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"The Waltons" was all about family, and parents John and Olivia set the example.
The Kardashians are not my idea of a family TV show.
"The Waltons," whose cast reunited on TODAY this morning, now that's a family. Or the Ingalls, from "Little House on the Prairie." The Huxtables. Even The Muppets. (Kermie and Miss Piggy may have argued like crazy, but every one of those furry friends had each other's backs. Except maybe Statler and Waldorf.)
It's easy to dismiss a show like "The Waltons" for being sappy and Pollyanna-esque -- that's the first image I remember too. But watch a few episodes or clips and you remember that none of those family members were saints. They made mistakes, they were sometimes selfish or tried to take the easy way out. But the characters were written to have solid cores and strong hearts, and they overcame the flaws we all have and lived up to the ideals we all strive for.
"The Waltons" is 40 years old, but the first episode can still put a lump in my throat. In it, a woman leaves a little girl, who turns out to be deaf, on the steps of the Walton home. It's the Depression, and they already have seven kids of their own, plus two grandparents and two parents to feed. John and Olivia decide the sensible thing to do is take the girl to the county orphan home. But when the sheriff drives up and starts to lead her away, John breaks. His family might have to make do with a little less, but they're the last line of defense between this girl and any hope for a bright future. He tells the sheriff they'll add the little girl to their family until her own can be found, and the kids cheer wildly with delight.
Corny? Old-fashioned? I don't think so. It's just another reminder that the backbone of shows like these was always the parents. They brought up their kids with honesty and clear heads, never blinded by material things or looks, and the kids rewarded them by making them proud. The same went for Charles and Caroline Ingalls, Cliff and Clair Huxtable, and even Kermit, if you consider him the dad of "The Muppet Show."
You wouldn't see Olivia Walton entering her daughter in one of those "Toddlers and Tiaras" pageants, or Clair Huxtable putting her daughter's wedding on TV.
So much of television is caught up now in showing us the very worst of life. Kids who mouth off, pregnant teens, housewives with more money than brains, rich executives squandering millions on a teen's birthday party, bridezillas who care more about their wedding than their marriage. A show like "The Waltons" probably couldn't make it on television today. Set off among all the unreal reality shows and "Gossip Girl" wannabes, it would stand out like a thrift-store dress on a fashion runway. But still sometimes I like to think of what Olivia Walton would handle Kim Kardashian, or what Clair Huxtable would say to those "Toddlers and Tiaras" moms.
Are you a fan of old-fashioned family shows? Tell us in the comments.
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I'm just a fan, but I know the difference between reality and fictionalized TV shows. Life is complicated, and issued cannot not be dealt with in a half hour or hour. Although TV shows are staring to deal with more relative topics the bottom line is that they are mostly for entertainment and distraction not educational and value based. Shows that do try to offer up a moral lesson often do not or cannot present every side and nuance to a sitatution, and can be flawed.
I agree. Thank you for writing this.
Get used to the Depression, eh?
I am in my 40's now and absolutely love The Waltons and Little House On The Prairie. I grew up watching them and now my children love them (2 of 3 are now adults). My parents were divorced when I was very young. I have no memory of our family. These shows, I found when I began introducing them to my children, were the core teaching of my parenting. My husband and my children would laugh when they would see how something was handled and it matched me well. I too wish we would be able to see this type of show again for others to develop better lives.
I grew up watching Little House and the Prairie, I liked it but it didn't effect me as a kid as it does now that I'm an adult. I've probably seen every episode a dozen times, but I can still be flipping channels and stop on that show for 20 seconds and be in tears!!! Definitely don't find many shows that tug on the heartstrings and affect you that way...
I've got teens and tweens that wont miss this show. Dont write of the Waltons too soon.
Well,if Newt gets to be president our kids will be choping some wood.
What do you mean? My kid was chopping wood last weekend, and doing a fine job of it. I am cutting down another large tree this weekend. I expect it to heat the house all of January. I think we still live in the Walton's style; and love it.
This is the easily the whitest thing I've seen today. I'll give it that.
Sorry, but the article also references "The Cosby Show". What wrong with white?
Teaching kids to be respectful, honest and hard working can and should be found in any family. Not sure why you're calling it "white." As a member of a strong black family, your comment is the most racist remark I've seen all day - it implies a family of color can't or shouldn't want good values taught to their kids.
I'm just doing my part to help those of you who live to be offended. You're welcome.
There were episodes that dealt with race. there was a very good episode that dealt with nazis. And Ike Godsey was a Cherokee (and was in violation of Virginia law at the time by marrying a white woman).
Having good, INVOLVED parents is universal. Or are you implying that black parents cant be good parents too?
Danielle, you are an idiot!!
I agree with the idiot part... but the name is Daniel, not Danielle.
I used to love 'The Waltons'. Though there were only 4 children in my family, our values were much like those of the Waltons and I actually now live only about 30 minutes from Mr. Hamner's childhood home. There is a lot to be said for shows that portray a more 'family based' view of life, where the parents are parents and the kids make the mistakes kids make and learn from those mistakes (or not). No, D, reality cannot be totally dealt with in 30 or 60 minutes, but 'reality' shows these days have nothing to do with what is real and offer little in the way of entertainment.
I'm in my late 20s and much prefer watching The Waltons and The Cosby Show over anything else on tv today. I wish the Kardashians, Housewives shows, and shows like Jersey Shore would disappear from the public eye. These shows (like Toddlers in Tiaras that everyone loves to hate) would go off the air if no one was watching them. Unfortunately, it won't happen because people would rather see the failures and shortcomings of others than get a wholesome (if not somewhat sappy and sometimes unrealistic) message.
I enjoy watching The Waltons, for the simple reason that it's a quality TV show. The production values are quality, the acting is quality, and the storylines are quality. All there is on TV nowadays are unfunny situation comedies, endless cop shows, mindless so-called "reality" shows, and American Idol and its imitators. The Waltons look like a real family from the 1930s, struggling to survive the Depression as a family. Sure, they have their faults, and sure, the show can be sappy at times, but so what? At least the girls don't dress like hookers and the boys aren't gangstas!
Just don't confuse the Waltons on TV with the Waltons in real life! Greedy $uckers!
The Brady Bunch, The Waltons, The Ingalls, The Huxtibles, Tom Bradford (8 is Enough). I miss these family shows. Some people may argue that they weren't real life. Well, the reality shows that are on now are mostly trash. It doesn't give anyone a decent role model. If you were a kid in the 60's, 70's, 80's...if you didn't have the most desirable family, at least you were able to escape for a few hours a week & be part of a TV family. These families gave you a lesson on what parents should be like. I don't see anything wrong with a little "happy-ending" on a TV show. It gives people hope that things can work out if you stick together as a family - doesn't even have to be the traditional family. My parents grew up during the depression, both with large families like the Waltons. This show gave me a chance to see some of the things my parents went through. It was a wonderful show & the actors were wonderful at portraying a loving, supportive family. Thanks for the memories.
I have been a fan of the show since it began and I still am. I liked all the actors and also loved the fact that all age groups were represented in the show. The actors weren't glamorous or exceptionally beautiful. They looked like regular people. (Although I have always had a huge crush on John Walton Jr.) The show was well written and not at all schmaltzy. I watched it until John Boy and Olivia left. I thought it kind of jumped the shark after that. I want to thank everyone involved with the Walton's. It has meant a lot to me over all these years.
I have found a local station in Minneapolis that shows lots of the programs from the 70's & 80's and find myself watching it more & more often as I cannot believe the stupidity of most of today's programming. Even when I was younger I found a lot of the shows to be offensive; my thought has always been " would I feel comfortable with my elderly grandparents watching this?"
It starts with a / the church....
My kids - ages 10, 13 and 16 don't watch a whole lot of t.v. and for the most part, I let them choose what they watch -- but it's really funny - when they do, their favorite shows are Everyone Loves Raymond and Wonder Years reruns -- the times may have changed, but these kind of shows still give all of us - I think especially kids -valuable perspective, insight and humor about families, friends, school and life in general that really doesn't change. Most shows on today give us none of this - it basically gives kids the message it's perfectly ok to be rude, selfish, indulgent, disrepectful, promiscuous and just plain stupid. I'll take my childhood and the shows I grew up with over anything kids have today. I think there are some kids out there today who would too.
The Waltons were indeed one of my favorite shows. There should be more like it on today's networks. And our family was a lot like the Waltons. My paternal grandfather died when I was four and my maternal grandfather died when I was 15. Will Geer was a lot like both of them and I enjoyed him and Ellen Corby so very much. I still get teary-eyed when I think they have passed on as well. I'm so glad there are Walton re-runs on the syndicated networks and I would like some day to get the whole DVD collection. Kudos to any and all who had anything to do with producing this show - you should be proud of the part you played in bring so much enjoyment to so many. Thank you all.
The popularity of a TV show at any given point in time speaks more to what is happening in society at that time. Times were definitely different then. 40 years ago I was just married and came from a family of little means. Our family life was defined not by our material possessions (we couldn't afford much) but more about time spent together. TV shows like the Walton's reflected that.
My 20 something girls now speak nostalgically of shows like "Saved by the Bell", "My So Called Life", "Boy Meets World", etc. Those shows also had their moralistic qualities. Although my husband and I are were 60s kids and rode the wave of more freedoms than youth were ever accustomed to, our children have been raised with moral and societal expectations and happily, they seem to be taking these same expectations into their everyday, grown-up life.
Somethings don't change over the years and parents would do well to heed them. Family life (and love) before material possessions, clear boundries and expectations, and accountability. Every day is a teaching moment and we would all do well to not only to teach our kids but to remember these ideals ourselves. And they are free!
I was going to mention Boy Meets World! By far my favorite "family show" of all time! Someone learns SOMEthing about life in every episode, the parents were good, strong, parents and citizens and the kids, though they had their troubles, ended up pretty awesome. GREAT SHOW!
I think television has come to the point of anything goes. I feel sorry for the younger generation who will not get to see shows like The Waltons. I believe that television is sending the wrong messages to youth today. There are no morals and they are seeing that you can get over on anybody and become famous doing it. Sad....
I'm 24 years old and I've never saw an episode of The Waltons only heard about it and know its signature "Good Night John-Boy" but let me tell you.......
I would watch that show ANY DAY over another trashy unReality show. That genre of........."entertainment" is an embarrassment and I can't believe how networks are just cranking out the trash season after season.
UnReality crap has jumped the shark in my opinion. When is the shark going to finally catch it and kill it for good?.......
Those days are gone forever!
Pity!
This is why I like Tim Allen's new show and I hope it is successful. Yes its Home Improvement with girls but its still the same core family - mom and dad at home. Yes one of the daughters has a child but that is a reflection of today's society.
There's nothing wrong with liking the Waltons or 8 is enough, Cosby Show, Family Ties. those were all good family shows. Hope things come around like that again when my boys are old enough to watch tv beyond Nick Jr.
Reality shows are killing tv - I understand they are cheap to make and about the only reality show that was ANY good at one time was the Real World - the early early years. That truly showed a social experiment of putting 7 different people together and what happens - but even after a few years it turned into everyone of those kids wanting to make themselves a star.
I've never watched the Kardashians and never plan to. There is nothing real about them. That wedding was an episode of a tv show - all by design - it was a fraud - no different than a wedding on a soap as far as I'm concerned and to sell it to me as a real life love story insults my intelligence. I cannot believe the throngs of fans these idiots have. They are famous for a sex tape and a Sleazy dad who defended a murderer. Purely disgusting to have them on tv - and we can thank that turd Ryan Seacrest for it.
I've been watching the webcast of Vans Triple Crown surfing,
triplecrownofsurfing.com
the finals are today 10pm pacific time. Take a look not only for the surfing but listen to how decent, ethical, kind, polite... the surfers and announcers are! They are an example for Americans and the world! Very impressive! I hear Corporate News Media personalities using dirty language towards each other and Americans. Ever listen to the hate of Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, Oreily, FOX? Heck Republican HERO Dick Cheney tells Senators to F-off on the Senate floor! Cheney is the hero of Mormons, conservative Christians and the wealthy. What does that tell you about their values!
The Waltons were 100% fictional. If you know anybody like them in real life, let us know but cheCk the skeletons in their closets first.
I know of two. Well, I mean two that the Corporate Media presented to us that led us to believe they were like the Waltons. The Paterno Family and the Bush Family.
I'm wondering where you gained this 'insight', liz. The show was based on Earl Hamner's life in the foothills of the mountains of Virginia. He guided the storylines for the show and, yes, they were prodded about some, but the essential story was not fiction. And I wonder why the skeletons in the closet comment. I think we can all say that those exist in our lives.
Because real life heroes often have feet of clay. That doesn mean they aren't heroes, but the good old days weren't always good
But this show did not portray the 'good old days' as always good. That was one of its appeals. Did you ever actually watch the show?
"We need more families like the Waltons!" True, but the only places you'll find them are on TV and in the movies. The number of real-life fictional families can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and even then those families are likely flawed in some ways.
I don't think the Waltons were portrayed as a 'perfect' family. They were a family that, for the most part, worked together to keep things together and despite the usual frictions within a family, they came out the other side wiser for their experiences.
I've thought about this for a few minutes and there's more to "blame" here than Gael Fashingbauer Cooper is telling us! Did you know for the last 5 years there is a "family oriented group" that has been trying to air commercials during BLACK FRIDAY? Their message is (hey, take you kids to the park and play ball. Organize a day and use your hands, mind and spirit to make some cut out decorations with you children and family... there are other things to do than get trampled in Black Friday.) Each year EVERY Corporate TV networks refuses the commercial as offensive. Yet Mormons and Jerry Sandusky can air any message any time. Any booze commercial is NEVER refused. Any commercial for HATE RADIO is never refused... Tell us more Ms. Cooper!!!!