There’s classic television, and then there’s iconic television. The latter is the category The Beverly Hillbillies falls into. Its set-up, unforgettable characters, and ridiculous scenarios are perfect for a goofy sitcom, and the series never lost its touch.
Unbelievably, this is the first DVD season of the show available. The first season is apparently in public domain, with selected episodes appearing in a variety of "best of" or compilation sets.
Regardless, it’s not as if the second season is a dud. The set-up, that of a poor country family moving into the high class city of Beverly Hills is worthy of TV legend for a reason. It’s a simple, brilliant concept, and even if it feels like it’s being overplayed from one season to the next, for some reason the jokes never feel stale.
While Buddy Ebsen is the star, the head of the family Jed Clampett, it’s Irene Ryan who steals every scene she’s in. The volatile, stubborn, and completely hilarious character known to most people as Granny (although the character’s name was in fact Daisy), is undoubtedly what made the show complete. It’s a hardly a surprise the character would turn up on other sitcoms of the day in guest appearances.
Her brilliance can be seen in a number of episodes in this set, including "Granny Learns to Drive" or "The Giant Jack Rabbit". In fact, these are arguably the best of the lot. Then again, not many of these could be considered to be lacking in entertainment. This is classic TV done right. 
For the show’s “official” DVD premiere, CBS has done a fine job. Each episode offers excellent clarity, with a minor layer of dirt and grain being the only noticeable hindrance. There’s not a speck of damage anywhere to be found on the original prints, impressive given the age. Contrast is set perfectly and it’s not difficult to pick out some fine detail. 
Article comments
1 - Brent
Actually "Petticoat Junction" had been cancelled the year before CBS's "great rural purge." The series never really recovered from the death of Bea Benaderet.
It's a shame that there won't be an "official" release of the first season, although the Henning estate covered most of the episodes in a two volume release "Best of" release. The first season features one of the most surreal characters on the show - Jethro's twin sister Jethrine. Jethrine was played by Max Baer in drag, with an uncredited Linda Kaye Henning providing the voice.