[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Network execs were not thinking much differently when they canceled Hee-Haw and The Beverly Hillbillies four decades ago.

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It was called the “Rural Purge” and you’re exactly right - can’t have the rubes enjoying themselves watching Jed, Granny, Mr. Douglas and Andy and Barney.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_purge

[dfwgator]

Most interesting thing from that entry:

“The backlash from the purge prompted CBS to commission, perhaps somewhat facetiously, a rural family drama for its fall 1972 schedule, but the network scheduled it in what it thought would be a death slot against popular series The Flip Wilson Show and The Mod Squad, allegedly hoping the show would underperform and head to a quick cancellation. Instead, The Waltons went on to run for nine seasons, reaching as high as second in the Nielsens and finishing in the top thirty shows for seven of its nine years on air.”