Right after the new year started, we
shared with readers the special info we had gotten, that
Petticoat Junction would come to DVD as a "26 episode compilation with all elements supposedly remastered." At the time, we didn't know which studio would be bringing it out, or when, but we guessed it was between MGM and Paramount.
Wrongo! None other than MPI Home Video, who does a good job with
Dark Shadows and other TV-DVDs, is preparing to bring us
Petticoat Junction - Ultimate Collection as a 3-Disc Set that - unlike "public domain" releases that you can already find running around in bargain bins - is the first DVD release that is authorized by the estate of Paul Henning, the show's creator. Henning sadly passed away just a month ago, and so this DVD was not finished in time for him to view it.
You will get a chance to view it, though. This package will reach stores on
August 30th, selling for $29.98 SRP for 660 minutes of show. The cast consists of Bea Benaderet as "Kate" (who ran the Shady Rest Hotel), Edgar Buchanan as "Uncle Joe," Linda Kaye as "Betty Jo," Jeannine Riley as "Billie Jo," Pat Woodell as "Bobbie Jo," Smiley Burnette as "Charley," Rufe Davis as "Floyd" and Frank Cady as "Sam Drucker"...who will be well-remembered from this show's spin-off series,
Green Acres. Guest stars included Adam West, Dennis Hopper and Charles Lane. Here's the description of this release from MPI, followed by the box art:
The long-running television classic Petticoat Junction (CBS-TV, 1963-1970) was one of the most successful and beloved situation comedies of the 1960s. Created by Paul Henning, the same mastermind behind The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction ranked as the fourth-highest rated series during its debut season. Set in the folksy farming community of Hooterville, Petticoat Junction centers on Kate Bradley, a widow who runs the charming Shady Rest Hotel with the help of her three beautiful young daughters - Billie Joe, Bobbie Joe and Betty Joe - along with the girls' Uncle Joe. Sam Drucker runs the local general store. Railroad engineers Charlie Pratt and Floyd Smoot operate the Cannonball, a steam engine train that runs through the valley and brings a host of interesting visitors and humorous mishaps to the Shady Rest.
