Petticoat Junction

The idea for Petticoat Junction came from creator Paul Henning's wife, Ruth, whose grandmother ran a real hotel, the Burris Hotel (formerly the Rock Island Hotel), next to railroad tracks in Eldon, Missouri.

Before the title was finalized, proposed names for the show included Ozark Widow, Dern Tootin', and Whistle Stop.

Paul Henning wrote the series specifically as a starring vehicle for veteran character actress Bea Benaderet, who had spent decades playing supporting roles to stars like Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, and George Burns.

Billie Jo was originally intended to be played by Sharon Tate, and a cast photo was even taken with her, but she never appeared on the show after her agents convinced her to pass on the role.

Frank Cady, who played Sam Drucker, was the only actor in television history to simultaneously play the same recurring character on three different shows: Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, and guest spots on The Beverly Hillbillies.

Edgar Buchanan, who played Bea Benaderet's elderly uncle Joe Carson, was actually only three years older than Benaderet in real life.

After Bea Benaderet's death from lung cancer in 1968, the show continued her character offscreen by referring to her as 'out of town,' and the opening theme lyrics were changed from 'It is run by Kate' to 'It is run by Joe.'

For the episode 'The Valley Has a Baby,' Benaderet, too ill to appear on camera, provided only her voice, while her stand-in Edna Laird played Kate on screen with her back to the camera; the episode aired just 13 days after Benaderet's death.

The Hooterville Cannonball's motion shots used the real steam locomotive Sierra No. 3, filmed on the Sierra Railroad in Jamestown, California, a locomotive that has appeared in more films than any other, including The Virginian and Back to the Future Part III.

The full-sized locomotive replica used for studio cab scenes was provided by the Hoyt Hotel in Portland, Oregon, where it had been displayed in the lobby's Barbary Coast Lounge; it survives today restored as the 'Emma Sweeny' on display in Durango, Colorado.

In the season-one episode 'The Ladybugs,' the three Bradley sisters formed a Beatles-style band and performed 'I Saw Her Standing There'; just days before the episode aired, the actresses performed the same song as 'The Ladybugs' on The Ed Sullivan Show.

TV Guide critic Cleveland Amory gave the show an unfavorable review, criticizing its slow pace, weak lead performances, low budget, and largely unfunny storytelling.

The show's dog character, Higgins, became a regular cast member starting in season two, won a PATSY Award, and later went on to star in the 1974 film Benji, which also featured a cameo from Edgar Buchanan.