A Look Back on the Waltons TV Show and Specials

[PLP927]

I have a lot of mixed reviews with the specials. The first three I thoroughly enjoyed: A Walton Wedding, Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain, and A Day for Thanks on Waltons Mountain. Although I miss Olivia, I enjoyed watching them (most) all AT Waltons mountains. It was a nice feeling!

I was sad that later on Paul and Erin get divorced, Jonesy was no longer around, Ben and Cindy's children die (??), and I personally am not a fan of Janet.

I don't know, it just seemed all of the sudden boom reality has come. Not that it wasn't reality but, before it was just an innocent knit-family and now later in the movies it seemed things just fell apart. Even John Boy and Janet's marriage wasn't that great -- a country boy marrying a city woman, knowing that they both want to stay where they grew/lived?

Oh, how I really missed the young Waltons with their Mama and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa.... watching their childhood joys, sorrows, accomplishments, failures, mistakes, achievements, fights, reconciliations, school days, house chores, etc., Really missed all of it when watching the specials.

I forget which episode, but I remember Olivia stating how back when they were young all they had to worry about was clothes and whether or not they'd have enough money and such.

I will always enjoy the episodes where all their family ups and downs were on Waltons Mountain!

[Marilyn]

I agree 100%. It's just sad that we get older and things change...

[Heather]

I agree. It's all downhill from childhood LOL.

The main thing I find irksome on the movies are the inconsistencies. John-Curtis disappeared entirely and why kill off Virginia?

I don't care much for Janet either. Mainly 'cuz I'm jealous of her

Out of them all I think I enjoyed A Walton Easter the most. Love when Daddy pushed John-Boy in the pond.

[PLP927]

You know, they also weren't consistent.

I thought Mary Ellen could no longer have children, after marrying Jonesy, but all of the sudden she has 2? or is it 3? I forgot about John Curtis! Always loved him! First Grandson!

[Marilyn]

I didn't care for the Janet character either. She was cold, stuffy and had a cocky attitude.

[dfnmeows44]

The mention that Erin and Paul got divorced flies in the face of Earl Hamner's own comments at the conclusion of A Walton Wedding. At that time he said that Erin and Paul were still as close as they were
then---The answer is that the scriptwriters of the specials never watched the episodes nor the prior specials but included suppositions on their own. Virginia did die in either the fall/winter of 1961 or the early spring of 1962 as we recall from the opening of A Walton Thanksgiving(1963) when Cindy says 'It's been almost two years,,,"However John Curtis was written out of the specials because of budget limitations . We do not know how Mary Ellen got the other two children---perhaps Curt died and that ended the fact she was divorced---actually a desertion by Curt in The Tempest/ Whirlwind so she was able to adopt..

[PLP927]

Apr 7, 2012 19:18:15 GMT -5 Marilyn said:

I didn't care for the Janet character either. She was cold, stuffy and had a cocky attitude.

Yes, she did. I know some were 'jealous' of her because she got to marry John Boy but, I personally felt bad for John Boy.

It just wasn't a good match from the start, personally I liked Jenny and Daisy!

[Marilyn]

I really think it would have been more fun and interesting if JB had married someone fun, someone who was happy and had a positive outlook. Janet was cranky.

[mtdawg]

It is apparent the folks who produced that last movie did not know anything about the Walton's and I have always been curious what Earl really thought about it.

[tracilynn]

Ive always been bothered by the fact that Ben and Cindys son Charlie is never mentioned again. After Virginia passed away Cindy is wanting to adopt due to being lonely. Did I miss something with Charlie???
I don't have many complaints about the show but John Curtis was a main character and to just not mention him in the movie was very sad to me. Just left us hanging.

[Honeybee]

This is why, I rarely watch the specials.

1. They keep changing Mary Ellen's kids. Then, when she got married Jonesy. She has the accident. She couldn't have anymore kids. The next special, she has kids. Your wondering, are these her kids of her own or did they adopt them.

2. Erin & Paul's divorce. You rarely see Erin's kids. So, you don't know what they look like.

3. the death of Virgina.

4. Charlie Written off.

5. Janet. Not fan of her. She wanted lived in the city. They rarely go to the country.

6. Drew. Sure, he is cute. But, when Elizabeth went all over the world. She comes back. He's dating a other young lady. it's like, he slap Elizabeth across the with those words.

[dfnmeows44]

Buttercup, Charlie did not die. What we have ascetained from the fact JohnCurtis was written out of
the specials--ERGO Charlie was also written out of the specials for the same reason--time and budget
coontraints

[Deleted]

Ya know, we need to get a Ouija board and ask as a group all of our un answered questions about the Waltons. What happened to the board the boys had in season two

[emeraldcity31]

I guess we'll have to just make up a file with the label 'Big Grey Area' for some of the inconsistencies or the unknowns that can never be answered.

[Rhonda]

Scarlett, I like your way of thinking. You check the barn (I'm deathly afraid of snakes) and I will look in the attic!