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Remember this series!? What catches your spying-eye radar!?

Thanksgiving week seems the appropriate time to spotlight “The Waltons”, given the show’s family values basis. This is a childhood favorite of mine. Created by Earl Hamner Jr, based on his book “Spencer’s Mountain” & a 1963 movie of the same name, this began as a TV movie: “The Homecoming: A Christmas Story” (CBS, 12/19/1971). The weekly series, then, debuted on CBS 09/14/1972 & lasted until 06/04/1981. A year later, another network aired 3 TV movie sequels (1982), with 3 more movie sequels airing on CBS in the 1990s. 1 of those 1990s movies was filmed in 1993 & takes place in 1963, around President John F Kennedy’s assassination: “A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion”. Set in fictional Walton’s Mountain in fictitious Jefferson County VA, the show is based on Schuyler VA in Nelson County. While the set in CA has been destroyed, the Waltons house itself is still used as scenery, including as the Dragonfly Inn on TV’s “The Gilmore Girls”. The series starred Richard Thomas (as John-Boy, Seasons 1-6), Robert Wightman (as J-B, seasons 8-9), Ralph Waite (as John Walton), Michael Learned (as Olivia Walton), Will Geer (as Grandpa Walton), Ellen Corby (as Grandma Walton), Jon Walmsley (as Jason), Judy Norton Taylor (as Mary Ellen), Mary Elizabeth McDonough (as Erin), Eric Scott (as Ben), David W Harper (as Jim-Bob), Kami Cotler (as Elizabeth), Leslie Winston (as Cindy, Ben’s wife), Peggy Rea (as Rose Burton), Joe Conley (as Ike Godsey), Helen Kleeb (as Mamie Baldwin), Mary Jackson (as Emily Baldwin), John Ritter (as Reverend Matthew Fordwick), Mariclare Costello (as Rosemary Hunter Fordwick), Ronnie Claire Edwards (as Corabeth Walton Godsey), Lynn Hamilton (as Verdie Grant), John Crawford (as Sheriff Ep Bridges), Lynn Carlin (as Sara Griffith Bridges) & Merie Earle (as Maude Gormley).