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Petticoat Junction
Sam has added an advice column called Dear Minerva to the newspaper, and Sam is Minerva. Kate thinks that the column should be written by a woman. Sam convinces Kate to be Minerva as long as no one knows it's her. Kate has a hard time writing the column in the hotel without anyone finding out. The column becomes a big hit, but writing it and taking care of things at the hotel takes its toll on Kate. Sam gets a call from a large newspaper that wants to syndicate the Dear Minerva column. He writes a note about it to Kate. The girls intercept the note and, misunderstanding what Sam wrote, they believe Sam and Kate are in love. They write to Minerva and ask her advice. "Minerva" eases the girls concerns and announces that this is her last column.
Oliver Wendell Douglas and Lisa Douglas are staying overnight at the hotel. They are moving into their newly purchased farmhouse, the run down Haney place. When Joe finds out that Oliver is a lawyer, he wants to ask him how to get out of jury duty. Oliver inadvertently gives Joe an idea and Joe gets Kate to take his place. Joe finds out that he won a television set in a raffle, but he has to claim it by noon tomorrow. At first Joe can't find the ticket, then he remembers it's in the suitcase that Kate took to Pixley. As hard as he tries, Joe can't get a message to a sequestered Kate. Kate does come home in time, but something else prevents Joe from claiming his prize.
Betty Jo and Bobbie Jo and a group of friends are trying to plan a fund-raising stage production to buy some playground equipment for the kids. Because of casting problems, Betty Jo comes up with an idea: rewrite the play for an all canine cast with Dog in the lead. Lawyer Arthur Bronson arrives at the hotel. He informs them that a former guest of the hotel, Mr. Kroger, who has just passed away, has left $200 to Dog. Dog is generous to his friends, and wants to buy them things. But Dog is letting the money and fame go to his head. Dog learns the hard way that fame and wealth can be fleeting, and that keeping to commitments is more important.
Bobbie Jo is entering an upcoming spelling bee, but it may be a losing battle against stuck up but excellent speller Henrietta Watson. Cora Watson, Henrietta's equally stuck up mother, protests Sam's appointment as judge since she feels he will be biased in favor of Bobbie Jo. As such, Oliver Douglas, is appointed the new judge. Bobbie Jo doesn't have the confidence to win, until she finds a scarab ring. Now it seems she is flooded with good luck. Slowly, the family begins to believe in the power of the ring when they too get what they want when wearing it. Uncle Joe loses the ring and buys another one. After winning the spelling bee, Bobbie Jo realizes it wasn't because of the ring.
Because Uncle Joe is supposed to paint the Hotel, he gets the idea that he can go into business as a general contractor. He finds out that the wealthy Douglases are looking for a contractor to help fix up the "Green Acres" farmhouse. He does get Mrs. Douglas to hire him. Although Joe knows nothing about construction work, he tries to juggle the hotel and the Douglas jobs. Joe also finds that he may be scheming rich, but cash poor. He needs to find some additional capital to get both jobs going. Uncle Joe's scheming affects Kate in unexpected ways, so she comes up with a plan to set Uncle Joe straight.
Bobbie Jo has been nominated for membership into Hooterville High's only sorority. She is worried as she knows many girls who were nominated but didn't pass the initiation. The head of the sorority, Henrietta Watson doesn't want Bobbie Jo in the sorority. She devises what she believes is an impossible initiation task for Bobbie Jo. Bobbie Jo must get a date with the school's star athlete, Stonewall Jackson, who seems only interested in sports and not girls. Bobbie Jo enlists Betty Jo to teach her some things about sports. Thanks to Betty Jo, Bobbie Jo gets the date and her membership. Bobbie Jo also has a way to get back at Henrietta for the difficult initiation task.
Uncle Joe answers the ad of Dr. Mathew Bailey. Dr. Bailey is looking for office space in return for free medical service. Kate doesn't think it's a good idea, especially with everyone in Hooterville going to see Doc Stuart. But once the girls get a look at the young and handsome Dr. Bailey, there is no way they're going to let Kate let him get away. So they open up an office for Dr. Bailey adjacent to the hotel lobby. But Kate is right, there is no business for Dr. Bailey as many locals see him as too young and inexperienced. The girls and Uncle Joe go on a marketing spree to round up patients, to no avail. Doc Stuart unwittingly gives Kate an idea to boost Doc Bailey's clientèle. Kate's plan takes an unexpected turn. Elsie Baker appears as a townswoman.
The Every Other Wednesday Afternoon Discussion Club, with its new member Lisa Douglas, is planning on holding a square dance as a high school benefit. The Bradley girls decide to try and get King Ring a Ding, the big rock 'n' roll star, to perform at the benefit instead. Who shows up unexpectedly at the hotel instead is Herbie Willits, who used to live in Hooterville and who Kate encouraged to become a singer. Kate wants Herbie to sing at the benefit. What Kate and girls don't realize is that Herbie is King Ring a Ding. When Herbie hears that no tickets have been sold mainly because he's the "headliner", he comes up with a plan. Uncle Joe has his own plan, not realizing what Herbie's plans actually are, and in the process almost ruins the benefit.
Boxer Kid Dynamite is offering $100 to anyone who can stay in the ring with him for three rounds without going down. Uncle Joe is trying to find a fighter who he can train, while keeping the majority of the prize money as a training fee. He thinks he's found that person in Herman Crawley, the strong as an ox but not too bright plumber Kate hires. Joe sets up a makeshift boxing ring at the hotel to train Herman, which doesn't sit too well with Kate. When Joe meets Kid Dynamite and his brazen manager mother Mrs. Hogan, Joe thinks there's no way Herman can lose. So Joe makes a $500 versus the hotel side wager with Mrs. Hogan on the outcome. What Uncle Joe doesn't realize is that Herman has a particular weakness. Uncle Joe has to protect Herman's weakness and find out and exploit the Kid's weakness. Even though Herman prevails, the fight is not as profitable as it should have been.
Mrs. Douglas asks an excited Betty Jo to accompany her on a week long trip to New York City as her guest. After an initial hesitation, Kate allows Betty Jo to go. When Betty Jo returns to Hooterville she's a changed person, putting on airs and believing country life is beneath her. Kate initially believes Mrs. Douglas is to blame for Betty Jo's new snooty attitude, but quickly realizes that she isn't. Kate does get some help from Mrs. Douglas for an upcoming visit by Gregory Tremayne, a young gentleman Betty Jo met in New York. Gregory's visit ultimately shows Betty Jo where her heart lies.
Homer Bedloe, arch-enemy of the Hooterville Cannonball, returns in abject disgrace and poverty to Hooterville Valley. He has been replaced by Wilbur Goodfellow, who supposedly is the exact opposite of Bedloe in every way. Bedloe is looking for somewhere to stay, at least for a little while. Goodfellow arrives to inspect the spur line and the Cannonball. After his inspection, Goodfellow plans to make major investments into the line. He plans to send the Cannonball in for a refit and to loan a new locomotive as a temporary replacement. Everyone is excited by all this news. After Kate goes to the cinema in Pixley, she discovers the whole thing is a scam and that Bedloe and Goodfellow are working together.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
