Joe Carson (character)
| "Uncle" Joe Carson | |
|---|---|
| Petticoat Junction character | |
| First appearance | "Spur Line to Shady Rest" |
| Last appearance | "Betty Jo's Business" |
| Created by | Paul Henning |
| Portrayed by | Edgar Buchanan (1963–70) |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Co-hotel owner (later owner) |
| Relatives |
Kate Bradley (niece) Billie Jo Bradley (great-niece) Bobbie Jo Bradley (great-niece) Betty Jo Bradley (great-niece) Helen (niece) Mae Belle Jennings Bill Bradley Kathy Jo Elliott (great-great niece) Steve Elliott (great-nephew-in-law) |
Joseph P. "Joe" Carson mainly referred to as Uncle Joe, is a main fictional character on the CBS sitcom, Petticoat Junction (1963–1970). Portrayed by Edgar Buchanan, Uncle Joe was the only character of the series to appear in all 222 episodes.
Fictional background
Joe lives with his nieces: Kate Bradley, Billie Jo Bradley, Bobbie Jo Bradley, and Betty Jo Bradley. Although he is often considered the "co-owner" of the Shady Rest Hotel, Kate is the true owner and does far more work than the others. Joe is extremely lazy and often tries to create "work-saving devices" in order to do work more easily or not to do it at all. Joe frequently teases Charley Pratt, the engineer of the Hooterville Cannonball, about his weight; though Joe is pleasantly plump himself.
He gets along well with his three nieces (Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and Betty Jo) and often gets them to help him in scams, which angers Kate greatly. Despite the fact he is lazy and dodges Kate when she asks him to do something, Joe is loved dearly by his family and the citizens of Hooterville. Upon the departure of Kate early in season six, Joe becomes the overseer of the Shady Rest Hotel. However, it is never stated why he takes on this responsibility, because, in the show's storyline, Kate's only away on a trip.
Green Acres
Despite being a lead character on Petticoat Junction, Joe made frequent appearances on Junction's spin-off, Green Acres. Playing the same character, with the same background, Joe often mentions Kate and his three nieces all of whom made appearances on Green Acres, but less frequently. In total Joe appeared in 17 episodes of Green Acres .