"The Waltons" (1972)TV series 1972-1981

Creator:

Earl Hamner Jr.

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | unknown

Release Date:

14 September 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Romance

Plot:

The life and trials of a 1930's mountain family.

Plot Keywords:

Multiple Actors For One Character | Male Female Relationship | Family Relationships | Americana | Farm Life

Awards:

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 16 wins & 42 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Sept. 5	8:00 AM	HALMRK	The Go-Getter	#5.24
Fri. Sept. 5	9:00 AM	HALMRK	The Achievement	#5.25

Cast

Jon Walmsley	...	Jason Walton (210 episodes, 1972-1981)
Mary Beth McDonough	...	Erin Walton (210 episodes, 1972-1981)
Eric Scott	...	Ben Walton (210 episodes, 1972-1981)
Earl Hamner Jr.	...	Narrator (210 episodes, 1972-1981)
Judy Norton-Taylor	...	Mary Ellen Walton Willard / ... (209 episodes, 1972-1981)
David W. Harper	...	James Robert 'Jim Bob' Walton (209 episodes, 1972-1981)
Kami Cotler	...	Elizabeth Walton (209 episodes, 1972-1981)
Ralph Waite	...	John Walton, Sr. / ... (194 episodes, 1972-1981)
Joe Conley	...	Ike Godsey (171 episodes, 1972-1981)
Michael Learned	...	Olivia Walton (166 episodes, 1972-1979)
Will Geer	...	'Grandpa' Zebulon Walton (141 episodes, 1972-1978)
Ellen Corby	...	'Grandma' Esther Walton / ... (140 episodes, 1972-1980)
Richard Thomas	...	John 'John Boy' Walton Jr. / ... (122 episodes, 1972-1978)
Ronnie Claire Edwards	...	Corabeth Walton Godsey / ... (107 episodes, 1974-1981)

Also Known As:

Spencer's Mountain (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

60 min (221 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:PG (season 1) | Singapore:PG | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Lorimar Television

Trivia:

The "Walton House" was actually located in the northern section of the Jungle area of Warner Brothers studios in Burbank. Walton's Mountain, which could be seen from the house's front porch, was actually a slope of the Hollywood Hills directly south of the Warner Bros. Studios. Interiors of the house were filmed on Stage 26. The roadway leading to the Walton house through the remaining portion of the jungle still existed in 2003 and is visible during the studio tour, although Ike Godsey's store has long since disappeared. The house had been dismantled a few years before to make way for a parking lot and was moved to the Warner Bros. Ranch lot at Hollywood Way and Verdugo Avenue, where it still functions as a workable exterior set. If you check the Season 1 DVD's of "Gilmore Girls" you will note that the old "Dragonfly Inn" that Lorelai and Sookie purchase and then renovate is the exterior of the Walton house. This is also stated in the trivia section for "Gilmore Girls" here on IMDB

Quotes:

John Walton: I hate this draft job, Liv. I can't stand playing God to my neighbors' sons!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Women of the House: That's What Friends Are For (#1.3)" (1995)

A breath of fresh air in 2004

Television has been going to the dogs over the past few years. I recently picked up the DVD set of the first season of The Waltons and have been engrossed with every episode. Each episode is like a miniature movie, with good acting and stories. And what people used to make fun of (the syrupy quality of the show) now is a welcome relief. I'd watch this over 99.9% of the junk on TV these days. One could have a field day writing about this show and comparing/contrasting it to The Sopranos. The Sopranos, a show that I enjoy equally for other reasons (I'm not counting HBO's shows as regular TV shows), is the polar opposite. That family is rich, profane, powerful, violent, confrontational, unhappy--while the Waltons are struggling (not exactly poor, despite the fact that it takes place during the Depression), wholesome, spiritual, loving, and HAPPY. The only thing I can quibble about The Waltons is the outdoor scenery. The tall mountains and pine trees are clearly in California, not Piedmont Virginia. The real Waltons mountain and home is not too far from where I live. There are signs off U.S. Route 29 directing tourists to the home, which I believe is now a museum. It may be worth a visit. All in all an excellent program. Definitely a collector's item.