In 1988 the CBS television network brought Ernest to the small screen with a Saturday morning childrens' program Hey Vern, It's Ernest. Jim Varney won a Daytime Emmy for his work on the series.

There is one final Ernest movie that hasn't been released called Ernest the Pirate. It was either near completion or in post production when Jim Varney sadly passed away. In any case it still remains unreleased to this day.

Add your signature to a petition to Walt Disney Studios to release this Ernest film on DVD!

www.petitiononline.com/eworrel l/petition.html
(minus the space in the address)

James Albert Varney Jr. (June 15, 1949 -- February 10, 2000), better known as Jim Varney, was an American actor. The character was used in numerous television commercial campaigns and movies in the following years. He is best known for his slapstick style and his portrayal of "redneck" stereotypes in a friendly, approachable way.

Varney was born in Lexington, Kentucky, where he grew up. He began his interest in theater as a teenager, winning state titles in drama competitions while a student at Lafayette High School (which he graduated from with the class of 1968) in Lexington. At the age of 15, he portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in a local children's theater production, and by 17, he was performing professionally in nightclubs and coffee houses.