Talk:Hooterville

Location
The Shady Rest wasn't really in town, was it? Wasn't it down the rail line from time? RickK 00:49, Nov 18, 2004 (UTC)

A "junction" would not necessarily be in a town. It is simply a place where there would be one or more switch tracks that are not sidings or short industrial spurs. The Shady Rest is likely located where the Pixley/Hooterville sub leaves the C&FW main line. (TLM) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jepstr67 (talk • contribs) 22:11, 24 February 2018 (UTC)

No it wasnt. According to an episode of Petticoat Junction the hotel is 25 miles down the tracks. User:68.187.211.69 04:09, 10 March 2006 (UTC)
 * I don't know about that, but the song says there's a little hotel called the Shady Rest, AT the junction, not 25 miles from it. Wahkeenah 04:32, 10 March 2006 (UTC)

The episode is "Last Chance Farm" where Uncle Joe tries to convince two women that the Shady Rest is a weight reducing farm. He tells them upon meeting them at the station "I know a reducing farm 25 miles from here..."

Hooterville, Where?
There should probably be a section discussing where exactly Hooterville was. I've heard Tennessee alot, and the landscape looks like some parts of Tennessee. I've also heard Missouri, and Arkansas. Someone should research the different claims about where it is and make a section discussing it. (As an aside, I would vote to say it was to be in Tennessee.)

You could make a distinction from where it was "set" (which is the question you are asking) vs. where it actually "was", which was obviously mostly on a Hollywood soundstage. It would be interesting to explore where the outdoor set pieces were filmed. As to where it was "set", I wonder if there is any "official" literature on the matter. The odd thing is that, although it looked as if it were set in the south, very few of the actors effected or had southern accents, as I recall. That would suggest somewhere in the midwest, like Iowa. Wahkeenah 17:35, 21 August 2005 (UTC)Their is an actual Hooterville in Perry county, Kentucky. Perry county is located in eastern Kentucky.

I tried the (semi) official Green Acres website, which had a discussion, but nothing really official. As for it being in the South, I live in the south, and I never have seen a part of the country so flat. I believe west Tennessee or Arkansas come close, but Iowa sounds actually like a more likely suspect. (Note:The Clampett family from The Beverly Hillbilles were related to the family who lived at the Hooterville hotel, and supposedly, and semi-officialy (from some Buddy Ebsen interview I believe), they were from the Ozark area of Missouri. I guess we'll never know for sure though..)

"Somewhere near the Ozarks" for the setting is probably a good bet. In fact, the typical attitude of the New York and Hollywood types is that everything in between is all "somewhere near the Ozarks". Hence the generic "hick" quality to the whole thing. It was to the networks great horror that these shows were so successful. It turns out us "hicks" actually had them new-fangled TV sets, don'cha know. Wahkeenah 23:17, 26 August 2005 (UTC)

In regard to the town's name being a sly joke, this is also reinforced in the first episode of "Green Acres": When Lisa Douglas first hears the name of the town, she mispronounces it "Hootersville". The laugh track appeared to play it as due to her thick accent. (Anonymous User, but I remember the original tv ads for Green Acres including this clip in the commercial. Comment made 17 September 2005)

It was east of the Mississippi because the local TV station was "W"PIX. User:24.177.27.227 00:02, 18 March 2006 (UTC)
 * WHO in DesMoines is west of the Mississippi. Wahkeenah 00:13, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

Just figure somewhere 300 miles from Chicogo. That could be Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky Missouri, Iowa, or Wisconsin. I say the best bet is Missouri, because it was implied that the Beverly Hillbilles were from the Ozarks and they knew those from Petticoat Junction. March 27, 2006 (Note: The Beverly Hillbillies were from "The hills of Tennessee", the Great Smoky Mountain region. That's nowhere near the Ozarks.)


 * Technically, they weren't from anywhere except the imaginations of their creators, and that fact combined with filming in locations convenient to Hollywood accounts for continuity questions. Wahkeenah 03:02, 28 March 2006 (UTC)

I know that I just mean where in the fictional universe did they come from. March 28, 2006


 * The whole section on "Where is Hooterville" seems to miss the point. Depending on which ep of which series you saw, it could have been in MO, AR, TN, or KY.  Either the writers were messing with the audience, like the writers of The Simpsons regularly do wrt in which state "Springfield" is located, or like most coastal folks, the writers conflated all of fly-over land into one amorphous blob of hickness.  In any case, to lead off with saying that Hooterville is in or near IL is misleading. 68.73.94.131 (talk) 21:49, 28 May 2008 (UTC)


 * * I agree, the show was deliberately absurdest and nonsensical, and so was its setting. None of the distances make any sense compared to one another.  In addition to what's already been mentioned Oklahoma has also been referenced in the three series; Tulsa has been mentioned in The Beverly Hillbillies on occasion, and in one of the Green Acres TV movies that aired decades later the areacode for Hooterville was given as "918 and a half" (918 is the areacode for Tulsa).  Finally to add to the general absurdity of it all if the state capital is really 500 miles away that leaves pretty much only Texas as a state in the area that could physically support those distances.  In all likelihood the writers were just having some fun with people, or maybe were concerned that if they placed the wacky world of Hooterville in an actual state that the viewers in that state might take offense.  The article probably needs to focus more on the absurdest aspect of it all, and that it was roughly inspired by the creator's early trips to Missouri.  Okguy (talk) 05:08, 3 January 2011 (UTC)

Hi! "Petticoat Junction", "Green Acres", and "The Beverly Hillbillies", become even more absurdest when you account for the other crossover factors so far not mentioned here. (Please go to "Thom Holbrook's Crossovers & Spin-Offs" if you want to read all about it yourselves.)The episode "Wings Over Hooterville" crossover connected "Green Acres" to "Hogan's Heroes". "Colonel Klink" went on to appear in an episode of, "Batman". Thus far you can read that for yourselves at Thom's pages. However, Thom won't mention the following, as it doesn't pertain to television. However, I will! Because of that crossover link to the "Batman" television series, there is a link the "DC Universe" in general! For at one time in Real Life, their canon policy stated that every mainstream DC character is connected because their universes can be traveled to via dimensional portals, including the television and movie versions. For example, there's a panel depicting Cathy Leey Crosby's "Wonder Woman" standing next to Lynda Carter's "Wonder Woman" in a panel of one of the "Crisis" issues that depicts a super grouping of every character ever created trying to be shown on one page. However with the ending of that crisis, the portals are sealed off. But that's the policy of an editor/publisher who could be replaced. But in the meantime, the point is, as Magic exists in the DC Universe, including breaking the 4th Wall like "Ambush Bug" does, that would go towards helping a whole lot to explain the "mystery" of the location of Hooterville, et al. Since I recall "Green Acres" characters breaking the 4th Wall, I'd say that fits in well. Shoot, even without the Crossovers, breaking the 4th Wall serves to explain the absurdest, or should that be, "Absurdest"?, humor! By the way, try watching "Days of our Lives" and trying to determine where they set "Salem, USA"! It started out as supposednly being the Salem, Massachusetts. But then it became close to Chicago in later years. Vivian and Victor got married in "Salem, New York" I think if I recall the marriage license correctly, but got divorced in "Salem, Arizona" according to their divorce papers! So go figure! At leaste Hooterville didn't end up being merely part of some boy's autistic fantasy world as the shows connected to "St. Elsewhere" became, including the latest "Law & Order: Los Angeles". Every show related to that whole mess may as well be cancelled too, but I digress I guess. LeoStarDragon1 (talk) 07:02, 12 July 2011 (UTC)

Anybody try listening to the old Granby's Green Acres radio show from the early '50s? The show was produced, directed and written by Jay Sommers, who wrote and produced a third of the Green Acres episodes. Maybe there's some clues in listening to that.

County Seat
Pixley was not the county seat. In "Olliver Buys A Farm" when explaining how to get to Hooterville he says "You fly from Chicogo, change planes twice, take a bus from the county seat to Pixley". In "Give Me Land Lots of Land" his neighbor (I dont remember the name right off" tells him that him and his wife are going to go to Pixley then drive over to the county seat". In "Sprained Ankle Country Style" the man on WPIXL mentions the county seat television station. March 28, 2006

I always heard Tennessee but I dont know if there is a Springfield in Tennesse ao it is probally in Illinois. As the user above stated the call letter is W for TV and radio media so it is east of the Mississippi River matt wilson 03:09, 8 September 2006 (UTC)


 * TV and radio exist west of the Mississippi as well. The W indicates nothing.--66.41.154.0 (talk) 19:54, 24 April 2014 (UTC)

Distance to Pixley
It was 25 miles from Hooterville to the Shady Rest. It was also said that the Shady Rest is halfway between Hooterville and Pixley. So it was another 25 miles to Pixley. So that means it is 50 miles from Hooterville to Pixley.

Maybe, but most of the episodes imply Pixley is much closer. For example, an entire episode of Green Acres was about how the Douglas farm straddled the Pixley/Hooterville border (How to Get from Hooterville to Pixley Without Moving (1968)). Also, many episodes on Petticoat Junction as well as Green Acres show characters making short trips to Pixley. Although I don't disagree with the accuracy of the above comment, I think it is most likely due to an inconsistency. Most of the time Pixley is implied to be much closer, more like 5 miles than 50. 24.214.57.91 02:36, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

Note on Distances
The distance to Chicogo is stated in "Water, Water Everywhere". A sign was seen in "The Price of Apples" that said the state capital was 500 miles away. Th Pixley distance is noted above. Crabwell Corners is an estimate from various things stated. Bug Tussle is from the "The Beverly Hillbilles" and it was said the town was 25 miles from Hooterville.

Shady Rest
The Shady Rest was at Petticoat Junction and supposedly about 25 miles out of Town from Hooterville.

An aside note, I read somewhere earlier that the Cannon Ball ran from Hooterville to Pixley, but if I remember correctly it ran from Pixley to Bugtussel with a stop in Hooterville.

Tagging Inspiration section for cleanup
I didn't tag this section for quality or claims, but I'll agree, and be specific:


 * This section focuses on the inspiration for the name, rather than the inspiration for the whole town, which is a characture of rural America. It WOULD be worthwhile explaining where the various concepts for the town came from. (The social role of the store, the city meetings, the role of the Department of Agriculture.)


 * The fact the name means "Breastown" is about good enough for a clause at most. That Lisa in "Green Acres" regularly refers to it as "Hootersville" (plural) is about all that needs to be written.


 * Linda Kay Henning is wrong in saying the word "hooters" was not well known in the 1960s. The implication was clear in the 1960s even to children.


 * The overt voyeur pandering aspects of the "Petticoat Junction" girls / theme song were often regarded with contempt. (I.e., again, it was well-recognized.) This was commented on in the press. It shouldn't be hard to find references. If necessary.


 * It doesn't seem important to note "this was as sexy as it got" in 60s TV. That's arguable. And it's strictly a US POV.


 * The sentence about Ellie May and the Beverly Hillbillies is irrelevant.

24.130.19.192 (talk) 02:28, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

Indication of Need to Get Life?
I love contributing to WP as much as anyone else—but really, agonizing for hours over the theoretical details of a fictional town in a sitcom whose very creators didn't bother to clarify them? I'm just thinking some of you may need to get out more.

Might I suggest that, in sitcoms, omitting the exact locations, populations, and other specifics of neighboring communities is a deliberate comedic device, and that trying to nail down said details is not only contrary to the original Intention of Goofiness, but drags the otherwise noble Wikipedia project down into the realm of the übertrivial? Wouldn't it be sufficient to put one's hand to one's chin, mutter "Fascinating," then go off and do something really useful, like alphabetizing one's canned goods?

I'll second THAT emotion! (And here I thought I was the only one thinking that!) [signed] FLORIDA BRYAN  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:3:1000:5B1:9227:E4FF:FEF0:BBDE (talk) 07:46, 18 April 2014 (UTC)

I don't know about the "need to get a life" thing, I think that's a little condescending. This is no different than the conversation people might have on this topic if they were "out" somewhere having a pizza and a beer. Believe it or not, I've HAD this conversation, speculating on the location of Hooterville, with friends while "out" visiting. I seriously doubt anyone is doing any "agonizing" over this.

That said, I wholeheartedly agree with the idea that the indeterminate location is a comedic device. It keeps things vague enough to allow a lot of flexibility in the story line. I was a kid in a place a lot like Hooterville (very rural north central Iowa) while this show was airing. I assure you, we all got a bunch of good-natured chuckles out of that show because we could identify with the characters and setting.

I do not find the fact that people might want to discuss this topic here or anywhere else to be an indication that they need to "get a life". You're welcome to your priorities and I would politely suggest you grant other people the same courtesies. I'm willing to wager that you don't spend every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every year doing things that the rest of us would consider "really useful" either. — Preceding unsigned comment added by CloaknDagr (talk • contribs) 14:50, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

Characters
In the 10th episode of Green Acres, Hank Kimball remarks that Sarah, the owner of the telephone company, is actually his mother. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.178.146.225 (talk) 13:31, 21 June 2012 (UTC)

Formerly part of Pixley
I haven't been able to source it yet, but there's an episode where Eb reveals that Hooterville "used to be part of Pixley - but they threw us out!" Arnold Rothstein1921 (talk) 14:15, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

52 Governors and California
In the episode "How Hooterville Was Floundered", Joe, invited 52 Governors to Hooterville's 'Centennial Celebration'

This seems to indicate, to me, that while it's fun to speculate which state Hooterville is in, this opens up the idea that there are 2 states besides the regular and known 50 US States. Although Washington D.C. does not have a governor in real life, this may have been ignored and there were our 50 states, and Washington D.C. and finally the 'State' where fictional Hooterville is located.

This idea of 52 states works well (the best IMO) with the story-line. Hooterville is part of several states developing a composite, of its own, that allows Green Acres and Petticoat Junction to be in such a crazy, out in the boonies, type of place and unrealistically be in a state that moves around to fit the needs of any one episode.

Finally, this same episode indicates that Horace Hooter, the Hooterville founder, was living in California but wanted to be a farmer so he traveled east and left California.

Thus, California should be removed from the possibilities — Preceding unsigned comment added by Iq160plus (talk • contribs) 05:33, 15 February 2016 (UTC)

"Confederacy" Reference
The line about the "confederate governor who owned the land" does not preclude non-confederate states from Hooterville's location. A governor can own land in a different state. non-confederate states would only be precluded if the line was about said governor using land the state didn't own.