What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of The Beverly Hillbillies? Perhaps you might consider the series entertaining or sentimental. Then again, perhaps you view the sitcom as downright annoying.

However, series star Buddy Ebsen had a different perspective on his show. During an interview with The Sacramento Bee, Ebsen argued that the sitcom held a certain level of comfort that audiences seemed to be seeking, even after all these years. “I find The Hillbillies therapeutic,” said Ebsen. “When you get one of those days when nothing goes right, as we all do, all you have to do is turn the show on, and you feel better afterward. It’s a lot cheaper than a trip to the doctor, too.”

Ebsen certainly had a point; in addition to entertainment, sitcoms often exist as a safe space where audiences feel welcome. Audiences would tune in to watch the Clampett family as eagerly as they would greet their own family members.

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Ebsen argued that when viewers felt frustrated with real life, they would turn to television to feel a sense of security that they were lacking. “People were looking for some kind of escapist, and it turned out to be a mother lode in that sense,” said the actor.

Arguably, this was why the series lived on in audiences’ hearts long after it was cancelled in 1971. “I realized that Hillbillies still had a long way to go,” said Ebsen. “Here we are 30 years later, and it’s still going strong (in syndication).