Green Acres: Difference between revisions
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A spinoff of the very staid ''[[Petticoat Junction]]'', the show was initially a by-the-books sitcom, in which Douglas was portrayed as an obsessive eccentric and Lisa, apart from being rather spoiled and having a poor grasp of English, was meant to be normal. Very quickly, though, the show took on a decidedly absurdist tone, Lisa turned into a Gracie Allen-style [[Cloudcuckoolander]], and Oliver became the [[Only Sane Man]]. The insane townspeople still see Oliver as a nutcase, though, while rapidly embracing Lisa as one of their own. Oliver, clinging tenaciously to logic, sputters and despairs as he sees his dream life in Hooterville slipping increasingly out of his control. |
A spinoff of the very staid ''[[Petticoat Junction]]'', the show was initially a by-the-books sitcom, in which Douglas was portrayed as an obsessive eccentric and Lisa, apart from being rather spoiled and having a poor grasp of English, was meant to be normal. Very quickly, though, the show took on a decidedly absurdist tone, Lisa turned into a Gracie Allen-style [[Cloudcuckoolander]], and Oliver became the [[Only Sane Man]]. The insane townspeople still see Oliver as a nutcase, though, while rapidly embracing Lisa as one of their own. Oliver, clinging tenaciously to logic, sputters and despairs as he sees his dream life in Hooterville slipping increasingly out of his control. |
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== Some of the causes of Oliver's perpetual headache are: == |
=== Some of the causes of Oliver's perpetual headache are: === |
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* Eb (Tom Lester), the gold-bricking farmhand, who calls Lisa and Oliver "Mom" and "Dad", either as flattery or out of genuine confusion. To worsen matters, Lisa often forgets that Eb is not actually their son.* Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram), who sold them the faulty farm, and never gives up on trying to sell Oliver more dilapidated junk. Oliver thinks he's on to Haney, but he's surprisingly vulnerable to Haney's sales pitches. |
* Eb (Tom Lester), the gold-bricking farmhand, who calls Lisa and Oliver "Mom" and "Dad", either as flattery or out of genuine confusion. To worsen matters, Lisa often forgets that Eb is not actually their son.* Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram), who sold them the faulty farm, and never gives up on trying to sell Oliver more dilapidated junk. Oliver thinks he's on to Haney, but he's surprisingly vulnerable to Haney's sales pitches. |
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* Mr. Kimball (Alvy Moore), the county Agricultural Agent in charge of keeping all the local farms in good stead, and victim to short-term memory loss to the point that he forgets what he's talking about in mid-sentence as a matter of course. |
* Mr. Kimball (Alvy Moore), the county Agricultural Agent in charge of keeping all the local farms in good stead, and victim to short-term memory loss to the point that he forgets what he's talking about in mid-sentence as a matter of course. |
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There's also Mr. Drucker (Frank Cady) down at the general store, who acknowledges the ridiculousness of Hooterville while at the same time whole-heartedly participating in it. He's the only character who even approaches being logical by Oliver's standards, often leading Oliver to start sentences with "Mr. Drucker, you're a reasonable man...". In keeping with the apparent rules of the series, Mr. Drucker's behavior on ''[[Petticoat Junction]]'' tends more toward the normal end of the spectrum. |
There's also Mr. Drucker (Frank Cady) down at the general store, who acknowledges the ridiculousness of Hooterville while at the same time whole-heartedly participating in it. He's the only character who even approaches being logical by Oliver's standards, often leading Oliver to start sentences with "Mr. Drucker, you're a reasonable man...". In keeping with the apparent rules of the series, Mr. Drucker's behavior on ''[[Petticoat Junction]]'' tends more toward the normal end of the spectrum. |
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{{tropelist}} |
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=== Tropes: === |
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* [[Absurdity Ascendant]] |
* [[Absurdity Ascendant]] |
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* [[American Gothic Couple]]: In the opening credits. |
* [[American Gothic Couple]]: In the opening credits. |
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