The Waltons: Difference between revisions
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The remarkable thing is that this series began on CBS around the same time as its notorious "rural purge" in which shows like ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies (TV)|The Beverly Hillbillies]]'' and ''[[Green Acres (TV)|Green Acres]]'' were cancelled en masse as not appealing to the desirable audience demographics from 1968 through 1973. It was expected to die a quick death like the few remaining survivors of the "rural purge" would eventually do. Instead of dying a quick death against ''The Mod Squad'' and ''The Flip Wilson Show'' as expected, the show soon killed ''them'' and went on for a successful nine-year run. Some have called it the lone survivor of the "rural purge" although the show began during it, not right before it. The show and its cast also picked up several Emmy Awards and a Peabody. |
The remarkable thing is that this series began on CBS around the same time as its notorious "rural purge" in which shows like ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies (TV)|The Beverly Hillbillies]]'' and ''[[Green Acres (TV)|Green Acres]]'' were cancelled en masse as not appealing to the desirable audience demographics from 1968 through 1973. It was expected to die a quick death like the few remaining survivors of the "rural purge" would eventually do. Instead of dying a quick death against ''The Mod Squad'' and ''The Flip Wilson Show'' as expected, the show soon killed ''them'' and went on for a successful nine-year run. Some have called it the lone survivor of the "rural purge" although the show began during it, not right before it. The show and its cast also picked up several Emmy Awards and a Peabody. |
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Series creator Earl Hamner, Jr. based the show on his own childhood experiences, which he had previously mined for the 1961 novel ''Spencer's Mountain'' (itself adapted as a 1963 film starring Henry Fonda and [[ |
Series creator Earl Hamner, Jr. based the show on his own childhood experiences, which he had previously mined for the 1961 novel ''Spencer's Mountain'' (itself adapted as a 1963 film starring Henry Fonda and [[Maureen O'Hara]]). Prior to the actual series, CBS aired a [[Pilot Movie]] in 1971 called ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'', which featured Patricia Neal as Olivia Walton and Edgar Bergen as Grandpa; these roles would be re-cast for the series. |
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=== ''[[The Waltons]]'' includes examples of the following tropes: === |
=== ''[[The Waltons]]'' includes examples of the following tropes: === |
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* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]: Papa Walton may the iconic loving father, but ''do not'' think you can take advantage of him. One drifter thought he could when he was bunking with the family and tried to steal some money before making his escape; the next thing that happened is that he was staring down a shotgun wielded by John who is quite adament that the thief put back the money and explain himself. John-Boy is no pushover either when facing bad guys, once forcing a young girl con artist to confess her crimes in front of the family and later on [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|beating up both boys singlehandedly that jumped him earlier in the episode]]. |
* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]: Papa Walton may the iconic loving father, but ''do not'' think you can take advantage of him. One drifter thought he could when he was bunking with the family and tried to steal some money before making his escape; the next thing that happened is that he was staring down a shotgun wielded by John who is quite adament that the thief put back the money and explain himself. John-Boy is no pushover either when facing bad guys, once forcing a young girl con artist to confess her crimes in front of the family and later on [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|beating up both boys singlehandedly that jumped him earlier in the episode]]. |
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* [[BLAM Episode]]: One episode is about a poltergeist invading the Walton home, no other episode features any overt supernatural elements (though one episode is ambiguous about a Ouija Board...) and this is never mentioned again. |
* [[BLAM Episode]]: One episode is about a poltergeist invading the Walton home, no other episode features any overt supernatural elements (though one episode is ambiguous about a Ouija Board...) and this is never mentioned again. |
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* [[ |
* [[Captain's Log]]: John-Boy's memoirs. |
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* [[The Cast Showoff]]: Will Geer. He had a Master's Degree in Botany from the University of Chicago, and worked as a professional botanist after being blacklisted in 1950. Grandpa's knowledge of plants makes a lot more sense now... |
* [[The Cast Showoff]]: Will Geer. He had a Master's Degree in Botany from the University of Chicago, and worked as a professional botanist after being blacklisted in 1950. Grandpa's knowledge of plants makes a lot more sense now... |
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* [[Celebrity Paradox]]: The family were occasionally seen listening to their favorite [[Radio Drama|radio shows]], including ''Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy''...after Bergen appeared in the pilot movie as Grandpa! |
* [[Celebrity Paradox]]: The family were occasionally seen listening to their favorite [[Radio Drama|radio shows]], including ''Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy''...after Bergen appeared in the pilot movie as Grandpa! |
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* [[Clip Show]]: ''A Decade of the Waltons'', a movie-length 1980 special introduced by an onscreen Earl Hamner, Jr. |
* [[Clip Show]]: ''A Decade of the Waltons'', a movie-length 1980 special introduced by an onscreen Earl Hamner, Jr. |
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* [[Door |
* [[Door Step Baby|Doorstop Kid]]: The first episode had a young deaf girl that was unable to communicate left on the Waltons' doorstep by her mother to prevent the father (who mistook her for mentally retarded) from sending her to an orphanage. One of the earliest examples of a clip show. |
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* [[Family Drama]] |
* [[Family Drama]] |
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* [[The Great Depression]] |
* [[The Great Depression]] |
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