Green Acres

I'm watching Green Acres on Hulu for the first time in a long time and I can't believe how funny and clever this show is! I'll even go so far as to say this is one of the funniest sitcoms I've ever seen.

 

Green Acres is the place to be.
Farm livin' is the life for me.
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.

I used to love that show too as a kid, but I don't think I could watch it now. As for funniest sitcoms ever...that's a bit of big call. I'd place it in the same category as Gilligan's Island, I Dream Of Jeannie, Bewitched, etc. All fun shows, but dated now, and for me at least, will remain in my childhood.

About the only show from that era which I have watched in recent years is Hogan's Heroes, which somehow remains timeless.

 

In its prime, Green Acres was American Gothic surrealism at its finest.

 

I loved Green Acres but have not seen even a single episode in many many years. If I were to start watching it now I'm guessing I'd like the first couple seasons then feel the gag had gotten pretty thin, like a lot of the shows from that era.

 

You haven't really heard that Green Acres tune till you hear what Elvis Hitler did with it. Their song Green Haze is the Green Acres lyrics put to Hendrix's Purple Haze.

 

It's a lot smarter than most people give it credit for.

 

I could almost watch Green Acres again for Mr. Haney. His bits were so funny.

 

Oh, I remembered another one which I used to like - Petticoat Junction. Some mighty purdy gals in that one!

 

The 6th, and Last Season, started showing signs of the show starting to deteriorate. One things that hurts the show, was that the great Barber Pepper (Mrs, Ziffel) had to leave the show (heart issues), and was replaced with the fine character Actress Fran Ryan. But the chemistry wasn't the same.

 

The show still holds up, mainly because of it's surreal edge, comedic timing, and very sharp editing.

My theory is, the only person on the entire series that is completely out of his mind in that town is Oliver Douglas.

 

I assume autocorrect was at work here; it's Barbara Pepper. I agree that the show suffered a bit when she had to leave. Not that her replacement was a bad choice, but as you wrote the chemistry between the Ziffels wasn't the same.

I've been a big fan of Green Acres since it first aired. There are a few episodes in the last season that don't do much for me. Quite honestly, the first episode -- while it sets up the show nicely -- also isn't that great. But when that show was funny (and that was often), it was very, very funny.

 

All of these shows are dated. But of those corny early-mid sixties sitcoms (e.g. GA, Gomer, Peticoat, Beverly Hillbillies, etc.) Green Acres was far and away the cleverest.

As a side note, I was listening to NPR and there is a new book coming out, American Cornball: A Laffopedic Guide to the Formerly Funny by Christopher Miller. It exams what we thought was funny in a given era. Sounded very interesting.

 

Yes it's one of my favorites, we watch it all the time. It was so clever and funny. Love Arnold ha ha ha

 

I think Arnold was the biggest star on the show. Arnold became so iconic. Back in those days, every time ya saw a pig, somebody was gonna quip.... there's Arnold, I bet he's kin to Arnold, he's too fat to be Arnold, or some other crap. Everybody in the U.S. of A. knew Arnold.

 

It's a gen-yoo-wine Abraham Lincoln rockin' chair. Pat Buttram was hilarious.

 

Whether this reflects well on me or not, I have a first pressing, in the cheesy cardboard box and the almost homemade label that was half-assed glued onto the outside of the cardboard box. Bought it at CBGB's record store when it was first released. It is brilliant. Love the show too, but its been eons since I've seen an episode.

 

He might have said Abraham more like Abreeham....? Before Yoda, people did mimic ole Pat....and I lived in a region where some folks really did talk rather like him.

 

I tried watching again recently, just couldn't do it. Haney got on my nerves too much. That and the "hokey" feel to the show.

 

I heard Elvis Hitler on college radio, WUTK, here in Knocksville....so I bought their CD, Disgraceland.

 

Quick, grab the pitchforks and torches!

 

"Oh boy, my favorite, hot water soup!", by my favorite character, Eb. I actually have the Green Acres theme as my ringtone; it always gets a laugh.

 

Yep, it was ME!! I look back at the stuff I watched in my youth and just wonder WTF was I thinking? Maybe it was because all we had were the usual 13 channels and I was a youngster. The rural purge.........and the executive thought that was the solution? He didn't want his network being referred to the rural network? Lunacy. One thing is for sure(and was covered in another thread) - they sure had some fantastic looking women on shows in the 60's! Petticoat Junction - lets climb in the water tower!!

The other day, I was browsing at DVD's in Target and I saw the ultimate at putting everything out - the *complete* Ma and Pa Kettle show........

 

Absolutely freekin hilarious....