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Eddie Albert was relieved when ''Green Acres'' was cancelled
Albert knew when to let go.
Like all good things, Green Acres had to come to an end sometime. Still, even fans today are burned by what they felt was an unjust cancellation in 1971 from CBS as a part of what has commonly been called the "rural purge." However, one person who had learned to appreciate the show's untimely end was Green Acres' Oliver Douglas, better known as Eddie Albert.
This doesn't mean that Albert hated playing his character on Green Acres. According to an interview with the Chicago Tribune, while the show was still in its fifth season, Albert declared that he "felt just fine" about playing Douglas. He proclaimed, "I have great empathy with this urbanite who wants to live in the country so he can smell fresh air. Albert was a well-known conversationalist and could identify with Douglas's longing for nature.
Moreover, Albert appreciated the series itself and its funny, almost risque nature. He said, "Not only are the lines subtle and clever, but some are terribly sexy. Not in an overt way, so they go right over the heads of younger children who don't understand them. But sometimes when Eva delivers certain lines, I get to laughing so hard I can't go on."
He also commended the series and said, "It's the best comedy writing on the air" and balked at those who turned their nose up at the series. Albert noted, "Those who have never seen it dismiss it as corny...I think it's hip writing and has some of the wildest, freakiest, far out, funny modern lines on television."
But two years after the cancellation, Albert wasn't bitter about the abrupt ending. Rather, he had taken it in stride. An interview with the Sunday News called him "relieved" at the show's ending. Albert said, "You have to move on." He reasoned, "I felt confined after so many seasons on the series. Felt stale. You run out of fresh ideas." Fortunately, this wouldn't be the last time we saw Albert on our televisions, and we were luckier for it.
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