John Charles Daly | Elaine Joyce | Gary Dubin | Herbert Anderson | June Foray | Buddy Foster | Robert Cummings | Sam Edwards | Jerry Van Dyke | J. Pat O'Malley | Johnny Whitaker | Garry Wallberg | Jesse White | Al Lewis | Dave Barry | George Ives | Gordon Jump | Bernie Kopell | Len Lesser | Bob Hastings | Don Keefer | Don Porter | Alan Hale Jr. | Melody Patterson | Anthony Spinelli | Rusty Hamer | Regis Toomey | Norman Leavitt | Heather North | Allan Melvin | Parley Baer | Jack Bannon | David Ketchum | Francine York | Rick Lenz | Karen Valentine | Al Molinaro | Pat Morita | Rich Little
One of the most successful of CBS’ rural situation comedies of the 1960s, Green Acres was closely intertwined with Petticoat Junction, another show produced by the same people. Oliver Wendell Douglas was a highly successful Manhattan lawyer who, despite his good life in New York City, longed to get closer to nature. Ignoring the objections of his socialite wife Lisa, Oliver bought a 160-acre farm, sight unseen, from Mr. Haney. The farm was located outside the town of Hooterville (the setting for Petticoat Junction). It was in horrible shape. It had not been worked in years and the house was rundown, unfurnished and in desperate need of major repairs.
Lisa wanted to turn right around and go back to their Park Avenue penthouse, but Oliver persisted in his determination to give it a chance. They found a shy, gawky handyman named Eb Dawson to help them get the place back into shape, and utilized the services of the Monroes, a sister-and-brother carpenter team, to rebuild the house and barn. Lisa never quite adjusted to the rural life. She kept applying the standards of sophisticated socialites to the ingenuous populace of Hooterville. Even her wardrobe, long flowing gowns and lots of jewelry, seemed out of place on Oliver’s Green Acres. She did, however, grow quite fond of the animals they owned, giving names to all the chickens, cows, etc. on the farm. During the second season a pig, though not theirs, became a featured member of the cast. One of the Douglases’ neighbors, pig farmer Fred Ziffel, had a pet pig named Arnold who watched television, could do various tricks on cue, and was so intelligent that Fred treated him like a son.
Until Petticoat Junction left the air in the fall of 1970, there was always a certain amount of interplay between it and Green Acres, with characters from one series making guest appearances on the other. Green Acres itself, though still successful, was canceled in 1971 as part of CBS’ general purging of rural comedies from its schedule.
Theme Song Lyrics
Green acres is the place for me.
Farm livin' is the life for me.
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.
New York is where I'd rather stay.
I get allergic smelling hay.
I just adore a penthouse view.
Darling I love you but give me Park Avenue.
...The chores.
...The stores.
...Fresh air.
...Times Square.
You are my wife.
Good bye, city life.
Green Acres we are there.
INTERESTING FACTS
The names of the towns in the vicinity of Hooterville were Pixley, Crabwell Corners and Stankwell Falls.
Arnold the Pig was the only cast member to win an award for a performance in a sitcom. He won the coveted "Patsy" Award in 1967, given to the best performance by an animal.
The first Arnold was a male. The others - 2-4 a year - were females.
Mr. Haney had a basset hound named Cynthia who had a crush on Arnold.
Although according to legend the pig that played Arnold was eaten by the cast and crew, Tom Lester has said that he just said it one time as a joke.
Was one of the victims of the infamous rural purge in 1971, along with "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962), "Mayberry R.F.D." (1968), "Hee Haw" (1969) and "The Ed Sullivan Show" (1948). At the time, close analysis of demographics came into vogue, and these shows were perceived by CBS executive Fred Silverman to appeal only to those who lived in rural areas and older people, so he decided to cancel them, even though they were all still hugely popular. The oft-told joke that has passed into legend is that "CBS canceled every show with a tree in it".
Pat Buttram based his portrayal of Mr. Haney on Tom Parker - aka "Col. Tom Parker", Elvis Presley‘s manager - whom he met years earlier when Parker was a carnival barker.
FAMOUS QUOTES
TV Kiddie Show Host: Sure, I remember that kid, he had on the most realistic looking pig costume I've ever seen. He won first prize!
Oliver Douglas: No, you don't understand, Arnold is a REAL PIG!
TV Kiddie Show Host: I'll say he is! We had five gallons of ice cream for those kids, and he ate every bit of it himself!
Oliver Douglas: But he couldn't be dead.
Fred Ziffel: Oh, yes he could, I personally attended his funeral.
Oliver Douglas: Are you sure?
Fred Ziffel: I don't know what you do in New York, but around here we don't give a man a funeral unless we're pretty sure he needs one.
Eustace Charleton Haney: While yer away on yer trip, I thought you might like to avail yerself of Haney's Farm Mindin' Service.
Oliver Wendell Douglass: HANEY'S FARM MINDING SERVICE?
Eustace Charleton Haney: Yessir, at Haney's Farm Mindin' Service, for a nom-yew-nal fee we will move into yer house, eat yer food, drink yer likker, and turn away any unwanted relatives that might show up at yer door.
