Green Acres: Season 1

TV critics fancy themselves a superior lot; after all, they get to see anything & everything offered up on the "boob-tube" and believe they're the ones blessed with superior taste. But the peculiar history of the series we're dealing with here really makes the rest of us wonder just how much the TV critics were fooling themselves.......and how ultimately useless their profession can often be.There was a genius to the sitcom "Green Acres" that no other series, fore or aft, ever posessed. Comedy is, and always has been, an exact science; and when the peculiar chemistry of this particular show first displayed itself to the viewing public in 1965, millions knew they were witnessing something revolutionary and original. It was a huge ratings hit in its first couple of seasons--but, the critics? Nah, they took it to be just another "Beverly Hillbillies" or "Gomer Pyle" and all that other "mindless" rural comedy fare."Green Acres," though, had its own modus operandus: that of the frustrated Everyman character, being driven slowly out of his mind while existing in a seeming universe of loonies......even his own wife! Mind you, there were some adjustments to be made in this opening season, such as Oliver Wendell Douglas's wife Lisa evolving into a lovable ditz and blending right in with the other citizens of their adopted city of Hooterville, IL: their hired hand Eb, the local con-man (who sold them the farm) Mr. Haney, Sam Drucker the general-store owner, brother-sister carpenter team Alf & Ralph, county agent Hank Kimball (named after a town in Nebraska--betcha none of you city-slickers knew that, did ya?!), and the neighborhood pig farmers Fred & Doris Ziffel, with their "son," Arnold.Eddie Albert--who'll forever be the most underrated actor of all time--allows the viewer to have total sympathy with his Oliver Douglas character; every time he blows his stack, Albert gets a laugh. And you find yourself laughing WITH him more than at him. And Eva Gabor, as Lisa, is simply the Comedy Find Of The Century.....never mind HOW the producers coaxed her into starring in a sitcom (I suppose MONEY TALKS!!!), she's a true sport for imparting comic appeal to her role and playing off perfectly against Albert.It took a little while for the show to REALLY get into high gear and start cranking out the classics: the second, third, fourth and fifth seasons achieved this. The opening season, out of necessity, took some time establishing some rather complex plot points with individual episodes, like the one dealing with the Douglases' phone being on top of a telephone pole; the unfinished bedroom closet rendering their wardrobe potentially vulnerable to overnight theft (not to mention leading one directly to the sleeping couple themselves!!); their electricity being run completely by an old-fashioned generator outdoors; and their outdoor shower. But the first season, happily, has a couple of true classics as well: the season finale, "Uncle Ollie," in which Oliver's visited by his hippie nephew (who refers to hired-man Eb as "Lil' Abner"); and "Sprained Ankle, Country-Style," in which Oliver's laid up after falling through the roof and enduring a heart-wrenching frustration seeing his visitors and well-wishers eating all the food they brought him......just see if you don't make it through this episode without tears creeping from your eyes.Fine presentation from MGM Video, though they COULD'VE differentiated each of the sides on the double-sided discs! I'm pre-ordering the second season now, where the series REALLY hit the heights of classic comedy--in such episodes as "Music To Milk By," "It's So Peaceful In The Country," and "Getting Even With Haney."

Paul Henning was a tv genius.Two of his greatest hits was "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Petticoat Junction" and he was executive producer on this show created by Jay Sommers and scripts written by Sommers and Dick Chevillat.This is a weird, kooky and wonderful show.It's the reverse situation of "Hillbillies" wherein the Douglas's move from an apartment in Park Avenue in New York to a farm in a hick town called Hooterville.Eddie Albert, a very, highly talented actor,who could play any role,comedic,serious,cowardly or menacing to perfection,plays Oliver Wendell Douglas who dreams of leaving the rat race of the big city and owning his own farm.Eva Gabor played his feather-brained wife Lisa,who seemed to fit in well with the Hooterville locals but yearned to be back in the big city with all it's stores.I have only seen Ms Gabor act on this show but,she is cast perfectly.The actors on the show are also perfectly cast.You believe that they are really like the characters they portray. There are the Ralph and Alf Monroe brothers.One is a woman.But it sounds better on their carpentry business.Husband and wife Fred and Doris Ziffel and their son Arnold.A pig. Then there is Mr Haney the country con-man that will sell you anything only to have it break down two seconds after you buy it. Eb Dawson is the help on the farm and is like an adopted son.He see's himself as just that and calls the Douglas's Dad and Mom,which Oliver objects to.Sam Drucker is the local store owner played by Frank Cady and whose character also shows up on "Petticoat Junction" as this is like a companion piece to that show.Hank Kimbell is the bumbling county agent.Last but not least is Arnold the pig.Arnold loves watching TV especially westerns,can write and goes to school.I said this was a kooky show.It also has a great theme song by Vic Mizzy.Their are some ingenious ways the credits appear on screen in some episodes.It has to be seen to be believed.They appear on Lisa's hot cakes,bath robes,towels,even distracting the actors in which one scene Mr Ziffel says let's stop until the credits have rolled as nobody is paying attention to us.There are loads of great wise-cracks in the show like the one where Arnold the pig brings a boy home from the orphanage.Mr Ziffel asks the boy his name in which the boy replies "Pretty Boy Floyd", to which Mr Ziffel replies "We're used to Arnold bringing oddballs home.That's how I met Mrs Ziffel".This show plays like Oliver Wendell Douglas in Wonderland with out of this world plot lines.Watch this with your kids or grand kids.They will love it.They have only released the first three seasons on DVD.It does not look like they will release the final three.Which is a great shame.I think this is one of the greatest shows of all time.And I am in love with a pig named Arnold.

An sich wäre die Serie schön, aber duch den falschen Ländercode konnte ich sie nur auf dem PC anschauen. War nicht so bequem :(

Most people do not know that "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962) led to "Petticoat Junction" (1963) which led to "Green Acres" (1965). And when you think about it, if "The Beverly Hillbillies" is a comedy about rural people moving to the big city then "Green Acres" is just the reverse. It also appears (in my opinion) to be the funniest. My wife was born in Czechoslovakia and never saw "Green Acres" until we were vacationing in Cancun. That is when I got the idea to buy this package as a Christmas stocking stuffer. Season one weighs in at 32 episodes which means you are paying less than a dollar each. The box declares 820 minutes of run time but I can assure you there are at least 820 laughs included.

I saw some of the show back a few years on "sky one" broadcasting in Europe. Its a funny sitcom with much loughs in it. Unforgettable Eva Gabor shouting "Olivaaa" every time there ist a problem or an accident - by the way Eva Gabor is not early Zsa Zsa Gabor as I thought at first.If you like light entertainment back from the good times. thats the one to buyNo subtitels, language english only, unfortunately it seems to be the only season released on region 2 DVDs for the time beeing.

1960年代後半に放映された「農園天国」のDVD。良質な笑いが満載で万人に推薦したい傑作です。いま放映しても評判が出るでしょう。ただこのDVDには日本語の音声はもとより字幕もなし。英語の勉強にはなりました。

I had almost forgotten just how hilarious this underrated old comedy is. Its cast of characters was second to none: Mr. Haney, the wheeling dealing con man(in a sort of modest way); Mr. Kimble, the county farm rep, mumble jumble speak, to name just two. Arnold the Pig doesn't appear much the first season, but already it's apparent all the local hayseeds and even Lisa Douglas understands what he is grunting; except New York Lawyer Oliver Wendel Douglas - hilarious. I have one major complaint with Amazon however - why are seasons 4,5, and 6 not available on DVD?!? This is something that should be addressed by Amazon in the near future.