Talk:Green Acres
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Satire
The article mentions that Green Acres was satirical but it never explains any of the satrical elements or even mentions satire again. It seems that it would be appropiate to remedy this by including some examples. MafiaCapo 03:00, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
There was one episode when Arnold (the pig) was drafted to fight in Vietnam. And IIRC where Dept of Agriculture officials were portrayed as being particularly inept (trying to collect a tax which had been abolished years ago etc) 80.229.222.48 15:08, 12 August 2007 (UTC)
I think Sam Drucker is a crossover
I moved Sam Drucker from a cast member to a crossover character. I suppose an argument coule be made for either case. But in fact, he was on Petticoat Junction before he was on Green Acres and he appeared just as regularly on both shows. Joe 23:30, 1 October 2005 (UTC)
- He started out as a crossover "from Petticoat Junction" as the credits read and then became listed as a regular cast member.
- 75.33.81.219 09:51, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
Based on a Radio Show
I just heard an old radio show called Granby's Green Acres starring Gale Gordon. He had a farmhand named Eb and there was a man named Kimball (or Gimball - not highest quality recording) who was confused all the time.
Why was it necessary ...
... for the origin of Douglas' character name to be excised. I always thought that it was both humorous and exemplary of the "surreal" nature of the show. Rlquall 13:32, 10 May 2006 (UTC)
- It was put in the link to his name. That seems a reasonable place for it?
Reunion Special
In the 1990 reunion special, the girl who raised Arnold was not the Ziffels' daughter, she was their niece. And I think it was established in the special that this Arnold the pig was not the "original" character from the series. At one point Arnold is missing, and Daisy goes to file a police report. The police officer (thinking that she's reporting a missing person) asks how old Arnold is. She replies "11" or something like that. We are left to assume that either the Ziffels "adopted" more than one pig named Arnold, or that Daisy decided to get a pig of her own and named him after the original.
- On the other hand, time could have moved slower than in real life.
Green Acres a CBS Paramount series?
I think Sony Pictures Television should hand the rights to Green Acres to CBS Paramount Television. Here are the reasons:
- 1. It was a spinoff of Petticoat Junction.
- 2. Sony Pictures Television is a bad distribution company.
Green Acres shouldn't be a victim of SPT anymore! Jim856796 22:48, 31 May 2006 (UTC)
Last aired?
TV.com lists September 1, 1971 as the last air date, but gives April 27, 1971 as the air date of the last episode. We had April 27 as the last air date, but an anonymous editor has changed that to September 7. Anyone have a definitive source? --Rizzleboffin 23:21, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
- I'm thinking these are the dates of the last new episode aired and the last rerun on CBS which would be the last air date as part of the first run not in syndication.
- 75.33.81.219 09:51, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
Pulp Fiction reference?
I'm not quite sure about this, but isn't there a reference to Green Acres in Pulp Fiction, when the vegetarian hitman played by Sam Jackson explains that he would eat pigs if only they had better personality? I think they refer to Arnold later on...
- That's right, he says: "Well we'd have to be talkin' about one charmin' motherfuckin' pig. I mean he'd have to be ten times more charmin' than that Arnold on Green Acres, you know what I'm sayin'?" in a conversation about "filthy animals". 80.171.72.196 (talk) 15:04, 20 February 2008 (UTC)
That Telephone Pole
But there were times when it appeared that Oliver wasn't entirely sane either, such as renting a rooster and climbing up and down a telephone pole to make or receive phone calls.
The reason for this was because the engineers who installed his telephone ran out of cable and were unable to bring it all the way into the house however subsequent reruns of the series on many TV stations were often out of sequence (often with episodes missing) so the reason for this and other bizzare behaviour was never made clear to many viewers. 80.229.222.48 15:12, 12 August 2007 (UTC)
- Agreed, the absurdity is no one lengthening the phone line by a few feet. It's not evidence of insanity, once it's given that the line can't be extended.
- There are other good examples, like the episode where Oliver has conversations with a man who's many years dead, and who only he can see?
Fourth wall...
...it was one of the first American TV series which transgressed the traditional diegetic or fourth wall 'borders' of TV presentation for deliberately humorous effect.
That'll certainly come as news to George Burns. He was breaking the fourth wall on American TV more than a full decade before Green Acres hit the airwaves. 172.164.40.5 (talk) 03:35, 17 December 2007 (UTC)
- What was startling (and is still startling) is the surreal method used to break the fourth wall. In theater, often this simply means an actor breaking out of character and speaking directly to the audience. What Green Acres did was surreal: Having a credit inexplicably appear on Haney's pulldown sign, or on a TV set that a character was watching, so that only that one person was aware of it (while the others have no idea it's been there). It's not just playing with the credits was peculiar (this was common enough in movies and cartoons), it was the credits' unreal non-objective nature.
Cancellation reason
My recollection is that advertisers' shift toward a youth-oriented market was largely based on a study that was later found to have used invalid assumptions. I believe a book was written about this, but I'm sure it's mentioned in academic papers. The bad assumption -- I'm barely remembering this -- was something like "Teens have big allowances, but no financial commitments, therefore their disposable income is greater than that of adults." Apparently, as I remember, if the study had actually checked a cross-section of the population, it's senior citizens who have the largest disposable income. I hope somebody in advertising can fill this story out.
At any rate, it suggests the Green Acres cancellation was a financial (at least) misstep, due to advertisers' misperceptions.
Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (talk) 01:38, 22 April 2008 (UTC)
Running gags/Plot hole
- A running gag is that Hooterville is so remote that not only can it only be seen on a map if a fly is not standing on itbut also one time a Air Force Officer has to parachute into Hooterville. This is a plot hole-there is a railroad at Sam Drucker's store and there is also a airport/airplane service-who have never heard of the FAA!-and who while advertise a air route to Washington DC-but end up in PAris! Another plot hole was when Hank Kimball marries "Ralph" Monroe {a woman with a man's name}; although its implied that the marraige will be preformed again-when Sam Drucker gets his licenese renewed-the writers apprently choose not to focus on the crazy Kimball household-Hank is too scatterbrained and "Ralph" never gets anything done right. The only Hootervilles domestic scene-besides the Douglas-are the Zippels. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.53.145.130 (talk) 13:00, 19 July 2008 (UTC)
- Another gag is how out of touch Hooterville is-one epsiode has a election sign that says "Vote for Coolidge"! In another episode there is the remark Herbert Hoover is still President!—Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.53.145.136 (talk) 17:28, 18 January 2009 (UTC)