The 50th Anniversary of The Waltons

Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the TV show The Waltons. It debuted on CBS on September 15 1972. The Waltons centred on the family of that name, who lived in rural Virginia upon the fictional Walton's Mountain in the fictional Jefferson County. The series began at the height of the Great Depression in 1933. The series concluded shortly after the end of World War II. The main character on the show was John Walton Jr. (Richard Thomas), called "John Boy," who began the show as an aspiring writer. His parents were John  Walton Sr. (Ralph Waite) and Olivia Walton (Michael Learned). John Boy's grandparents, Zebulon Walton (Will Geer) and Esther Walton (Ellen Corby), lived with them. John Boy had several brothers and sisters: second oldest Jason, an aspiring musician; eldest daughter and tomboy Mary Ellen ((Judy North Taylor); middle sister Erin (Mary Elizabeth McDonough); middle brother Ben (Eric Scott); youngest son and aspiring pilot Jim-Bob; and youngest child Elizabeth (Kami Cotter). The Waltons shopped at the local general store on Walton's Mountain, ran by Ike Godsey (Joe Conley). While The Waltons debuted to low ratings, it would become one of the most successful shows of the Seventies. It ultimately ran for nine seasons.

The origins of The Waltons can be traced back to the 1961 novel Spencer's Mountain by Earl Hamner Jr. The novel was adapted as the 1963 motion picture of the same name, starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara. The movie differed a good deal from the novel. While the novel was set in the Great Depression, the movie was set in the early Sixties. Also, while the novel was set in Virginia, the movie was set in Wyoming. It was in 1970 that a sequel to the novel Spencer's Mountain, The Homecoming: A Novel About Spencer's Mountain, was published.

Lee Rich of Lorimar Productions bought the television rights to The Homecoming: A Novel About Spencer's Mountain to adapt as a TV movie. Because Warner Bros. still owned the film rights to the novel Spencer's Mountain, the names of the characters were changed. For that reason, the Spencers became the Waltons, Clayboy became John Boy, and so on. The Homecoming: A Christmas Story aired on CBS on December 19 1971 on The CBS Sunday Night Movie. Except for Ellen Corby as Grandma and the children, The Homecoming: A Christmas Story had a different cast from the subsequent TV series: Patricia Neal played Olivia Walton, Edgar Bergen played Grandpa Walton, and Andrew Duggan played John Walton. Even storekeep Ike Godsey was played by a different actor. He was played by Woodrow Parfrey. Like the TV series, author Earl Hamner Jr. served as the narrator, playing the adult John Walton Jr.

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story proved to be phenomenally successful in the Nielsen ratings. While it was not meant to be the pilot for a TV series, its success led to the TV series nonetheless. Despite the TV movie's success, CBS would insist that the father be played by a big name in order to draw in viewers. For that reason, Lorimar Productions approached Henry Fonda, who had played Clay Spencer in the movie Spencer's Mountain (1963), to play John Walton Sr. After watching The Homecoming: A Christmas Story, he said Lorimar, "What do you want me for? The family is the star. You don't need me." Ultimately, Ralph Waite was cast in the role. As to the role of Olivia Walton, the part went to Michael Learned, billed as "Miss Michael Learned" because of her unusual first name. As to Edgar Bergen, his health was in decline and as a result he was replaced by Will Geer.

The Waltons debuted on September 14 1972. While its competition on ABC was not particularly impressive (The Mod Squad had been declining in the ratings), it was opposite The Flip Wilson Show on NBC, then one of the highest rated shows on television. Despite getting overwhelmingly positive reviews, The Waltons was then not expected to last. Given the fact that the network scheduled The Waltons against the no. 2 show on the air, there are those who believe CBS simply picked up the show to appease representatives and senators in Congress, not to mention moral watchdogs, concerned about sex and violence on television. Regardless, there were those at CBS who apparently believed in the show. Lou Dorfsman, design director at CBS, created a print ad extolling the show and making reference to its critical acclaim. The ad turned things around for The Waltons. Initially suffering from low ratings, its ratings climbed until it was ultimately no. 19 for the year in the Nielsens. By its second season, it was the no. 2 rated show for the year. As to the show that was expected to kill The Waltons,  The Flip Wilson Show dropped in the ratings. For its fourth and final season, it came in at no. 50 for the year.

Given The Waltons grew out of The Homecoming: A Novel About Spencer's Mountain, the show's characters were essentially the same as those in the novel Spencer's Mountain. Warner Bros. still owned the rights to the novel. To avoid a lawsuit, Lorimar then sold the distribution rights to the show to Warner Bros. Of course, in 1989 Lorimar was acquired by Warner Bros., so that now Warner Bros. owns the series.

Centred on a large family consisting of parents, grandparents, and seven children, The Waltons had a large cast. What made the show's cast even larger was a number of semi-regular and recurring characters who played the inhabitants of Walton's Mountain and neighbouring communities. Mamie (Helen Kleeb) and Emily Baldwin (Mary Jackson) were a pair of elderly spinsters who made what they called "Papa's recipe," thinking it a simple elixir and not realizing it was outright moonshine. Mamie was the more sensible of the two, while Emily was the romantic. She is still fixated on an old beau, Ashley Longworth, who she still expects to return to her after decades. Yancy Tucker (Robert Donner) was the local handyman, who, at times, engaged in such things as chicken theft. Verdie Grant (Lynn Hamilton) began the show as a widow, who had two adult sons and three adult daughters. She was one of the African American characters on the show. Sheriff Ep Bridges (John Crawford) was the sheriff of Jefferson County and a close friend of the Walton family. Reverend Matthew Fordwick (John Ritter) was their church's pastor, while Rosemary Hunter (Mariclare Costello) was their school's teacher.

As The Waltons progressed, yet more characters would be added to the show. In the second season itinerant worker Harley Foster arrived on Walton's Mountain, where he met and married Verdie Grant.H Harley had a young son named Jody (Erin Blunt). Later Harley and Verdie would adopt an orphan named Josh (Todd Bridges). It was in the second season that Ike Godsey met and married John Walton's second cousin Corabeth (Ronnie Claire Edwards). As the Walton children grew older, some of them would also marry. Mary Ellen married Dr. Curtis Willard (Tom Bower), who was thought to be killed Pearl Harbour. Ben married Cindy Brunson (Robin Eisenman), and they later had a daughter. The Waltons featured several recurring characters, so many that it would be hard to list them all.

Over the years The Waltons went through several changes. Among these were changes in the cast. John Ritter left the series in its fifth season, having been cast on the sitcom Three's Company. Richard Thomas, John Boy himself, left the show after its sixth season out of fears that he might become typecast. Ellen Corby had a stroke during the show's fifth season, and had to leave The Waltons for a time (although she still received her credit). Ellen Corby returned in the sixth season, which, sadly, would be the last season on which Will Geer appeared. He died of respiratory failure at age 76 on April 22 1976. Grandpa was then written out of the show as having died between seasons. Ellen Corby remained with the show until its eighth season, leaving due to declining health.

As if the loss of Richard Thomas, Will Geer, and Ellen Corby was not enough, it was in the seventh season that Michael Learned left the show. Olivia was then written out of the show as having contracted tuberculosis and having to go to a sanitarium. Ralph Waite would also leave the show in its ninth season. It was explained that John went to be with Olivia.

To fill the void left by characters no longer on the show, The Waltons would add characters in its later years. Rose Burton (Peggy Rea) was Olivia's cousin, who moved in with the Waltons to take over keeping the house in Grandma and Olivia's absence. She had two young grandchildren, Jeffrey (Keith Coogan) and Serena (Martha Nix). Jeffrey and Serena would only appear in the show's eighth season, although Rose remained with the show until nearly its end, marrying her beau Stanley Perkins (William Schallert) in the ninth season. One bit of casting that has always been controversial with fans was the recasting of John Boy. The character returned to the show in its eighth season, this time played by Robert Wightman. Robert Wightman remained with the show until its end and even played John Boy in the first reunion movie (A Wedding on Walton's Mountain in 1982).

While the various cast changes would alter The Waltons, the show would also see changes due to the passage of time. Beginning in 1933, for each season roughly one year would pass in its early years. It was with the fifth season that suddenly two years would pass for every season. With two years passing in each season, by the seventh season The Waltons had entered World War II. A might be expected, with World War II The Waltons was sometimes darker than it had been, with recurring characters on the show actually being killed off.

Over the years the credit sequence also changed. In its first season the credits portrayed John Walton Sr. bringing home the family's new radio, with shots of the various characters. With the second season the credit sequence was changed to a montage of sepia still photographs. With changes made to the credits to accommodate changes in the cast, the sepia credit sequence remained in place until the end of the show's run.

Today there is tendency to think of The Waltons as a wholesome, even a saccharine show. In truth, The Waltons covered some very serious issues throughout its run. Multiple episodes addressed racism, both against African Americans and in one episode ("The Medal") against Chicanos. Anti-Semitism was also addressed more than once. Among the other issues addressed by The Waltons were poverty, illness, war, pacifism, post traumatic stress, and spousal abuse. The show even addressed drug addiction using one of its own characters. In "The Obsession," Mary Ellen becomes addicted to amphetamines while studying for her nursing exam. The Waltons was certainly a wholesome show given it centred on a close-knit, loving family, but it was also a very progressive show.&nbsp

It was perhaps because of the changes in the show over the years, particularly the death of Will Geer, that The Waltons would decline in the ratings as time passed. It remained in the top twenty until its seventh season, when it dropped to no. 37 for the year. The show was ultimately cancelled with its ninth season.

The Waltons was filmed on rear part of the Warner Bros. lot, with the mountains in the background actually being the Hollywood Hills. With the series' end, the facade of the Waltons' home was torn down. A replica of the Waltons' house would be built for the reunion movies, on the old Columbia Ranch. This house would later serve as the Dragonfly Inn on Gilmore Girls, among other things.

While The Waltons ended its run in 1981, the show was hardly gone. Aside from having a highly successful run as a syndicated rerun, there were also reunion movies. It was in 1981 that NBC aired the first of three reunion movies, A Wedding on Walton's Mountain. It was followed in 1982 by Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain and A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain. It would be ten years before another reunion would air. A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion aired on CBS marked the return of Richard Thomas as John Boy. It would be followed by two more reunion movies: A Walton Wedding in 1995 and A Walton Easter in 1997.

Last year a reboot of The Homecoming: A Christmas Story, The Waltons: A Homecoming, aired on The CW. As might be expected, it had an all new cast, although the character of Ben was omitted and Richard Thomas took over as narrator, Earl Hamner Jr. having died a few years ago. It will be followed by another reboot movie this year, A Waltons Thanksgiving, also airing on The CW.

Throughout its run The Waltons won several Emmy Awards and it has been in syndication ever since its network run ended. It is definitely one of the most successful shows of the Seventies. As to the reason for its success, part of it may be due to the nostalgia craze that lasted throughout the decade. While many think of the Fifties with regards to the nostalgia craze of the Seventies (a prime example being the show Happy Days), there was also nostalgia for other eras, such as the Depression, as well. The nostalgia craze had actually begun in the Sixties, with renewed interest in Old Time Radio and pulp magazines. As a result, the Seventies would then see several period dramas, from the action adventure shows Bearcats and The Manhunter to the mystery series Ellery Queen. The Waltons would even inspire other period family dramas, such as The Family Holvak and the Saturday morning cartoon These Are the Days. Prior to The Waltons, successful period pieces were a rarity, The Untouchables being a notable exception. Since The Waltons there have been several. As strange as it may seem given how different the two shows are, Mad Men then owes something to The Waltons.

The Waltons would also pave the way for other family dramas. In the wake of The Waltons there were such family dramas as Apple's Way (created by Earl Hamner Jr. himself), Family, and Eight is Enough. To a degree The Waltons carved a path for further family dramas, whether or not they are set in the current day or an earlier time.

In the end The Waltons  would have a lasting impact on television. It has persisted in syndication ever since its original run ended and inspired further television period pieces and family dramas. Much of this was perhaps due to the show's superior writing, much of it by the show's creator Earl Hamner Jr. Although many today sometimes think of it as a somewhat saccharine show, it was actually much more complicated than that.