DVD Review: ‘Green Acres: The Complete Series’

‘Green Acres Is The Place To Be. Farm Living Is The Life For Me. Land Spreading Out So Far And Wide. Keep Manhattan, Just Give Me That Countryside.’

And so it began every week on Green Acres, one of the best theme songs ever sung by stars Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor. The show about a New York couple who suddenly moved to Hooterville and started farming was a hit from 1965 to 1971, with a total of 170 episodes.

Oliver Wendell Douglas (Eddie Albert) is a successful lawyer with a penthouse apartment and living the life of luxury with his beautiful, spoiled Hungarian wife Lisa (Eva Gabor). Oliver is tired of the rat race and wants to live his true passion….being a farmer. He buys a house (that’s run down) and a farm (that’s in horrible condition) and moves with Lisa (who doesn’t want to go) to Hooterville. She is shocked when she gets there and Oliver loves it. The first season is about Lisa giving it a deadline if she’s going to stay. It also shows Lisa as a smart woman.

After the first season Lisa has become one of the towns people and her character becomes more of an airhead (but very delightful) and often has the best lines. Oliver continues to try and work the farm with little success every week. He’s constantly being put into positions that get him trouble.

The supporting cast of characters are some of the best in TV history including Eb the farm worker and who always called Lisa and Oliver his parents. Frank and Doris Ziffel and their son Arnold The Pig. The Monroe Brothers who are really bad carpenters. Sam Drucker (who owned the local store), Hank Kimball (the bumbling county agent) and Mr. Haney (who sold junk and always seemed to know what you were talking about).

It was one of my favorite shows growing up and still is as it is in aired on My TV daily. You can relive this classic, one of a kind show on Tuesday, October 17th, with this great 6 DVD box set.