Series Description

The Waltons was a 60 minute drama series on CBS about a family who lived and loved on Waltons mountain. They didn't have many material things but they had a deep love for each other and their large number of friends. Oh yes, they also owned their own mountain - Walton's mountain! The Waltons TV show was so popular that there were six reunion movies televised after the series ended!

The Waltons Cast

Richard Thomas .... John Boy Walton (1972-1977)
Robert Wightman .... John Boy Walton (1979-1981)
Ralph Waite .... John Walton Sr.
Michael Learned .... Olivia Walton
Will Geer .... Zeb "Grandpa" Walton
Ellen Corby .... Esther "Grandma" Walton
Judy Norton-Taylor .... Mary Ellen Walton/Willard
David W. Harper .... Jim Bob Walton
Jon Walmsley .... Jason Walton
Eric Scott .... Ben Walton
Mary Beth McDonough .... Erin Walton
Joe Conley .... Ike Godsey
Ronnie Claire Edwards .... Corabeth Godsey
John Crawford .... Sheriff E.P. Bridges
Earl Hamner Jr. .... Narrator / Creator of Storyline / "Real-life 'John Boy'"

The Waltons Trivia

Walton's mountain was set in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Jefferson County, Virginia.

The Waltons was extremely popular with the exception of large metropolitan areas like New York City and Los Angeles. Audiences there just couldn't identify with the characters.

The Waltons was originally scheduled in the same time slot as two very popular shows! It was risky for CBS to do that but it payed off big time! "The Mod Squad" (ABC) only lasted one season and "The Flip Wilson Show" (NBC) only survived two seasons.

It's fortunate that Richard Thomas had such "boyish" looks at the time. "Michael Learned" who played his mother "Olivia Walton" was only 11 years older than Richard Thomas!

By the sixth season, the Waltons were coming out of the Depression but into perhaps worse time as World War II began.

Although the regular episodes of the Waltons, the 1993 TV movie, the 1995 TV movie, and the 1997 TV movie all aired on CBS, the two 1982 TV movies aired on NBC (see further information below).

The Waltons was based upon the life of the "Hamner" family (written by Earl Hamner, Jr.). There was a movie made about them in 1963 called "Spencer's Mountain" which inspired the TV show. Earl Hamner, Jr. wrote the story from his real-life perspective as a child in a large family during the depression who wanted to grow up to be an author (The John Boy character). Earl also was the Narrator (voice) on the TV show.

Near the end of the Waltons TV show, John Walton Sr. sold the family's lumber mill to his son Ben and moved to Arizona where Olivia Walton was recovering from a relapse of Tuberculosis.

TV Pilot Movie

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (12/19/1971)

TV Specials

The Children's Carol - Part 1 (12/5/1977)
The Children's Carol - Part 2 (12/5/1977)
A Decade of the Waltons (5/22/1980)

TV Reunion Movies

A Wedding on Walton's Mountain (2/22/1982)
Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain (5/9/1982)
A Day of Thanks on Walton's Mountain (11/22/1982)
A Walton Thanksgiving (11/21/1993)
A Walton Wedding (2/12/1995)
A Walton Easter (3/31/1997)