A
television series which ran from
1972 until
1981 on
CBS,
The Waltons was an
affirmative,
conservative program, extolling the
moral and
ethical tenets of what has since come to be called "
family values." Somewhat
autobiographical, the show came from the fiction of
writer/
producer Earl Hamner, Jr.
The Waltons were a hard-working, rural family who lived in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia. Their complex and highly developed family tree predates the generations with which the show was concerned, but past Waltons were frequently alluded to in episodes (often in anecdotes emphasizing the importance of moral steadfastness and work ethic).
The seven Walton children of parents Olivia and John were portrayed maturing during the Great Depression, and the show subsequently progressed through World War II (its internal timeline moved from 1933 to 1943).
The narrative perspective of the show was that of John-Boy, the eldest son. An aspiring novelist, John-Boy was the voice of the series, often the innocent "everyman" whose struggle with each episode's dilemmas was resolved with help from his family.
The Waltons enjoys an astounding presence on the internet, and remains oddly popular in syndication, even internationally.
This node is dedicated to Gamaliel... I've never really cared at all about the Waltons...