Petticoat Junction

The show is on more than one channel, but Petticoat Junction is on early Saturday morning on MeTV (after Barnaby Jones, a DVR often getting the end of that show, which is usually some silly light moment, after the crime is handled). I like some of the episodes, though the show is at times too silly. 

 

One issue is that there are three daughters and six actresses (3-2-1) involved. Betty Jo (the sport-y one) is the youngest and along with Uncle Joe (the actor is about the same age as the mom actress, but he's HER uncle and the girls great-uncle) stays the same.  I like the last (and longest lasting) blond the least; the longest brunette is the best though the first is okay (if somewhat more bland) too.  

About when the three daughters were steady, we had a new character, a crop dusting pilot.  He at first dates the oldest and all of them like him. But, eventually, the youngest (who later on married him in real life for around five years) turned out to be the one who he really fell for.  The big "true love kiss" moment -- in an episode on early Saturday morning -- takes place after a plane ride, the two just needing to fly through a bad storm. 

We then get a pretty realistic talk by the mom, concerned the two aren't really in love after one kiss taking place arising from a dramatic storm. This being a sitcom, both actually are in love.  The relationship did not come out of the blue, the two spending a lot of time together at this point, Betty Jo taking flying lessons and basically being his mechanic.  

(The middle daughter showed some affection for him, but did not have as extended of a relationship.  Steve and the oldest go out. Turns out it isn't really serious and she is in fact glad Betty Jo is the one, since it would allow her to focus more on her singing.)

Turns out Steve's attraction for her was shown in the episode before that, which ends with them kissing.  The episode is now on YouTube and it's amusing.  It also provides a good use of a  guest star from Green Acres. 

We have a sweet wedding proposal, of course, after a lot of hi-jinks where everyone but Betty Jo realizes his intentions. This was done right away.  So, you really have a three episode swing [with some foreshadowing, true] of them clearly liking each other, announcing it, and then a wedding proposal.  Pretty fast, since it could have provided a series long plot device.

The two marry and eventually have a daughter.  The daughter pops up when the Beverly Hillbillies come to town for a later Thanksgiving episode.  (Green Acres more directly overlap, taking place in the same general area.)  Mike Minor, who plays Steve, had a pretty long and successful career. 

One interesting bit in the episode (which I did see) when Steve first comes to town.  The three are bathing in the water tower, as seen in the beginning of each episode.  In the opening, it is unclear what they are wearing, since their petticoats (name drop) are hanging.  Then, they pop up and their shoulders are bare.  In other words, no bra straps.  

OTOH, it is dubious that they are just wearing one petticoat with nothing underneath.  Anyway, when Steve flies over, he sees them, but they are wearing bathing suits.  With straps.  You can see it around 3:30 in here.   It still causes him to crash.  The opening has the shoulders free, but the long shot has two sets of clothes (one for the dog, the dog being added in the second or third season as I recall, perhaps to G it a bit).  

The girls ultimately go as they are to see how he is after he crashes the plane.  It is unclear if they are always dressed like that in the water tower now and the tv tropes merely mentions this one actual case of seeing them inside the tower.  Please don't tell me viewers, especially certain male ones, did not think about such things in the 1960s.  

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I edited this entry and will end it this way.  

Betty Jo is the youngest and only one actress plays her the whole series.  At times, it looks like she has false eyelashes on.  I think so but then I think Jen Psaki does too.  Does seem like it. 

The oldest (blond) is played by three, though the last is seen the most.  She also (I'm not the only one who think so) is the least favorite in my book.  The middle (brunette) is played by two, the first one only for a little bit, and is portrayed as more bookish than the more sexy (but nice) replacement.  

I like the second brunette the best though the other two blonds (if often not around) have an interesting look.  The third blond seems -- as one person noted -- a bit too "mod" or modern; she was on My Three Sons as the girlfriend of one of the sons.  I think she fits more over in another sitcom.  

Mike Minor's Wikipedia page has a screenshot with her though to be clear she isn't the sister Steve married!  That would be Betty Jo, who is a nice character, to be clear, though Bobbie Jo is my favorite.  The first is fine too.