Bea's death

Although few TV sit-coms have dealt realistically with death of a central character, Danny Thomas' MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY being a perfect example making the Thomas character a widower after TV wife Jean Hagen quite the show, and replaced by Marjorie Lord playing Wife Number Two, others either replace the character with another actor playing the same role, or character substituted by a different one filling in for another. Though there could have been some mention of Kate Bradley's passing, the writers, even after Bea Benadaret had actually succumbed to cancer, passed off her character as being out of town. It wasn't until the final season (1969-70) did Bobbie Jo (Lori Saunders) talk about Mom in the past tense. After that, Kate Bradley was never spoken about again. Being a comedy show, I take it the writers decided to keep the comedy format intact, and not turn it into a temporary downer by mentioning about Kate's death and to what. Comedy shows of that era hardly ever discussed about current events or the death of a character, particularly a major one. Kate Bradley could have been replaced by someone else playing her part, but who else but Bea Benadaret could play Kate Bradley? Rosemary DeCamp became a good temporary substitute for a while playing a visiting aunt filling for Kate until her return for the final episode of the 1967-68 season. After Kate comeback, DeCamp's character disappeared and never mentioned again. Though the show was somewhat in jeopardy without Kate as its central character during the 1968-69 season, a new character was added in the format, Doctor Janet Craig, played by June Lockhart, to fill in the void. It took some time getting used to her, but at least the writers nor Lockhart made any attempt by making her Janet Craig into a new Kate Bradley. It may have been an injustice not cluing the audience about the passing of Kate Bradley, but for TV in the sixties, it was best to move on and not turn the comedy show into a downer, though I, for one, would have preferred some honesty in someone saying "Kate Bradley has passed away" when someone like a recurring hotel guest inquires about her.

Through the passing of time, TV shows now deal realistically on the passing of a character, rather than have him or her replaced by another. At least Mother Jefferson's death from THE JEFFERSONS was discussed, as was the Jack Soo character from BARNEY MILLER after he passed away. The reflection of the times, especially when TV sit-coms are concerned. I just hate to imagine what would happen had William Frawley died during its I LOVE LUCY (1951-57) run? Would he had been substituted by someone like William Demarest or James Gleason, or would the Mertzes be replaced by another elderly couple similar to the Mertzes? I know for sure that since I LOVE LUCY is straightforward comedy, I gather that no mention of the passing of Fred Mertz would be used in the scripting.

I recall when I read in the newspapers of the passing of Bea Benadaret and saddened by her loss. She was someone no one could replace, but at least, even without her, PETTICOAT JUNCTION went one another two seasons, even if things weren't the same again.

I too was surprised  and disappointed  that no mention of Kate's passing was made. But what REALLY bothered me was no "In Memory Of"  at the end of her "last" episode. I mean really, she was the heart and backbone for all those years & she didn't even get a "In Memory Of"? I thought something else would have been nice if the producers put her photo somewhere in the hotel. Maybe behind the registration desk. All in all they handled it poorly. The show lost so much with her passing. I like June Lockhart, don't get me wrong, but she couldn't fill Bea's shoes. I have not enjoyed any of the shows since she's been gone. Truth be told something was off, for me anyway, when Steve married Betty Jo. She changed completely. She was no longer "allowed" to get dirty? In one of the episodes, before the baby came along, the Cannonball 🚂was in trouble and they needed someone to be the engineer. Betty Jo couldn't do it because she promised Steve she would always stay pretty and feminine👗. Come on! He fell in love with her when she was a baseball ⚾ playing grease monkey🐒, and now she has to always be pretty and do only feminine stuff? That episode  REALLY bothered me! Can you tell? I would have hopes that had she saved the train he wouldn't be mad  at her. That he would in fact be proud of her saving the good ol' Cannonball 🚂 . Sorry, I didn't mean to get off subject, but that really upset me. I also noticed that after Bea's passing they did a lot more singing in the show. I know they sung a lot to begin with, and I enjoyed that they all got around the piano 🎹to sing. But it seemed in the last seasons they used it at the end of the show for filler because they ran out of story. It wasn't just a Comedy anymore, it was a Musical-Comedy.

This is one instance where I think it would have been in the best interest of the show if it had ended when she died. The rest of the series is watchable enough but her absence is always in the back of my mind. It's like Cheers would be without Sam or Father Knows Best without Robert Young. She was way too important to the story and was the very heart of it. IMHO.

RIP, Bea..