Hi Waltons fans,

I hope you've all enjoyed your visits with The Waltons this week. Ours today was "The Literary Man". I wonder what yours is at the moment?

Did any of you get to go on the chat with Earl Hamner? The one that was on TNN this week. If you did please let us know how it went. I meant to get on and have a look before the date but just simply didn't get around to it. I seem to have had very little internet time lately. Every time I hop on, one of the boys seems to remember something that they needed to look up for school, so that's it for me then. :-( It will be nice when I'm not working full time again and can have some time to do the things I want.

Someone wrote and asked me about details for the Waltons Cruise. I think the details are on Ralph's site <www.the-waltons.com> but I haven't checked this out. However I did receive a brochure with my newsletter so I can tell you some of the details. The brochure say that it's December 3, 4, 5, 6 this year and so far the special guests are Mary McDonough, Jon Walmsley, Judy Norton, Eric Scott, Leslie Winston, Lisa Harrison and Joe Conley.

It certainly sounds exciting and I would love to hear from anyone who is going.

By the way, did anyone ever spot the mistake in "The Sinner"? The one I saw was when the family are waiting for the Reverend to come and he is very late. John comes in and the family comments that they have been waiting and waiting since lunchtime. When Matthew Fordwick does eventually arrive, he jumps out of the car and promptly says "Good morning". John makes another reference while they're talking to the fact that it's the afternoon! I thought it was funny. I often wonder why they left those sorts of things in. Usually I don't spot any of them so it's nice when I do come up with one. :-)

Stay tuned until next week. Goodnight everyone,

Karen.

Hello Karen and how are you? Here is an observation about our favorite show, all the boys in the show seem to always wear bare feet while the girls always seem to have shoes on. Does anyone see that??? In Canada they have started The Waltons all over again and we are loving it!!!!! We love grandpa soo much!!!!!! Well take care and email soon.

Keith

KAREN'S COMMENT: Well I just watched The Substitute and the girls also had their shoes off so it may have been the episode you watched. What do the rest of you think?

>>Can anyone tell what happened to Ronnie Claire Edwards and Leslie Winston after the show went off the air? I always like to know where people end up. I'm also always curious (nosy) about ages of actors in shows. Any idea where I might find this info?>>

Here is a link from "The Godseys" which has all of the known Ronnie Claire Edwards guest spots and parts.

http://www.oocities.org/TelevisionCity/Lot/5280/rce.html

Also, someone was looking for a place to write Joe Conley. If you can't find an address for him, he will be on the Waltons Cruise. Maybe you could send an email to someone that will be on the cruise..?

-Beth

KAREN'S COMMENT: How about just going on the cruise to catch up with Joe? Then he'll be cornered for 4 days. :-)) I checked this link out last week and it's very good.

I'm sorry to hear that your TV station only has rights to part of the Walton's episodes. A write-in campaign might be a help. If you'd like to send me an address I'll do what I can on my end. I don't know if it would help but am willing to try.

Jenni

KAREN'S COMMENT: Thanks for the offer Jenni, but I don't know what sort of notice they'll take if you're not from Australia. However if you want to give it a go you could leave an message on their website. The address is <www.foxtel.com.au> and there is a part called "feedback". That's where I keep bugging them about the show!

Simone Berringer appeared in The Premonition. John Boy decided not to get married or stay in Paris at that time because Ben had become a prisoner of war in the South Pacific. He was unable to return to Paris until 1956, and he finds the bookstore closed . Some one said they thought Simone had moved to London and gotten married but they didn't know for sure.

It was mentioned in one of the newsletters from the museum that the Waltons had originally come over from Italy and then intermingled and given up the Italian name.

But John Boy never had a graduation ceremony from College. What happened there?

Favorite Place: The living room where all the main events take place down through the years.

Linda Purl has been in many series and movies. The first appearance I remember was in the short lived spinoff from the movie shown 25 years ago called "Senior Year" ---the series that it produced was Sons and Daughters and Linda Purl made an appearance in one of the episodes.

Donald

KAREN'S COMMENT: Yes I recall now that part of the Hamner family did originate in Italy, but I don't know if it was ever brought out in the show. They did make reference to the family coming over, but I don't recall a country being mentioned. Perhaps I just took it to be from Scotland or somewhere British...I really don't know why.

Hi everyone,

I was reading someone's query about where the Waltons originally came from. I remember that John Boy researched his family history in one episode and I think he found that they came over from England, the first being a Samuel Walton in about 1800 . I can't remember what the episode was actually called but I'm sure it had Martha Corinne in it. Can anyone else confirm this?

We (in England) have just had Grandma come home after her stroke and are about to get the one where Grandpa dies. Difficult to watch when you know that he really died then.

Baz

KAREN'S COMMENT: I'm pretty sure it was mentioned in The Pony Cart. Anybody else remember?

>>I noticed that Dick Sergeant plays the role of Ben's officer in the Marines. I thought Dick Sergeant played Darren Stevens in Bewitched as the original Darren before Dick York? In the profile on Eric Scott I will do in a few weeks it mentions he was a guest on "Bewitched".>>

Actually, Dick Sargent was the second Darrin; Dick York had to leave "Bewitched" due to health problems, and Dick Sargent replaced him.

I'm a big "Bewitched" fan and I can't remember seeing Eric Scott on the show - I'll definitely keep my eyes open for him!! That will be so much fun to see him! I bet he probably was a friend of Tabitha's or something. Thanks for telling us he was on there; now I know to look for him!

Geri Ann

KAREN'S COMMENT: He probably looked gorgeous as a youngster with his big eyes and red hair. I haven't watched Bewitched much, but catch it occasionally, but I haven't spotted him yet either.

I have recently gone back to the profession of teaching. I got to watch the Waltons twice a day during the summer and keep current with things by reading your digest during the school year. I just had a day off and was very disappointed to find that The Waltons was not on at the time that I was expecting it. Can anyone living in the San Francisco Bay area tell me when the program is on? Thank you!

KAREN'S COMMENT: Has anything happened to The Waltons? If you live near that area can you help please?

Hi Karen,

This is my first time writing. I have loved the waltons and have gotten my sister, who lives in Atlanta addicted as well. One of my most favorite is "The Quilting" as I am a devout quilter. I loved to see the ladies work on the blocks, and to see the Baldwin sisters talk about their squares. Miss Emily talking about how her blocks were a memory of swirling leaves when Ashley kissed her. My big question is can I purchase this episode any where. I would love to have a copy and send a copy to my sister. I was hoping to find it in the stores, but I haven't seen that episode. Thanks for listening. And does anyone know the name of the episode when grandma takes her quilt to the fair and she's angry because she thinks someone else entered their quilt again?

Thanks, Kathy

KAREN'S COMMENT: Actually I've only just noticed how many quilts are used on the show...there's quite a lot. I'm not sure if The Quilting is available on tape...it might be through Columbia House. The other episode is called "The Prize". I really love it when Miss Emily starts reminiscing about Ashley, and when the two of them start chatting on about things.

Hello from Ohio!

Once again, it was my husband, Doug, who supposedly only tolerates my watching the Walton's, who noticed something odd.

In The Ceremony, when the Jewish family comes to the mountain and their 13 year old son Paul celebrates his Bar Mitzvah, there is a scene where John Boy and Paul are up in the attic of the house that Paul and his parents have rented. John Boy falls from a chair and he and Paul both fall down the attic stairs to the upstairs hall below. The area they fall into is the same second floor hall that is in the Walton house. The picture on the wall was different, but it was the same set.

In tonight's episode, "The Legend", we had another surprise. John's old army buddy, Tip Harrison, comes to visit. He and John are reminiscing, and Tip asks John if he remembers "that old master Sargent, named Rittenhouse?" Doug and I were both tickled, as that is our last name. Has anyone else ever heard their own surname on the series?

I'd better end here. Another favorite show of ours is about to start, "The Great Antique Hunt". It's being shown here on the Home & Garden network, but I think it originates in England.

Talk to you soon,

Robin

KAREN'S COMMENT: Actually Robin, I have only just seen The Ceremony recently, and I thought the same thing....that it was the hallway like the Walton house has! I haven't heard of The Great Antique Hunt, but we have another show from England called The Antique Roadshow, which is also terrific. I wonder if they're the same.

Hi :o)

I was curious about the Waltons cruise also. Is anyone planning to go for sure? Is there some kind of a brochure about it? It sounds wonderful!!!

Have very many of you gone to the Waltons museum in Virginia? I was wondering what kinds of things there are to do and see while there?

Also, I was wondering how many of you have read any of Earl Hamner's books? I am currently reading Spencer's Mountain, and have found all sorts of things in the book that appear in the television episodes! It's very fun to read!

Hope to hear from you all soon!

Nicole

KAREN'S COMMENTS: Well Nicole, hopefully some of the digest readers will be able answer your questions. I must confess to not having read any of Earl's novels, mainly because they are difficult to get over here. You might also want to check back through our old digests, because people have written in from time to time, telling us about their visits to the Museum. Have a look at:

http://www.oocities.org/TelevisionCity/Set/4536/index.html

Greetings to everyone on the Digest!

I hope you all had a lovely St. Patrick's Day in whichever part of the world you live. Karen, did you husband wear any green on Wednesday?

This is a little off-topic, and I apologize in advance for that. Karen posted a message from a young lady named Noelle Kanakaredes in Harlem, NY who has made a web site about Michael Learned. I was just wondering if Noelle is related to the star of NBC's new hit show "Providence." The actress has the same last name, and I wouldn't think it is too common. Noelle, welcome to the digest. I look forward to checking out your web site.

All the best,

Claire

KAREN'S COMMENT: Claire you're forgiven for writing a "non Walton" letter. -)) I'm sure Noelle will let us know if she is related. As for St Patrick's Day...it's quite a big day over here now, and although Rod didn't wear green, I and the children at our school all did. The preps celebrated with a formal "green food" feast and had green sponge cake and green pikelets, among other things! We had Irish music and dance and talked about St. Patrick. Some of the older children even went into St. Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne to attend the St. Patrick's Day mass. It's always a fun day over here, and a day that the Catholic schools definitely celebrate.