TLDR: Two of the three Hooterville shows got reunion movies: The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies (1981) and Return to Green Acres (1990), plus a 1993 Beverly Hillbillies special. Petticoat Junction never got one. Checked October 19, 2026.
Hooterville did not stay canceled forever, at least not on paper. CBS brought two of the three shows back for reunion movies, and one of the three never came back at all.
Here is what each reunion was, who was in it and how it went. For the original shows, start with the Hooterville universe guide.
The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies (1981)
CBS aired it as a Tuesday night movie on October 6, 1981, per Wikipedia. Paul Henning wrote and produced it as a possible pilot for a revival that never happened.
Jane Hathaway, now a government bureaucrat, goes searching for Granny’s moonshine recipe to help solve the energy crisis. Buddy Ebsen, Donna Douglas and Nancy Kulp returned.
Irene Ryan had died in 1973 and Raymond Bailey in 1980, so Wikipedia says Imogene Coca played Granny’s 100-year-old mother. Ray Young played Jethro, because Max Baer Jr. declined to return.
ME-TV says Baer did not want to tarnish his public image after becoming a producer. It also says the ratings were weak and the movie led to no more long-form specials, though Ebsen defended it as a show with new characters and new life.
Linda Kaye Henning and Charles Lane, both Hooterville veterans, were among the supporting players, per Wikipedia.
Return to Green Acres (1990)
CBS aired it on May 18, 1990. IMDb lists William Asher as director and Jay Sommers, Craig Heller and Guy Shulman as writers.
Oliver and Lisa Douglas have moved back to New York, while IMDb says Mr. Haney is trying to buy up Hooterville’s property for a developer. The residents travel to the city to ask Oliver for help.
Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor led the cast, with Pat Buttram back as Mr. Haney. IMDb also lists Alvy Moore, Mary Grace Canfield, Sid Melton and Tippi Hedren as Arleen.
Frank Cady returned as Sam Drucker, and it was his final performance. Frank Welker voiced Arnold the pig.
The Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies (1993)
CBS aired this mockumentary-style special in 1993. TV Series Finale says Ebsen, Douglas and Baer all took part, along with a few supporting players.
In it, Miss Jane is in witness protection after testifying against Drysdale, Elly lives with her animals and Jethro is a Beverly Hills doctor. By the end, Jed has struck oil again, and TV Series Finale says it was the network’s fourth most-watched program that week.
The Reunion Petticoat Junction Never Got
It is the only one of Paul Henning’s three rural shows without a reunion, per Wikipedia. In the 1970s, Meredith MacRae and Linda Kaye Henning tried to produce one called Hello Again Hooterville, but it never happened.
The cast did appear together on a 1983 Family Feud episode. The people involved are profiled in the Bradley sisters guide and the Petticoat Junction cast page.
Wikipedia’s reunion list also includes Return to Mayberry on NBC in 1986. Read more about that world in our real story of Mayberry.
All of these reunions came after the cancellations covered in our piece on the CBS rural purge.
Hooterville Reunions: Frequently Asked Questions
Which Hooterville shows got reunion movies?
The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres. Petticoat Junction is the only one of Paul Henning’s three rural shows that never got one, per Wikipedia.
When did the reunion movies air?
The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies aired on October 6, 1981, Return to Green Acres on May 18, 1990 and The Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies in 1993.
Why wasn’t Max Baer Jr. in the 1981 Beverly Hillbillies movie?
ME-TV says he declined because he did not want to tarnish his public image.
What was Frank Cady’s last role?
Return to Green Acres in 1990 was Frank Cady’s final performance.
Who voiced Arnold in Return to Green Acres?
Frank Welker voiced Arnold the pig, according to IMDb.
