She was originally cast as Billie Jo, but her manager or agent thought she more suitable for movies even though she was on Beverly Hillibilies , Mr. Ed and My Favorite Martian. I wonder how she should have done on this show.
Boston and Philly love to slander us, but they don t have as many fans as us
http://comforttv.blogspot.com/2016/07/pilot-casualties-casting-coulda-beens.html
Sharon Tate as Billie Jo Bradleyshare
Petticoat Junction
No pilot was requested for this series, which CBS purchased sight unseen based on creator Paul Henning’s success with The Beverly Hillbillies. Sharon Tate was given the role of flirtatious Billie Jo Bradley, and appears in early publicity photos with the rest of the cast.
But when the network discovered Tate had also posed for some much racier photos, she was dropped and the role recast with Jeannine Riley.
Would it have worked?
Without any footage it’s hard to tell. The series featured three Billie Jos in seven seasons, so it was certainly durable enough to survive no matter who was cast (Riley was replaced after two seasons by Gunilla Hutton, who one year later was replaced by Meredith MacRae). However, based on Tate’s somewhat stiff and unmemorable Beverly Hillbillies appearances as secretary Janet Trego, she wasn’t yet ready for a series lead.