guest star from Green Acres: Tom Lester as Eb Dawson | ||||||
| 135 | 27 | "Steve's Ol' Buddy" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | April 4, 1967 | 6630 |
|
After Steve sends him several letters inviting him to Hooterville, his best friend Jeff Maxwell (Jimmy Hawkins), an air force captain, finally decides to take Steve up on his offer. Steve told him about many of the great things in Hooterville like the fishing and the food. But Jeff is more interested in the Bradley sisters. After Jeff hits on Billie Jo, Steve tells him that Billie Jo is off limits since the two of them are going together. Jeff can't understand when after he hits on Bobbie Jo then Betty Jo, Steve tells him that both aren't his type. Steve gets Jeff a date with Henrietta Plout. The Bradley sisters decide to take matters into their own hands when it comes to Steve deciding with who they should or should not go out with. Song: Irving Berlin's It's a Lovely Day Today, sung by Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae). | ||||||
| 136 | 28 | "That Was the Night That Was" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | April 11, 1967 | 6628 |
|
Late one evening, Uncle Joe and Sam, following a lodge meeting, run across a mysterious fellow looking for lodging. He calls himself Dr. Isaac Newton and claims that he's a geophysicist. Because of his all-knowing behavior, and the mysterious occurrences that have happened that night, they start to believe he may be an alien from outer space. Floyd and Charley know that Dr. Newton is starting to make Kate nervous. Despite the secretive nature of their lodge, the men offer to hold their upcoming lodge meeting, where Uncle Joe is going through an important initiation process, at the hotel. They hope that this ensures that Kate and the girls feel safe from Dr. Newton. Goings-on during and after the initiation ceremony ultimately settle Kate's mind about Dr. Newton. Note: Isaac Newton is played by prolific composer and arranger Frank De Vol. | ||||||
| 137 | 29 | "The Eternal Rectangle" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | April 18, 1967 | 6629 |
|
An excited Billie Jo has a one week singing engagement in Omaha. The only problem is that it is one week away from Steve. So that he won't be lonely, Billie Jo asks her sisters to keep Steve company. Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo each ask him out on what they consider official dates. They each treat Steve like their own boyfriend, at the exclusion of their current beaus. Kate thinks she has the answer for a confused Steve, but that doesn't solve the problem about what she will tell Billie Jo when she comes back. When Billie Joe returns, she has some news for Kate that may solve the problem. Meanwhile, Uncle Joe is trying to install an electronic room service request system, much to Kate's chagrin. Song: "Three Of Us", sung by Linda Kaye Henning, Lori Saunders and Meredith MacRae Note: Smiley Burnette's last episode (in order of episode production) | ||||||
| 138 | 30 | "Kate's Cousin Mae" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | April 25, 1967 | 6627 |
|
Kate's southern belle of a cousin, Mae Belle Jennings (played by prolific comedic actress Shirley Mitchell in the first of four appearances), comes to Hooterville for an unexpected visit. Cousin Mae unintentionally causes problems between Floyd and Charley, who recently and happily celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary of working together. The problem is that both men want to court her. They both will do whatever they can do earn her favor, even if it means breaking up their professional partnership and their friendship. Seeing what is happening between Charley and Floyd, Kate thinks she has a plan to bring the two friends back together, but Kate's plan worsens the matter. After having a chat with Cousin Mae, Kate turns to Plan B. But that almost backfires as well. Forrest Lewis appears as Judge Clark. Note: Smiley Burnette's last appearance (in order of episode airdate) | ||||||
| 139 | 31 | "A House Divided" | Charles Barton | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | May 2, 1967 | 6631 |
| Henry and Wilma (Sarah Selby) Tuttle have decided to move into Hooterville Valley. With their arrival Hooterville is now eligible to have a representative on the County Board of Supervisors. Sam scoffs at Kate's suggestion for a good candidate for Supervisor because she picked a woman. This sets off a battle of the sexes for Hooterville's Board representative. The men decide to back Sam and the women decide to back Kate. With the valley equally divided based on gender, both sides feel the best way to win is gain the vote of those in the valley who have no previous allegiance, namely the Tuttles. The women try to convince Henry to vote for Kate, while the men try to convince Wilma to vote for Sam. Henry and Wilma decide to move away because of all the fighting. Jackie Joseph appears as Emily. | ||||||
| 140 | 32 | "Go Away, Fat" | Guy Scarpitta | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | May 9, 1967 | 6632 |
|
Kate's cousin Mae visits and tells everyone that with some backing from a wealthy banker, she plans on turning the Shady Rest into a health farm using a diet and exercise program called the "Mae Method Reducing Course". The only stipulation for the financing is that the banker's daughter, Agnes Bedford, has to lose fifteen pounds in two weeks using the method. However, Mae can't stay as she has to go back and deal with the banker, leaving Kate to work with Agnes. Uncle Joe is all for the idea until Kate tells him that he will be the male guinea pig of the Mae Method. Agnes, who loves her food, isn't the easiest person to convert to this new way of life. Kate, the girls and Uncle Joe's kindness towards Agnes doesn't help their cause. Mae returns with a new scheme for the hotel. Song: Steve sings It's Been a Long, Long Time. | ||||||
Season 5 (1967–68)[edit]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | 1 | "Is This My Daughter?" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart | September 9, 1967 | |
|
Betty Jo has been traveling through Europe for the past three months. Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo believe that the trip probably has changed her. Kate doesn't think Betty Jo will be any different. But Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo are right. Accompanying Betty Jo from New York City are three handsome jet-setters (one played by Bea Benaderet's son Jack Bannon). They are all stuck up and pretentious, just like Betty Jo is now. Peter, Brad and Ronnie make their way to Hooterville and the Shady Rest to see first hand Betty Jo's rural life. Betty Jo is initially ashamed of her background as she tries to put on airs for her three friends. But, Betty Jo learns who her real friends and loved ones are, and who she really is. David Watson appears as Peter. Merie Earle appears as Martha Hughes. Note: This is a very similar plot to Season 3, Episode 10, also involving Betty Jo and new-found sophistication. The first season without Smiley Burnette. | ||||||
| 142 | 2 | "It's Not Easy to Be a Mother" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart | September 16, 1967 | |
| Betty Jo thinks she's at that point in her life where she needs to learn how to cook in order to get a husband. Kate agrees and offers to teach Betty Jo. But Betty Jo is on her own when Kate sees one of Billie Jo's costumes for her nightclub act. Kate wants to go with Billie Jo to see what this act is all about. At the club, Kate can't help but be the typical stage mother. But Kate may have a bigger problem when she telephones home to see how things are going. Sam answers and tells her not to worry since "there's nothing you can do about it now". Sam is referring to the fact that Steve became sick after eating Betty Jo's cooking. Kate jumps to the wrong conclusion and rushes back home to save Betty Jo from what she considers a big mistake. Peter Leeds appears as Syd Sparks. Herb Vigran appears as Barney Morgan. Herbie Faye appears as Doodles. Phil Gordon appears as Charley. | ||||||
| 143 | 3 | "One Dozen Roses" | James Sheldon | Dick Conway | September 23, 1967 | |
|
Betty Jo has been receiving a large number of floral bouquets, all signed "From an Admirer". Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo believe that the sender is probably one of the many boys she met on her travels. However, Betty Jo's admirer eventually make himself known and it's Eb. He is neither who Betty Jo expected nor wanted and she has to try to let him down easy. Against Kate's wishes, Bobbie Jo suggests to Betty Jo that she get Steve to act as her boyfriend to scare away Eb. The only problem with that plan is that Steve actually has feelings for Betty Jo. Kate manages to convince Eb that things wouldn't work out with him and Betty Jo. Meanwhile, Uncle Joe is trying to set up a labor saving luggage pulley system between the Shady Rest stop and the hotel's front porch. Guest star from Green Acres: Tom Lester as Eb Dawson | ||||||
| 144 | 4 | "I Can't Hear You When the Thunder is Clapping" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | September 30, 1967 | |
| While flying back from Springdale, Steve and Betty Jo are caught in an unexpected thunderstorm. Although there were some tense moments, Steve and Betty Jo make it down safely. The experience throws Steve and Betty Jo into each others' arms. Could it be that they are falling in love with each other. Betty Jo confides her feelings for Steve to her mother, who cautions her to take a wait and see approach. But Steve later confirms to Kate that he has feelings for Betty Jo as well. This could cause problems, especially with Billie Jo, who Steve has been going with for quite some time. Kate tells Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo, and surprisingly they are fine with it. Not wanting to hurt the family, Steve decides to leave. But fortunately something prevents him from doing so. | ||||||
| 145 | 5 | "Pop Goes the Question" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 7, 1967 | |
| Uncle Joe tells Kate that he believes that Steve and Betty Jo will get married sooner rather than later. Steve implies to Kate that he does intend to marry Betty Jo. Kate doesn't know what to think as she still sees Betty Jo as her little girl. After a chat with Sam, Kate decides to give Steve her blessing to propose. Steve, who is pretty sure that Betty Jo will say yes, still has a small part of him that is afraid she'll say no. Steve may have to hurry because Uncle Joe learns what's going on and the news could soon be all over the valley. One thing or another keeps preventing Steve from asking the question. But just before the news breaks wide open, Steve asks Betty Jo and she says yes. | ||||||
| 146 | 6 | "A Cottage for Two" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 14, 1967 | |
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Secluded in the woods, Betty Jo has found what she believes is the perfect house for herself and Steve for after their marriage. All Steve and Kate can see in the building is an old, dilapidated shack, and one that has no bathroom. As difficult as it is, Steve wants to be supportive of Betty Jo's dream. He makes an off the cuff comment about the up side of owning that house. That comment places a strain on Steve and Betty Jo's relationship and upcoming marriage. While Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo support their sister in the matter, Kate tries to talk some sense into Betty Jo. Kate then comes up with a way for Steve to let Betty Jo know how he feels about her. Song: "I Love You", sung by Mike Minor and Linda Kaye Henning | ||||||
| 147 | 7 | "Mind If We Join Your Wedding?" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 21, 1967 | |
| Floyd is in love. He eventually confides in Kate about it, but doesn't mention who the girl is. Floyd tells Steve that he proposed and the girl accepted. He asks Steve for an unusual and huge favor. Floyd would like to have a double wedding and honeymoon. Uncle Joe, who once took a private investigator's course, believes he can uncover the identity of the mystery girl. But Kate knows a surefire way to find out and that's from Selma, the biggest gossip in town. Selma divulges that she is the mystery girl. When Selma tells Floyd that they will leave Hooterville and he will have to give up the Cannonball, Floyd calls the whole thing off. | ||||||
| 148 | 8 | "Meet the In-Laws" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 28, 1967 | |
| Steve and Betty Jo's wedding is approaching fast. They are working hard trying to complete the renovations on their cottage by the time of the wedding. They get a letter from Steve's parents, Mr. & Mrs. Donald Elliott (Hugh Beaumont and Ann Doran), who have decided to stop by Hooterville on their way to a business meeting. Betty Jo is freaked out by the line in the letter: "We just want to meet your Betty Jo, have one of her delicious meals, and see your dream house." Steve stretched the truth about Betty Jo's cooking and the cottage when writing home to his parents. Kate is ordered bed-rest by Doc Stuart for what looks to be a 48-hour cold. Betty Jo is having a terrible time in the kitchen, until Mrs. Elliot helps out. The next day, they go to see the cottage. Sam and some other men from town surprise everyone by having finished the work on the cottage. | ||||||
| 149 | 9 | "With This Gown I Thee Wed" | Ralph Levy | Joanna Lee | November 4, 1967 | |
| In this touching episode, Betty Jo finds what she thinks is the perfect wedding dress. Kate was hoping that Betty Jo would wear her old dress. When Kate sees that her daughter has bought a dress she doesn't mention hers. Uncle Joe has also bought a wedding dress. Kate's cousin Mae (Shirley Mitchell) comes bearing yet another wedding dress for Betty Jo. Neither Uncle Joe or Mae are aware that Betty Jo has bought her own dress. As much as she loves both Uncle Joe and Mae, neither of the dresses they got for her are her style. But she doesn't have the heart to tell them that she has a dress for fear of hurting their feelings. Billie Jo thinks she has the solution to all of Betty Jo's wedding gown problems. It's one that will make Kate very happy. Richard Hale appears as Reverend Meadows. | ||||||
| 150 | 10 | "Hawaii Calling" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 11, 1967 | |
| Sam receives a cablegram for Kate from Betty Jo and Steve on the cruise ship as they're sailing to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Betty Jo and Steve will be telephoning at 4pm the following day from Hawaii. Kate and the family are excited about the news, with Kate and Sam doing whatever they can to make sure that the telephone call makes it through. As 4pm approaches, Kate, the girls and Uncle Joe are in their Sunday best in Sam's store waiting for the call. Unfortunately there are a few obstacles and the telephone call never comes through. Later that evening Kate calls the couple. Meanwhile, Betty Jo and Steve are getting used to the idea of being married. Walter Baldwin appears as Grandpa Miller. Hank Worden appears as Luke. Nora Marlowe appears as Mrs. Quincy. | ||||||
| 151 | 11 | "Kate's Birthday" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 18, 1967 | |
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It's Kate's birthday. She is grateful for all the presents and the birthday good wishes, but she is hoping to receive something from Betty Jo and Steve who are still on their honeymoon in Hawaii. But the mail comes and goes with no gift from the honeymooners. Kate starts to believe the two have forgotten her birthday. Meanwhile, Betty Jo and Steve hope to fly home early and in time for Kate's birthday. Sam and Joe decide to go to the Pixley post office to see if anything for Kate is held up there. Because they tamper with the mail there, the two wind up in jail. Betty Jo misplaces Kate's present, and while looking for it, they miss their connecting flight. Thanks to an Air Force buddy, Betty Jo and Steve make it back in time. Barry Kelley appears as Sheriff Vic Crandall. Dick Wilson appears as Airline Clerk. Song: The girls sing My Mammy to Kate as a special birthday treat. | ||||||
| 152 | 12 | "The Honeymoon Is Over" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 25, 1967 | |
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Steve and Betty Jo are back from their honeymoon and have settled into their cottage. Betty Jo and Steve are still in a honeymoon state of mind. Betty Jo wants to spend every moment of his free time with him. Billie Jo announces that she got a gig for the Bradley sisters to sing at a show on Saturday night. Betty Jo has to decide what to do, sing at the show or stay at home with Steve. Joe and Sam invite Steve to a boys' night out for Saturday. He really wants to go just to prove that he doesn't need Betty Jo's approval. Betty Jo has a plan that ensures she comes out on top. Jack Bannon appears as Sgt. Neely. Song: Girl Talk (Neal Hefti song), sung by Linda Kaye Henning, Lori Saunders and Meredith MacRae | ||||||
| 153 | 13 | "A Horse on You, Mr. Bedloe" | Ralph Levy | Dick Conway | December 2, 1967 | |
| Kate receives a surprisingly sweet letter from Homer Bedloe (Charles Lane) saying he will be coming to the Shady Rest for a few days. Kate is suspicious. Upon his arrival, Bedloe is as sweet as his letter. He tells Kate that the reason for his visit is that a valuable race horse is being transported from Hooterville to Pixley on the Cannonball. He wants to be around to make sure all goes smoothly. Ray Rogers, the race horse owner, tells Kate that the horse is being transported to a county fair. But when Kate sees the broken down nag that they are calling a race horse, Kate knows that Bedloe and Rogers are working together. Kate figures out Bedloes and Rogers' scheme and also figures out a way to foil his plan. | ||||||
| 154 | 14 | "Kate's Day in Court" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | December 9, 1967 | |
| Kate received a traffic ticket for jaywalking against a new traffic light in Pixley. She refuses to pay the $2 fine because the traffic light, which is supposed to be operating only peak hours, was in operation during a non-peak time when she crossed against the light. So she decides to take the case to court. Kate finds that most of the people in the valley believe she's in the wrong. Kate goes back to Pixley to try and find anyone who can verify that she was at the traffic light during an off peak time. Uncle Joe calls a surprise witness trying to help Kate, but it doesn't work out the way he hoped. Kate actually comes up with a way to prove her innocence. Parley Baer appears as Judge Turner. Ralph Manza appears as Pierre. Jack Bannon appears as Deputy John Edwards. | ||||||
| 155 | 15 | "Uncle Joe and the Master Plan" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | December 16, 1967 | |
| Billie Jo and Uncle Joe have just arrived back from Omaha, where Billie Jo had a singing engagement. While there, Uncle Joe applied for the Shady Rest to be listed in the Master Plan hotel directory. Joe believes a guest named Gaylord Martindale (Reginald Gardiner) is there to make a secret inspection for the directory. As such, Uncle Joe will do anything to please him, which is a tall order as he is perhaps the most demanding guest they have ever had. This service may be at the expense of their only other guest, the very accommodating Mrs. Pruit (Sarah Selby). In the end, Mrs. Pruit has a surprise for everyone. Steve and Betty Jo sing True Love (Cole Porter song) and the whole gang sings Let Me Call You Sweetheart. | ||||||
| 156 | 16 | "All That Buzzes Ain't Bees" | Guy Scarpitta | Peggy Elliott | December 23, 1967 | |
| Uncle Joe's latest scheme has him keeping bees, hoping to make a fortune selling honey. Joe borrows $25 from Steve, money that Steve and Betty Jo had set aside as mad money. This leads to problems between Steve and Betty Jo, who made a pact to tell each other everything. Kate helps Steve and Betty Jo weather this minor storm. Uncle Joe discovers that what he thought were bees are actually hornets and they have infested the hotel. While the hotel is being fumigated, everyone stays at Steve and Betty Joe's house. This indirectly solves a problem that the couple were having. | ||||||
| 157 | 17 | "All Sales Final" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | December 30, 1967 | |
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Betty Jo is writing checks faster than Steve is putting money into the account. They make a deal: Betty Jo will not spend any more money for a month. What Betty Jo didn't tell Steve is that she has already purchased an extremely long sofa for $100 from Agnew's Furniture Store. The problem is that the sofa doesn't fit in their tiny living room unless a wall gets knocked down, and the sofa was a no return sale. Kate talks profit hungry Mr. Agnew (William O'Connell) into taking the sofa back for $90. Steve would like to surprise Betty Jo with a piano and asks her if he could knock down a wall in the house. Thinking there will be room for the sofa, Betty Jo has Kate go and repurchase the sofa. Betty Jo finds out about the piano and once again Kate has to return the sofa for a loss. Steve finds out about the sofa and has Kate buy it again. Steve and Betty Jo decide to keep both items. Sam Edwards appears as a store clerk. Songs: The gang sings "Oh, Susanna" and "Shine On, Harvest Moon" at the end while in the baggage car of the train. | ||||||
| 158 | 18 | "The Power of the Press" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 6, 1968 | |
| Bobbie Jo tells everyone that she and the man of her dreams, Jeff Powers (Geoff Edwards), will be working on a newspaper together. The school professor is allowing students to put out an existing newspaper for a week as an assignment. Bobbie Jo is hoping Kate will ask Sam if she and Jeff can be the editors of the Hooterville World Guardian for the week. Sam is more than willing to hand over the reins. Jeff has a hard-hitting view of newspaper journalism and is not afraid to name names. Bobbie Jo may change her mind about the policy when one of the stories affects Uncle Joe negatively. Burt Mustin appears as Grandpa Jenson. Hank Worden appears as a Band Member. Jack Orrison appears as a Band Member. | ||||||
| 159 | 19 | "Steve, the Apple Polisher" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 13, 1968 | |
| J.P. Marshall (Frank Wilcox), who recently bought much of the farm land in the valley, has checked into the hotel. Uncle Joe sees an opportunity to secure the crop dusting contract for his fields. Uncle Joe convinces Steve to do whatever Marshall wants to secure the contract. Steve agrees, as he doesn't think there will be any problems. Then he meets Marshall's daughter, Millicent (Joi Lansing), who has her sights set on Steve. Steve now also has to be nice to Millicent. Betty Jo doesn't like Millicent as the competition and leaves not-so-subtle reminders to Steve that he's married. Steve tells Mr. Marshall that he won't be an apple polisher even if it means losing the contract. Mr. Marshall tells Steve that is exactly the kind of man he wants and gives Steve the contract. | ||||||
| 160 | 20 | "The Barber Shop Quartet" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 20, 1968 | |
| Uncle Joe's barbershop quartet have entered the Winter Festival competition. One member is singing a bunch of bad notes. They soon realize that the offending member is Joe. Joe decides to step aside if they can find somebody to replace him. They quickly find Grampa Jenson to fill Joe's place. This leads to the end of Joe's friendship with Sam. Selma (Elvia Allman), the head of the Winter Festival's judging committee, asks Joe to be on the panel of judges. Her request has an ulterior motive as Henrietta has entered the contest. Selma implies that she will give the Carson-Elliott Enterprises her crop dusting business if Joe votes for Henrietta. Something Sam does at the competition repairs his and Joe's friendship. Kay E. Kuter appears as Newt Kiley. | ||||||
| 161 | 21 | "Come Home Higgins" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 27, 1968 | |
| Everyone at the hotel is worried since Dog has been missing for most of the day. He actually ran off to Betty Jo and Steve's. When Betty Jo brings him back to the hotel, Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo are angry that Betty Jo didn't send him back sooner. Betty Jo doesn't like the notion that Dog doesn't equally belong to her. The sisters' feud doesn't stop Dog from going back to Betty Jo and Steve's. Things escalate when Steve sides with Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo, and Sam sides with Betty Jo. Steve thinks he has the answer when he gets Betty Jo a cute girl dog. But Dog winds up coming over to visit the new dog. The sisters continue feuding and Dog finds a way to get them to stop. | ||||||
| 162 | 22 | "Girl of Our Dreams" | Guy Scarpitta | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 3, 1968 | |
| Florabelle Campbell (played by the effervescent Joan Blondell), the valley's beauty while Uncle Joe's was growing up, is coming to stay at the Hotel. News of her visit quickly spreads among her former suitors, including Uncle Joe, Sam and Ralph (Frank Faylen). They all believe that they can rekindle their romances with Florabelle. When Florabelle arrives, she doesn't remember either Joe or Sam. It takes Betty Jo to jog Florabelle's memory. They all then have a wonderful evening. Paul Hartman as Bert Smedley the barber. | ||||||
| 163 | 23 | "Uncle Joe Runs the Hotel" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 10, 1968 | |
| While Kate is away, Uncle Joe has been left to manage the hotel. Uncle Joe believes he needs to collect rent from their guests. Their only guest is 'Old Man' Bill Clayton (Vaughn Taylor), who Kate allowed to stay despite having no money. Uncle Joe decides to collect his rent or kick him out. Joe changes his mind, but Mr. Clayton sees the hotel bill in Joe's hand and decides to voluntarily leave. Thinking that he kicked Mr. Clayton out, the girls, Sam and Floyd treat Uncle Joe like a social outcast. Feeling bad, Uncle Joe decides to leave. Joe winds up staying in an old cabin with the very person he had leave the hotel. The girls and Steve find out where Uncle Joe's been hiding and get both him and Bill back. | ||||||
| 164 | 24 | "Billie Jo's First Record" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 17, 1968 | |
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Billie Jo is thrilled that her first 45 has been produced. The record company has plans to market it heavily. Billie Jo is worried that she won't be exciting enough for press agent Ted Swift (Del Moore), or the record buying public. Swift is not impressed by life at the Shady Rest as a means to market Billie Jo. He decides to market Billie Jo as a glamorous and sophisticated pampered southern belle. Steve and Betty Jo hate the idea because that's not the real Billie Jo. Billie Jo eventually decides she doesn't like the idea either, even if it risks her recording career. Mr. Cameron (Jay Jostyn), from the record company, stops by and says he wants to promote Billie Jo just as she is. Note: Steve lists the celebrities he'd like to be linked with, naming the biggest female stars of 1968: "Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Jane Fonda, Ann-Margret, Juliet Prowse, Jill St. John, Susan Strasberg, Kim Novak, Natalie Wood, Raquel Welch, Julie Christie, the Lennon Sisters..." Song: The Girl From Ipanema, (adapted as "The Boy from Ipanema) sung by Meredith MacRae. | ||||||
| 165 | 25 | "Mae's Helping Hand" | Guy Scarpitta | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 24, 1968 | |
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Life at the Shady Rest is going well despite Kate's absence. The girls and Uncle Joe receive a letter from Cousin Mae (Shirley Mitchell), who is planning on coming by to take charge. Cousin Mae's meddling quickly wreaks havoc for everyone. This includes the hotel's relationship with Drucker's Store, Steve and Betty Jo's remodeling plan for the cottage, Bobbie Jo's love life with Jeff and Billie Jo's singing career. Fortunately, sane and stable Aunt Helen arrives. As Helen too ends up a victim of Mae's meddling, she comes up with a plan to convince Mae that her time at the Shady Rest is at its end. Olan Soule appears as Stanley Benson. Alice Nunn appears as Mrs. Benson. Note: Rosemary DeCamp appears as Aunt Helen in the first of six episodes in a row. | ||||||
| 166 | 26 | "Bad Day at Shady Rest" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 2, 1968 | |
| Jeff Powers is looking for a big story in his final week working as a reporter for the Hooterville World Guardian. He misses what may be the biggest story to hit Hooterville when Sam and Joe are held up by an armed masked bandit at the store. Joe is certain that he could identify the bandit if he saw him again. What Uncle Joe and the rest of the family are unaware of is that newly checked-in hotel guest Mr. Lawson (Alan Reed) is the bandit. Joe bad mouths Pixley's Sheriff Crandall (Barry Kelley) for not doing enough to stop the bandit. The bank in Pixley is next to be robbed. Sheriff Crandall decides to deputize Joe. Uncle Joe's newest labor saving device at the hotel, a rubber life raft and a hat pin may be just what he needs to catch the crook. | ||||||
| 167 | 27 | "Cannonball for Sale" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 9, 1968 | |
| The Cannonball arrives at the Shady Rest with a "For Sale" sign and Homer Bedloe. The train will go to the highest bidder. One bid has already come in from a junk dealer who wants it for scrap. Bedloe also tells them that the sale is out of his hands because the C & FW Railroad has been sold to the H. Greene Company. The people of the valley decide to try and raise the money to outbid the junk dealer. They find out that bid is higher than what they can possibly raise. Uncle Joe and Sam decide to go to Chicago and meet with H. Greene. They discover that H. Greene is Henrietta Greene (Lurene Tuttle). Once Henrietta realizes how much the Cannonball means to the valley, she calls off the sale. Gavin Gordon appears as the Butler. Owen Bush appears as the Chauffeur. | ||||||
| 168 | 28 | "My Pal Sam" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 16, 1968 | |
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Sam has decided to remodel the general store. It will be closed for five days while he goes on vacation. Sam decides spend his time at the Shady Rest. Joe is excited to have all this time with his best friend. But what Joe doesn't account for is that Sam may have plans of his own. Sam ends up spending most of his time helping Helen around the hotel. When Sam finds out on day four why Joe has been in a bad mood, Sam tries to make it up to him all in one day, even if it kills both him and Joe. Songs: Steve and Betty Jo sing Somethin' Stupid, the gang sings Shine On, Harvest Moon, and Sam serenades Helen with Sweet Afton. | ||||||
| 169 | 29 | "Ring-A-Ding-Ding" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 23, 1968 | |
| Steve's is returning from a crop dusting convention and Betty Jo is celebrating with a large homecoming party. Everyone notices that Steve is not wearing his wedding ring. A suspicious Betty Jo later learns that Steve took it off to get it engraved, which Betty Jo had been wanting him to do for some time. They make a pact never to remove their wedding rings ever again. But when Betty Jo takes her ring off to show Bobbie Jo her engraving, she accidentally drops it down the kitchen sink drain. Betty Jo doesn't want Steve to find out. Uncle Joe tries to help, but that doesn't go well. Betty Jo then calls plumber Mr. Peck (Dabbs Greer). But when she doesn't have the money to pay, Mr. Peck takes the ring until she can come up with the money. Uncle Joe comes up with a plan to get the ring back. | ||||||
| 170 | 30 | "Kate's Homecoming" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 30, 1968 | |
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In this valentine to Kate Bradley (Bea Benaderet), the citizens of Hooterville pull out all the stops to welcome Kate home, including a parade with floats, songs and fireworks. But first, arguments begin about where her official welcoming celebration will take place and who will preside over such an event. Mayor Potts (William Mims) wants to preside over it at a downtown location. Sam wants to preside over it outside his store. Selma wants to preside over it in her garden. And Joe wants to preside over it at the Shady Rest. They all wait for Kate's three o'clock arrival in front of Sam's store. Then they read her message to Uncle Joe and realize that Joe didn't read the part that said she will be arriving in Pixley. Amid the chaotic festivities, Kate muses "There's no doubt about it, I'm home." Dennis Fimple appears as Elwood. Songs: The girls sing Up, Up and Away (song) and Sam's barbershop quartet sings "Welcome Home, Kate Bradley" to the tune of Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey. | ||||||
Season 6 (1968–69)[edit]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 171 | 1 | "Birthplace of a Future President" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | September 28, 1968 | |
| Betty Jo's due date is fast approaching. Everyone is excited that another baby will being born in the valley and be delivered by Doc Stuart (Regis Toomey). Steve throws everyone for a loop when he announces that he wants the baby to be born in a fancy hospital that's far away. While Betty Jo would rather stay in Hooterville, she knows that Steve only wants what's best for her. The townsfolk see Betty Jo leaving as a slight on the valley and as such they decide to snub Betty Jo and Steve. Steve reconsiders when he sees Doc Stuart in action. Meanwhile, Wendell Gibbs (Byron Foulger), the new engineer of the Cannonball, is hoping people will start calling him "Cannonball". Herb Voland appears as Mr. Andrews. Jean Vander Pyl appears as Clara Miller. | ||||||
| 172 | 2 | "The Singing Sweethearts" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 5, 1968 | |
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Ted Swift (Sid Melton), a booking agent, hears the Bradley Sisters singing on the radio. He wants to book them for the season opener of the Buddy Buster (David Ketchum) television program. After Sam shows him a photo of the girls, Ted signs a contract with Uncle Joe for the girls' appearance. What Uncle Joe forgets is that Betty Jo's pregnancy is not exactly television friendly. When Ted sees Betty Jo, he knows that he is in a bit of a bind with days until the show, and Uncle Joe can't renege on the contract as he has already spent the advance. At the performance, the girls use some creative moves to hide Betty Jo's condition, but things don't go as planned. Kathryn Minner appears as an Old Lady. Songs: "If You Could Only Be Me" and Up, Up and Away (song), (again!) both sung by Linda Kaye Henning, Lori Saunders and Meredith MacRae | ||||||
| 173 | 3 | "Only a Husband" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 19, 1968 | |
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Steve feels like he's playing second fiddle to his yet unborn child and that he is not needed. That feeling is fostered by Betty Jo focusing on issues around the baby instead of focusing on his needs. It doesn't help that others in the valley want to solely deal with Betty Jo in anything having to do with the baby. To get Steve out of feeling this way, Uncle Joe comes up with a plan for himself and Steve to "disappear". This is supposed to result in Betty Jo and the rest of the family being worried to death about where they are. But things don't go quite as planned. Geoff Edwards appears as Jeff Powers. Song: Richard A. Whiting's "Sleepy Time Gal", sung by Mike Minor. Note: This is the last episode that Bea Benaderet physically appears in prior to her death on October 13, 1968 although she does provide her voice in the later episode, "The Valley Has a Baby". | ||||||
| 174 | 4 | "The Valley Has A Baby" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 26, 1968 | |
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Betty Jo and Steve's baby is due anytime now. Steve thinks it's a good idea if they move back to the Shady Rest until the baby comes. Wendell has been on around the clock watch for the last week keeping the train engine stoked. But it's taking a toll on his body. Betty Jo is trying to hold off the baby's arrival as Billie Jo and Kate are out of town. When Betty Jo finally goes into labor, they can't wake Wendell up, so Betty Jo must work the Cannonball herself. Betty Jo has a baby girl and Billie Jo and Kate do make it back in time. Jean Vander Pyl appears as Gladys Tuttle. Elvia Allman appears as Selma Plout. Guest Stars: Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as Oliver and Lisa Douglas from Green Acres. Note: Kate is said to be on a trip, "taking care of Aunt Ruth," although her voice is heard reading a letter and on the telephone; she appears in several touching flashbacks, and a stand-in (with Bea's voice) is seen from behind, pumping the handcar with Wendell and at Betty Jo's hospital bedside (again with voice-over from Bea). | ||||||
| 175 | 5 | "Granny, the Baby Expert" | Ralph Levy | Dick Conway | November 2, 1968 | |
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Betty Jo and the baby are coming home from the hospital. They'll be staying at the Shady Rest temporarily. Hearing that a doctor is coming from Beverly Hills, Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo are hoping that the doctor is a young, handsome, eligible bachelor. The doctor ends up being Granny (Irene Ryan), who is not what one would consider a traditional doctor. After losing her glasses, nearsighted Granny mistakes Dog for the baby. Granny prescribes a powerful homemade medicine to transform a dog-like baby into a baby-like baby. Steve gives the medicine to Dog. Granny gets her glasses back and when she is shown the baby, she believes she cured her. Note: This episode concludes a crossover with The Beverly Hillbillies that began on "Granny Goes to Hooterville". | ||||||
| 176 | 6 | "Wings" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 9, 1968 | |
| Gus Huffle (Benny Rubin), the owner of the Pixley Bijou movie theater, has decided to close due to lack of business. Sam says that a big part of the problem is that Richard Arlen and Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, who were supposed to come to the Bijou for the world premiere of their Academy Award-winning Wings (1927 film), decided instead to attend a premiere at the Roxy in New York City. Joe decides to write a nasty letter to Arlen and Rogers. After receiving the letter, Arlen and Rogers think that attending a world premiere of the movie at the Pixley Bijou - despite being forty years late - would be good publicity. When they arrive in Hooterville, the community pulls out all the stops, including a parade and musical performances. William Mims appears as Mayor Potts. Jean Vander Pyl appears as Mrs. Agnes Frisby. Robert Carson appears as Studio Executive. Guy Wilkerson appears as Gas Station Attendant. Dennis Fimple appears as Elwood. | ||||||
| 177 | 7 | "The Lady Doctor" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 16, 1968 | |
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Doc Stuart surprises the people of the valley by announcing that he is going into semi-retirement. He will work part-time and is hiring a new associate. Doc Stuart is as surprised as anyone when Dr. Janet Craig arrives. Janet is as aware that it will be an uphill battle winning acceptance in this rural area. Indeed, those in the older generation are against a female doctor for several reasons. Joe comes up with a plan to get rid of Dr. Craig. But his plan isn't going to stop Janet from staying. Hal Smith appears as Ben Miller. Note: June Lockhart makes her first of 45 appearances as Janet Craig, MD. | ||||||
| 178 | 8 | "The Sneaky Ways of a Woman" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 23, 1968 | |
| Joe continues his campaign to get Dr. Janet Craig to leave the valley. He concocts a plan with Sam and Wendell to give her the "old freeze". But Janet, who has every intention of staying, has ways of thawing the old freeze. Sam and Wendell quickly melt under Janet's charms. Joe, on the surface, is a slightly more difficult case. But Janet knows how to get to Joe and that way is through his stomach. | ||||||
| 179 | 9 | "The Strange Case of Joseph P. Carson" | Ralph Levy | Dick Conway & Ben Gershman | November 30, 1968 | |
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Joe's campaign to get rid of Dr. Janet Craig continues when she opens her office just off the lobby of the Shady Rest. She and Doc Stuart are splitting up the patients in the valley based on location. This means that Joe will have to go to her if he gets sick. Uncle Joe fakes a strange illness, something that she can't diagnose, hoping no one will have any confidence in her. What Joe doesn't count on is that doctors talk to each other and Doc Stuart tells Janet that Joe is probably faking. But when Joe actually does gets sick, it's Dr. Craig to the rescue. Note: Bea Benaderet is now out of the opening credits and for this episode the lyrics are "It's a real friendly place, come and be our guest (at the junction)." | ||||||
| 180 | 10 | "Bye, Bye, Doctor" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | December 7, 1968 | |
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Dennis Roberts (Dennis Morgan), a friend of Janet's, arrives in the valley. Janet seems happy to see him, but is somewhat nervous about his visit. She knows he is there to ask her to marry him, and she is not sure how she'll answer him. If she says yes, it means she will be leaving the valley. No one wants to see Janet leave and they try to come up with a plan to make her stay. In the end, they decide to just tell her how they feel. Songs: "I'm So Glad That You Found Me," sung by Linda Kaye Henning, Lori Saunders and Meredith MacRae. Shine On, Harvest Moon is sung by the main cast and guest star Dennis Morgan Note: From this episode forward, June Lockhart is in the opening credits and the theme song lyrics have been changed to: "It is run by Joe, come and be his guest at the junction (Petticoat Junction); Here's our lady M.D., she's as pretty as can be, at the junction..." | ||||||
| 181 | 11 | "First Night Out" | Ralph Levy | Dick Conway & Ben Gershman | December 14, 1968 | |
| Steve wants to take Betty Jo out on the town, but Betty Jo doesn't want to leave the baby with sitters. Dr. Craig says that she, Uncle Joe and Bobbie Jo can look after Kathy Jo at the hotel. Betty Jo reluctantly agrees but all night all she can think of is Kathy Jo. Meanwhile back at the hotel, Bobbie Jo is the first to leave on a date she forgot about. Then Janet has to go on a medical emergency, leaving Uncle Joe alone to look after the baby. Trouble starts when a friendly poker game, Brisbane Snead (Harold Peary), the editor of the Pixley newspaper, and the Pixley Sheriff (Dave Willock) are thrown into the mix. Janet finds a way to get Joe and the baby out of jail before Steve and Betty Jo get home. Amzie Strickland appears as Mrs. Finch. | ||||||
| 182 | 12 | "A Cake from Granny" | Ralph Levy | Story by : John Stewart Teleplay by : Charles Stewart | December 21, 1968 | |
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The Cannonball's arch enemy, Homer Bedloe, has arrived in the valley. All he seems to be doing is riding the train. Sam and Joe learn that Bedloe is watching Wendell's performance to use as an excuse to scrap the Cannonball in favor of a bus service for the valley. That would put the Shady Rest out of business as there is no road that goes by the hotel. Janet comes up with the idea to use kindness in dealing with Bedloe's mean ways. They decide to throw Bedloe a birthday party. A cake sent from Granny to the Elliotts ends up playing a part in Janet's plan. Charles Lane's final appearance as Homer Bedloe ends on a happy note, with him finally giving up his quest to shut down the Cannonball. Special Guest Stars from The Beverly Hillbillies: Irene Ryan as Granny and Nancy Kulp as Jane Hathaway. | ||||||
| 183 | 13 | "The Feminine Mistake" | Ralph Levy | Joanna Lee | December 28, 1968 | |
| Bobbie Jo really likes a new book she is reading called "The Feminine Mistake". It talks about how women are denied their humanity by men by being forced into domestic lives rather than real careers. Bobbie Jo decides to look for a job so that she can gain an identity through her work. Her first attempts at jobs end in disaster. Sam let's Bobbie Jo write for the paper. Bobbie Jo writes an article about Dr. Craig that incorrectly portrays her as a snob, causing an uproar in the valley. A remorseful Bobbie Jo decides to leave town. It may take Janet using some reverse psychology to make Bobbie Jo fully understand her life in Hooterville. Bobbie Jo decides to stay, stating "I'm the only one left to give that woman's touch to the Shady Rest..." Meanwhile, Uncle Joe tries to build a motorized bicycle so that he doesn't have to pedal. | ||||||
| 184 | 14 | "The Ballad of the Everyday Housewife" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 4, 1969 | |
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Bobbie Jo is babysitting Kathy Jo while Betty Jo is out shopping. Bobbie Jo tells Steve that she believes he is ignoring Betty Jo. In an effort to make it up to her, Steve professes his love to Betty Jo. Betty Jo, who is busy with her chores, doesn't pay too much attention to Steve. When Betty Jo learns from Bobbie Jo why Steve said what he did, Betty Jo feels that she has to make it up to him. But now with Steve preoccupied, Betty Jo really does feel like she's being ignored when she tries to talk to him. In the end, both Steve and Betty Jo make a special effort to make up. Special guest star from Green Acres: Eva Gabor as Lisa Douglas. Benny Rubin has a bit part.Song: "Dreams of the Everyday Housewife", sung by Mike Minor | ||||||
| 185 | 15 | "The Christening" | Guy Scarpitta | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 11, 1969 | |
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Betty Jo has arranged with Reverend Barton (Frank De Vol) to hold Kathy Jo's christening this Sunday. Janet reminds Betty Jo and Steve that it is customary to have godparents stand up during the christening. They have only a few days to decide on who Kathy Jo's godparents will be. They also know that whoever they don't choose will be hurt and offended. Uncle Joe, Sam, Bert Smedley (Olan Soule), Wendell and even Doc Stuart all compete to be chosen godfather. Janet is honored that Betty Jo and Steve ask her to be godmother. Betty Jo asks Janet to decide who will be godfather. Janet then asks the Reverend's advice. He comes up with the only choice that makes sense. Song: Mike Minor sings the Lord's Prayer. | ||||||
| 186 | 16 | "Billie Jo and The Big, Big Star" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 18, 1969 | |
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Billie Jo arrives back home from a gig in Omaha with her new boyfriend, comedian Rick Wayne (Rich Little). Rick doesn't make a very good first impression in Hooterville. Billie Jo thinks that a good way for the valley residents to get to know Rick better is for him to star in the Hooterville charity radio show. She wishes she could take back the invitation when she hears a part of Rick's routine for the show, which is a put-down of the valley and its residents. Billie Jo has to figure out how to get Rick to not do that routine. A little talk from Steve and everything turns out fine. Song: Meredith MacRae sings When I Fall in Love. | ||||||
| 187 | 17 | "Steve's New Job" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 25, 1969 | |
| Steve receives a lucrative job offer from his old Air Force commanding officer to work in his new company. The job, however, is in New York. Steve has a hard time passing up the thought of the offer. Betty Jo tells Steve she'll go wherever he goes. But, without the other knowing, Steve and Betty Jo are both looking for an excuse not to go. Meanwhile, as Steve has no use for his plane in New York, Uncle Joe tries to find someone else to fly the plane. Something Uncle Joe does gives Steve the reason not to take the job. | ||||||
| 188 | 18 | "The Cannonball Bookmobile" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 1, 1969 | |
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Janet's friend, Adelle Colby (Betty White), arrives in the valley. Sam, Bert and Uncle Joe are each attracted to her. Adelle, a librarian, is in the valley to open up a new library. They have the books and the money, but now need a location. Janet suggests a mobile library in the form of the Cannonball. Sam, Bert and Uncle Joe do whatever they can to spend time aboard the mobile library to be with Adelle. This competition causes a rift between the three friends. But it's Wendell that has the upper hand in attracting Adelle's attention. Song: Billie Jo sings an excerpt of I Enjoy Being a Girl. | ||||||
| 189 | 19 | "A Man Called Cyrus Plout" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 8, 1969 | |
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The valley folk are preparing for the annual Founder's Day celebrations. Janet's idea is to have a musical tribute from then to now. Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo would be the featured performers. Selma, whose husband's great great uncle Cyrus Plout founded Hooterville, believes the girls' mini-skirt outfits are indecent. Uncle Joe actually agrees with her. Uncle Joe believes that since his lodge, the Royal Order of the Camels, is hosting this year's celebrations, he has final say. Janet thinks that the younger people should also have a say. Henrietta Plout unwittingly comes up with an issue that breaks the stalemate. Note: Selma herself appears in a miniskirt by the end of the episode. Song: "Tell Me Pretty Maiden" from the musical Florodora is sung by Frank Cady, Linda Kaye Henning, Lori Saunders and Meredith MacRae in period costume. | ||||||
| 190 | 20 | "Joe Saves the Post Office" | Guy Scarpitta | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 15, 1969 | |
| After Sam makes some renovations and introduces some streamlined processes to the post office, he learns from the government that they are planning on shutting down his postal substation. Uncle Joe springs into action to save the Hooterville post office from closure. The plan is to have all the valley residents mail themselves something, to show that there is a need and demand for that substation to stay open. Joe then tries to see his congressman in Washington DC with Janet and Bobbie Jo. While there Joe recites from memory the Gettysburg Address during a visit to the Lincoln Memorial, and they meet an off-camera President Richard Nixon where, as Joe later tells Sam, the president supposedly said "Joe, old buddy, call me Dick..." In the end, it turns out there was a mix-up and Hootervilles post office will stay open. | ||||||
| 191 | 21 | "I'm Allergic to Daddy" | Jean Yarbrough | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 22, 1969 | |
| Janet gives Kathy Jo a clean bill of health as the rash that she had has cleared. She figures Kathy Jo was allergic to something that isn't around anymore. But Kathy Jo's rash reappears when Steve returns from a week long business trip. Janet suggests Steve temporarily move out of the house to see if the rash clears while he's away. Then gossip spreads throughout the valley that Steve and Betty Jo have separated. Kathy Jo's rash clears up again. Steve is growing frustrated that he still can't go home. In the end, Janet figures out what is causing the rash and it isn't Steve. Amzie Strickland appears as Gwendolyn Tucker. | ||||||
| 192 | 22 | "Uncle Joe Retires" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 1, 1969 | |
| Uncle Joe announces his retirement. He learns that his big news has made him the laughing stock of the valley as everyone is saying he does nothing as it is. Feeling unappreciated, Uncle Joe decides to run away. When Janet finds out he's leaving, she tries to rally the residents of the valley to make Uncle Joe feel like he's wanted and needed. Joe sees through their plan and tries to get back at them. They then give Joe a retirement party. There he starts to feel needed and announces he won't retire. Russ Bender appears as a Farmer. | ||||||
| 193 | 23 | "The Organ Fund" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 8, 1969 | |
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Reverend Barton has hired Freddie Kirby, a professional fund-raiser, to raise money for their organ fund. The fund has $113 in it, and they need $2,000 for the new organ. The valley residents soon follow Freddie in whatever he suggests and they trust him with their money. But Freddie turns out to be a con artist. He plans to take off with the money while leaving the church with an inferior second hand organ worth $20. With everyone continually thanking Freddie for his noble work, will his conscience gets the better of him. Song: The Fountain in the Park aka "While Strolling Through The Park," sung by Mike Minor, Linda Kaye Henning, Lori Saunders, Meredith MacRae and guest star Jack Sheldon. | ||||||
| 194 | 24 | "The Great Race" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 15, 1969 | |
| Hank Thackery (Jonathan Hole) is the owner of the Shady Rests rival hotel, the Pixley House. He plans to set up a jitney service between Pixley and Hooterville as an alternative to the Cannonball. He bets Joe that he can be faster from Pixley to Hooterville than the Cannonball. The loser to act as the bellboy at the other's hotel for a month. Part of Joe's problem in winning is getting Wendell into racing mentality. Hank also convinces the county commissioner that the Cannonball's fate should depend on the outcome of the race. The Cannonball wins with some unexpected help. Hal Smith appears as Jug Gunderson. Sarah Selby appears as Mrs. Grundy. | ||||||
| 195 | 25 | "Tune in Next Year" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 22, 1969 | |
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Janet returns from a business trip with some news. She has decided to work with the famous neurologist, Dr. Pope, which means that she will leave the valley for good. The news hits everyone pretty hard and they try to think of a way to make her stay. Hopefully Ted Thorsen, the forest ranger who has just injured his ankle, may provide a romantic reason for Janet to stay. Ted is definitely interested in Janet, but she is still going to leave. But Betty Jo and Steve come up with a reason for her to stay. Note: This was meant to be the series finale. The episode ends with Betty Jo and Steve announcing that they're having another baby. At the last minute, CBS decided to renew the series for a seventh season because it would give the series five full seasons 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, the storyline involving Betty Jo's pregnancy was dropped and never referred to again. Song: Mike Minor and Linda Kaye Henning sing a charming version of Frank Loesser's No Two People (Have Ever Been so in Love.) | ||||||
| 196 | 26 | "By the Book" | Ralph Levy | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 29, 1969 | |
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Steve is going to submit a bit for a lucrative government contract. Meanwhile, Bobbie Jo tries to get Uncle Joe to start running as a form of exercise. Uncle Joe finds out that Steve is submitting the bid. Joe wonders why Steve didn't ask him for his advice on it. When Steve doesn't hear if he was awarded the contract or not, Joe rubs it into Steve that he should have talked to him first. Steve gets mad at Uncle Joe and dissolves their partnership. Steve finally hears that he was awarded the contract. He is willing to bury the hatchet, but Joe isn't. Steve hears from a government official named William R. Blake (Kenneth Washington), an old Air Force nemesis of Steve's, that there's a problem with the contract. Blake finds an error in Steve's bid that would have cost him a lot of money. Note: This episode #6.26 is out of sync chronologically, with Bea Benaderet still in the opening credits but not appearing in the episode (up to #6.4), the character of Dr. Janet Craig having not yet arrived in Hooterville (#6.7), and Betty Jo still pregnant with Kathy Jo (#6.4). The episode actually takes place between season 6 episodes 3 and 4. The original broadcast of #6.3 was pre-empted and moved to the following week, when this episode was originally scheduled to air. The week after that was scheduled to be the birth of Betty Jo's baby (#6.4), and CBS didn't want to move that episode, so this one ended up being skipped. It finally aired at the end of the season. | ||||||
Season 7 (1969–70)[edit]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 197 | 1 | "Make Room for Baby" | Guy Scarpitta | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | September 27, 1969 | |
| The Season 7 opener centers on Dog, who feels so neglected and unwanted when Steve and Betty Jo move into the Shady Rest with baby Kathy Jo that he packs a knapsack and runs away from home. The talented Higgins (dog) has several good scenes, including one in Sam Drucker's bedroom behind the store and a couple with veteran character actor J. Pat O'Malley as an affable hobo. Early in the episode, after the girls try to teach Kathy Jo to swim in the water tower, Steve objects, but Billie Jo wistfully remembers that "Mom taught us to swim before we could walk" and Bobbie Jo adds "And in the same old water tower, too." Dog is wrong about being unloved. When the gang at the Shady Rest realize that he is missing, they are frantic in their search for him. | ||||||
| 198 | 2 | "The Game Warden" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 4, 1969 | |
| New game warden Orrin Pike (Jonathan Daly) gives Uncle Joe a ticket for catching too many trout. It doesn't matter that he was over the limit only since he had Sam's fish as well. Orrin later catches Bobbie Jo's eye. Uncle Joe thinks he may get out of the ticket by killing Orrin with kindness, but that doesn't work. To win in court, Joe asks many of his friends to basically lie for him under oath and vouch for his character, to no avail. Bobbie Jo comes up with a way to help Joe and keep her relationship with Orrin going. Charles Seel appears as Judge Clayton. | ||||||
| 199 | 3 | "The Other Woman" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 11, 1969 | |
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Since Steve has been away for three weeks on a job, Betty Jo makes herself and Kathy Jo up for a special homecoming for him. Betty Jo is jealous of Steve paying more attention to Kathy Jo. Dr. Craig suggests they take a "second honeymoon" at their cottage before it is sold. Getting into a romantic mood isn't easy as they are faced with obstacles and unwanted guests. Alice Nunn appears as Mrs. Birdwell. Marvin Kaplan appears as Stanley. Herbie Faye appears as Oliver. Special Guest: Pat Buttram as Mr. Haney from Green Acres. | ||||||
| 200 | 4 | "One of Our Chickens is Missing" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 18, 1969 | |
| There have been a series of poachings in the valley. Orrin comes across a pair of motorcyclists who he suspects are the poachers, but they manage to get away. Because of this and other complaints, Orrin is demoted. Orrin has a chance to nab the poachers, so Bobbie Jo and Janet pressure Uncle Joe into being his assistant. Another mistake on Orrin's part results in him and Uncle Joe not being able to get very far in their search. The poachers stumble across the twosome. But before the poachers can leave the valley for good, Orrin's error and Joe's quick thinking stop the poachers from being able to leave. Harry Dean Stanton and Jack Bannon guest star. | ||||||
| 201 | 5 | "The Three Queens" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | October 25, 1969 | |
| Jack King, the new local car dealer, is holding a contest to find the prettiest girl in the valley. The grand prize is a trip to Los Angeles. Steve tells Orrin he should enter Bobbie Jo in the contest. Betty Jo gets upset when she finds out Steve didn't enter her in the contest, but he eventually does. Uncle Jo enters Billie Jo in the contest. Steve knows there's going to be trouble with all three sisters entered in the contest. Sam makes things even more complicated by entering Janet. Janet comes up with a solution that will make everyone happy. Harold Peary and Virginia Sale appear as the promoter and his wife. | ||||||
| 202 | 6 | "The Glen Tinker Caper" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Robert O'Brien | November 1, 1969 | |
| Glen Tinker (Glen Ash) had a very small country music career before being drafted to fight in Vietnam. He is now out of the military. Bobbie Jo is excited that he is coming to perform and stay at the Shady Rest. Janet actually knows of Glen also. She is a member of the International Adoption Agency. The Agency suspects that someone in his army unit that was recently discharged abducted a little four year old orphaned girl named Tami Kwong from the adoption center. Glen says he knows nothing of Tami's whereabouts. Uncle Joe, Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo find out that Glen has Tami stashed in his duffel bag. It is obvious that the two want to be together. The Bradleys help Glen keep Tami a secret but Janet finds out and reports him. Janet has a change of heart and helps to convince Judge Madison (Parley Baer) to award custody of Tami to Glen. | ||||||
| 203 | 7 | "The Tenant" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 8, 1969 | |
| Seductive female writer Jacqueline Moran (played by Leslie Parrish), author of "Sex Is Here to Stay", wants to stay at the Shady Rest to complete her latest novel. She asks for Steve as she had met him at an air force base where he was doing some training last year. Steve was her base escort and recommended the hotel to her. Betty Jo is instantly jealous. The Bradley sisters try to make some distractions to encourage Jacqueline to leave, which she decides to do. Uncle Joe unwittingly ruins their plan by renting Jacqueline the cottage. Jacqueline continues to fawn over Steve. Jacqueline's boyfriend Arthur Lewis (Frank Aletter) shows up and Billie Jo takes the opportunity to even the score. | ||||||
| 204 | 8 | "Sorry Doctor, I Ain't Takin' No Shots" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 15, 1969 | |
| To prevent a flu outbreak, Janet plans on providing a free shot to every single person in the valley. Nurses Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo have to get used to poking a needle into people. They manage to inoculate just about everyone in the valley except the back woods Tweedy family. Janet first has Uncle Joe try and soften up Jasper Tweedy, but that doesn't go well. Next Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo try to give Jasper's son Claude a shot, but Jasper stops them. Then Janet has Orin try and order Jasper to have the family get their shots. But it might be Jasper's dog Gus that convinces the family to get immunized. Veteran character actor Peter Whitney guest stars. | ||||||
| 205 | 9 | "A Most Momentous Occasion" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 22, 1969 | |
| Uncle Joe and Steve have a slight misunderstanding about sharing the bathroom. Steve thinks that it's time for him and Betty Jo to move out of the hotel. Despite Mr. Haney not doing a great job selling their cottage, they speak to him about other listings. They find out why he isn't a successful real estate agent. Meanwhile, everyone, including Uncle Joe, are sorry that Steve and Betty Jo want to move. Uncle Joe suggests building another bathroom in the hotel for Steve and Betty Jo. He hires Mr. Haney to put in the bathroom, which wasn't a good idea. Then Joe says he'll put the bathroom in himself, which doesn't turn out perfect. Steve and Betty Jo decide to stay anyway. | ||||||
| 206 | 10 | "The Camping Trip" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | November 29, 1969 | |
| The entire family is heading off on their annual weekend camping trip. Bobbie Jo talks Orrin into coming along much to Uncle Joe's dismay. Bobbie Jo hopes to use this trip to "work on" Orrin, as she wants to eventually marry him. Janet thinks this will be a good opportunity for Orrin to get on Uncle Joe's good side. The group arrive at the campsite. No matter what Orrin does or says, it seems to annoy Uncle Joe. As Uncle Joe hasn't caught any fish yet, Steve suggests to Orin that he take Joe to his favorite fishing spot. But that doesn't go well. That night a bear comes to the campsite and is sniffing around where Uncle Joe is sleeping. What seems like an act of cowardice by Orin, actually gets rid of the bear. | ||||||
| 207 | 11 | "Kathy Jo's First Birthday" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | December 6, 1969 | |
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It's Kathy Jo's first birthday. Billie Jo is out of town on a singing engagement. She was planning on making it back in time for the party, but the club wants to extend her engagement. Steve is called back to redo a job he just finished because the insects are back. Janet and her nursing assistant Bobbie Jo are called off on a medical emergency. Uncle Joe takes Kathy Jo into Pixley to buy her a birthday present. The Chimpanzee that Joe buys winds up taking a lady's (Alice Nunn) wallet and he gets arrested. Billie Jo makes it home but tells Betty Jo that Sam has a last minute court case. Despite the delays, everyone does make it to the party. Herbie Faye appears as Jack Stewart. Karl Lukas appears as Charlie Hanks. Note: The ice cream vendor is played by Buck Buchanan, the real life son of Edgar Buchanan. | ||||||
| 208 | 12 | "Goodbye, Mr. Chimp" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | December 13, 1969 | |
| Uncle Joe has trained the chimpanzee he bought Kathy Jo to run errands for him. But, the chimp is wreaking havoc everywhere else in the hotel. The girls and Janet agree that the chimp has to go. They also volunteer Steve to be the one to tell Uncle Joe. The problem is that Joe has become quite attached to the chimp. Uncle Joe gets the news and begrudgingly agrees to take the chimp to the children's zoo. But before Joe can get to the zoo, the chimp escapes and finds his way back to the hotel. Traveling salesman Al (Herb Vigran) says he will give the chimp a good home. But Dog might have a say in whether the chimp goes with Al. | ||||||
| 209 | 13 | "The Golden Spike Ceremony" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | December 20, 1969 | |
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Mallard P. Bradley was the girls' great-great-grandfather and founder of the Shady Rest and builder of the railroad between Hooterville and Pixley. Uncle Joe realizes that it will be the seventy-fifth anniversary of the completion of the railroad. He feels there should be a special ceremony marking the anniversary. The problem is Uncle Joe wants all the special moments of the ceremony for himself, even though there will be representatives from both Pixley and Hooterville. They also argue over who will drive the golden spike. Bobbie Jo suggests Grandpa Miller (Walter Baldwin) as he was at the driving of the original last spike. At a practice ceremony, the spike is driven in and strikes oil. Everyone makes plans with what to do with the money they will get. Mr. Henderson (Frank Wilcox), from the Tri-State Oil Company, informs everyone that they ruptured one of their pipelines. Jonathan Hole appears as Hank Thackery. Bartlett Robinson appears as Mayor Potts. Harry Hickox appears as Mr. Ike Buell. Song: A rousing rendition of Happy Days Are Here Again is sung by most of the cast. | ||||||
| 210 | 14 | "But I've Never Been in Erie, PA" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | December 27, 1969 | |
| Joe receives a registered letter from a law firm. The letter states that their client, a Mr. Herbert A. Smith (Rudy Vallee), who Joe doesn't know, has been looking for him. When Smith arrives, Joe still doesn't know who he is. Smith tells everyone the story of a kind favor Joe did for him twenty years earlier in Erie, Pennsylvania. Smith, appearing to be wealthy, wants to repay that favor. Smith then tells of his business conglomerate, which has just issued public shares. Joe, not trusting Smith, thinks he wants Joe to invest in this fake business venture. But Smith says the shares are all accounted for. Now believing there is a real business, Joe tells Smith that he's willing to put up the deed to the hotel for some shares. Smith leaves with the deed. Joe finally remembers that he had never been in Erie. Joe catches up with Smith and gets the deed back, but is Joe making a major mistake? Rolfe Sedan appears as Madame Lavelle. | ||||||
| 211 | 15 | "How to Arrange a Marriage" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 3, 1970 | |
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Billie Jo is bringing her new friend, Jerry Roberts, to Hooterville. Bobbie Jo talks with Billie Jo on the telephone, and is told that Billie Jo thinks she's in love. So everyone wants to make a good impression. Before their arrive, Billie Jo tells Jerry that everyone back home is down to earth, and that they all get along. When they arrive, Uncle Joe and Sam are fighting. Steve and Betty Jo are also feuding, but pretend to be happy when they meet Jerry. Bobbie Jo really goes over board with the talk of marriage. So much so, that a frightened Orrin says he can't get married yet. Billie Jo has mixed feelings about what Bobbie Jo is doing. It may not matter as Jerry has a surprise for them. New boyfriend Jerry is played by Meredith MacRae's real-life husband Greg Mullavey. Song: Meredith MacRae sings I'm Glad There Is You. | ||||||
| 212 | 16 | "Selma Plout's Plot" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 10, 1970 | |
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Selma stops by the Shady Rest to spread the news that Henrietta has a potential husband. Everyone later learns that he is Ronnie Coleman, a helicopter pilot. Selma brought him to the valley to set up a rival crop dusting business to Steve's. While Steve is not thrilled having competition, he believes Ronnie has every right to start his business. Uncle Joe, Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo devise a plan to split up Ronnie and Henrietta in order to save Steve's business. But Janet tells the girls that their plan will ultimately hurt Henrietta. To help Henrietta win over Ronnie, Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo give her a makeover. A pretty Henrietta now wants to play the field, so Ronnie decides to leave. Song: Talk to the Animals, sung by guest star Jack Sheldon. | ||||||
| 213 | 17 | "With This Ring" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 17, 1970 | |
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While in Pixley, Betty Jo and Steve see Orrin in a jewelry store buying what looks like an engagement ring. Betty Jo is surprised because Orrin has said that he couldn't get married until he got at least one more pay raise. They tell Uncle Joe what they saw and he is not happy. Later, Orrin tells Bobbie Jo that he got the raise he wanted, and wants to celebrate with the entire family. The family thinks that at the party he will propose. Meanwhile, burly farmer Merlin Fergus (special guest Merlin Olsen) comes into town looking for a wife. Uncle Joe hopes to match Merlin and Bobbie Jo together. But that plan doesn't pan out. Everyone is surprised when they find out why Orin bought a ring. Songs: Steve and Betty Jo sing "Love and Marriage" and the girls sing "One Boy" from Bye Bye Birdie. | ||||||
| 214 | 18 | "The Valley's New Owner" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 24, 1970 | |
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Orrin brings Bobbie Jo home late from a date. Uncle Joe yells at him and forbids Orrin from seeing Bobbie Jo anymore. Orrin makes the decision to leave the valley for good, which devastates Bobbie Jo. Orrin gives everyone some family heirlooms as farewell gifts. Janet finds a deed which makes Orrin the owner of the entire valley. Mayor Potts (William Mims) and Sam insist Uncle Joe apologize to Orrin, who can now control what happens in the valley. Orrin starts to get used to his new found power and it goes to his head. Janet finds out the deed is worthless, but comes up with a plan to make Orrin look good in the eyes of all. Song: A rousing rendition of "Hooterville" sung to the tune of Camelot (musical), performed by Mike Minor and Linda Kaye Henning | ||||||
| 215 | 19 | "Steve's Uncle George" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | January 31, 1970 | |
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Steve's Uncle George (Don Ameche) is coming to the Shady Rest for a visit. Everyone at the hotel is excited about his visit except Steve. He says Uncle George is a nice guy but, without knowing it, he always ends up causing trouble. Everyone finds George to be nothing but a charming man. But just as Steve predicted, everyone soon starts fighting with everyone else. Steve decides to put an end to the fighting by asking Uncle George to leave. But before Steve can say anything, George tells Steve he had a lovely visit, but it's time to move on. Note: Rufe Davis' penultimate performance as the Cannonball's Floyd Smoot, his first appearance since Season 5. | ||||||
| 216 | 20 | "Susan B. Anthony, I Love You" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 7, 1970 | |
| Billie Jo has been away in Chicago with Jerry for six weeks. She returns home an emancipated woman, equal to any man and even wearing a man's suit. She tries to explain that women are repressed in society and they need to fight back. All the men believe Billie Jo's new attitude is hogwash. She even tries to invade the men's barber shop, but that plan doesn't pan out. Bobbie Jo tries to take Billie Jo's advice on her date with Orrin, but things don't work out as she expected. Betty Jo thinks there may have been a disagreement with Jerry that started this all. The women decide to hold a rally at Druckers store. But before that can happen, Billie Jo apparently makes up with Jerry and is back to her old self. Frank Ferguson appears as Bert Smedley. | ||||||
| 217 | 21 | "Spare That Cottage" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 14, 1970 | |
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Norbert Thompson (Robert Rockwell), of the Highway Commission, checks into the hotel. The Commission is planning on constructing a new road through the valley. He is there to pick which route it will take. Steve tells Joe that there could be some land speculation based on figuring out where the new route goes. Joe tries to convince all the residents of the valley to let him to act on their behalf to get the best deal. Only a few people go along with plan. Thompson decides that the road will go through Steve and Betty Jo's property. Betty Jo, Bobbie Jo and Janet become upset when they learn that the honeymoon cottage will be torn down. Uncle Joe ruins the deal by asking too much for the land, but the girls are thrilled. Stuart Wilson appears as Ben Miller. Song: "When I'm Sixty-Four", sung by Mike Minor. | ||||||
| 218 | 22 | "Whiplash, Whiplash" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | February 28, 1970 | |
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While at the hotel, Selma falls while breaking through a hammock that Joe just bought at the church rummage sale. Janet can't find anything wrong with her, but Selma fakes whiplash and a back injury which means she is to be bedridden. Henrietta is away, so the girls and Janet have Selma stay at the hotel. Selma becomes a very demanding guest. Joe believes that Selma plans on suing when there's a letter to a lawyer to be mailed. Joe and Sam go to consult a lawyer. But, not knowing who he is at first, they wind up speaking to Timothy T. Temkin (Buddy Lester), the lawyer that Selma contacted. Things start to look bad, but thanks to something Henrietta says, Selma no longer has a case. Note: The irrepressible Elvia Allman shines in her final appearance as the Shady Rest's nemesis Selma Plout. Also the final appearance of her daughter, Henrietta (Lynette Winter). | ||||||
| 219 | 23 | "Last Train to Pixley" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 7, 1970 | |
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Floyd is retiring, so the people need to find another engineer to run the Cannonball. Joe volunteers, despite having limited experience doing the job. Joe says he will adhere to a rigid schedule that only makes pick-ups and drop-offs at designated stops. The people in the valley are not used to this and it angers many of them who missed the train or who Joe wouldn't pick-up. Mr. Bellingham (Parley Baer), from the C & FW Railroad, arrives to tell the people that Floyd's retirement also means the retirement of the Cannonball. To save the Cannonball, they need to find a missing document that has the agreement between the railroad and the people of the valley. While taking what they think is a last ride, the gang shares favorite memories of the Cannonball. The document is found and thanks to a technicality, the Cannonball stays. Plus, Floyd comes out of retirement. Sarah Selby appears as Mrs. Frisby. Percy Helton appears as Mr. Benton. (The travel time between Hooterville and Pixley is listed as two hours.) Song: "Steam, Cinders and Smoke", sung by Rufe Davis in his final appearance on the show. | ||||||
| 220 | 24 | "Love Rears Its Ugly Head" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 21, 1970 | |
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Mild satire with Billie Jo, inspired by the New Age movement, teaching her sisters sensory awareness and touch therapy techniques to spread the message of love throughout the valley. Most of the men believe Billie Jo's idea is just her latest weirdo fad. This causes a strain between Steve and Betty Jo, and Orrin and Bobbie Jo. The men decide they don't want to escalate the problems. They hope to diffuse the issue by joining in a group awareness session. But things do not go well. Janet ends up being the voice of reason. Roy Roberts appears as Game Warden Horton Hughes. Song: "The Impossible Dream", sung by Mike Minor Note: This was Jonathan Daly's final appearance in the series | ||||||
| 221 | 25 | "No, No, You Can't Take Her Away" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | March 28, 1970 | |
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Janet tells the girls and Steve that Dr. Peter Marlow (Keith Andes), an old friend from her medical school days, is coming to visit. Peter has come to ask for Janet's hand, but instead of staying in Hooterville, he wants to take Janet to his home in Hawaii. The Bradley's start to panic at the thought of losing Janet. Bobbie Jo volunteers to break Janet and Peter up, but is unsuccessful. Betty Jo and Steve think that Kathie Jo may be able to sway Janet, but Janet is on to their scheme. Janet is torn between her feelings for Peter and her love for the lifestyle of Hooterville. The gang tells Janet that they just want her to be happy no matter what she decides. Janet makes up her mind based on where her heart truly lies. Songs: "I Can Sing a Rainbow," sung by Mike Minor and "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," sung by Edgar Buchanan, Linda Kaye Henning, Mike Minor, Lori Saunders and Meredith MacRae | ||||||
| 222 | 26 | "Betty Jo's Business" | Elliott Lewis | Charles Stewart & Dick Conway | April 4, 1970 | |
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Steve is worried about the family finances. His business is doing fine, but all his customers are requesting credit while his suppliers want their payment. Betty Jo tells Steve to demand payment from his customers, but he doesn't have much luck. Betty Jo thinks that the best way to solve their money problem is for her to get a job. As she's looking after Kathy Jo anyway, she figures the perfect job would be to open a daycare at the hotel. She decides to not tell Steve. Betty Jo, with the help of her sisters, has a lot of children under her care and all seem happy. When Steve comes home early, Bobbie Jo hides all evidence of the babies, including the babies themselves. Steve knows that something isn't quite right and eventually finds out about the daycare. The mothers come to pick up their babies and are furious to find them hidden in a cabinet. Steve is also mad, but something Kathy Jo does calms him down. Nora Denney appears as Mrs. Graham. Note: Byron Foulger, who previously played train engineer Wendell Gibbs in season six, died the same day this final episode of the series aired. | ||||||