Odd Facts About Petticoat Junction
There are some subtleties you might have missed.
Petticoat Junction didn’t soar to the rating heights of The Beverly Hillbillies but did have a nice run during the 60s. Honestly, I couldn’t remember nearly as much about this show as I did the Hillbillies, but I did remember the theme song, basic premise, and some of the characters.
As I think about it, that basic premise is sneakily risque. You have a widowed hotel owner with three attractive daughters who bathe in a water tower. And what’s the name of this idyllic place? Hooterville. When I typed in Hooterville, autocorrect tried to make it Hooverville. Big difference. I wonder if censors back at that time gave the name, Hooterville, a second thought. Regardless, let’s take a trip to the junction. Petticoat Junction.
1: Petticoat Junction wasn’t the only name considered for the series.
“Dern Tootin” and “Ozark Widow were also considered. It would seem that anything with the word “tootin” in it could be misconstrued. As for “Ozark Widow,” it seems to throw off a dark vibe. Like a backwoods Bates Motel thing.
2: The name of the hotel was the “Shady Rest.”
Honestly, that sounds like a nursing home to me. I’m not sure that was great…
