Hi everyone,

Hope you've all had a great week. We all went back to school and work this week so it's been pretty busy here. Not too hot though, which makes it far less tiring. As I told you before Christmas, I'm in a new school at the moment and enjoying it very much. Quite a different school too, with a completely different ethnic and economic mix of children. I'm enjoying it very much.

Not much to tell you on the Waltons front, so I might go straight to the mail now instead of rambling on, which I tend to do so well. Have any of you been watching the Australian Open Tennis? That's played here in Melbourne, and we're not all that far away. It really is a lovely city and it just looks superb when they show it on TV. The players have been very lucky with the weather this year. We often get several days of well over 40 degrees during the Open.

Talk to you all again next week.

Goodnight everyone,

Karen

Yes I don't believe Toni (Lisa Harrison) ever appeared during the time Richard Thomas was a member of the cast except for the 1993 Reunion when Richard Thomas came home to Waltons Mountain and found out that President Kennedy had been killed. At that time Jason was married to Toni and had several children.

Ashley went to England when the war was still on. The marriage to Erin was called off because Ashley had lost his faith in God. While in England Ashley married another woman. He wrote Erin to tell her about it. She was heartbroken.

There is another point to bring out in the Inspiration when Mamie Baldwin didn't want to have her cataracts removed. I had also mentioned it to Cindy(Waltons chat)and on the Forum and it is this---Before the modern methods of cataract surgery were perfected a cataract operation wasn't as simple as it is now. Sometimes unexpected side effects and complications could occasionally occur. In the fall of 1966 a well known Latin teacher at an internationally known girls prep school in Dallas died while recovering from cataract surgery

Donald F Nelson

KAREN'S COMMENT: Yes Erin certainly was heartbroken about Ashley, just as Miss Emily was, but he showed himself to be a bit of a cad anyway in one of the 1982 specials.

Hello folks,

I just saw the first episode with Lisa Harrison the other day. I believe the year was 1978. Jason is a Sergeant at Camp Rockfish, "Toni" is the colonel's driver. Their first meeting is when she nearly runs him over and things are quite hostile as they continually bump into each other. He tells her what a spoiled, arrogant brat she is and that "Furthermore, I'm CRAZY about you." He accidentally leaves his music behind which she later returns to him with suggestions on how to improve it, they kiss at the piano and she stays for the picnic that Zeb's cousin came for where he presents Rome Walton's violin to John as a bequest.

At this point in time, Olivia is with John-boy (Robert Wightman) who is in the hospital (in Alexandria?) while she is also working as a Red Cross volunteer. Ben and Cindy have just had Virginia. We have only seen Robert once as he lay unconscious in the hospital around Thanksgiving time. A funny: When Ike saw the headlines of John-boy's recovery, that is, being found in a hospital in DC, he is overjoyed. Corabeth looks at the front page, puts a finger to her face and muses, "Hm. That's a different picture, isn't it?" :)

Linda

KAREN'S COMMENT: I'm glad you reminded me of this episode Linda. I didn't think that Lisa Harrison had shown up before, but then many cast members seem to pop up in other roles before taking on a recurring one, that I suppose anything is possible.

Hello Karen! It seems like it has been awhile since we last heard from you. Hope your vacation was relaxing. I have terrific news! My family's reservations have been made at the Doubletree Hotel in Charlottesville for the October 1999 reunion! Joe and I will celebrate our first year of marriage there (went last year for our honeymoon). This year we are taking my mother and the children. Can't wait to attend!

By the way, I received a letter from Columbia House re. The Waltons videos. I had asked for a list of all the episodes they have rights to produce. Anyway, so far I only need 2 more, which totally frustrates me because I want more! I think we should start a write in campaign for them to produce more episodes. There email address is:

vc-customer-service@columbiahouse.com

Please feel free to email them to produce more Waltons videos!!!!!

Cindy

KAREN'S COMMENT: It is very frustrating that not more videos are available, but they've just released a few more, so maybe they will gradually add some others, especially the later episodes.

We did enjoy the break away thanks Cindy. Your planned trip sounds just wonderful. I would love to be able to come over for the reunion but I guess its a few years down the track yet.

Hi,

My name is Leigh Ann and I have been enjoying the digest for a few months now. It's really great. I did notice a couple of items in some of the letters. I've noticed the bit about the cradle in The Fastidious Wife supposedly holding all of the newborn Waltons before. Actually the cradle was made by John Boy for Olivia when she was expecting the baby that she miscarried. When Mary Ellen had John Curtis, John had repaired the damage caused by the fire for her to use.

Also, not that I have a high opinion of The Family Channel but in all fairness, they did show The Violated and The Waiting. The problem, I think, lies in that the two episodes were linked by the ending of The Violated, and The Waiting takes place at Thanksgiving. Because of that, they only showed those two episodes at Thanksgiving.

Anyway, just thought I would add my two cents.

Thanks again for the digest.

Leigh Ann Wood :)

KAREN'S COMMENT: I'm glad you remembered about the Family Channel showing those episodes Leigh Ann. Not being "on the spot" so to speak, I have to take everyone's word for what is or isn't shown. However I hadn't remembered those episodes as ever being the ones spoken about when we talked about the "missing" episodes that the Family channel wouldn't air. Thanks for correcting us.

About the cradle. I thought John just refinished the cradle his kids used and then gave it to Mary Ellen...............

Donna

KAREN'S COMMENT: Well we have two versions of the cradle here and I don't know which is right as we're on season 3. Any ideas? Maybe someone who taped it could rewatch for that and let us know please.

Dear Karen,

Hope you had a great time away (in Sydney wasn't it?)! Here in the UK, with some cold weather (well, it is winter!), the UK's Channel Four continues its mistreatment of The Waltons. I had thought that it could not get any worse. I was wrong...!

Last Sunday was the episode in Season 6 - The Anniversary. This particular episode has no "Goodnights" at the end so, what did Channel Four do? As soon as Earl Hamner's closing remarks had finished, on came this dim-witted juvenile presenter, mentioned a forthcoming program, and then, while Channel Four's own version of the Waltons end credits rolled up the right side of the screen, on the left was a dance clip for some other program, complete with its own music. No Waltons end music now, not even in the background. I was incensed.

I am intending to write most strongly to the station's Managing Director, but before I do so may I request, if you have any comments on what is happening here to what I (and very many others) consider to be the finest family TV series (i.e. NOT a "children's" program), please write me a brief e-mail about it --

arthurdungate@surflink.co.uk

Getting your comments may help strengthen my letter!

Best wishes to you all!

Arthur D

www.surflink.co.uk/users/arthurdungate/index.htm

KAREN'S COMMENT: Its such a shame that they're spoiling the show for those viewers who really like it. Please send your comments to Arthur. I'm certainly glad we're not having those problems with ours. The credits get shown right through until the copyright thing at the end, with the date.

Hi, everyone!

I just wanted to share with you a letter which I e-mailed to TNN regarding the episodes being shown out of order thus far this week (the week of January 25th). They skipped over the last several episodes of Season 8 and went right into Season 9!! I'll let you know if I get a response from TNN. My letter is below.

Claire Natola

P.S. (The TNN web site says they will show "A Walton Wedding" at 9pm on Saturday, February 13th for Valentine's Day.)

Hello to TNN!

I want to tell you that I have been so happy since you picked up "The Waltons." You've done a great job of showing the episodes in almost exactly the order that they were originally broadcast. I am a huge Waltons fan who is building a personal collection on video.

I am writing because I am confused by this week's order of shows thus far. Your web site lists these episodes from Season 8 as the ones that will be shown this week:

Monday The Last Straw

Tuesday The Traveling Man

Wednesday The Furlough

Thursday The Medal

Friday The Valedictorian

Those are in the proper order according to original airing on CBS. However, that is not what is being broadcast on TNN.

On Monday, you showed The Traveling Man, which meant that you skipped The Last Straw. Now, today, you are showing The Pledge, which is in Season 9!! That means all the remaining shows in Season 8 have been skipped. I am really worried about not getting a bunch of episodes on tape to complete my collection. I've been a maniac about setting timers, making sure I'm home, making sure my mother tapes for me, making sure my brother tapes for me, etc. since April 27, 1998 when you first started broadcasting them.

(Believe it or not, I DO have a life... But, with a couple of moves, graduation from college, starting a new job, there has been a bit of disruption...that's why I had my brother and mother on VCR duty at times. I just feel that after all the effort I have gone through to not miss any episodes, I'd hate for some episodes to not be shown.)

I don't know if a personal reply is possible, but I'd love one if you could. Will you be showing all the episodes, and will they come back to some semblance of order as indicated on your web site?

I'd appreciate any response you can give, as well as I appreciate your attention to my letter. Thank you!

All the best,

Claire Natola

KAREN'S COMMENT: Thanks for this Claire. I read somewhere else that TNN had some episodes labeled wrongly and that caused the problems. But you think yours is bad...we just about had John Boy sitting in classes at Boatwright before he'd had his first day!

Hi Karen and All,

In answer to Susan (in Niagara Falls) question, the reason Erin and Ashley Jr. never got married was because he had become an atheist while at war. The family (Rose and Olivia) were tailoring Grandma's wedding dress to fit Erin (they were THAT close!!) and then Ashley can't bring himself to say grace at the family dinner table. Upon questioning, we learn that he lost his faith while at sea. Erin decides she can't marry him.

I am quite the Walton fanatic, but somehow, over the years of specials here and there, I never knew how/when/who Erin married. I just know from letters and this digest that she was divorced. What happened?

Also, in addition to Karen's comments to Robin in Ohio's question about how Grandpa died: I always thought it was so nice that we have ONE episode in which Grandma finally comes back home from her long recovery from a stroke and she and Zeb have to work out her not fussing anymore (a promise she made to God if He let her come home). It was a great episode and, I believe, the end of a season. Will Geer died during the following summer hiatus and the next season opener deals with the fact that Grandpa had died a few months earlier. Esther has not gone to his grave, but finally agrees to go visit the grave for his birthday. It was a poignant way for all the fans to have a proper farewell to a beloved character, and a beloved actor....

All for now!

Good Night from Atlanta, GA.

NORMA

KAREN'S COMMENT: I don't think I've seen that episode about Ashley. I'll be looking forward to those later episodes. Erin marries Paul in the 1982 special, Wedding on Waltons Mountain (I think that's the name). Paul pops up in season 9 I think, but I don't remember them well. Again maybe someone else could comment on this.

Hi Karen, I haven't written in a while but when I read the question about Ben and Cindy's little girl, Virginia, I had to respond. I've been wondering what happened to her? I thought I saw an episode years ago that explained that she died from a childhood illness that they didn't have a cure for at that time.

Does anyone remember what happened?

Yvonne

KAREN'S COMMENT: This is also causing a lot of comment amongst us Digest members. My recollection of the special is that the cause of death was never mentioned, but others have mentioned Diphtheria (I think) as the cause. Another one we have to rewatch I think. :-))

Hello!

I have been watching the Waltons faithfully for quite a few weeks now and have noticed every so often that things suddenly appear in a episode that were never mentioned in the previous ones. For instance: Cindy's pregnancy- in one episode she's not even pregnant, in the next she looks like she's 6 months pregnant, Grandpa's death, Mary Ellen's pregnancy, and there are many others too. I watch the Waltons on TNN. Could they possibly have skipped some episodes, or is this the way the series really did run?

I am learning all sort of interesting things about the character in real life and on the show from reading all of your letters!! It's wonderful to hear about the little things that loyal fans notice!!

Nicole

KAREN'S COMMENT: There definitely has been a mix up Nicole.

Hi everyone from Penny in Houston:

I've *finally* caught up on all the digests that had been piling up in my inbox because I had just been too busy to read them. I really enjoyed all the commentary, particularly with respect to the later episodes which were my favorites. I agree so much with Geri Ann: the WWII episodes are just so memorable for me. They really did a nice job of depicting the American Home Front during the war years. "Day of Infamy" is one of my all-time favorites.

I'm hoping to begin taping TNN episodes again soon -- I'm trying to complete my Little House on the Prairie collection first and didn't want to have Waltons interspersed on the same tapes as LHOTP. :--)

That's all for now -- I just didn't want to remain a lurker for too long, and now that I'm caught up again, perhaps I'll join in on a more regular basis!

KAREN'S COMMENT: Hi Penny...glad you're caught up again. I really like the later episodes too. Mind you when I see them again they might look completely different to the way I remember. :-)

Hi Karen! I haven't posted in quite some time. I was watching the Walton's episode where Jim-Bob graduates and then announces that he has enlisted in the army. When they showed his graduating class, I noticed Eric Stoltz (The Mask, Chicago Hope) among them. Boy was he young! Take care everyone!

KAREN'S COMMENT: Well spotted. He certainly would have been young.