To be fair, 'The Waltons' couldn't help Grandma getting a stroke or Grandpa dying since both characters' performers DID have those fates during the middle of the show.
Also, by all acounts, the main showrunner Earl Hamner, Jr. was unfailingly polite and soft-spoken to the cast and crew to the point that Judy Norton \[Mary Ellen\] said she NEVER saw him so much as raise his voice much less lose his temper in all the years she interacted with him while the same sure can't be said about ML.
Sorry, but since I was comparing 'The Waltons' showrunner \[Earl Hamner, Jr.\] with LHOTP's showrunner in the LHOTP Reddit, ML meant 'Michael Landon' NOT the performer who played Olivia!
i had no idea. Until a few years ago, I had only seen a handful of episodes, and I've only seen a few more since then. I didn't know this about Michael Landon.
The Waltons starts out amidst the Great Depression, but I think because the family lives in such a rural area, they do things that seem straight out of LHOTP. They ride horses, churn butter, sew, don’t have a telephone, and struggle financially. The series moves forward through WWII, which is interesting historically.
True but by the time it ended after World War II was over, they had a telephone, drove cars,etc. and seemed as though they could have lived in a Midwestern suburb.
I think The Waltons is a more consistent show than LHOTP. It takes longer to go off the rails, and other than a couple of storylines, it's nowhere near as bonkers in its final seasons. Overall, I actually enjoyed it more.
Interestingly enough, on 'The Waltons', the storekeeper (and family friend) Ike\[ Joe Conley\] had started out as a bachelor but in 1975, they had him get married to their cousin Corabeth \[Ronnie Claire Edwards\] who was somewhat pretentious, a bit of comic relief and the closest character they had to a villain.
However, she never quite reached the levels of OTT wackiness that Harriet Oleson achieved .
I liked LHOTP better as a kid, because I loved the books. I think The Waltons is a a better show-better acting, better storylines, and more realistic characters.
I watched The Waltons when they were on originally in the 70’s and when I became old enough to understand the show. Since they have played in reruns for several years, as has LHOP on Hallmark Drama (now Family), I have watched the entire series several times as an adult.
While both shows promote family values and are based on real families, they are set in two entirely different centuries where families lived different lifestyles. The Waltons was set during the middle of the Depression through the end of WW2. LHOP was set in the 1870’s-1883.
Love this show. Really feel in love when my dad was busting a guy watching it in the living room and saying “what’s Jim bob got on? They put him in a blouse!!! He’s in a girls blouse!!” Hahahaha such a good show
I love the Waltons. I watched it as a kid when it was out, and have caught it several times over the years in syndication. It’s similar to LH in the sense of values portrayed in the stories (family, loyalty, kindness, acceptance, community), but also similar in the feel of how TV shows felt back in the 70s, so it’s very much a comfort show for me. Lovely warm mom, stricter but understanding and hardworking dad, Grampa feels little like Mr Edwards, but with more of a poet’s soul ☺️, a slightly abrasive shopkeepers wife with a more gentle and friendly husband (the Godseys), etc. Many of the Walton cast (I think just the kids now) also do fan events and appearances like the LH folks too. Well worth a watch IMO!
I love Grandpa Walton. Will Geer was a fascinating man IRL too.
[Yes kids, Grandpa Walton, well technically the man who played Grandpa Walton, was gay IRL.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Geer)
[And Grandma wasn't exactly straight either.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Corby)
I've always preferred Little House to The Waltons, even when both were in Primetime. I do watch The Waltons on Me-TV since it comes on at noon. It's a good show and the earlier seasons with Richard Thomas and Michael Learned are the best. The later seasons are really bad. Should have ended the show much sooner.
With any show, by the time they're bringing in "Aunt Rose" and the orphan kids, the show is on fumes. LHoTP did the same thing with James and Cassandra. It was amazing that Albert kept the show going for as long as he did. Carrie certainly wasn't helping.
Cousin Oliver Little Ricky Segall syndrome is real
My honest opinion is that it’s better. Obviously they are set in different time periods, but The Waltons just seems more genuine to me. And I agree with someone that said the earlier seasons are better, but the later ones aren’t bad. It goes through the same changes that Little House goes through at the end…actors leaving, bringing in new characters…and it has to deal with the actual timeline of history when WWII starts.
I've been watching it. There are some similarities but also some differences. I'm in early Season 3, so I still have a long way to go.
r/WaltonsMountain
The Waltons is my favorite show. I love Little House, but in my opinion The Waltons utilized real moments in history better and more realistically than LHOTP did. (The Depression, Pearl Harbor, the abdication of the English king, WW2, etc)
I'd say it's definitely worth watching and giving a shot, though I've never seen it nearly as much as LHOTP.
Fun fact! John Ritter is on The Waltons for a bit, playing a reverend. And years later he and Richard Thomas (John Boy on The Waltons) would meet up again and star in the IT miniseries in 1990, playing the adult versions of their respective characters.
The Waltons is definitely worth it. It is much less melodramatic than LHOTP.
It is based on Earl Hamner Jr's life (he is the John Boy character. Interestingly, Hamner also wrote Falcon Crest)
It's a good show. Like many TV shows the early seasons are the best..
To be fair, 'The Waltons' couldn't help Grandma getting a stroke or Grandpa dying since both characters' performers DID have those fates during the middle of the show. Also, by all acounts, the main showrunner Earl Hamner, Jr. was unfailingly polite and soft-spoken to the cast and crew to the point that Judy Norton \[Mary Ellen\] said she NEVER saw him so much as raise his voice much less lose his temper in all the years she interacted with him while the same sure can't be said about ML.
Bottom line.. Some people are just nicer than others.
Michael Learned? This is news to me. By all means, please spill the tea.
I think they meant Michael Landon?
Sorry, but since I was comparing 'The Waltons' showrunner \[Earl Hamner, Jr.\] with LHOTP's showrunner in the LHOTP Reddit, ML meant 'Michael Landon' NOT the performer who played Olivia!
Ok. Thank you for clarifying!
No Michael Landon was in reality as close to the polar opposite of Charles Ingalls as it gets. His was good at pretending to be a good man.
i had no idea. Until a few years ago, I had only seen a handful of episodes, and I've only seen a few more since then. I didn't know this about Michael Landon.
The Waltons starts out amidst the Great Depression, but I think because the family lives in such a rural area, they do things that seem straight out of LHOTP. They ride horses, churn butter, sew, don’t have a telephone, and struggle financially. The series moves forward through WWII, which is interesting historically.
True but by the time it ended after World War II was over, they had a telephone, drove cars,etc. and seemed as though they could have lived in a Midwestern suburb.
Good night, John Boy!
Good night Mary Ellen!!!
Goodnight Elizabeth!
Good night Jason!
Good night, Jim Bob!
Yes! Its a good show, it did take a time for it to grow on me. I will just say season 1 - 5 is the best when the kids are small. Season 9 is okay.
Whatever season where they have the Faux John Boy is horrible.
The actor who replaced john boy? Yes it wasn't the same. The actor did his best.
Yeah, Richard Thomas left very big shoes to fill. I almost wish they didn't bring the character back at all.
Yes! He sure did have big shoes to fill, I wish he didn't live either. He played John boy so well and good.
I think The Waltons is a more consistent show than LHOTP. It takes longer to go off the rails, and other than a couple of storylines, it's nowhere near as bonkers in its final seasons. Overall, I actually enjoyed it more.
Interestingly enough, on 'The Waltons', the storekeeper (and family friend) Ike\[ Joe Conley\] had started out as a bachelor but in 1975, they had him get married to their cousin Corabeth \[Ronnie Claire Edwards\] who was somewhat pretentious, a bit of comic relief and the closest character they had to a villain. However, she never quite reached the levels of OTT wackiness that Harriet Oleson achieved .
I always thought Corabeth was a bit Hyacinth Bouquet-ish. Always trying to impress others.
Granted but she never got close to the heights of wackiness or hysteria that Harriet or Hyacinth often did!
I liked LHOTP better as a kid, because I loved the books. I think The Waltons is a a better show-better acting, better storylines, and more realistic characters.
Phenomenal show!! I love it!! Do yourself a favor and watch it. Especially the early seasons!
I watched The Waltons when they were on originally in the 70’s and when I became old enough to understand the show. Since they have played in reruns for several years, as has LHOP on Hallmark Drama (now Family), I have watched the entire series several times as an adult. While both shows promote family values and are based on real families, they are set in two entirely different centuries where families lived different lifestyles. The Waltons was set during the middle of the Depression through the end of WW2. LHOP was set in the 1870’s-1883.
Just started watching the first season now
Love this show. Really feel in love when my dad was busting a guy watching it in the living room and saying “what’s Jim bob got on? They put him in a blouse!!! He’s in a girls blouse!!” Hahahaha such a good show
This is my favorite tv show ever. I watch it every day. I cannot think of life without this show
It's on every day on MeTV at noon. It's my lunch hour show.
I love the Waltons. I watched it as a kid when it was out, and have caught it several times over the years in syndication. It’s similar to LH in the sense of values portrayed in the stories (family, loyalty, kindness, acceptance, community), but also similar in the feel of how TV shows felt back in the 70s, so it’s very much a comfort show for me. Lovely warm mom, stricter but understanding and hardworking dad, Grampa feels little like Mr Edwards, but with more of a poet’s soul ☺️, a slightly abrasive shopkeepers wife with a more gentle and friendly husband (the Godseys), etc. Many of the Walton cast (I think just the kids now) also do fan events and appearances like the LH folks too. Well worth a watch IMO!
I love Grandpa Walton. Will Geer was a fascinating man IRL too. [Yes kids, Grandpa Walton, well technically the man who played Grandpa Walton, was gay IRL.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Geer) [And Grandma wasn't exactly straight either.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Corby)
It’s a great show, in my opinion, especially the first few seasons. Comparable in terms of wholesome family stories.
I've always preferred Little House to The Waltons, even when both were in Primetime. I do watch The Waltons on Me-TV since it comes on at noon. It's a good show and the earlier seasons with Richard Thomas and Michael Learned are the best. The later seasons are really bad. Should have ended the show much sooner.
With any show, by the time they're bringing in "Aunt Rose" and the orphan kids, the show is on fumes. LHoTP did the same thing with James and Cassandra. It was amazing that Albert kept the show going for as long as he did. Carrie certainly wasn't helping. Cousin Oliver Little Ricky Segall syndrome is real
It's curious to think if Walnut Grove ended up in any way like Walton's Mountain 40 years later in the 1930s
No because the town got blown up
Lol, I meant assuming it wasn't
My honest opinion is that it’s better. Obviously they are set in different time periods, but The Waltons just seems more genuine to me. And I agree with someone that said the earlier seasons are better, but the later ones aren’t bad. It goes through the same changes that Little House goes through at the end…actors leaving, bringing in new characters…and it has to deal with the actual timeline of history when WWII starts.
LHOTP and Waltons are my 2 favorite shows, ha!
I've been watching it. There are some similarities but also some differences. I'm in early Season 3, so I still have a long way to go. r/WaltonsMountain
The Waltons is my favorite show. I love Little House, but in my opinion The Waltons utilized real moments in history better and more realistically than LHOTP did. (The Depression, Pearl Harbor, the abdication of the English king, WW2, etc)
I'd say it's definitely worth watching and giving a shot, though I've never seen it nearly as much as LHOTP. Fun fact! John Ritter is on The Waltons for a bit, playing a reverend. And years later he and Richard Thomas (John Boy on The Waltons) would meet up again and star in the IT miniseries in 1990, playing the adult versions of their respective characters.
The Waltons is definitely worth it. It is much less melodramatic than LHOTP. It is based on Earl Hamner Jr's life (he is the John Boy character. Interestingly, Hamner also wrote Falcon Crest)
Never watched it. It just didn’t look good to me.
Watched it all and you have to! But the writing towards the end like LHOTP meh.