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The Beverly Hillbillies is a TV sitcom about a hillbilly who strikes oil while rabbit hunting, becomes a millionaire and moves with his family to Beverly Hills, California. It appeared on the CBS network from September 26, 1962 to September 7, 1971. Soon after its debut episode, it shot to the top of the Nielsen Ratings and remained a top-rated series through most of its run.
The show starred Buddy Ebsen as patriarch Jedidiah "Jed" Clampett, Irene Ryan as Jed's mother-in-law, Granny (whose name was actually Daisy Moses), Donna Douglas as Jed's daughter, Elly May, Max Baer, Jr. as Jed's nephew, Jethro Bodine (sometimes playing Jethro's twin sister, Jethrene), Raymond Bailey as the greedy banker, Milburn Drysdale, Harriet E. MacGibbon as Mr. Drysdale's snobbish wife, Margaret Drysdale, and Nancy Kulp as Mr. Drysdale's secretary, Miss Jane Hathaway. The theme song, The Ballad of Jed Clampett, was written and performed by Bluegrass artists Flatt and Scruggs. It was #44 on the music charts in 1962.
Most storylines on the show were about the differences between hillbilly culture and modern American culture in the big city. The comedy revolved around how the Clampetts persisted in living their exaggerated countrified lifestyle even in a large, elegant mansion in Beverly Hills, never changing their style of clothing or the old rattletrap truck they drove around town in, and how others reacted to the things they did and said. Although Jed had pretty good sense, in his hillbilly way, Granny, Elly May and especially dimwitted Jethro were incredibly ignorant. On the other hand, Mr. and Mrs. Drysdale were pretty foolish themselves. He wanted to keep the Clampetts living in the mansion next door to his, regardless of what happened, while she, with elaborate histrionics, led an outlandish campaign to rid her cultured city of the vile, beastly hillbillies! Nothing was ever too serious; it was high camp with a lot of slapstick.
The show was still popular when it was canceled after 274 episodes because CBS decided to change its image as a "rural network." Other "rural shows," including Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, were also canceled.
The Beverly Hillbillies is still televised daily around the world in syndication.
Complete theme song
The Ballad of Jed Clampett - sung by Jerry Scoggins
"Come and listen to my story 'bout a man named Jed, a poor mountaineer, barely kept his fam'ly fed. Then one day he was shootin' at some food, and up from the ground come a bubblin' crude, oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.
Well the first thing you know ol' Jed's a millionaire. The kinfolk said, Jed, move away from there. They said, Californy is the place you oughta be, so they loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly, Hills that is, swimmin' pools, movie stars.
Ol' Jed bought a mansion, lawdy it was swank, next-door neighbor was pres'dent of the bank. Lotsa folks objected, but the banker found no fault, 'cause ol' Jed's millions was a-layin' in the vault, cash that is, capital gains, depletion money.
Well now it's time to say goodbye to Jed and all his kin, they would like to thank you folks for kindly droppin' in. You're all invited back next week to this locality, to have a heapin' helpin' of their hospitality, hillbilly that is, set a spell, take your shoes off, y'all come back now, ya hear?"
Movie adaption
In 1993, a movie adaptation, The Beverly Hillbillies, was released by 20th Century Fox starring Jim Varney (of the Ernest movies) as Jed Clampett, Diedrich Bader as Jethro Bodine/Jethrene Bodine, Erika Eleniak as Elly May Clampett, Cloris Leachman as Granny, Lily Tomlin as Miss Jane, Dabney Coleman as Mr. Drysdale and Penny Fuller as Mrs. Drysdale. It featured cameo appearances by Buddy Ebsen as Barnaby Jones and Dolly Parton as herself.
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