Today we lose elly may the girl from the tv show The beverly hillbillies show. :( she is know as Donna Douglas rest in peace at the age of 81 :(
Remember when Roger Ebert died in 2013? Everyone here at RJ helped to recreate from "Sneak Previews", Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert's Movie Plot/Theme Shorthand List. And that shorthand list also works for television as well.
In the case of "The Beverly Hillbillies", it stands as an obvious TV example
of a "Rags to Riches" story plot. But the creator of the Hillbillies, Paul Henning, mashed a second theme, "A Fish out of Water", resulting in one of the most popular shows on early 60's television.
In fact the show's intro song, "The Ballad of Jed Clampett", clearly reveals both themes together. It was an excellent idea because "The Beverly Hillbillies" was the top rated show on television for Season 1 and Season 2.
Donna Douglas, like the rest of the cast, found herself surrounded by a wall of popularity that at times seemed to be a bit overdone. And I must admit that I was surprised by the shows ratings. But Paul Henning knew what he had when he presented his idea to CBS.
American popular comedy culture has always embraced "the hillbilly". Think about the comic strips "Li'l Abner" or "Snuffy Smith". How about the amazing movie run of "Ma and Pa Kettle", that series made Percy Kilbride and Marjorie Main superstars while making Universal Studios a ton of money.
I still find it interesting that CBS started to get unwanted feedback from sponsors, especially Kellogg's - the shows primary early sponsor. Some found the show's style of humor too lowbrow, with many of the laughs too repetitive.
Paul Henning was a very funny writer, but as "The Beverly Hillbillies" aged most viewers noticed that the "depth" of the jokes remained the same. Like me, a lot of viewers outgrew the show as their sense of humor grew up.
Still those early episodes, the ones in black & white, take me right back to my grade school years when every kid in my class seemed to be a Beverly Hillbillies Fan.
Rest In Peace Donna Douglas
!! Invalid YouTube Tag !!
Delete Confirmation
Remember when Roger Ebert died in 2013? Everyone here at RJ helped to recreate from "Sneak Previews", Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert's Movie Plot/Theme Shorthand List. And that shorthand list also works for television as well.
In the case of "The Beverly Hillbillies", it stands as an obvious TV example
of a "Rags to Riches" story plot. But the creator of the Hillbillies, Paul Henning, mashed a second theme, "A Fish out of Water", resulting in one of the most popular shows on early 60's television.
In fact the show's intro song, "The Ballad of Jed Clampett", clearly reveals both themes together. It was an excellent idea because "The Beverly Hillbillies" was the top rated show on television for Season 1 and Season 2.
Donna Douglas, like the rest of the cast, found herself surrounded by a wall of popularity that at times seemed to be a bit overdone. And I must admit that I was surprised by the shows ratings. But Paul Henning knew what he had when he presented his idea to CBS.
American popular comedy culture has always embraced "the hillbilly". Think about the comic strips "Li'l Abner" or "Snuffy Smith". How about the amazing movie run of "Ma and Pa Kettle", that series made Percy Kilbride and Marjorie Main superstars while making Universal Studios a ton of money.
I still find it interesting that CBS started to get unwanted feedback from sponsors, especially Kellogg's - the shows primary early sponsor. Some found the show's style of humor too lowbrow, with many of the laughs too repetitive.
Paul Henning was a very funny writer, but as "The Beverly Hillbillies" aged most viewers noticed that the "depth" of the jokes remained the same. Like me, a lot of viewers outgrew the show as their sense of humor grew up.
Still those early episodes, the ones in black & white, take me right back to my grade school years when every kid in my class seemed to be a Beverly Hillbillies Fan.
Rest In Peace Donna Douglas
!! Invalid YouTube Tag !!
I grew up watching reruns of The Beverly Hillbillies. You're right Eddie the show remained pretty much the same through its run. It never really 'jumped the shark' like many did because the premise of the show never really changed. Even the main cast remained the same through its run.
With times changing and styles of TV programming changing in America, the 60s style shows didn't last past the early 70s. Hawaii Five-O was one of the only shows to last from the late 60s through the 70s. It seemed like Americans became all about drama and real life situations instead of fantasy.
With times changing and styles of TV programming changing in America, the 60s style shows didn't last past the early 70s. Hawaii Five-O was one of the only shows to last from the late 60s through the 70s. It seemed like Americans became all about drama and real life situations instead of fantasy.
I have to admit that it surprised me, the staying power of The Beverly Hillbillies never seemed to run out of gas until 1968. I always figured that middle America was ready to move on, just as I was, lol.
CBS in the 1960's had an amazing run of "down home country" themed shows, starting with "The Andy Griffith Show" and the spin-off series "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.". But it really picked up after that with shows like "Petticoat Junction", "Green Acres" and "Mayberry R.F.D.".
But there were two hit shows that took CBS by surprise: "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" and "Hee Haw". Both shows started as Summer Replacement Series back when the networks took the summer off from regularly scheduled series.
The longest running "country" series on television was "The Red Skelton Hour", which CBS finally cancelled in 1971.
By that time "All in the Family", to the relief of CBS, pointed the way to a newer style of comedy and the first real sign that the 1960's were indeed over.
CBS in the 1960's had an amazing run of "down home country" themed shows, starting with "The Andy Griffith Show" and the spin-off series "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.". But it really picked up after that with shows like "Petticoat Junction", "Green Acres" and "Mayberry R.F.D.".
But there were two hit shows that took CBS by surprise: "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" and "Hee Haw". Both shows started as Summer Replacement Series back when the networks took the summer off from regularly scheduled series.
The longest running "country" series on television was "The Red Skelton Hour", which CBS finally cancelled in 1971.
By that time "All in the Family", to the relief of CBS, pointed the way to a newer style of comedy and the first real sign that the 1960's were indeed over.