Petticoat Junction

- Season 5

(1967)

The family is awaiting the return of Betty Jo, who has been traveling through Europe for the past three months. The trip was a graduation present from Kate's cousin Mae. Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo believe that the trip probably has changed Betty Jo, who will not want to see all her childhood belongings that Kate has so prominently displayed in Betty Jo's bedroom. Kate, in this act of decorating Betty Jo's room, doesn't think anything, even this exciting trip, will have changed Betty Jo. But Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo are right. Accompanying Betty Jo from New York City are ...

Betty Jo is feeling like she's at that stage of her life where she needs to learn how to cook to snag a husband. Beyond the snagging a husband part, Kate agrees and offers to teach Betty Jo. But Betty Jo may be on her own after Kate, who sees one of Billie Jo's costumes for her nightclub act at the Flamingo Room, demands to go with Billie Jo to provide her first hand motherly critique of Billie Jo's career. Kate can't help but be the typical stage mother in trying to protect Billie Jo. But Kate may have bigger issues with which to deal when she telephones home to see ...

Betty Jo has been receiving a large number of very expensive floral bouquets, all the associated cards signed solely "From an Admirer". Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo believe that the sender is probably one of the many boys she met on her travels, especially those in New York. However, Betty Jo's surprising admirer does eventually make himself known to Betty Jo and the rest of the family. He is neither who Betty Jo expected or wanted and she has to try to let him down easy. Against Kate's wishes, Bobbie Jo suggests to Betty Jo that she come up with someone to act as her ...

While flying back from Springdale, Steve and Betty Jo are caught in an unexpected thunderstorm. Although there were some tense moments - for both those up in the air and those on the ground waiting for them - Steve and Betty Jo make it down safely. The emotions from their experience together throw Steve and Betty Jo into each others' arms, which turns into one of the first expressions that they are falling in love with each other. Betty Jo confides her feelings for Steve to her mother, who cautions her to take a wait and see approach and not jump to conclusions about ...

Uncle Joe tells Kate that he believes that it is inevitable that Steve and Betty Jo will get married sooner than later. Steve implies as much to her that he does intend to marry Betty Jo. Kate doesn't know what to think as she still sees Betty Jo as her little girl. After a chat with Sam, who ends up being her voice of reason, Kate decides to give Steve her blessing to propose. That's just the first hurdle for Steve, who is pretty sure that Betty Jo will say yes, but there still is that small part of him that is scared she'll say no. So Steve and Kate, without telling...

Secluded in the woods near Pixley and literally a stone's throw away from the rail line, Betty Jo has found what she believes is the perfect house for herself and Steve for after their marriage. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder as once Betty Jo is able to locate the house once again to show Steve and Kate, all Steve and Kate can see in the building is an old, dilapidated shack, and one that has no bathroom to boot. Steve wants to be supportive of Betty Jo's dream - which in this case is a difficult thing to do - so he makes an off the cuff comment about the up...

Floyd is in love. Because he's so shy, he doesn't want anyone to know just in case it doesn't work out. He eventually confides in Kate, but doesn't mention who the girl is, not wanting to jinx the situation. Even after it looks like Floyd has proposed and the girl accepted, he doesn't divulge who she is. After he asks Steve for an unusual and huge favor, everyone at the Shady Rest is more curious than ever about who the girl is. Uncle Joe, who once took a private investigator's course, believes he can uncover the identity of the mystery girl. One key piece of evidence...

Steve and Betty Jo's wedding is fast approaching. They are working hard trying to complete the renovations on their cottage by the time of the wedding, which is a tall order. Thrown into the mix is a letter from Steve's parents, Mr. & Mrs. Donald Elliott, who have decided imminently to stop by Hooterville on their way to a business meeting. Although Steve doesn't see their visit as a big deal and although their letter states that the Bradleys should not make a fuss, Betty Jo is freaked by one other line in the letter: "We just want to meet your Betty Jo, have one of ...

On a trip into Riverdale, Betty Jo finds what she thinks is the perfect wedding dress, which she takes back to Shady Rest to show Kate for approval. What Betty Jo is unaware of is that Uncle Joe has bought her a wedding dress himself, that in a country style with a big sunflower emblazoned on the front. Also upon her arrival, Kate's cousin Mae comes bearing another wedding dress for Betty Jo, a mini dress off the fashion runways of Paris, complete with white high heeled boots. Neither Uncle Joe or Cousin Mae are aware that Betty Jo has bought her own dress. As much as...

Sam receives a cablegram for Kate from Betty Jo and Steve on the cruise ship as they're sailing to Hawaii for their honeymoon. The cablegram has perhaps the biggest news the valley has ever seen in its communications history: Betty Jo and Steve will be telephoning at 4pm the following day from Hawaii. The previous long distance telephone record into the valley was from Uncle Joe in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Kate and the family are excited about the news, with Kate and Sam doing whatever they can to ensure that there are no interruptions or obstacles for the telephone ...

It's Kate's birthday. Even though she is grateful for all the presents and the birthday sentiments - even the less than friendly one from Selma - she feels like one is missing, specifically from Betty Jo and Steve who are still on their honeymoon in Hawaii. Kate would have thought that they would have sent a present or a greeting of some sort on this day. But as the mail comes and goes with no gift from the honeymooners and as the day goes on with no word, Kate is empty handed but still can't believe the two would have forgotten her birthday. Neither can Uncle Joe and...

Steve and Betty Jo are back from their honeymoon and have settled into their cottage. Betty Jo is still in honeymoon phase in her mind, she who feels that she and Steve will always be in love and never have a fight. She doesn't want Steve to go to work, but since he has to, she wants to spend every other moment of his free time with him. Steve is equally still in honeymoon phase, he who wants to buy Betty Jo a three week anniversary present. So when Billie Jo announces that she got a gig for the Bradley sisters to sing at a show on Saturday night, Betty Jo has to ...

Kate receives a sickeningly sweet letter from Homer Bedloe stating that he will be imminently arriving at the Shady Rest for a few days stay. Kate knows that the sweeter the letter, the more sour the reason for Bedloe's visit. Upon his arrival, Bedloe is as sweet as his letter. He does tell Kate that the reason for his visit is that a valuable race horse is being transported from Hooterville to Pixley on the Cannonball and he wants to be on hand to make sure all goes smoothly with the job. Upon his arrival at the Shady Rest, Ray Rogers, the race horse owner, further ...

Kate is livid. She received a traffic ticket for jaywalking against the new traffic light in Pixley. She refuses to pay the $2 fine as her assertion is that the traffic light, which is supposed to be in operation only peak hours, was in operation during a non-peak time when she crossed against the light. So she decides to take the case to court. Besides her family, Kate, in the court of public opinion, finds that most of the people in the valley, even her friends like Sam, Floyd and even Steve, believe she's in the wrong. With the case, Kate goes back to Pixley to try...

Billie Jo and Uncle Joe, who accompanied his niece, have just arrived back from Omaha, where Billie Jo had a singing engagement. Beyond Billie Jo's singing success, Uncle Joe can't help but tell of his exciting news from their stay at the fancy Omaha hotel. He applied for the Shady Rest to be listed in the Master Plan hotel directory, membership in which costs $50 just for the application. Uncle Joe figures they can get more than that money back back from the throngs of guests who learned about them from the directory. Although this scheme seems like just another of ...

Uncle Joe's latest scheme has him keeping bees, which he figures will be his most lucrative business ever. Needing some initial capital, he turns to his "business partner" Steve, who lends him $25 that he and Betty Jo set aside as mad money. This action leads to problems between Steve and Betty Jo, who made a pact never to lie to each other and always tell each other everything in an effort never to argue. With a little help from Kate, Steve and Betty Jo are able to weather this minor storm. But that storm reignites itself after some insect misidentification by Uncle ...

Having a joint checking account is causing problems for Steve and Betty Jo. Betty Jo is writing checks faster than Steve is putting money into the account, which leads to the account being overdrawn. They make a deal: Betty Jo will not spend any more money for a month. What Betty Jo doesn't tell Steve when she accepts the agreement is that she has already purchased an extremely long sofa for $100 from Agnew's Furniture Store. She's certain he'll love it once he sees it. The problem ends up being that the extremely long sofa doesn't fit in their tiny living room unless...

An excited Bobbie Jo passes on the news that she and the man of her dreams, journalism graduate student Jeff Powers, will be working on a newspaper together... perhaps. In lieu of a term paper for her journalism class, the professor has allowed students to put out an existing newspaper for a week if they can find an editor of one that will allow them to do so. Bobbie Jo is hoping Kate will ask Sam for her if she and Jeff can be the editors of the Hooterville World Guardian for the week. Kate and Bobbie Jo are surprised that Sam is more than willing to hand over the ...

J.P. Marshall, an industrialist who recently bought much of the farm land in the valley, has checked into the hotel. Uncle Joe sees his stay as an opportunity to secure the lucrative crop dusting contract for his fields. This news will be welcome for Steve and Betty Jo, as Steve lost his latest contract due to not wanting to kowtow to the client anymore, which in turn has turned the color of their books from black to red. Uncle Joe convinces Steve to do whatever Marshall wants to secure the contract. When Steve agrees, he didn't think there would be any difficulties ...

Uncle Joe's founded and led barbershop quartet - whose other members are Sam, Floyd and Newt - have entered the Winter Festival competition. Uncle Joe comes to the conclusion that their ability to win is being hindered by one member who is singing a bunch of clunker notes. After some investigation and deduction, they realize that the offending member is Joe himself. After a discussion with Sam, Joe decides to step aside if they can find somebody to replace him. He figures they won't be able to replace irreplaceable him. He's wrong as they quickly find Grampa Jenson to...

Everyone at the hotel is worried since Dog has been gone for most of the day, the longest he's been away. Unknown to them, he ran off to Betty Jo and Steve's. When Betty Jo brings him back to the hotel later in the afternoon, Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo are angry that Betty Jo didn't send him back sooner since the hotel is his home. Betty Jo doesn't take too kindly to their insinuation that Dog does not equally belong to her, especially as Dog's entry into the Bradley clan was when he followed Betty Jo home. The sisters' feud doesn't stop Dog from going where ever he ...

Florabelle Campbell, the valley's bombshell during Uncle Joe's growing up period, is coming to stay at the Shady Rest. News of her visit quickly spreads among her former courters, including Uncle Joe, Sam and Ralph. They all believe that they can rekindle their respective courtships with Florabelle. Uncle Joe and Sam in particular feel that they are in competition for Florabelle's affections, and will do whatever they can to gain the upper hand in Florabelle's heart. Their perceptions and the reality of Florabelle's visit end up being two totally separate things. A ...

While Kate is away, Uncle Joe has been left to manage the hotel. Beyond the regular maintenance and cleaning duties, one of the administrative things that Uncle Joe believes needs to be done is to collect rent from their guests. Their only guest is 'Old Man' Bill Clayton, who Kate allowed to stay despite he having no money. Her implied want is for the family to treat him like a regular guest while she's gone. However, Uncle Joe has every intention on collecting his rent or kicking him out. Uncle Joe ultimately changes his mind, but Mr. Clayton sees the hotel bill in ...

Billie Jo is ecstatic that her first 45 has been produced. The record company has plans to market it heavily, which evokes mixed emotions in Billie Jo. She is excited about her recording career potentially going through the roof, but is worried that she, as a personality, won't be exciting enough either for the press agent, Ted Swift, or the record buying public. Indeed, Swift is less than enthralled by life at the Shady Rest as a means to market Billie Jo. Eventually, Swift wants to market Billie Jo as a glamorous and sophisticated pampered southern belle, with the ...

Life at the Shady Rest is going well despite Kate's absence. In fact, the hotel is all full. But things look to go downhill when the girls and Uncle Joe receive a letter from Cousin Mae, who is planning on "flittin'" by to take charge, since all, in her mind, is probably falling apart in Kate's absence. Cousin Mae's meddling quickly wreaks havoc for all concerned, from the hotel's relationship with Drucker's Store, to Steve and Betty Jo's remodeling plan for the cottage, to Bobbie Jo's love life with Jeff, to Billie Jo's singing career. In the middle of the "Mae" ...

Jeff, the local newspaper reporter, is looking for a story. A series of robberies begin, starting with Sam Drucker's store. Uncle Joe, Aunt Helen and the girls realize the robber is staying with them at the Shady Rest.

The Cannonball arrives into the Shady Rest stop an hour early with two associated distresses: a "For Sale" sign, and Homer Bedloe. A week Thursday, the Cannonball will go to the highest bidder, with one bid already having come in from a junk dealer who wants it for scrap. Bedloe further tells them that the sale is out of his hands as the C & FW Railroad has been sold to the H. Greene Company, who is behind the sale and who has fewer scruples than Bedloe himself. The people of the valley decide to try and raise money in whatever way they can to outbid the junk dealer, ...

Sam has decided to remodel the general store, so it will be closed, for the first time ever, for five days while Sam heads off on vacation. After contemplating where to go, Sam decides on what he considers the most hospitable place he can imagine: the Shady Rest. Joe is excited to be able to spend all this time with his best friend, he even thinking about putting an extra bed in his room so that they can bunk together. But what Joe doesn't account for is that Sam may have plans of his own. Even though Sam does plan on hanging out with Joe doing their guy stuff, Sam ...

Betty Jo is celebrating Steve's return from a crop dusting convention in Cleveland - this trip marking the first time ever they've been separated overnight as a married couple - with a large homecoming party. But what seems to be the hottest topic that everyone wants to talk about but won't is that Steve comes home not wearing his wedding ring. Betty Jo later learns that Steve was not not wearing his ring to "play the field" while at the convention, but rather took it off to get it engraved, which Betty Jo had been wanting him to do for some time. Based on this ...

The people of Hooterville receive news that Kate is finally on her way home. That's when the arguments begin about where her official welcoming celebration will take place and who will preside over such an event. Mayor Potts wants to preside over it at a downtown location. Sam wants to preside over it outside his store. Selma wants to preside over it in her garden. And Joe wants to preside over it at the Shady Rest. With hours left before Kate's scheduled arrival, concurrent preparations are being made by each of the organizing parties, with the most important part of...