5 Fun Facts About ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’

When The Beverly Hillbillies premiered in 1962, few could have predicted just how popular it would become. The sitcom followed the Clampetts, a poor but good-hearted rural family who struck it rich after discovering oil on their land. With newfound wealth, they moved to a lavish Beverly Hills mansion, where their simple country ways clashed hilariously with high society. The show starred Buddy Ebsen as the wise and kind-hearted patriarch Jed Clampett, Irene Ryan as the feisty Granny, Max Baer Jr. as the dimwitted but lovable Jethro and Donna Douglas as the sweet yet strong-willed Elly May.