Petticoat Junction: The Official Second Season (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was one of a group of CBS rural comedies popular in the 1960's that were actually grouped together as far as having interdependent casts - "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres" being the other two series.
The show is about life at the rural Shady Rest Hotel, owned and operated by widow Kate Bradley (Bea Benaderet). Action centers around guests at the hotel as well as Kate's three attractive daughters, Betty Jo, Bobbie Jo, and Billie Jo. The actresses portraying Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo changed over the years. In fact, season two is the last of two seasons for the first actresses to portray these roles. Betty Jo, the youngest and the tomboy, was played by the Linda Henning, daughter of the series creator Paul Henning, for the entire run of the series. The hotel is literally in the middle of nowhere, halfway between two very small towns. The actual location (state for example) is never given, and the issue of how exactly it is that Kate manages to make what seems to be quite an adequate living running a hotel that theoretically should have few if any guests is never even addressed. This is a show very much rooted in the early 60's, and the idea is escapism and fun, not realism.
The first season of this show that was put out a few months ago is excellent. They were not the cut down versions that TVLand showed, so I expect these to be the same, although you never know with Paramount, The Odd Couple being exhibit A.
This season is from the 1964-1965 TV season, and thus there are lots of episodes (36 I believe), since production costs were lower and thus reruns were fewer. This is not something you'll want to sit down and watch back-to-back marathon style. Instead, I'd watch a couple of episodes a week. That way you maximize the fun of the show, and it still holds up pretty well today, and minimize the sameness you might feel if you just watch one episode after another.

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Lucy's Really Lost Moments Review

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(More customer reviews)Any Lucy fan is already familiar with her extensive body of television work, but as this DVD reveals, there were just as many great Lucy moments happening elsewhere on TV. As one the first stars of the golden age of TV, Lucy, (and Desi), frequently appeared on comedy specials, game shows, and commercials, and the viewing audience still couldn't get enough of her. This DVD collects some of the best and rarest of these television moments, and presents them restored and in color for the first time.
The "main feature" of the DVD consists of over an hour of great moments. The first is a Bob Hope TV special that explores what would happen if Bob took over Desi's role on I Love Lucy. Vivian Vance, William Frawley and a mischevious seal all guest star. Seeing Bob react to Lucy's antics is a treat for any fan of early TV, and as a bonus, you get to see five minutes of his stand up as an intro to the special.
The main feature continues with a Westinghouse special, which takes us inside the walls of Desilu Studios. In between the funny back and forth between Lucy and Desis, Desi leads a helicopter tour of the studio, which provides a fascinating look at old Hollywood.
Lucy then appears on an episode of "I've Got a Secret" where she has fun and shows off her acting and comedic versatility in front of a panel that includes Johnny Carson. Finally, there is a lost TV pilot that Desi directed featuring Lucy as a first time airline passenger. One shouldn't need to be told that she manages to make a mess out of the entire situation, and it's good for some real laughs.
The entire Main Feature is presented in both black and white and in Color, and it looks great no matter how you choose to watch it. The quality of the material and of the presentation is top notch. On top of it all, there are over an hours of bonus features on the DVD, most of which are just as entertaining as the main features. These include:
-Trailers for six films starring Lucy
-An appearance on game show "What's My Line" with Lucy and Desi. Panelists try to guess the identity of their two mystery guests
-Desi appears on "I've Got A Secret", with Lucy as the fourth member of the panel
-An original TV commercial for I Love Lucy
-Lucy and Desi appear in a Phillip Morris TV ad. Phillip Morris was a frequent Lucy sponsor, and it is always interesting to look back at a time when ads for cigarettes were all over the tube.
-"Adventures of a Model", a promo spot co-starring Joanne Dru, that gets interrupted by Desi and Lucy.
-Bloopers and Behind the Scenes: Home movies and candid shots before Lucy and Bob Hope get into a competition about who flubbed the most lines during their special. Bloopers are always fun and its great to see these two having fun on the set. After the segment with Bob, there are bloopers of Lucy working with animals, which are also fun.
The bonus materials end with deleted scenes from the Main Feature Westinghouse Special, and assorted trailers from Legend Films, who colorized the compilation.
On the whole, it is a great DVD, with lots of great Lucy TV and film moments, many of which can't be found elsewhere. It looks fantastic, is packed with laughs, and comes at a great price. Any Lucy fan you know will love watching this DVD.



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