The dreaded “rural purge.” If you’re reading this article, you were probably just a kid when it happened. It was really quite an audacious move if you think about it. You’ve got to hand it to CBS for having the sheer wherewithal to follow through with their decision. Some say that the network was just playing catch-up and had to do it. Truthfully, the exact motivations remain debatable.
For those who don’t know what the “rural purge” is, it was a series of cancellations of still very popular rural-themed TV shows, the majority of which occurred at the end of the 1970–71 television season. In addition to shows such as Mayberry R.F.D., The Beverly Hillbillies, and Green Acres, the cancellations also ended several highly rated variety shows that had been on CBS since the beginning of television broadcasting.