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{{Short description|American drama television series}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2026}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = The Waltons Title Screen.png
| caption              = Season 1 title card
| genre                = [[Historical drama]]
| creator              = [[Earl Hamner Jr.]]
| based_on             = {{based on|''The Homecoming''|Earl Hamner Jr.}}
| starring             = {{ubl|[[Richard Thomas (actor)|Richard Thomas]]|[[Ralph Waite]]|[[Michael Learned]]|[[Ellen Corby]]|[[Will Geer]]|[[Judy Norton]]|[[Jon Walmsley]]|[[Mary Elizabeth McDonough]]|[[Eric Scott (actor)|Eric Scott]]|[[David W. Harper]]|[[Kami Cotler]]|[[Robert Wightman]]|[[Peggy Rea]]|[[Joe Conley]]|[[Ronnie Claire Edwards]]|[[Helen Kleeb]]|[[Mary Jackson (actress)|Mary Jackson]]|[[Leslie Winston]]|[[Tom Bower (actor)|Tom Bower]]|[[John Crawford (actor)|John Crawford]]|[[Robert Donner]]|[[Merie Earle]]|[[John Ritter]]}}
| narrator             = [[Earl Hamner Jr.]]
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 9
| num_episodes         = 221
| list_episodes        = List of The Waltons episodes
| producer             = {{ubl|[[Robert L. Jacks]]|Andy White|Rod Peterson|Claylene Jones}}
| executive_producer   = {{ubl|[[Lee Rich]]|Earl Hamner Jr.|Rod Peterson}}
| composer             = {{ubl|[[Jerry Goldsmith]] (theme music)|Arthur Morton|[[Alexander Courage]]}}
| runtime              = 45&ndash;48 minutes
| company              = [[Lorimar Productions]]
| network              = [[CBS]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1972|09|14}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1981|06|04}}
| related              = {{Plainlist|
* ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' (1971)
* ''A Wedding on Walton's Mountain'' (1982)
}}
}}

'''''The Waltons''''' is an American [[historical drama]] television series about a family in rural mountainous [[Western Virginia]] of the [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian]]/[[Blue Ridge Mountains]] chain, during the economic hardships and mass unemployment of the [[Great Depression]] in the 1930s and the subsequent [[United States home front during World War II]] in the 1940s. It was created by screenwriter and author [[Earl Hamner Jr.]], based on his 1961 book (and 1963 movie) ''[[Spencer's Mountain]]''. ''The Waltons'' aired from September 14, 1972, to June 4, 1981, and took place in the fictional Walton's Mountain, Virginia.

The TV film special '''''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story''''' was broadcast on December 19, 1971.<ref>Witbeck, Charles (December 19, 1971). [https://www.newspapers.com/image/252365043/?clipping_id=175679062 "Courageous Pat Neal Gets Demanding Role"]. ''The Muncie Star''. p.&nbsp;C12. Retrieved July 1, 2025. "Patricia Neal, wearing one of those cloche hats the late '20s with an upturned sail to it and an old brown coat to keep out the cold, stands next to a red model-T Ford in the midst of a gentle Jackson Hole, Wyo., fall snowstorm, jawing with Cleavon Little about two Virginia ladies who brew whiskey in filming a scene for the CBS two-hour drama, "The Homecoming: A Christmas Story," to be seen Sunday, Dec. 19."</ref> Based on its high ratings and critical success, the [[CBS]] network ordered the first season of episodes (to be based on the same characters, with some changes in the casting) which became known as the television series ''The Waltons''.<ref>{{cite web|title=All About The Creator|url=http://www.allaboutthewaltons.com/hamner.php|website=All About The Waltons|access-date=October 28, 2017}}</ref> Beginning in September 1972, the series was broadcast on the CBS network for nine seasons. After the series was canceled in 1981, three television film reunion sequels aired in 1982 on [[NBC]], with three more in the 1990s back on CBS. ''The Waltons'' was produced by [[Lorimar Television|Lorimar Productions]] and distributed by [[Warner Bros. Television|Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution]] in later [[Syndication (broadcast)|syndication]] after 1981.

Each episode's end sequence featured the voices of the family's members saying goodnight to one another before going to sleep for the night. According to the [[BBC]] which broadcast the series in the United Kingdom, "Goodnight, John-Boy" was one of the most common [[catchphrase]]s of the 1970s.<ref>{{cite news |title=Goodnight John Boy|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018g3nq |access-date=July 4, 2021 |agency=BBC Radio 4}}</ref>

==Premise==
{{Main|List of The Waltons episodes}}
{{:List of The Waltons episodes}}

===Setting===
The main story is set in Walton's Mountain, a fictional mountain community in the fictitious Jefferson County, [[Virginia]]. The stories are based upon events in Hamner's childhood home in [[Schuyler, Virginia|Schuyler]] in [[Nelson County, Virginia]].

The time period is from 1933 to 1946, during the [[Great Depression in the United States]] and [[United States home front during World War II|World War II]].  A portrait of president [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] hangs in the Walton homestead and neighboring Ike Godsey's General Mercantile store. The year 1933 is suggested by a reference to the opening of the [[Century of Progress]] exposition ([[World's Fair]]) held in Chicago, a brief shot of an antique automobile registration license plate, and when it is divulged in episode 5 that the date is in the spring of 1933.<ref>"The Typewriter", Season one, episode 5</ref> The last episode of season one, "An Easter Story," is set in February–April 1934. The year 1934 is covered over two seasons, while some successive years are covered over the course of a few months.

The series finale, "The Revel," revolves around a party and the invitation date is given as June 4, 1946. A span of 13 years is therefore covered in nine seasons. There are some chronological inconsistencies, most of which do not hinder the storyline.  The episode depicting the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] on December 7, 1941, was first broadcast on December 7, 1978.  Although December 7, 1978, fell on a Thursday, the show's regular broadcast day, and December 7, 1941, was a Sunday, the show commemorating the attack was coordinated with the 37th anniversary of the actual event.

The first three reunion movies (''A Wedding on Walton's Mountain'', ''Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain'', and ''A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain''), all produced in 1982, and aired several weeks apart are set in the later post-war year of 1947. Of the later reunions TV films, ''A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion'', filmed in 1993, is set in 1963, and revolves around the [[assassination of John F. Kennedy]]. ''A Walton Wedding'', made two years later in 1995, is set in 1964, and ''A Walton Easter'', filmed another two years following in 1997, is set in fictional 1969, with the social / political themes of the turbulent late 1960s intertwined in the updated story of the later generations of the Walton family.

The series began relating stories that occurred 39 years in the past and ended with its last reunion show set 28 years in the past.

A [[continuity (fiction)|continuity]] error exists in the final reunion movie about how many years John and wife / mother Olivia are said to be married, counting back to the first episode. In this reunion movie, John and Olivia are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in 1969, which dates their wedding to 1929. However, in the first episode of the series aired in September 1972, it is supposedly set in 1933 ("The Foundling"), John Boy is 17 years old and he already has six brothers and sisters.  In another episode, Olivia mentions that she was pregnant with her first child while her husband, John, was serving in the [[First World War]], and that she prayed the child would be born a girl so that the child would not have fight in war, which suggests that John and Olivia were married to each other in or immediately prior to 1917.  That would be consistent with a teenage John Boy in 1933.

===Story===
The story is about the family of John Walton Jr. (known as John-Boy): his six siblings, his parents John and Olivia Walton, and paternal grandparents Zebulon "Zeb" and Esther Walton. John-Boy is the first of the seven children (15 years old in ''The Homecoming''; 17 at the beginning of the series),<ref>"The Foundling," season 1, episode 1</ref> who becomes a journalist and novelist. Each episode is narrated at the opening and closing by a middle-aged John Jr. (voiced by author Earl Hamner on whom John-Boy is based). John Sr., who quit his city job after the traumatic events in the pilot episode, manages to eke out a living for his family by operating a [[lumber mill]] with the help of his sons as they grow older. The family income is augmented by some small-scale farming, and John occasionally hunts to put meat on the table. In the simpler days of their country youth, all of the children are rambunctious and curious, but as times grow tough, the children slowly depart from the innocent, carefree days of walking everywhere barefoot while clad in [[overalls]] and hand-sewn [[pinafores]], and into the harsh, demanding world of accountability and responsibility.

The family shares hospitality with relatives and strangers as they are able. The small community named after their property is also home to folk of various income levels, ranging from the well-to-do Baldwin sisters, two [[spinster]]s who distill [[moonshine]] that they call "Papa's recipe;" Ike Godsey, postmaster and owner of the general store with his somewhat snobbish wife Corabeth (a Walton cousin; she calls her husband "Mr. Godsey"); an African-American couple, Verdie and Harley Foster; Maude Gormley, a presumptuous artist who paints on wood; Flossie Brimmer, a friendly though somewhat gossipy widow who runs a nearby boarding house; and Yancy Tucker, a good-hearted [[handyman]] with big plans but little motivation. Jefferson County sheriff Ep Bridges, who fought alongside John in [[World War I]] and was awarded the [[Medal of Honor]], keeps law and order in Walton's Mountain. The entire family (except for John) attends a [[Baptist]] church, of which Olivia and Grandma Esther are the most regular attendees.

In the signature scene that closes almost every episode, the family house is enveloped in darkness, save for 1, 2 or 3 lights in the upstairs bedroom windows. Through voice-overs, two or more characters make some brief comments related to that episode's events, and then bid each other goodnight, after which the lights go out.

After completing high school, John-Boy attends fictional Boatwright University in the fictional nearby town of Westham. He later goes to New York City to work as a journalist.

[[File:The Waltons 1976.JPG|thumb|Grandma and John-Boy]]
During the latter half of the 1976–77 season, Grandma Esther Walton suffers a stroke and returns home shortly before the death of her husband, Grandpa Zeb Walton (reflecting Ellen Corby's real-life stroke and the death of Will Geer, the actors who portrayed those characters).

During the series' last few years, Mary Ellen and Ben start their own families; Erin, Jason and John-Boy are married in later television movie sequels. Younger children Jim-Bob and Elizabeth struggle to find and cement true love.

World War II deeply affects the family. All four Walton boys enlist in the armed services. Mary Ellen's physician husband, Curtis "Curt" Willard who is played by [[Tom Bower (actor)|Tom Bower]] is sent to [[Pearl Harbor]] and is reported to have perished in the [[attack on Pearl Harbor|Japanese attack]] on December 7, 1941. Years later, Mary Ellen hears of sightings of her "late" husband, investigates and finds him alive (this time played by Scott Hylands), but brooding over his war wounds and living under an assumed name. She divorces him and later remarries.

John-Boy's military plane is shot down, while Olivia becomes a volunteer at the [[Veteran's Administration|VA hospital]] and is seen less and less. She eventually develops [[tuberculosis]] and enters an [[Arizona]] [[sanatorium]]. Olivia's cousin, Rose Burton, moves in at the Walton house to look after the family. Two years later, John Sr. moves to Arizona to be with Olivia. Grandma appears in only a handful of episodes during the eighth season. She was usually said to be visiting relatives in nearby [[Buckingham County, Virginia|Buckingham County]]. Consistent with the effects of Ellen Corby's actual stroke, Grandma rarely speaks during the remainder of the series, usually limited to uttering brief one-or two-word lines such as "No!" or "Oh, boy!"

6 movies were made after the series run. Set from 1947 to 1969, they aired between 1982 and 1997.

==Characters==
<!-- ATTENTION: Please DO NOT add to this section without group discussion first. This section is meant to be brief. If you have relevant info to add to the characters PLEASE do it on "List of Waltons characters", not here. Thank you! -->
{{Crossreference|The following is a brief summary of the main characters. See [[List of The Waltons characters]] for a more complete list.}}
[[File:The Waltons 1974.JPG|thumb|Grandpa and Grandma Walton]]

* John "John-Boy" Walton Jr. ([[Richard Thomas (actor)|Richard Thomas]], seasons 1–5, guest seasons 6–7, three movie sequels; [[Robert Wightman]], seasons 8–9 and one movie sequel), the eldest of the 7 children
* John Walton Sr. ([[Ralph Waite]], seasons 1–8, 8 episodes of season 9 and all movie sequels), the family patriarch ([[Andrew Duggan]] starred as John Sr. in ''The Homecoming'' movie only)
* Olivia Walton ([[Michael Learned]], seasons 1–7, guest season 8, and 4 movies), the matriarch ([[Patricia Neal]] starred as Olivia in ''The Homecoming'' movie only)
* Zebulon "Grandpa" Walton ([[Will Geer]], seasons 1–6), John's father ([[Edgar Bergen]] starred as Zebulon in ''The Homecoming'' movie only). Grandpa's death was part of the first episode of the seventh season after Geer's death in 1978.
* Esther "Grandma" Walton ([[Ellen Corby]], seasons 1–5 & 7, 2 episodes in seasons 6 and 8, and in 5 movies), John's mother
* Jason Walton ([[Jon Walmsley]], entire series and 6 movies), second-oldest brother; musically talented
* Mary Ellen Walton ([[Judy Norton]], entire series and 6 movies), headstrong oldest daughter; becomes a nurse 
* Erin Walton ([[Mary Elizabeth McDonough]], entire series and 6 movies), second Walton daughter; works as a telephone operator and as manufacturing supervisor
* Benjamin "Ben" Walton ([[Eric Scott (actor)|Eric Scott]], entire series and 6 movies), third Walton son; has an entrepreneurial spirit
* James Robert "Jim-Bob" Walton ([[David W. Harper]], entire series and 6 movies), youngest Walton son; mechanically inclined
* Elizabeth Walton ([[Kami Cotler]], entire series and 6 movies), youngest of the 7 children
* Ike Godsey ([[Joe Conley]], entire series), proprietor of the general store ([[Woodrow Parfrey]] starred as Ike in ''The Homecoming'' movie only)
* Corabeth Walton Godsey ([[Ronnie Claire Edwards]]), seasons 3–9, John Walton's cousin, marries Ike
* Curtis Willard ([[Tom Bower (actor)|Tom Bower]], seasons 5–7), Mary Ellen's husband
* Cindy Walton ([[Leslie Winston]], seasons 7–9 and 4 of the reunion movies), Ben's wife
* Rose Burton ([[Peggy Rea]], seasons 8–9 and 1 sequel), Olivia's matronly cousin who fills in as matriarch during Olivia's absence

==Production==
===Inspiration===
Earl Hamner's rural childhood growing up in the [[Unincorporated area#United States|unincorporated community]] of [[Schuyler, Virginia]], provided the basis for the setting and many of the storylines of ''The Waltons''. His family and the community provided many life experiences which aided in the characters, values, area, and human-interest stories of his books, movies, and television series. Hamner provided the voice-over of the older John-Boy, usually heard at the beginning and end of each episode.

John-Boy Walton's fictional ''alma mater'', Boatwright University, is patterned after Richmond College, which became part of the [[University of Richmond]] on Boatwright Drive near [[Westham Station]] in [[The West End (Richmond, Virginia)|The West End of Richmond, Virginia]], about {{convert|70|mi|km}} east of Schuyler.

===Television film===
''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' (1971) was not made as a pilot for a series, but it was so popular that it led to [[CBS]] initially commissioning one season of episodes based on the same characters, and the result was ''The Waltons''.<ref name="The Christmas encyclopedia">{{cite book|last1=Crump|first1=William D.|title=The Christmas encyclopedia|date=2013|isbn=9780786468270|page=434|publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers |edition=Third}}</ref> Except for the Walton children and Grandma Esther Walton, the characters were all recast for the TV series. The musical score was by [[Academy Awards|Oscar]]-winning composer [[Jerry Goldsmith]] and was later released on an album by ''[[Film Score Monthly]]'' paired with [[James Horner]]'s score for the 1982 TV movie ''Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn''. (Goldsmith also scored several episodes of the first season, but the producers believed his TV movie theme was too gentle and requested he write a new theme for the series.<ref>Jon Burlingame, p. 153, ''TV's Biggest Hits: The Story Of Television Themes From "[[Dragnet (1951 TV series)|Dragnet]]" To "[[Friends]]"'', Schirmer Books, 1996, {{ISBN|0-02-870324-3}}</ref>) The series was also commissioned in response to the [[rural purge]] that the networks in general and CBS specifically had done that eliminated most rural-themed shows in 1971, and the subsequent backlash from fans of those shows that were still popular at the time of their cancelations.<ref name="The Christmas encyclopedia"/>

[[Patricia Neal]] (as Olivia) won a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama]]. The movie was also nominated for 3 Emmys: [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie]] (Neal), [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series|Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama – Adaptation]] (Earl Hamner), and [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama – A Single Program]] ([[Fielder Cook]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=The Homecoming-A Christmas Story|url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/homecoming-christmas-story}}</ref>

===Filming===
The town of Walton's Mountain was built in the rear area of the main lot at Warner Bros. Studios, bordering the [[Los Angeles River]], but the mountain itself was part of the [[Hollywood Hills]] range opposite Warner studios in [[Burbank, California]]. The façade of the Waltons house was built in the back of the Warner Brothers lot. After the series concluded, the set was destroyed, so for the reunion shows, another façade was built on the ''[[Here Come the Brides]]'' set on the old Columbia Ranch facility studio. The ranch backlot was later razed to accommodate more sound stages as part of a larger redevelopment.

For the first few seasons, exterior scenes were often shot in [[Frazier Park, California|Frazier Park]], {{convert|70|mi}} to the north of Los Angeles. They also occasionally filmed scenes in [[Franklin Canyon Park]] in [[Beverly Hills]].

Exteriors for ''The Homecoming'' were filmed in [[Teton National Forest]] near [[Jackson Hole, Wyoming]].

===Cast and crew===
The cast and crew developed a strong working relationship, including notably a compatible teaming of Ralph Waite and Michael Learned as parents John and Olivia Walton. Some of the children who started in the cast of ''The Homecoming'' credited director [[Fielder Cook]] for working gently and effectively with its cast, largely made of children. A consequence of the relaxed and cordial working environment led to lasting close relationships among the cast.<ref name="homecoming_televisionacademy">Pilato, Herbie J.: [https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/online-originals/homecoming-yesterday-and-today "Homecoming: Yesterday and Today:  A half century after the poignant CBS telefilm that inspired The Waltons, a new version comes to the CW,"] November 24, 2021, The [[Television Academy]], retrieved May 21, 2025</ref>

==Release==

=== Broadcast ===
Some sources indicate CBS put the show on its fall 1972 schedule in response to congressional hearings on the quality of television. Backlash from a 1971 decision to [[rural purge|purge most rural-oriented shows from the network lineup]] may have also been a factor. The network gave ''The Waltons'' an undesirable timeslot – Thursdays at 8 p.m – opposite 2 popular programs: ''[[The Flip Wilson Show]]'' on NBC and ''[[The Mod Squad]]'' on ABC.<ref name="lat">{{cite news | url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-waltons-20120928 | last=King | first=Susan | date=September 28, 2012 | title=40th anniversary celebration of 'The Waltons' | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | access-date=April 30, 2016}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> "The rumor was that they put it against ''Flip Wilson'' and ''The Mod Squad'' because they didn't think it would survive. They thought, 'We can just tell Congress America doesn't want to see this'," [[Kami Cotler]], who played Elizabeth Walton, said in a 2012 interview.<ref name="lat" /> However, CBS had enough faith in the show to devise a full-page newspaper ad flanked with the show's positive reviews, urging people to watch the show. Radically increased ratings were attributed to this ad, saving ''The Waltons''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brandlandusa.com/2016/03/25/earl-hamner-lou-dorfsman-lorimar-and-the-cbs-brand/|title=Earl Hamner and the CBS Brand {{!}} BrandlandUSA|last=IV|first=J. Garland Pollard|date=March 25, 2016|access-date=March 12, 2017}}</ref>

Ralph Waite was reluctant to audition for the part of John Walton because he didn't want to be tied to a long-running TV series, but his agent persuaded him by saying, "It will never sell. You do the pilot. You pick up a couple of bucks and then you go back to New York."<ref name="lat" />

Following the cancelation of the series in 1981, a total of six reunion movies were released: ''A Wedding on Walton's Mountain'' (1982),'' Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain'' (1982),'' A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain'' (1982),'' A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion'' (1993),'' A Walton Wedding'' (1995), and'' A Walton Easter'' (1997).

=== Syndication and reruns ===
Lorimar sold the distribution rights of ''The Waltons'' to [[Warner Bros. Television]] to avoid a lawsuit owing to the similarities between the series and the film ''[[Spencer's Mountain]]'' (1963), which Warner owned.<ref>[http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/lee-rich# Lee Rich Interview: ''Archive of American Television''. Retrieved on June 14, 2014.]</ref> Warner Bros. acquired Lorimar in 1989, and has continued to syndicate the series ever since.

In the UK, the series was broadcast on [[BBC Two|BBC2]] and [[BBC One|BBC1]] and during the 1970s/1980s – the first three seasons were broadcast on BBC2 from February 18, 1974,<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Two England – 18 February 1974 – BBC Genome |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1974-02-18#at-20.00 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017172645/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1974-02-18#at-20.00 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 17, 2014 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> to May 17, 1976,<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Two England – 17 May 1976 – BBC Genome |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1976-05-17#at-20.10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018002543/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1976-05-17#at-20.10 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 18, 2014 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> on Mondays at 20.00 GMT, and seasons 4 and 5 were shown on BBC1 from September 5, 1976,<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC One London – 5 September 1976 – BBC Genome |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1976-09-05#at-16.10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018003608/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1976-09-05#at-16.10 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 18, 2014 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> to August 30, 1977,<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC One London – 30 August 1977 – BBC Genome |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1977-08-30#at-19.40 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017215849/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1977-08-30#at-19.40 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 17, 2014 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> on Sundays at 16.10 in 1976 and Tuesdays at 19.00 through 1977. After that, seasons 6–9 would be broadcast on BBC2 again, starting on April 30, 1979,<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Two England – 30 April 1979 – BBC Genome |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1979-04-30#at-20.10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017065509/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1979-04-30#at-20.10 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 17, 2014 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> and concluding in April 1983.<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Two England – 29 March 1983 – BBC Genome |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1983-03-29#at-18.40 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016230757/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1983-03-29#at-18.40 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 16, 2014 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> The three reunion TV movies filmed in 1982 were also shown on BBC2 from December 21 to 28, 1983.<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Two England – 21 December 1983 – BBC Genome |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1983-12-21#at-17.40 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016225706/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1983-12-21#at-17.40 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 16, 2014 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Two England – 23 December 1983 – BBC Genome |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1983-12-23#at-17.40 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016225658/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1983-12-23#at-17.40 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 16, 2014 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Two England – 28 December 1983 – BBC Genome |url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1983-12-28#at-16.20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016225645/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1983-12-28#at-16.20 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 16, 2014 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> The show was repeated on [[Channel 4]] between 1986 and 1991 and again from 1996 to 2000. It aired on [[Sony Channel (UK and Ireland)|Sony Channel]] until March 31, 2020. 
In the UK the TV station 'Great TV' started airing re-runs from season one during the first week of January 2026.<ref>{{cite web | title='All-time favourite' drama is making a comeback to UK TV screens after 10 years | date=December 20, 2025 | url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/the-waltons-great-tv-freeview-33095094 }}</ref>

=== Home media ===
{{more citations needed section|date=June 2019}}

[[Warner Home Video]] has released all nine seasons and six TV movies of ''The Waltons'' on DVD in Region 1. Seasons 1–4 have been released in Region 2. The pilot movie, ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'', was released by [[Paramount Home Entertainment]]. [[Lorimar Television|Lorimar]] produced the series, CBS produced the pilot film, which is why Paramount, under [[CBS Home Entertainment]], handles home video rights for ''The Homecoming''.

German-release DVDs provide German or English soundtrack options, with dubbed German voices, or the original English soundtrack, although the German episode titles are not always either literal or precise translations of the original English-language titles. 
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2" |DVD name 
! rowspan="2" |Episodes
|-
! Region 1
! Region 2 (UK)
! Region 4 (AU)
|-
| ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story''
| {{N/a}}
| September 23, 2003
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|-
| The Complete 1st Season
| align="center" |24
| May 11, 2004
| November 1, 2004
| November 11, 2015
|-
| The Complete 2nd Season
| align="center" |24
| April 26, 2005
| July 3, 2006
| March 9, 2016
|-
| The Complete 3rd Season
| align="center" |24
| April 25, 2006
| September 11, 2006
| May 11, 2016
|-
| The Complete 4th Season
| align="center" |24
| January 23, 2007
| March 5, 2007
| July 13, 2016
|-
| The Complete 5th Season
| align="center" |24
| May 8, 2007
| {{N/a}}
| March 15, 2017
|-
| The Complete 6th Season 
| align="center" |22
| January 8, 2008
| {{N/a}}
| August 9, 2017
|-
| The Complete 7th Season
| align="center" |23
| April 29, 2008
| {{N/a}}
| November 8, 2017
|-
| The Complete 8th Season
| align="center" |24
| January 6, 2009
| {{N/a}}
| March 7, 2018
|-
| The Complete 9th Season
| align="center" |22
| April 28, 2009
| {{N/a}}
| March 7, 2018
|-
| TV movie Collection (not including the original movie)
| align="center" |6
| January 26, 2010
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
|}

===Streaming===
Seasons 1–9 are available via [[Streaming media|streaming]] in standard-definition as well as high-definition video through services such as [[Amazon Prime Video]].<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/The-Foundling/dp/B00E7872U2 ''Prime Video: The Waltons: The Complete First Season''] Retrieved October 22, 2013</ref>[[File:The Waltons cast 2012.jpg|thumb|The cast at the 40th Anniversary of the show in 2012]]

==Reception==

===Accolades===
''The Waltons'' won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series]] in 1973. Also in 1973, Richard Thomas won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Drama Series|Emmy]] for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Michael Learned won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series|Emmy]] for Lead Actress in a Drama Series 3 times (1973, 1974, and 1976). Ellen Corby was also a three-time winner in the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Drama Series|Supporting Actress]] category, winning in 1973, 1975, and 1976. Will Geer was awarded the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor - Drama Series|Supporting Actor Emmy]] in 1975. Veteran actress [[Beulah Bondi]] won an Emmy in 1977 for Lead Actress in a Single Performance for her guest appearance as Martha Corrine Walton in the episode "The Pony Cart" (Episode #111). She first appeared in ''The Waltons'' episode "The Conflict" (Episode #51) as the widow of Zeb Walton's brother.

The series itself earned a [[Peabody Award]] for its first season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://peabodyawards.com/past-winners/award/?pbaward=531&pb_search=1&pb_title=&pb_year=&pb_porg=&pb_query=the%20waltons|title=The Waltons|publisher=peabodyawards.com|access-date=December 18, 2012|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072045/http://peabodyawards.com/past-winners/award/?pbaward=531&pb_search=1&pb_title=&pb_year=&pb_porg=&pb_query=the%20waltons|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2013, ''[[TV Guide]]'' ranked ''The Waltons'' No. 34 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/|title=TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time|date=December 23, 2013}}</ref>

In 2017, from March 20 to 24, [[INSP (TV network)|INSP]] network remembered the life of Earl Hamner Jr. (who died in 2016) by featuring clips of interviews (once per episode) with him about his time involved with ''The Waltons'' during the breaks while its syndicated reruns aired from 3–5pm and again at 7&nbsp;pm.

===Cultural significance===
On January 27, 1992, then-President [[George H. W. Bush]] said, "We are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like [[the Simpsons]]."<ref name="mikescully">{{cite news|first=Nick |last=Griffiths |title=America's First Family |url=http://snpp.com/other/articles/firstfamily.html |work=The Times Magazine |pages=25, 27–28 |date=April 15, 2000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811014602/http://www.snpp.com/other/articles/firstfamily.html |archive-date=August 11, 2014 }}</ref> In response, ''The Simpsons'' made a short animated segment for a repeat showing of the episode "[[Stark Raving Dad]]", in which the family watches the speech, and [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] remarks, "Hey, we're just like the Waltons. We're prayin' for an end to the Depression, too."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/08/simpsons200708 |title=Simpson Family Values |author=Ortved, John |access-date=August 26, 2008 |date=August 2007 |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |archive-date=August 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827213908/http://www.vanityfair.com./culture/features/2007/08/simpsons200708 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Reboot TV films==
{{redirect-distinguish|The Waltons: Homecoming|The Homecoming: A Christmas Story|All American: Homecoming}}
On November 28, 2021, [[The CW]] aired<ref name=Brokaw/> ''The Waltons: Homecoming'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14825736/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_3|title=The Waltons: Homecoming|publisher=[[IMDb]]|accessdate=December 2, 2021}}</ref> a remake of ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story''. Also set in 1933, this film features the Walton family (portrayed by new actors) minus Ben, waiting for John to get home by bus. Richard Thomas narrated.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tvline.com/2021/11/28/the-waltons-homecoming-recap-cw-movie-reboot/|title=The Waltons' Homecoming: Did CW Movie Remake Evoke Enough Charm?|last=Mitovich|first=Matt Webb|work=[[TVLine]]|date=November 28, 2021|accessdate=December 2, 2021}}</ref> Executive producer Sam Haskell hoped the movie would lead to a new series.<ref name=Brokaw>{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldextra.com/entertainment/2021/nov/27/the-waltons-return-in-a-new-tv-movie/|title=The Waltons return in a new TV movie|last=Brokaw|first=Francine|work=[[Daily Herald (Utah)|Daily Herald]]|date=November 27, 2021|accessdate=November 29, 2021}}</ref> Another film ''A Waltons Thanksgiving'' aired on November 20, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=CW Sets Premiere Date for ''A Waltons Thanksgiving''|url=https://deadline.com/2022/09/cw-a-waltons-thanksgiving-premiere-date-1235118887/|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|last=Rice|first=Lynette|date=September 14, 2022|access-date=September 14, 2022}}</ref> In it, Ben was added to the family. Ratings for the second reboot film were much lower.<ref>{{cite web|date=November 21, 2022|url=https://tvline.com/2022/11/21/tv-ratings-american-music-awards-2022/|title=Ratings: American Music Awards Slip vs. 2021, Waltons Audience Wanes|publisher=[[TVLine]]|accessdate=December 29, 2022}}</ref>

== Behind the Scenes with Judy Norton ==
On July 14, 2020, Judy Norton (Mary Ellen) launched a series on her YouTube channel entitled "Behind the Scenes with Judy Norton", where she shares information about ''The Waltons''<nowiki/>' filming, cast, episodes, storylines, and cast reunions. She regularly takes the opportunity to answer viewer questions, with more than 100 "Ask Judy" episodes, and she has also hosted several former cast members as well as one of the show's directors, [[Ralph Senensky]]. As of July 2025, the playlist contains 540+ videos, with new releases every few days.<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE WALTONS |url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9yWAGutBtKYsgEOt6vbBMAhJKaPHV2Og&si=55YbbA25bSYxNfE- |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=YouTube |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[These Are the Days (TV series)|These Are the Days]]''; short-lived animated Saturday morning TV series produced by Hanna-Barbera which was inspired by ''The Waltons''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |first=Joe |last=Conley |author-link=Joe Conley |title=Ike Godsey of Walton's Mountain |publisher=BearManor Media |location=Albany |date=2010 |isbn=978-1-59393-508-5}}
* {{cite book |first=Mary |last=McDonough |author-link=Mary Elizabeth McDonough |title=Lessons from the Mountain: What I Learned from Erin Walton |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780758263667 |url-access=registration |publisher=Kensington Books |date=2012 |isbn=978-0758263674}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0068149|title=The Waltons}}
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/W/htmlW/waltonsthe/waltonsthe.htm ''The Waltons''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050804080423/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/W/htmlW/waltonsthe/waltonsthe.htm |date=August 4, 2005 }} at the Encyclopedia of Television
* [https://people.com/tv/the-surviving-waltons-where-are-they-now/ The Surviving Waltons: Where Are They Now?]
* [http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/thewaltons ''The Waltons''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110406030014/http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/thewaltons |date=April 6, 2011 }} at [[Hallmark Channel|HallmarkChannel.com]]

{{The Waltons}}
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{{EmmyAward DramaSeries 1951-1975}}
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