5 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Green Acres’ & No They Didn’t Eat Arnold
Green Acres was a popular show in the late ’60s, following a New York City lawyer named Oliver Wendell Douglas and his wife Lisa as they move to the rural farm town of Hooterville. There were several crossover episodes between Green Acres and its predecessor Petticoat Junction, which was a spinoff of The Beverly Hillbillies. If you were a fan of the show, let’s see if you can learn anything new.
1Eddie Albert was actually a farmer
Everett Collection
Eddie Albert played the role of lawyer Oliver Wendell Douglas, who was used to the big city living in New York City. Of course, this translated to hilarious situations when he tried to trade in that life for farm living. Turns out Albert was truly a great actor because he was experienced in farming, owned a California farm and was a longtime environmentalist.
2Arnold the pig was the standout star
Bruce McBroom/TV Guide/Everett Collection
The pig named Arnold Ziffel became one of the most beloved characters on the show and would often receive fan mail. He was the only star on the show to win an award and won three PATSY (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year) Awards, which were basically the Golden Globes for non-human performers. After the show ended it was rumored that the cast had a luau and ate him but thank goodness it was just a rumor started by Tom Lester because he was sick of being asked about Arnold.
3The theme song was sung by the show’s stars
The stars Albert and Eva Gabor sang the theme song despite not being professional singers. Even so, it was truly perfect for the show and we can’t imagine anyone else singing it.
4‘Green Acres’ got canceled while it was still popular
Despite being popular and still having high ratings, the decision was made to cancel the show in 1971. It ended kind of abruptly and fans were pretty disappointed. These days, things like this still happen unfortunately as the TV industry is ever-changing and unpredictable.
5It was the first television show to show a shared marital bed
In early television, sitcoms often showed married couples sleeping in separate beds. Green Acres showed the stars in the same bed which was quite scandalous at the time and sparked rumors that the two were together in real life. They never dated but reportedly remained good friends after the show ended, so good that Eddie was crushed when she died in 1995 and is buried very close to her.
Tell us your favorite part of Green Acres!
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Classic TV Shows of the ’50s & ’60s
September 2020
Test your knowledge, from Bonanza and Gunsmoke to I Love Lucy, I Dream of Jeannie, Star Trek and more fun TV of the 1950s and 1960s.
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