Green Acres appeared on television from September 1965 to April 1971 for six seasons. It is about Oliver and Lisa Douglas who move to a farm in Hooterville. The married couple is played by Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor.
Oliver Wendell is an attorney in New York City who always wanted to own his own farm. While his wife, Lisa would love to stay in their penthouse. He goes to Hooterville to take a look at the farm. The farm is deemed as ‘the old Haney place.’ The exterior of the house doesn’t look like much but as soon as you enter, it is clear that this place needs a lot of work.
The locals try and help the Douglases in the best way they can. It might not be what was planned but it turns out better in the end for the viewers. Sam Drucker is played by Frank Cady. He owns the only General Store in Hooterville. Sam can be found wearing many hats. Some of those include grocer, postmaster, justice of the peace, newspaper editor, county clerk and many more.
You know to be leary when a black pickup truck comes rolling onto the farm because it means that Mr. Haney is looking to sell something. Mr. Haney is played by Pat Buttram. Somehow he comes into possession of goods that people need at that exact moment when they need them. He is always happy to charge them a pretty penny for it.
Hank Kimball is played by Alvy Moore. He is the county agent that includes Hooterville. A county agent is “a consultant employed jointly by federal and state governments to provide information about agriculture and home economics.” He is a character that we all find ourselves talking like without even realizing it. For instance, his first introduction is “As you all know, I’m your County Kimball, Hank Agent. No, I don’t believe I am. I’m, eh Hank Kimball, your County Agent. Yes, that sounds better. Well, not better…”
Eb Dawson is played by Tom Lester. Eb is a young, hired farmhand that originally worked for Mr. Haney but now works for the Douglas property. He often tries to become a part of their family by calling Oliver and Lisa, “mom” and “dad.”
There is one local family that might have the best and smartest “son” in town. The Ziffel family consists of Fred, Doris and Arnold. Arnold became a fan favorite. Fred Ziffel was portrayed by Hank Patterson. Hank had almost no hearing ability. This challenged his portrayal of Fred so the producers brought in a dialogue coach that would tap his leg with a yardstick while lying on the ground to let him know when it was his turn to do dialogue.
The Monroe Brothers are private contractors that do a variety of building repairs. They can be regular fixtures at the Douglas’ Farm because of the amount of work needed. They are always fun to watch.
As soon as you hear the start of the theme song, you can’t help but sing along. It’s a funny “fish out of water” story.
Definition of county agent reference: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/county%20agent#:~:text=Definition%20of%20county%20agent,about%20agriculture%20and%20home%20economics
Hank Kimball quote reference: https://www.quotes.net/mquote/747733
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