Author’s note: Today’s dispatch is continuing my recent tradition of allowing AI to generate content for this site. Because I’m lazy.
Who remember’s “Hee Haw”? If you’re unfamiliar, “Hee Haw” was a cornpone, countrified (and country-fried) variety show that ran on US television from 1969-1993 and featured the humorous antics of the denizens of “Kornfield Kounty”. For a segment of the population, it was high entertainment. For the rest of us, it was a source of bewilderment. While it ran for its first couple of seasons on CBS, it was cancelled in 1971 as part of the rural purge that saw the network kill off its strangely-large stable of rural-themed shows. Luckily(?), syndication saved it for another 23 seasons.
Now that it’s been off the air (barring a single revival season in the late 90s), I think it’s time to reboot it; but this time, as the trends go, make it “darker and edgier”. To that end, I recently asked ChatGPT to provided the synopses of five episodes of the new “Hee Haw”.
Episode 1
In this darker and edgier version of “Hee Haw,” the episode centers around a small town struggling to survive after a devastating tornado. As the residents try to rebuild their homes and their lives, tensions rise as they are forced to confront their own biases and prejudices.
The episode begins with the regular cast of characters performing a lively rendition of “Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me,” but the mood quickly turns somber when news of the tornado hits. The show’s hosts, Roy and Buck, try to keep spirits high by cracking jokes and performing uplifting songs, but their efforts are met with skepticism and anger from some of the townspeople.
As the episode unfolds, we learn more about the underlying tensions in the town. The white residents, led by a wealthy landowner named Jeb, are suspicious of the African American residents who live on the outskirts of town. Jeb is convinced that the tornado was caused by the “negro voodoo” practiced by the black community, and he rallies his fellow white residents to push them out of town.
Meanwhile, the black community is led by a charismatic preacher named Reverend Brown, who preaches a message of unity and forgiveness. He tries to reach out to the white community and convince them that they can only survive if they work together, but his efforts are met with hostility and violence.
As the episode reaches its climax, tensions boil over into a violent confrontation between the two groups. Shots are fired, and several people are injured or killed. In the aftermath, the survivors are left to pick up the pieces and try to rebuild their town once again.
The episode ends on a somber note, with the cast performing a mournful rendition of “Amazing Grace.” The message of the episode is clear: in times of crisis, it’s important to come together as a community and put aside our differences. But in a world where prejudice and hate run deep, that’s easier said than done.
Episode 2
The episode opens with a shot of the Hee Haw set, but everything looks darker and more ominous than usual. The cornfields in the background are barren and lifeless, and the characters are dressed in black instead of their usual colorful outfits.
The first skit features Roy Clark and Buck Owens performing a duet, but instead of their usual upbeat country music, they play a slow and mournful tune about lost love and regret. The audience is noticeably uncomfortable and some even start to leave.
Next up is a sketch featuring Junior Samples and Grandpa Jones, but instead of their usual corny jokes, they tell dark and twisted stories that make the audience squirm. One story involves a man who murders his wife and hides her body in a cornfield, while another is about a farmer who sacrifices his daughter to a demonic scarecrow.
As the show goes on, the atmosphere becomes more and more unsettling. Even the usually bubbly and cheerful Minnie Pearl seems somber and serious. She delivers a monologue about the harsh realities of life in rural America, touching on topics like poverty, addiction, and domestic violence.
Finally, the episode reaches its climax with a performance by the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet. Instead of singing traditional hymns, they perform a haunting and otherworldly chant that seems to summon something dark and powerful.
As the credits roll, the camera lingers on the empty set, now shrouded in darkness. The only sound is the wind rustling through the dead cornfields, as if something sinister has taken root in this once-idyllic corner of the world.
Episode 3
In this darker and edgier version of “Hee Haw,” the episode “Blood in the Hayloft” begins with a group of musicians playing on the stage, but the mood is somber, and the songs are slow and mournful.
As the music plays, we see a montage of shots that reveal the harsh realities of rural life: dilapidated farmhouses, barren fields, and rusted-out tractors. We see the faces of the people who live in this world, their eyes hard and their expressions weary.
As the music comes to an end, the show’s hosts, Roy and Buck, take the stage. They exchange a few lighthearted jokes before introducing the episode’s first sketch.
The sketch features a young couple, Hank and Loretta, who live on a struggling farm. They are trying to make ends meet by selling their crops, but they are barely scraping by.
One day, a man named Jack shows up at their door. He offers to buy their farm for a hefty sum of money, but Hank refuses. Jack leaves, but not before warning Hank that he will regret his decision.
That night, Hank and Loretta are awakened by strange noises outside. They go to investigate and find that their hayloft has been set on fire. They manage to put out the flames, but they also find a message scrawled on the wall: “Sell or Die.”
Terrified, Hank and Loretta go to the local sheriff, who tells them that Jack is a notorious local thug who has been terrorizing the area for years. The sheriff promises to protect them, but he warns them that Jack is a dangerous man.
The next day, Hank and Loretta find that their crops have been destroyed. They go back to the sheriff, who tells them that he can’t do anything more to help them. Hank and Loretta are on their own.
Desperate, they turn to their neighbors for help. Together, they come up with a plan to trap Jack and turn him over to the authorities. The plan works, but not before Jack kills one of Hank and Loretta’s friends.
In the end, Hank and Loretta sell their farm and leave the area, but not before vowing to come back and make Jack pay for his crimes. The show ends with Roy and Buck somberly reflecting on the harsh realities of life in rural America.
Episode 4
In this darker and edgier version of “Hee Haw,” the episode begins with a group of farmers gathering at the local barn to discuss the recent murders that have been happening in their small town. The farmers are worried that the killer may be someone they know, and tensions are running high.
Meanwhile, the show’s hosts, Buck and Sally, are trying to keep things light with their usual humor and musical performances. However, as the night wears on, the atmosphere becomes more and more tense.
As the show progresses, it becomes clear that one of the farmers is hiding a dark secret. When the lights go out in the barn, a scream is heard, and a body is found. The killer is still on the loose, and the farmers are now trapped in the barn with no way out.
The show’s hosts and the remaining farmers must work together to try and find the killer and stay alive. As they search the barn, they uncover more secrets and lies, and tensions continue to rise. Eventually, they discover that the killer is someone they never suspected, and the truth behind the murders is more disturbing than anyone could have imagined.
In the end, the remaining farmers are left to pick up the pieces and try to move on from the tragedy that has befallen their community. The show’s hosts, Buck and Sally, are shaken by the events and are left wondering if they will ever be able to return to their usual lighthearted antics.
Episode 5
In this episode of the darker and edgier version of “Hee Haw,” tensions are running high in the small town of Kornfield County. The local farmers are struggling to make ends meet as a powerful corporation has been buying up land and driving prices down. Meanwhile, the town’s mayor, Buford T. Justice, is facing accusations of corruption and embezzlement.
As the show begins, we see the regular cast of characters performing their usual musical numbers and comedy skits, but there’s a palpable sense of unease hanging over the set. When Junior Samples takes the stage to do his famous used car salesman routine, he’s interrupted by a group of angry farmers who demand that he and the other performers use their platform to raise awareness about the corporate takeover.
Buck Owens and Roy Clark try to diffuse the situation by performing a heartfelt song about the struggles of small town life, but the farmers are unmoved. They demand action, and they won’t leave the set until they get it.
As tensions rise, Lulu Roman steps forward and takes charge. She convinces the farmers to join forces and stage a protest outside the mayor’s office. They march through the streets, singing protest songs and carrying signs demanding justice for the little guy.
At city hall, the protest turns ugly as the police arrive to try and disperse the crowd. In the chaos, a young farmer named Billy Bob is arrested for disorderly conduct. His father, Cletus, is devastated and turns to Grandpa Jones for comfort.
Together, the two men hatch a plan to get Billy Bob released from jail and take down the corrupt mayor once and for all. They rally the townspeople and stage a massive protest outside the courthouse, demanding that Buford T. Justice step down from his position.
In the end, the power of the people triumphs as the mayor is forced to resign and the farmers are granted fair prices for their land. As the episode comes to a close, the cast of “Hee Haw” performs a rousing rendition of “This Land is Your Land,” reminding viewers that even in the darkest of times, there’s always hope for a better tomorrow.
DVD Bonus Content
I asked Adobe Firefly to create the featured image for this article. Here are some of the results when I prompted it with “The TV series “Hee Haw”, but darker and edgier”.
