Hi there Waltons family,

I'd like to begin by welcoming our newer members to the list. We seem to have had quite a few people joining over the past few weeks which is lovely. Once you get the feel of the list, we hope that you will write and introduce yourself to the group.

I have had another busy week, and I've just been told that it's only 9 weeks until Christmas, so it looks as if I won't stop being busy until then. :-)

This week I have spent some time updating the newer digests, getting them ready to be uploaded so that our newer members can catch up. At the moment you will only find up to about #30 or 31 in the archives. Well they are all ready, but before I put them on I will be moving them to another site in Geocities. I will let you know when I have moved them.

I can recommend going back and reading these digests again, even by those members who have been with us from the start. They make very interesting reading, and the wealth of Waltons material that we have covered since Easter is absolutely amazing. I'm really glad that I began this mailing list. :-)) I have learnt so much, and it's been great to be able to watch it grow to what it has become today. I feel as though I have made a lot of good friends from the list, and it's lovely to have mail still coming in almost daily. Amazing for a show which really has been out of production for so long. Please give yourselves a pat on the back for helping me to make it all happen.

Well I'll pass it over to you now. Until next time, Good night everybody.

Karen.

From Kim:

These digests are wonderful and beautifully put together. Thank you. It's great to know that I won't miss anything upcoming with my favourite show.

I have a question about "The Sinner". My copy is from Columbia House and I never saw the original airing. During the scene where Elizabeth runs crying to her parents' bedroom claiming that the devil is after her because she 'stole' a piece of gingerbread, her mother calms her down and then asks her if she wants to be tucked in. Elizabeth yawns and says, "I'm tired from running away from that devil." It's very apparent, though, that this line has been dubbed over. The voice changes, the music stops for just that line, and her lips and words don't move together. She obviously said something different in the original episode. Could anyone tell me what Elizabeth said? It seems curious to me that this line would be dubbed.

KAREN'S COMMENT: Where do they get their copies from I wonder? It sounds as if this is the type of cut the Family Channel might make. Does anyone know the answer?

I'm searching for a title of a Walton's episode which takes place around the holidays...it isn't the well known one with John arriving home on Christmas day, but rather deals with Olivia's trouble with the whole Santa Claus myth--taking place during the war. It has a great ending though I can't recall all the details...any idea which one I'm referring to and if it is available on video?

KAREN'S COMMENT: I don't think this person is a mailing list member, but I thought some of you might be able to help with the answer. If it takes place during the war, it would be the later seasons. Let me know if you can help please.

From Tammy:

Howdy y'all! Just wanted to get in on the fun by reporting that I spotted my most favorite "Walton," Tony Becker (Drew), on an old episode of Matlock yesterday entitled "The Court Martial." He played an Army private who was framed for the murder of his superior officer. He wasn't in a lot of the 2-hour special, but it was very good acting by him when he was on screen.

Question about Tony Becker for anyone who may be able to answer it: I believe I read somewhere that he once starred in Little House on the Prairie. Is that correct? If so, what was his character's name and what was the nature of the character? How did he relate to the Ingalls family, and was he from the city where the family moved, or back in Walnut Grove?

Thanks for any info. I just love Drew! Can't wait to see if the next special is about he and Elizabeth's wedding. It's so hard to believe, watching the first season shows on the Family Channel right now, that Elizabeth could possibly be old enough to be getting married! I guess we can truly get lost in watching reruns and forget how fast time does fly. But aren't the early season episodes just WONDERFUL!? I've never seen most of them before...I was much too young to remember them even if I had seen them. Grandpa and John-Boy were so fine in those early shows. Such great acting...and the kids were darling. And I will admit it...the early shows far outshine the later ones, but only because all the cast was still there and they all seemed so innocent at that age. It's hard to imagine the hardships John-Boy was to face years later in the War when you're watching the earliest shows. I'm just enjoying seeing his progression as a writer, from that first story he sent off in his best handwriting, to the rejection of later novels in the last season. Being a hopeful writer myself, it's inspiring and revealing to see the process someone else goes through to make it.

Well, I must be going. Have to get back to work (no, not writing...back to my real job, at least the one that's bringing in the money at the moment).

Goodnight,

Tammy

KAREN'S COMMENT: Thanks for the information on Tony "Drew" Becker. Doesn't he have a real gravelly voice? I like him as Drew. Now as for your question, I have no idea whether he was on Little House or not. It's quite possible. We have a few Little House fans on the list who might be able to help you. I will also write the Little House mailing list and ask them too. Someone will probably know. Keep watching.

More on Mary Ellen's smoking, and where she was: I thought Mary Ellen was caught smoking in the little house by the main house. The little building where John-Boy's printing press was and where Ben and Cindy lived.

KAREN'S COMMENT: Before John Boy took this house over for his newspaper, what was this house used for...does anybody know?

From Marie:

Hi, everyone! Wow! Where to start? I am enjoying the Waltons on the Family Channel, Karen, even though they are cutting some parts out to fit more commercials in. They are in business to make a profit or there wouldn't be any Waltons to watch at all! It still is a bit vexing. One thing I really wish they wouldn't do is shrink the cast names to fit an announcement on the other half of the screen! Or at least post the shrunken information on their web site. Who appeared is important!

I hope everyone checks out the Walton message boards - Ralph's at his web site and the Family Channel's at theirs. I find it really helps to keep me informed. Dorothy, was that you who mentioned on one of them that Ralph's web site had changed so much? I checked and it sure had! New design, more information, everything! Marca and her husband added photos and sound clips. When my son visits, I'll have him download them for me. I tried but I'm not very good at it.

Arthur Dungate's addition is really great. For someone who is as nuts about details as I am, it's pure gold. This is what he says:

"I offer these synopses in the desire that they may provide a respectful, though totally inadequate tribute to what I regard as the finest series of family programs to be seen on television worldwide. You may like to know that the paragraphs in quotes at the beginning and ending of each synopsis are the actual words as spoken by Earl Hamner on the soundtracks. They are included for your additional enjoyment. It is my sincere hope that reading these pages will enable you to recall many favorite moments from this series."

I do hear Earl's voice as I read them! Arthur also includes cast names and interesting tidbits about the shows and actors. He has Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 so far. What a huge amount of time and effort! Thank you, Arthur, it's very much appreciated by this digester. Are you transcribing them for tapes you've recorded?

Here is another interview from one of the Monday evening shows: Earl Hamner says "My father started the idea of saying good night to each of the children and then we would all call back but then we would start calling not only just 'Good night, Daddy,' 'Good night, Mama,' 'Good night, so-and-so,' but we'd keep repeating it over and over until finally my father would say 'Enough!' I've heard from so many people who have started doing that in their own family. If I could have contributed something to family life, I think that may be a nice thing to have instilled in families."

I've noticed that these interviews were all on the Sunday in September when they broadcast eight hours of Waltons. So as I go through that tape, I'll include the most interesting ones here. At the end of the show on Wednesday, they displayed and read email that had been sent to the Family Channel about the Waltons. They shrunk the cast names to do it! Aaagghh! There was one from Laura, was that 'our' Laura on this mailing list?

Michael, I saw the Walton's Baptist church used on the Dukes of Hazzard show for a wedding! I will certainly watch for the Walton house.

Enough from me this time. Goodnight, everyone!

Marie

KAREN'S COMMENT: We are just starting to get the "shrunken screen thing" here too, mainly on one channel, but it's during movies mainly. You know how small movie credits can be? Imagine them only half the size...they are positively miniscule.

Yes, I've visited Ralph's site recently too, and agree that Arthur's done a wonderful job with his transcribing. As I did just one of them for him, I know how much work he would have had to do five seasons worth! What an amazing effort.

Was this our Laura on screen? Terrific if it was.