On Labor Day, KDOC Fixin’ to Air ‘Hillbillies’ Marathon

KDOC-TV, Channel 56 in Orange County, is climbing aboard the marathon bandwagon, scheduling seven hours of back-to-back “Beverly Hillbillies” episodes for Labor Day.

“Everyone else has had marathons,” said KDOC spokeswoman Tricia Krause, recalling full days worth of “The Twilight Zone” and “I Love Lucy” on other stations in the area. “So we thought we’d try one too.” “Hillbillies,” which is shown on KDOC every day at 6 p.m., was chosen because it’s so “upbeat,” she said.

The marathon will be “more or less a test,” she added: If it proves successful, the station may do more of them.

To promote the marathon, which will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 4, “Hillbillies” star Buddy Ebsen will make several appearances around the county this Tuesday. His stops will include the Anaheim City Hall and the Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, where he will be photographed on a replica of the “Hillbillies” set. Ebsen also will visit the KDOC studio to help select some of the 14 episodes for the marathon and to tape some of his recollections of making the series.

Ebsen, who was a well-known hoofer early in his career, went on to small-screen fame, co-starring with Fess Parker in “Davy Crockett” before “Hillbillies” and, afterward, in “Barnaby Jones.”