The Waltons

The Waltons live their life in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II.

The Waltons (1972-1981) is a United States network family drama series created by Earl Hamner, Jr. for CBS. Set in a rural Virginia mountain community, the show follows the large Walton household during the Great Depression and World War II. John Walton Sr. (Ralph Waite) and Olivia Walton (Michael Learned) hold together a crowded farmhouse of children and grandparents, with John Walton Jr. (Richard Thomas) and Esther Walton (Ellen Corby) among the principal figures. The engine of the series is ordinary daily struggle: money shortages, farm chores, schooling, illness, and the constant pressure of a world at war. Each episode is largely self-contained, built around a single family problem resolved by evening, and the nine-season run gives the characters room to grow across the years. Hamner's adult narrator frames the stories with reflective warmth. The tone is gentle, sincere and hopeful, rooted in a sense of shared sacrifice and faith. Fans of Little House on the Prairie and The Wonder Years will find resonance in its nostalgic small town family life, moral lessons, and comforting rhythm. It remains a landmark of wholesome television for viewers who want an uplifting, multigenerational watch.

Audiences broadly regard The Waltons as a warm, wholesome family drama whose gentle storytelling and moral lessons hold up across its run.

• Little House on the Prairiewarm rural family drama, depression-era hardship, narrated family life
• The Wonder Yearsnostalgic small town family life, wholesome tone, narrator reflecting on childhood
• Heartlandfamily-centered drama with moral lessons and rural setting

Created by

Earl Hamner, Jr.

Release Date

1972-09-14

Episode runtime

50 min

Rating

7.6 / 10 (108)

What is The Waltons about?

A rural Virginia family of seven navigates the Great Depression and World War II together under one roof.

What is The Waltons like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Waltons as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is The Waltons violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Waltons.

What did critics think of The Waltons?

Audiences broadly regard The Waltons as a warm, wholesome family drama whose gentle storytelling and moral lessons hold up across its run.

Which shows are like The Waltons?

Shows with a similar feel include Little House on the Prairie, The Wonder Years, and Heartland.

How long is The Waltons?

The Waltons: 9 seasons, 210 episodes.

Is The Waltons still running?

No, The Waltons has ended.

Where can I watch The Waltons?

In United States, The Waltons streams on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus, Philo.