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What Happened to the 'Petticoat Junction' Cast After the Show Ended?
Writer and producer Paul Henning was the brain behind three hit TV shows: Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. The third show was a hit on CBS between 1963 and 1970, and produced over 200 episodes for the network.
The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel in the town of Hooterville. The hotel is run by Kate Bradley, who is on her own after the death of her husband.
The cast of the show changed over the years, but many fans still remember the core team. Here is what happened to the cast of Petticoat Junction after the show.
What Happened to the Petticoat Junction Cast After the Show Ended?
Bea Benaderet (Kate Bradley)
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Benaderet began her career in radio before she moved to Hollywood, where she initially found voice-over work. She began her TV career on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, and also starred on The Beverly Hillbillies and The Flintstones.
A doctor found a tumor on one of Benaderet's lungs in 1963 and she ultimately underwent surgery four years later to remove it. Recovery required her to miss 10 episodes of Petticoat Junction, but she was able to return to the series.
Benadert died of lung cancer in 1968. Her husband, sound effects technician Eugene Twombly, died four days later.
Edgar Buchanan (Uncle Jo Carson)
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Buchanan was most known for his role in Petticoat Junction, but he also enjoyed a successful film career that saw him starring in more than 100 movies. He was also known as the only actor from Petticoat Junction to appear in every single one of the show's episodes.
Buchanan was married to his wife Mildred Spence from 1928 until he died in 1979.
Linda Henning (Betty Jo Bradley)
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Before she joined the cast of Petticoat Junction, Henning was introduced to film audiences in Gidget and Rebel Without a Cause, and to television audiences on Mister Ed and The Beverly Hillbillies.
However, the show would prove to be her largest role, and after its conclusion, Henning showed up in a few episodes of Mork and Mindy and Happy Days.
Jeannine Riley (Billie Jo Bradley)
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According to The Fresno Bee, Riley beat out more than 300 people to win the role of Billie Jo Bradley, but she only stayed on the show for two seasons, leaving so that she could star in more movies, though the rest of her career was a mix of film and TV roles.
In 2020, Riley released the book The Bolder Woman: It's About Time, an advice book for "older women out there who are ready to become a Bolder woman."
Meredith MacRae (Billie Jo Bradley)
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After Swedish-born actress Gunilla Hutton took over the role of Billie Jo Bradley for one season, MacRae stepped in to portray the character from Season 4 through Season 7. After the show was canceled in 1970 she worked on TV and in movies, and in particular enjoyed a successful career on game shows.
MacRae died from brain cancer in 2000 at the age of 56.
Related: See the Cast of 'Frasier' Then and Now
Pat Woodell (Bobbie Jo Bradley)
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While she popped up in a few shows before Petticoat Junction, Woodell is most known for her two years as Bobbie Jo Bradley. She retired from acting in 1973 and later cofounded a consulting firm. Woodell died in 2015 after having lived with cancer for 20 years.
Lori Saunders (Bobbie Jo Bradley)
Left to right: Lori Saunders, Linda Kaye and Meredith MacRae.
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Saunders took over the role of Bobbie Jo Bradley from Woodell and remained there until the show finished in 1970. From there she starred on Dusty's Trail and in several films.
Saunders and her costars Meredith MacRae and Linda Henning also released music together as a group in the 1960s.
Related: 'Family Ties' Cast: Where Are They Now?
Frank Cady (Sam Drucker)
Frank Cady, center, in 1983.
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Cady played his character Sam Drucker on three shows at the same time: Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies.
Cady continued to act after each show finished, and his final role was in 1990's Return to Green Acres. He died in August 2008 at the age of 81.
June Lockhart (Dr. Janet Craig)
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Lockhart joined the show for its final two seasons. She had begun her career decades earlier with the films Meet Me in St. Louis and A Christmas Carol and also performed onstage.
After Petticoat Junction ended, Lockhart hosted the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants on CBS. She later guest starred on Grey's Anatomy, The Drew Carey Show and Cold Case. She's now 98 years old.
