Starring roles Saunders played brunette middle-sister Bobbie Jo Bradley in 3 episodes of
Green Acres, 147 episodes of the rural
sitcom Petticoat Junction, and 7 episodes of
The Beverly Hillbillies. In
Petticoat Junction, she took over the role in 1965 from
Pat Woodell, who left the show to focus on her singing career. Co-star
Meredith MacRae, who joined the show in 1966, said in a 1960s interview that she and Lori were very close, "like the
Bobbsey twins", since they were both married and had each replaced another actress on the series. She played Elizabeth "Betty" Gordon, one of Mr. Drysdale's secretaries, in the last season of
The Beverly Hillbillies. In 1973–74, Saunders played Betsy on the situation-comedy western ''
Dusty's Trail. Created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Bob Denver, the show was based on Gilligan's Island'', but set in the
wild west; her character Betsy was an ingénue drawn after
Dawn Wells' character of "Mary Ann". Saunders quipped: "It was the same show, just no coconuts." She said it was interesting to work with
Jeannine Riley, who had also starred in
Petticoat Junction (as
Billie Jo Bradley), but not at the same time as Saunders. In 2015, she appeared in a
MeTV commercial promoting
Petticoat Junction, along with fellow cast members
Linda Kaye Henning and
Gunilla Hutton.
Guest-starring roles In her early television years, Saunders appeared five times (credited as Linda Marie Hines) as four different characters on
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. She also appeared in ''
Burke's Law, and the season four episode "The Prairie Elephant" of Rawhide (original air-date November 17, 1961). She appeared in the 1970 episode "Bringing Up Josh" of Daniel Boone, and also in the anthology series Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre.'' ==Film==