Episode
Petticoat Junction: Billie Jo's Independence Day
Overview
Billie Jo wants to move out of the hotel and into her own apartment in Pixley. Kate repeatedly says no. Kate finally gives in, but she has to approve of the place and the landlord. She only agreed because she believes there is not an apartment to be found in Pixley. However, Billie Jo finds a place that meets Kate's standards. After a few days, Billie Jo says she loves her independence, even though all the comforts of home are not quite there. But not long after she becomes homesick and finds a way to come back.
Details
- Series
- Petticoat Junction
- Season
- Season 3
- Episode
- Episode 18
- Air date
- 1966-01-18
- Runtime
- 25 min
Episode context
Billie Jo's Independence Day is Episode 18 in Season 3 of Petticoat Junction. It aired on 1966-01-18. The runtime is 25 min.
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Episode 17: Betty Jo Catches the Bouquet
Gladys Knockleheimer and Bernie McKenzie are holding their wedding reception at the hotel. They are the fifth set of friends of Billie Jo's that have gotten married. Both Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo are excited by the idea of getting married, but Betty Jo is not interested. When Betty Jo catches Gladys' bouquet, she is terrified that she will be next to get married. Kate decides it's time to have a talk with her about the issue. Betty Jo misinterprets her mother's advice and starts going around and asking boys to marry her. Betty Jo then receives gifts from a secret admirer. Kate discovers it was Betty Jo sending gifts to herself because she didn't want to appear to have no one interested in her.
Episode 19: Yogurt, Anyone?
High-schooler Betty Jo is on the verge of breaking up with her latest boyfriend Edward. He believes Betty Jo is intellectually immature. The problem is that she now has no date for Saturday night's basketball game. Betty Jo meets an older college boy named Chuck, who is visiting relatives in Hooterville. Chuck believes Betty Jo is an intellectual Emily Dickinson College girl, which she doesn't correct. In an effort to impress Chuck on their upcoming date, Betty Jo tries to be what she believes a college girl should be. But in the end, she finds she's better off with Edward. Meanwhile, Uncle Joe is collecting loose pieces of string to roll into one really big ball.
More episodes from this season
Episode 16: Better Never Than Late
Uncle Joe advertises to hotel guests Billie Jo's services as a stenographer. Mr. Norton, a salesman who wants to write a business letter to Frank Mortimer, hires her. Norton dictates a letter that is harsh and scathing as Mortimer reneged on an order. But Norton decides not to send the letter until he returns to the office. He learns when he returns to the office that Mortimer has come through with his large order and a promise for a future order. Norton can't find the letter. He returns to the Shady Rest to see if he left the letter there. They all learn that Uncle Joe found the letter and mailed it. To get the letter back, Kate has to battle Sam, an absent minded Floyd, Pixley postmaster Foley, and locksmith Tad Fiskee. Kate still can't get it back. But a good hearted Floyd may ultimately come to the rescue.
Episode 20: Only Boy in the Class
It's the start of the new semester at Hooterville High and there are seven new girls and one new boy enrolled. Bobbie Jo takes pity on the new boy, Walter Thorp, as he is the only boy in her home economics class. Bobbie Jo is attracted to the athletic Walter, and wants to make him feel welcome. She and Betty Jo try and get someone to switch classes with Walter, but they have no luck. There is an upcoming home ec class exam, which is to prepare a full dinner for one's imaginary spouse's imaginary boss in twenty minutes. Kate comes up with a way to help Walter get a passing grade.
Episode 15: The Butler Did It
Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo are entering contests where they are required to send in food can and box top labels. This leaves much of Kate's pantry left with unlabeled cans and boxes. Bobbie Jo manages to win the contest sponsored by Gibney's Old English Tomato Sauce, with first prize being a traditional English butler for one month. Unannounced, their new butler, Faversham, arrives on their doorstep. Kate tries, but she just can't get used to giving up control of the chores around the hotel. Uncle Joe turns the hotel into a bit of old London and puts an add in the paper. He also wants to organize a fox hunt, but things don't turn out as planned.
Episode 21: The County Fair
The annual county fair is coming soon. Betty Jo picks Everett the pig for Hooterville High's cutest livestock contest. Bobbie Jo will be singing in the talent contest. Uncle Joe hopes to win all the prizes at the baseball throwing booth. Although she wasn't going to enter the cake baking contest again, Kate reconsiders. It seems that Everett only perks up when Bobbie Jo is singing. At the fair, they learn that the livestock contest and the talent contest will be at the same time. Betty Jo figures out how Bobbie Jo can be in two places at the same time. Betty Jo and Bobbie Jo both win their contests, but Uncle Joe manages to ruin it for Kate.
Episode 14: What's a Trajectory?
It's been a month since there have been any guests at the hotel. But then a Mr. Reynolds checks in. To Kate and the girls, Mr. Reynolds seems like a nice, friendly man, but Uncle Joe doesn't trust him. Mr. Reynolds pays in cash and reserves the entire hotel so he won't be disturbed. Joe hears that the Benton Bank was recently robbed of $3,000 and he's certain Reynolds is the robber. Uncle Joe handcuffs Reynolds to the elevator. Betty Jo hears that the robber has been captured. But before Joe can apologize to Reynolds, he has mysteriously left.
Episode 22: Jury at the Shady Rest
An accident at the county courthouse has blown off the roof of the building. Uncle Joe gets the jury of the current case sequestered at the Shady Rest. But things don't run as smoothly as Joe figured. They have to figure out sleeping assignments for the shortage of rooms. It also seems as though the gluttonous jurors refuse to reach a verdict because they like Kate Bradley's food so much. Then a baby in the hotel complicates things further. Some of the jurors animals invade the hotel. With the Judges help, Kate finds a way to have the jurors leave.
Episode 13: Uncle Joe Plays Post Office
Joe insults Sam about the way he runs the post office, so Sam lets Joe take over. Joe decides to set up the post office at the hotel's reception desk. Kate tries to persuade Joe to give the post office back to Sam and for Sam to take it back. Joe tries to gather the equipment he needs to run the post office, even if it means confiscating what he needs in the name of the federal government. Customers treat the new post office like it was still in Drucker's Store, wanting to buy groceries. Things start falling apart around Joe and after the Government steps in, the post office is moved back to Sam's store.
Episode 23: The Invisible Mr. Dobble
Kate receives a letter from a Mr. Donald Dobble requesting a reservation for two rooms for him and a friend. Mr. Dobble's friend, David Benton, arrives and acts as though Dobble were with him. But Kate sees no one but Mr. Benton. Mr. Benton seems crazy as he sees and talks to an invisible man. Kate believes that Mr. Benton is probably overworked. When no one else seems concerned that they haven't seen Dobble, Kate starts to feel that she is the one going crazy. Kate continually tries to sneak a peak at or speak directly to Mr. Dobble to no avail. The girls start to worry about Kate, especially when they see her talking to no one. Kate asks Benton and Dobble to leave and to not worry about paying their bill. A Mr. Robinson comes by looking for Benton. It seems Benton defrauds hotels into getting free room and board with his invisible man scheme.
Episode 12: The Crowded Wedding Ring
One of Kate Bradley's old swains named Ralph Denton sends a telegram stating that he is coming by the hotel for a few days. Uncle Joe thinks Kate is acting just a little too nonchalantly, which means she still has feelings for him. Ralph shows up with his overbearing and busybody spinster sister, Mabel. The girls and Uncle Joe do whatever they can to preoccupy Mabel so that Ralph and Kate can have some romantic alone time together. But Joe's spending so much time with Mabel leads to an unintended marriage announcement.
Episode 24: It's Not the Principle, It's the Money
Kate hopes to have a convention take place at the hotel. But, they are in competition with the Pixley Hotel, which has more modern conveniences. Kate decides to do a face lift of the hotel's rooms, with Uncle Joe doing most of the work. Meanwhile, Kate gets a letter telling her of a property tax increase of $6. She is relieved but Uncle Joe is livid. Joe sends a scathing letter to J.C. Albright, of the tax review board, demanding the taxes be lowered. Albright decides to go to the Shady Rest to handle the problem personally. Uncle Joe makes the hotel look as shabby and run-down as possible to justify the tax decrease. Mr. Forbes, the convention organizer, arrives and Joe mistakes him for J.C. Albright. Mr. Forbes decides against the Shady Rest for the convention. After fixing the hotel up again, J.C. Albright arrives and Joe thinks he's the convention organizer. Despite losing the convention, they do get a refund on their taxes.