Sad to report to all, Paul Henning, creator of Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and my all time favorite Petticoat Junction has passed away at the age of 93. When I asked him one time..."what did the initials on the Hooterville Cannonball stand for...C&FW Railroad"...he cheerfully informed me..."Why, Charley & Floyds Whacky Railroad!"

The lights at the Shady Rest Hotel will forever be dim.

My God Bless the soul of a man to whom brought millions of children and adults happiness with a simple land known as Hooterville. Paul Henning, as did Walt Disney, had a vision of real hometown America which in order to be perfect and complete had to have a steam powered train.

God Bless you Paul Henning.

The clear obituary for this man will be continually shown, not written, for years to come --- and what more could a man ask for than to be remembered for something that brought so much pleasure to so many for so long? Few show today will have that kind of staying power --- because they tend to go for the "quick punch" aspect, which never seems to last more than a couple of seasons. Law and Order and CSI may be the exception here --- but again, these are almost documentaries based on real life stories and issues. The drawn out stories of many of these episodes would not survive on a network today -- not because people wouldn't go to them --- but because the exec's wouldn't let them.

Not to mention in today's P.C. world you'd NEVER get away with a name like "Hooterville." Whether intended or not, the connection of that name with Petticoat Junction was always humorous --- and less "in-your-face" than most of today's comedy. There's something to be said for "tongue-in-cheek" comedy of this sort --- most kids had no clue, most adults did, and few were worse for the wear either way.

The saddest thing about Beverly Hillbilly's, Green Acres and Pettycoat Junction was that, sadly, their following was almost TOO good for them to survive. I remember seeing something on Mr. Henning a few years back, and the comment was made that in one season, CBS removed "every show with a tree", becuase they didn't like their age demographic and how the network was perceived as "hokey" and "backward." Funny --- TV Land is sure making one heck of a "killing" over just this type of hokiness ;-)

I too will miss Mr. Henning --- always wished I could meet him --- neat that you did!

TJ Gaffney

Happier news: Eddie Albert, star of Green Acres will turn 97 on April 22 and is reportedly still in pretty good shape. Also the TV Land awards show recently honored character actor Charles Lane on his 100th birthday. Lane seemingly appeared in every film or tv show ever made, including several episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and as a "scheming railroad man" on Petticoat Junction. He's one of those actors whose name you wouldn't remember, but you'd instantly recognize his face.
mw