MUSINGS, PONDERINGS, RUMINATIONS AND FANCIES

[txfilmfan]

WHTV on the DirecTV lineup runs the same episodes of Petticoat Junction on Sundays, without ever changing them. They've done so for
a year or so. Not sure what the reason is, it's just plain weird.

Likely they are showing episodes that are public domain. Several sitcoms had episodes lapse into PD due to various reasons - usually incorrect or missing copyright notice on their title screens (same thing that happened to the film Charade) or failure to renew the copyright. The US copyright law in force in the 60s required a proper copyright notice. That's no longer the case, as I understand it.

The Andy Griffith Show, The Lucy Show, The Beverly Hillbillies and others have episodes that are PD. They used to pop up on low-rent satellite and cable stations. Now they are all over the streaming universe. I ran across an episode of TAGS on one of these about 15 years ago on some forgotten cable network, but the theme music and background music had been swapped out for something else. I learned about the PD issue on a TAGS forum. Even though the episode itself is PD, the music was still under copyright, so whoever was distributing the PD episodes was required to change out the music.

Can't vouch for the accuracy of this website's listings, but here is a list of the PJ PD episodes, according to them:

https://www.fesfilms.com/public-domain/ ... n/pet.html

[Dargo]

...Fredonia is also in Western New York, but in common parlance, it too would be regarded as upstate. I'm not sure where Sylvania is.

To be honest here Swithin, I'm not sure where Sylvania is either, but I've heard it's nearly a..ahem.."mirror image" of Freedonia...

[Andree]

The same episodes of Petticoat Junction over and over? Talk about torture!

It's not too bad. Uncle Joe is always worth a laugh. But after the second run through it's a bit much.

[Andree]

LOL

Well, I DO have to admit that in my view there really was only one reason to ever watch that hayseed show.

And that being able to feast my adoring young eyes upon Miss Lori Saunders here...

They keep showing about the first half of the first season when Pat Woodell played Bobbie Jo as a bookworm who had
a minimum of interest in boys. Lori Saunders changed the character quite a bit. Another strange thing is that
WHTV stands for World Harvest Television, which is a religious station. Not sure why they run PJ. Got three sexy gals
skinny dipping and the lyrics Lots of curves you bet/Even more when you get to the junction. They ain't talking
about the railroad tracks.

[Andree]

What part of Westchester? I had family all over the county. I don't remember Entenmann's in Westchester (I do remember it in NYC). I remember home delivery of Dugan's Cupcakes in Westchester.

Hawthorne, a fairly small town. I was just a kid, but I'm guessing that Grandpa worked for AT&T in White Plains.
Wherever I first came across Entenmann's crumb cake, I was hooked. I had one a few weeks ago, still delicious,
though like many grocery items it's been "downsized."

[Andree]

Westchester is not upstate. You have to get to the 518 area code to get to Upstate New York.

They moved to Staten Island then Westchester from Upstate, specifically the Amsterdam area.

[Andree]

Likely they are showing episodes that are public domain. Several sitcoms had episodes lapse into PD due to various reasons - usually incorrect or missing copyright notice on their title screens (same thing that happened to the film Charade) or failure to renew the copyright. The US copyright law in force in the 60s required a proper copyright notice. That's no longer the case, as I understand it.

The Andy Griffith Show, The Lucy Show, The Beverly Hillbillies and others have episodes that are PD. They used to pop up on low-rent satellite and cable stations. Now they are all over the streaming universe. I ran across an episode of TAGS on one of these about 15 years ago on some forgotten cable network, but the theme music and background music had been swapped out for something else. I learned about the PD issue on a TAGS forum. Even though the episode itself is PD, the music was still under copyright, so whoever was distributing the PD episodes was required to change out the music.

Can't vouch for the accuracy of this website's listings, but here is a list of the PJ PD episodes, according to them:

https://www.fesfilms.com/public-domain/ ... n/pet.html

I didn't even think of public domain, but that's the reason. These are the episodes that WHTV runs over and over
again, though the theme music is the same as the original episodes. Sounds like a good deal. They pay little for
them and still get the ad revenue, though the viewing audience can't be that large. Maybe that's where the harvest
comes in. Thanks for the info.

[Dargo]

What part of Westchester? I had family all over the county. I don't remember Entenmann's in Westchester (I do remember it in NYC). I remember home delivery of Dugan's Cupcakes in Westchester.

Hawthorne, a fairly small town. I was just a kid, but I'm guessing that Grandpa worked for AT&T in White Plains.
Wherever I first came across Entenmann's crumb cake, I was hooked. I had one a few weeks ago, still delicious,
though like many grocery items it's been "downsized."

Wait! "Hawthorne" ya say, Andree?

So, did you ever run into any of the Beach Boys???

(...oh wait...never mind...wrong coast)

[Swithin]

What part of Westchester? I had family all over the county. I don't remember Entenmann's in Westchester (I do remember it in NYC). I remember home delivery of Dugan's Cupcakes in Westchester.

Hawthorne, a fairly small town. I was just a kid, but I'm guessing that Grandpa worked for AT&T in White Plains.
Wherever I first came across Entenmann's crumb cake, I was hooked. I had one a few weeks ago, still delicious,
though like many grocery items it's been "downsized."

My mother, grandmother, aunt, two uncles, great uncle and other family members rest in cemeteries in Hawthorne. Several of my family members lived in North White Plains, a town I know well. I saw the town of White Plains grow into a moderate-sized city over the years. One uncle lived in Port Chester. He was a conductor on the New Haven Railroad.

My cousins and I often went to movies in White Plains. Once we saw Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Vincent Price, who came to a screening of one of their films.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

They keep showing about the first half of the first season when Pat Woodell played Bobbie Jo as a bookworm who had
a minimum of interest in boys. Lori Saunders changed the character quite a bit. Another strange thing is that
WHTV stands for World Harvest Television, which is a religious station. Not sure why they run PJ. Got three sexy gals
skinny dipping and the lyrics Lots of curves you bet/Even more when you get to the junction. They ain't talking
about the railroad tracks.

That's true, Lori Saunders brought a much better comic timing to her role as the now ditzy brunette Bobbie Jo.

In the other roles, Jeannine Riley was the first cast as blonde Billie Jo, she was the sexy, boy crazy one and my favorite of the ones who played the role. Gunilla Hutton replaced her for a short time, I can't recall anything she brought to the role, other than her beauty. Meredith MacRae was the third and last Billie Jo, her character was very mature and serious.

Linda Kaye was the only actress to play the tomboy redhead Betty Jo.

[Bronxgirl48]

Poor Glynis Johns, CI, I can just imagine. But I would like to think Glynis was as delightful in real life as she was in her films and so perhaps charmed the likes of Stewy and Sexy Rexy.

Dargo, it's so odd but I actually don't remember a single episode of F Troop! Maybe because I never watched it religiously like I did Bewitched (my all-time favorite sitcom). I do, however, have fond memories of Larry Storch. (his brother whose name I can't come up with was the guy who did those celebrity impressions in STALAG 17)

[txfilmfan]

Poor Glynis Johns, CI, I can just imagine. But I would like to think Glynis was as delightful in real life as she was in her films and so perhaps charmed the likes of Stewy and Sexy Rexy.

Ms. Johns is still with us. Her 100th birthday will be on 5 October 2023.

[Bronxgirl48]

Thanks for sharing that news about Glynis, txfilmfan! A lovely actress who I think was also a sex symbol of 1950's British cinema. (I also cannot forget Johns in the creepy CABINET OF CALIGARI, which still gives chills up my spine whenever I have the nerve to watch)

[jamesjazzguitar]

Thanks for sharing that news about Glynis, txfilmfan! A lovely actress who I think was also a sex symbol of 1950's British cinema. (I also cannot forget Johns in the creepy CABINET OF CALIGARI, which still gives chills up my spine whenever I have the nerve to watch)

Hopefully Glynis doesn't still have nightmares about working with Harrison and Granger!

[Hibi]

Poor Glynis Johns, CI, I can just imagine. But I would like to think Glynis was as delightful in real life as she was in her films and so perhaps charmed the likes of Stewy and Sexy Rexy.

Ms. Johns is still with us. Her 100th birthday will be on 5 October 2023.

Wow. I knew she was still alive but not that old. Quite an achievement! Last I heard she was living in some retirement home in the LA area.