LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Bea Benaderet: Kate Bradley
built 614 days ago
Bea played Pearl Bodine, Jethro’s maw. She was originally brought in to play the role of Granny, but she was cast as Cousin Pearl instead. She was great in the show, so great that they gave her another role in a show called Petticoat Junction. Bea played Kate, mother of three darling girls (One who should have been Sharon Tate. The girl that replaced Sharon after the pilot was filmed, Meredith MacRae, died this year, from brain cancer. Findadeath.com friend John H. writes: Sharon Tate was originally Billie Jo, but Meredith McRae was the third actress to play her.
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Set in the rural town of Hooterville, the show followed the goings-on at the Shady Rest Hotel, of which Kate Bradley (Bea Benaderet) was the proprietor. Her lazy Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) helped her in the day-to-day running of the business, while she served as a mediator in the various minor crises that befell her daughters: Betty Jo, Bobbie Jo, and Billie Jo. The actresses portraying Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo varied over the years: Billie Jo was played by Jeannine Riley the first two seasons, then by Gunilla Hutton for one year with the role going to Meredith MacRae for the show's remaining seasons. Pat Woodell was the original Bobbie Jo for two years, Lori Saunders played the part subsequently. Buffs generally consider MacRae and Saunders the "real" Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo, given they played the roles the longest and the shows' early years with Riley and Woodall were not rerun in syndication. Betty Jo was consistently portrayed by Linda Kaye (Henning), daughter of series creator Paul Henning.The character of handsome crop duster Steve Elliott (Mike Minor) was added to the show at the start of its fourth season as a love interest for eldest daughter Billie Jo.
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When CBS started cross-promoting “Petticoat Junction” the characters of that show would appear on the “Hillbillies.” Now when “Petticoat Junction” began as a series on it’s own Bea Benaderet played the mother of the three beautiful sisters. She suddenly became Kate Bradley. What ever happened to Pearl and why didn’t Jethro ever recognize Kate as his mother Pearl. Oh! The things you think about when you don’t have a job.
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In 1963, Paul Henning developed a spin off based around actress, Bea Benaderet, who guested on the Hillbillies [A]s Jed’s cousin Pearl. In this show, set in a farming town between Hooterville, and the more refined town of Pixley, the only way to reach it is on the Hooterville Cannonball, a train. Expert cook, Kate Bradley (Benaderet) ,along with her daughters, blond boy crazy, Billie Jo, brunette, intellectual, Bobbie Jo, and red headed, tomboy, Betty Jo, Kate runs the Shady Rest Hotel. “Uncle Joe” Carson, who ... lives in the hotel, considers himself the General Manager, but seems to disappear when a problem arises. There were many cast changes throughout its short run, which lasted until 1970 - 2 years after Benaderets death from cancer.
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Benaderet became ill in 1967 which led to her leaving Petticoat Junction in what was hoped would be a temporary retirement. Rosemary DeCamp was brought in to play Aunt Helen in scripts obviously written for Benaderet's character Kate. Benaderet... was well enough to make only two additional appearances on the show. After her death, June Lockhart was brought in to play a female doctor who set up practice at the Shady Rest hotel and thus became the show's surrogate mother figure.
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