A real "sign of the times" episode as the series entered it's 8th season, and still doing well in tv ratings.
The show ranked #16 in the Top 20 for the 1969-70 season. Simply amazing, and without fail, due to super sitcom writing by producer Paul Henning, also Dick Wesson, who occasionally appeared in bit roles. All us kids back in the day were addicted to this tv phenom, which kept on going and going.
The storyline here is about change, and with a bit of realism tossed in. All about student protests of the 60s, so Henning put Jethro in the middle of it. This really concerns Jed and Granny, but there's more. What about poor Elly May? She seems to be out of the loop, all alone, and an old maid in her 20s? If you're a long time fan of the show, comes the question, exactly HOW OLD was Elly when the series began eight years earlier? Poetic license 101.
So what to do about Jethro and Elly? Simple. Wave ba' bye to Beverly Hills and head back to the old cabin in the Ozarks. NOT SO FAST... Mr. Drysdale has a stake in all this, especially with Jed's fortune now
rising to 85 million smackers. All about the money, right?
FYI. Paul Henning gave Jed a sizeable increase in his fortune each season ( cost of living?), however, in this season opener, Jed only gained 5 million dollars? Perhaps Paul didn't want to get TOO greedy.
Look for Rob Reiner, playing Mitch, also comedienne Bonnie Boland as a student. Robert M. Leeds took over as director, who would head 50 episodes. Leeds was a veteran of the show, working behind the scenes for years as story editor.
***Wardrobe award goes to Miss Jane (Nancy Kulp), who looks fantastic, always dressed to impress. White is her color. Thanks to Opal Vils, with the show since the beginning. Costumer John S. Perry joined her for the final two seasons. They made a super team.
Don't miss this mini classic. SEASON 8 EPISODE 1 remastered color. According to Amazon, seasosn 6 through 9 are expected to be released on dvd by 2027. Thanks to METV for airing every single episode for years.
