When Things Seemed More Family Centered

[skeptic]

Is currently a series of things about the Waltons TV show on the net, and also the Today show earlier this morning. The 40th anniversary of the original movie, and 30th anniversary of the show ending. Most of the cast was on the show this morning, and is now on tape on the net.

 

It is interesting to read the comments of fans, obviously positive; but they also appear to indicate how many people perhaps miss the seemingly simpler life then, even in tough times. That there are quite a few younger people that are fans I find surprising.

 

Really not scouting related, other than the ideals that we still try to hold up. Also, Erik Scott, who played Ben, is an Eagle Scout. I attended his COH in the San Fernando Valley when I was the district NESA rep in 1976.

[Tampa Turtle]

I love the show and we watch it on DVD. Also read Hamner's website which I highly recommend. But it is a bit overly-nostalgic, even Hamners real-life family was not as cheery as the show. The back story about Will Geer, who was black-listed at one time is pretty interesting. Hard to believe Hamner's family actually had MORE kids. I know as a young lad I thought Michael Learned was pretty hot.

 

However my family experience was not the same as the show. I suspect there were many dysfunctional families then also; I know my Dad's mother drank a lot, slept around on her husband and ran off for a few years. Other family members said that in this neighborhood in the '30's this was not that unusual. Also while people remember neighbors helping each other I remember reading the crime and murder rate was pretty high. My dad said he recalled the depression as not such a good time.

[Engineer61]

My Grandfather called "The Walton's" a "#%$@ lie."

 

He said the Walton's were rich land barons by comparison to the most of the rest of the rural population at that time.