Though I will be the first to admit that 80 percent of my
upbringing was totally influenced by music, there are a few other factors that
have crept into my existence, as well. One of those would be television –
particularly that of the 1970s and 1980s when I was growing up. Most of what I
watched were a lot of mindless sitcoms – i.e. what former FCC Chairman Newton
Minnow once defined as a “Vast Wasteland” in the 1960s. However, there are a
few shows that struck me deeper than the normal. I loved the general
smart-assery portrayed by such characters as Jim Rockford, Patrick Jane, or Dr.
House. I was also influenced by the one-liners of John Ross Ewing, Jr. on Dallas – though I don’t think I am that
capable of pulling them off….nor do (I think) I have his tendency to swing to
the evil side as Larry Hagman so deliciously did for seventeen seasons. Some
might disagree with that one, though.
But, I will say that no series has struck me as deeply on an
emotional level as The Waltons.
Debuting on CBS-TV two years before I was born in 1972, the series served as
document of the growing up experiences of Earl Hamner, Jr. in the mountain
region of Virginia. One of my earliest TV memories was watching on Thursday
night as the show would begin with a brief preview of the upcoming hour, then
the screen would turn to sepia, and that iconic Jerry Goldsmith theme song
would begin to play.
As time went along, there were certain aspects of the show
that I identified with. Nobody was America’s grandfather any more capably than
Will Geer, I think I had crushes on both Judy Norton-Taylor (Mary Ellen) and
Mary McDonough (Erin) at one point or the other. As I started school, I kind of
identified with John Boy’s character, as he had a teacher in Mrs. Hunter that
took a unique interest in his future. I had one like that as well. And, I don’t think anyone was a better TV
father than Ralph Waite’s performance of family patriarch John Walton.
As creator, head writer, and narrator, Hamner touched the
nerve of an American public that was going through a unique time of social upheaval.
There was something settling about watching the series – then and now. Whether
it was in first run for nine seasons or reruns, there was / is something about The Waltons that – no matter what was going on in my life – made you
feel that it was going to be alright. For an hour, one could escape to a place
that problems were (mostly) solved in the case of forty-eight minutes. Those
were the days!
The writings of Earl Hamner, Jr. on The Waltons and throughout his career, were unlike any other. But,
it was his voice – as the grown up, real-life version of John Walton, Jr. – who began and
closed each episode that grabbed at the emotional core of me. And, still to
this day…watching The Waltons makes
me feel that it’s going to be alright.
On two occasions – 1997 and 2003 - I had a chance to interview Earl. It was a
surreal experience to be sitting in the production room at WDKN and hear that
voice coming back through my headphones. Since his passing last week at the age
of 92, I have listened to those interviews a couple of times. I have been
amazed at how green I was at the job of interviewing, but how genteel and cordial
Mr. Hamner was to me – just like that voice on television that has become such
a part of my fabric. For those
experiences, I will always be grateful. Those were two moments in my career
that I will forever cherish.
Of course, whether it was the eerie feel of his work on The Twilight Zone, creating such
family-friendly shows as Heidi and
the classic Charlotte’s Web….or his
contribution to the 80s prime-time soap genre with Falcon Crest, there was a lot more to Hamner than just The Waltons…..but I don’t think it was a
pedigree that the Nelson County native minded one bit. Thank you for inspiring
a generation with your stories of warmth, kindness, and oh, yes….The Recipe! A
lift of the glass of ‘Papa’s best’ in your honor, and may you light always stay
on….
