Hi everyone,

Here we are at the end of the Olympic Games for 2000 and also at the end of my holidays. It's back to school on Tuesday with another busy term ahead. Hopefully not as busy as the past terms have been this year though. We, in primary schools, go through until about a week before Christmas I think, then look forward to about 5 weeks off.

Such a lot of Waltons news this week! I received both my newsletters during the week so quite a bit of reading now needs to be done. Also there was a small article in our Who Weekly, about Richard Thomas. Thanks to Kaz, who let me know that there was one. :-)) The small pic shows that he looks absolutely terrific. It's caption is "From John-Boy to Miracle Man: Richard Thomas". Don't you just love that?

You sometimes forget how easy it would be for actors who started in the business at such a young age, to rack up the number of years of work they have done in the industry, but here is Richard saying he has been in show business for 42 years. Did he get the gold watch at 25 years one wonders? It's a very long time, that's for sure. The article says he writes, directs and produces...does anyone know what he has done along these lines recently? Alyssia maybe? Anyway, he is certainly a very talented man. But then we all knew that, cos we knew him when he was just starting out as John Boy. :-)) Mind you, I shouldn't say starting out either, because he had done a fair bit before then too.

Well, I'll talk to you all again next week. Have a great one.

Goodnight all,

Karen.

Hi Karen:

This is another note to add about what a fantastic job Australia is doing with the Olympic Games. Here in Canada we are very lucky because we get live broadcasts (doesn't matter what time it is here 3am, 5am whatever) from our main Canadian network. They are giving us over 500 hours of Olympics. Plus we have 2 other secondary Canadian tv outlets CBC Newsworld - which gives us even more live coverage with not all the same coverage as the main network plus TSN - sports network which shows taped delayed events that we could have missed originally. Then we get NBC from the U.S. and we just shake our heads at how they show the events a day late and try to make it all sound like it's just happening just so they can show it in "prime time". We are told by the U.S. media in all the border cities and all the places that have Canadian stations on satellite that they watch the Canadian feeds and are mostly ignoring NBC. We get to see every kind of event imaginable including heats that most would never get to see for all sorts of stuff and they follow every country not just our own. It was the same in 1998 for the winter Olympics and 1996 from Atlanta. We even had live video coverage from CBC on the internet for the first few days but the U.S. forced it off because it was killing their coverage and suspense. It is great to see the beautiful views of Australia and we are looking forward to going for a month in January/February. We visited for a month in June 1998 and came back again in December but there is just so much to see. To everyone on the Walton's Digest list - if you ever go anywhere for a special vacation then you must make it Australia.

- Ross from Canada

KAREN'S COMMENT: Nice to hear such a great wrap for Australia and the Olympics. Hopefully now everyone overseas won't think we all live in the outback and have kangaroos jumping around everywhere. We've had great coverage too, with channel 7 doing 24 hours a day, a mix of live, delayed and repeats, and we had our cable network take 2 extra channels which showed heaps of stuff 7 didn't, so we've been happy. For gymnastics though, the internet has been great. Results have been coming through very quickly on the www.olympics.com site, and the CNN site even had live internet coverage with commentary and pictures which was great. Where are you staying in Australia? Great time of the year to come.

Hello Karen and all,

Last week Hayley wondered if there were any episodes showing Elizabeth and Jason being close. The one that comes to mind is a later episode, perhaps even the last season, where Elizabeth misses her mama and sets out on her own to go visit her. Jason goes to the station to fetch her, and they have a very touching scene where he promises to drive her to Arizona himself later. Also, recently I saw the episode where Elizabeth wants to learn to drive and Jason tries to teach her, but they end up in the pond. That was a nice scene between the two of them. I'm sure there are more, but those come quickly to mind.

By the way, I've been trying to enjoy the Olympics, but as is usual our network evening broadcast is mostly commercials and fluff pieces about the athletes with some athletic events thrown in now and again. I should have been taping it on cable and then watching that in the evening. It would have been much more enjoyable. Glad you have good coverage there. Even when the events were held in Atlanta our network coverage was still terrible.

--Laura

KAREN'S COMMENT: Actually, now you mention it Laura, I seem to recall that as Jason took more over John Boy's role as the oldest boy in the family, that perhaps he did take on a slightly more nurturing role with Elizabeth. He always seemed very busy with his own life though. Now, we have had hardly any fluff pieces about the athletes, and I've actually missed them.

This is in response to the comment that Elizabeth was not really close to Jason in any of the episodes. The only episode that I remember where Jason and Elizabeth sort of "connected" was the one where Elizabeth runs away to visit Olivia in Arizona. I think it was called "The Pearls." Anyway, it was Jason who went to get her at the train depot. I always thought that it was a little weird that it was Jason who went after her because they never really showed them together like that before. I think I would have liked it better if it had been Jim-Bob (more so than Ben) that had gone after her because they were always portrayed as being real close. What do you think?

Cheryl

KAREN'S COMMENT: Yes this is the episode Laura mentioned too. I would need to see it again, but yes, I think that Jim Bob would be the one most likely to go after Elizabeth. Maybe though, Jason did something to set off Elizabeth's yearnings for her Mama? I can't remember the circumstances.

Hello Karen and All, We are all still enjoying the Olympics here, Karen. I wish I could be there in person. My husband and I do plan to visit after retirement in 30 years.

I found out something today that will make all of us Walton fans happy. Earl Hamner has a new book coming out in October. I know it isn't really Walton stuff, but his books are wonderful to read. Anyway, it is called Murder in Tinseltown. I am already looking forward to owning it.

This week on TNN, they have had a new commercial for The Waltons. I thought it was cute and kind of funny. It was about the outbursts and emotions of Johnboy. They took clips of RT doing Johnboy when he was mad, happy, etc. It was a cute commercial. Anyone else see it? It is something to look for if you haven't.

Good Night All, Waltons are on in 5 minutes and I can't miss my daily fix.

------Jennifer

KAREN'S COMMENT: Actually John Boy was a very emotional type of person wasn't he? He certainly did have outbursts of anger. Do you remember how tentative he was in one of the very early episodes, when he was reading that poem to Marcia Woolery?

Hello all,

Michael Learned was the Rosie O'donnell show yesterday. She is in a Broadway play. It's called "The Best Man". I wish I could see it.

Luke- I am 14 so I am close to your age. I am sort of a Wanna be walton. I don't tell my friends either.

Question: The man who plays Derek in "the Portrait" looks very similar to the man in the wheelchair in "the obstacle". Is this the same man or am I losing my mind?

Goodnight Wanna-be Waltons :)

Hayley

KAREN'S COMMENT: Hmm...about Derek being the same man as the wheelchair...what does everyone think? I haven't seen them enough to know.

Elizabeth hoped that she and Jimbob would stay on the mountain forever. Remember when she got mad at Jimbob for kissing Patsy Brimmer?

I am so glad you are enjoying the Olympics. What I have enjoyed most so far was Megan Quanns breaststroke victory--I know a girl named Megan who is also a terrific swimmer! I too enjoyed the opening ceremony, and know that there are two former exchange students who came here from Australia in the 1960s and 1970s who are hopefully at the games or are enjoying it as well.

Do not forget that Will Geer will be in the movie BANDOLERO with Dean Martin. It is a 1968 movie so it is 4 years pre-Walton. It will be on the Fox Channel on September 28

Donald

KAREN'S COMMENT: The American swimmers, and the Dutch, have been simply fantastic and provided a great competition. Did anyone see this movie?

Hello everyone! I believe that someone was commenting on Elizabeth being closer to john boy and Erin but not especially Jason. I do remember an episode when she was older and a very dear friend of hers, her teacher, had a fatal disease and passed away .. I believe she and Jason had a "moment" when he shared his experience with his friend Seth (Ron Howard) who also passed away. Other than that I do agree that there aren't too many significant moments that I can recall. hmmmm....... surely there are! Anyway thanks to the person who brought up ebay, it is one place I always forget to check out! And last but not least, like many others I have been watching the Olympics with much anticipation! It is actually a very emotional thing to watch! Australia is beautiful, would love to visit someday! I'm here in Illinois and it is rainy and cold, autumn is here! I have been very busy shuttling my 4 year old daughter to preschool and dance class, although since the Olympics have been on she has been jumping all over the house pretending to be a gymnast! Take care everyone!

Judy

KAREN'S COMMENT: Now I can't remember this episode, but maybe someone can refresh my memory. It does make a lot of sense that Jason support her in these circumstances though.

Hello Karen and everyone,

My husband and me are watching the video-tapes once again. And my husband saw a little mistake in the episode "The Literary Man" where John-Boy's truck breaks down and he meets the author, A. J. Covington. In the first picture where the truck breaks down there were no plants near the street and the second picture when John-Boy lays under the truck there were many plants (bushes etc) near the way. And also in the episode, I don't remember the title, where Jason is sitting with a girl on a bole making music, in one scene he wears another shirt than one minute later. It's funny to see that nothing is perfect not even at tv.

Last week the tv began to show the series "Roots" one more time. And one of the cast members was John, Ralph Waite. But I was shocked about the bad part he played in it. Did anyone see him in this role?

I hope you can understand my English.

Bye and have a nice week.

Silke

KAREN'S COMMENT: I wonder if the other episode is The Song? I'll have to look out for these. I never seem to notice them unless someone mentions it first! Your English is fine Silke, although I'm not sure what a "bole" is. I'm guessing a seat, or log or something? I don't think we've seen Roots out here again. I'd love them to replay it, and Rich Man, Poor Man.

Hi everyone!

I just thought I'd mention that I saw Judy Norton on the TV show Higher Ground a few weeks ago. She played a vet and came to take care of a horse twice during the show and had a few lines. I thought it was a rather odd show to see her in, but it was great to see her non the less!

Nicole

KAREN'S COMMENT: Another show I'll have to watch for.

Hi Everyone,

I missed many of the Christy episodes, but loved them. Did Christy marry David or Dr. MacNeill? I thought Christy and David were so cute together.

Another show that you all might enjoy is Avonlea by Kevin Sullivan Productions. They are available on video now from Videoflicks.com

Goodnight everyone,

Silvia

KAREN'S COMMENT: I love Avonlea too. I don't think Christy married anyone in the series.