CBS begins caving in to rural protest, backing off of `The Beverly Hillbillies' reality series January 16, 2003 The Associated Press reports that under pressure from rural advocacy groups, CBS is dampening expectations for ``The Real Beverly Hillbillies,'' a reality series in the works that borrows its premise from the hit 1960s sitcom. An advocacy group, the Center for Rural Strategies, has been placing advertisements in newspapers condemning CBS' plans and complaining that the show will perpetuate a stereotype of them as hicks.
CBS resurrecting "The Beverly Hillbillies" as a reality series August 30, 2002 Reuters reports that CBS talent scouts are fanning out across the backwoods of America in search of a rural, rustically telegenic family willing to star in a new reality show inspired by "The Beverly Hillbillies" -- with cement pond (swimming pool) and all. The half-hour, weekly show, tentatively titled "The Real Beverly Hillbillies," is being developed for a mid-season or summer launch next year.