The show is unwatchable without Kate. To make matters worse, Betty Jo and Steve are married, and Betty Jo is no longer the fun tomboy. The show went to hell after season 5. The last episode should have been Betty Jo and Steve getting married.
shareOn your notion that the show should have ended when Betty Jo and Steve got married--I'm going to disagree, but for a reason you might not expect.
I totally agree about the show going downhill fast about that time. But if they had indeed ended with the wedding episode, we would not know how bad it got. We'd be saying it's a shame the stupid network cancelled it when they did because there were all sorts of funny things they could have done with Betty Jo and Steve as a married couple, finding a place to live, having a baby, etc.
How would we have known they'd do such a bad job at those later scripts to make us wish they had ended it earlier? So, I seriously say, it was good to continue, so we don't complain about it ending too early.
Trying to do "Petticoat Junction" without Bea Benaderet was akin to doing "The Andy Griffith Show" without Andy Griffith: pointless.
shareMayberry RFD was the AGS without Andy Griffith, other than in a few guest appearances, and it was alright. I liked it. AG had not played the last 2 or 3 season well anyway; you could tell he no longer put the effort into the character that he had the first 5. After he was gone as a regular, nothing but the 'rural purge' ended the morphed show.
Petticoat Junction was a different situation because the audience knew its star had died and would never be seen again, even though the main character's demise was never explained (though it finally was alluded to by mention of the "Kate Bradley Memorial Suite" in the hotel). I understand why many think it should have ended when Kate Bradley was no more, but I still think the show was more than KB and her wisdom and guidance. I never liked how the train became less of a 'character' after first Charlie, then Floyd, left. I never knew just what to think of Dr. Craig-- isn't it a bit crazy to think a doctor would set up an office in an out-of-the-way inn that's miles between towns, when she and nearly all of the potential patients did not have cars? This did rather lose me in season 6. But in the final season, I got interested in the Bobbie Jo & Orrin storyline. I would like to have seen it play a little further.
"Petticoat Junction was a different situation because the audience knew its star had died and would never be seen again, even though the main character's demise was never explained (though it finally was alluded to by mention of the "Kate Bradley Memorial Suite" in the hotel)"
That is incorrect . There was NEVER a "Kate Bradley Memorial Suite" The room you're referring to was called the "Millard P. Bradley Memorial Suite" It's the episode where Selma suffers whiplash and that's the room that she stays in. Don't know who Millard was, maybe he was Kate's great grandfather.
Kate's name is NEVER mentioned after Bea's death. I actually removed the "Kate Bradley Memorial Suite" mention from Wikipedia's
article about this series as well.
I'm glad to see there are many Petticoat Junction fans here.
I disagree that the show ended when Kate died, though. While it definitely was better with her, I still think the show could have continued. Though it's crazy to state what should have been done now (46 years later) I wonder if they had at least acknowledged her death (like they do now, in the credits "In Loving Memory of Bea Benedaret, 1906-1968,") would the show have kept better ratings? It would have shown more respect, at least? I think the Bobby Jo and Orrin would have married, and can only imagine how funny things would have been between him and Uncle Jo. Yes, I think it could have worked. As far as Dr. Janet Craig, when she moved to the valley she'd stated she preferred small towns to big cities (though, I realistically don't think many doctors who spent $$$$ on med school would agree, LOL.)
I also think CBS's 'rural purge,' was the beginning of the end of classic television.
These are just my thoughts though. Again, glad there are so many PJ fans!
Kate married a Bradley, so if Millard Bradley was related to the family it was through her late husband.
shareThe show definitely "jumped the shark" without Bea. It's weird watching them call her in the kitchen etc when she wasn't there.
shareI remember an episode towards the end of the series' run, in which Kate is mentioned. It was after Steve and Betty Jo had Kathy Jo, and Betty says something like, "Just like Mom used to do with us." I think it was something about Kathy Jo getting swimming lessons?? It's been so long, I can't remember. But I distinctly remember Betty Jo saying this line.
shareyou are correct about that. the statement was made with a pausing moment directed to the character of Kate but that was all that was ever done in her memory.
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