Did you know that The Beverly Hillbillies became a big hit in Britain?
The Beverly Hillbillies had a successful nine-season run between 1962 and 1971. Many Americans enjoyed the series because of its exaggerated characters, the portrayal of a simple life and the chemistry between the cast.
However, many critics argued otherwise. You can call The Beverly Hillbillies whatever you want: silly, quirky or funny — but critics would tell you that the series was a sad commentary on the American education and intelligence level.
Despite what the critics said about The Beverly Hillbillies, the series stayed ranked among the top-rated series in the country for almost its entire run. However, America wasn’t the only place the hillbillies explored. At the time, The Beverly Hillbillies was spreading like wildfire in Britain.
According to a 1965 interview with The Charlotte News, Buddy Ebsen, who played the role of Jed Clampett, said he had many fans in Britain who loved the series and helped it become an international hit.
“The English see more humor in this show than Americans do,” Ebsen said.
Ebsen said he didn’t go out of his way to try and figure out why the hillbillies became so popular in England — but based on the comments he received from the people he met, he knew the show had a tremendous following and impact there.
During the summer of ’64, Ebsen said he took his wife and five children to England where they toured the home of the Duke and Duchess of Bedford. They did their best to accommodate Ebsen and treated him like a King.
“They changed my part a little, ya know,” Ebsen said. “For a time I was nothing but a hillbilly straight man feeding straight lines to the others. But they put more backbone in old Jed.”
The Beverly Hillbillies became popular in Britain for several reasons: the unusual humor, cultural curiosity, shared language and of course, the loveable characters. However, Ebsen believed it was because the hillbillies had a “kinship with country people everywhere” — even across the world.
The series helped Ebsen have a successful career both in America and in Britain. According to a 1966 interview with the Democrat and Chronicle, Ebsen said Henning refused to do the series with anyone but Ebsen playing Jed Clampett.
“The whole world is looking for a father figure and old Jed Clampett is just that,” Ebsen said. “Our success is the same as that of Bonanza. Papa Cartwright has the same sort of appeal. Their families love and respect them.”
The love and respect must have struck a chord with people across the world who related to their family problems and family dynamics. Ebsen’s foresight was a huge reason The Beverly Hillbillies became successful. Without Jed as the head of the household, the series may not have lasted as long as it did. He knew what America… and Britain… needed.
“We let viewers know there are several kinds of fathers in the world,” Ebsen said. “We’ve never been out of the top ten and with a little luck, maybe we can stay up there for a few more years — no matter what the critics say.”
