Jenessa Dunkle

"The Walton's" was one of the number one shows throughout the 70's and the series encompasses so much. Although it was filmed in the 70's and covered the years 1933-1946, the issues and subjects in which the show dealt with are still very prevalent in our society today. The Waltons is a show that the whole family can watch together. On the show there are kids, teenagers, young adults, parents, and grandparents, there is a character for everyone to relate to. The Waltons is the most realistic show that I have ever seen, the love that the cast had for each other and how close they were in real life shone through onto the screen. The Waltons is not the show for you in you love police dramas and thrillers. The show is based on the creator Earl Hamner's life, and covers what life was like for a regular family during the great depression and world war 2. The show covers their day to day life, and how they react to historical events happening in the world. The idea that the show conveys is that although these are seemingly average people, not "miracle doctors", they are a special in there own way, and that no character is all good or all bad. The series shows that its the little, routine, normal things that we take for granted in our lives that are the most important. The Waltons was groundbreaking for its time, tackling serious topics such as racism, ageism, rape, disability, religion and the book burning in Germany. This show has aired in many countries around the world, and is still on many TV stations today. So many people from different backgrounds are able to come together to appreciate The Walton's, because the fundamentals of the series are the fundamentals of the way our world should be. The Waltons gives a clear moral compass for all to follow. The Waltons is such a powerful series that they really do become like your family when watching it. You laugh with them and cry with them. If you didnt have grandparents growing up you did when you watched the waltons. There are so many stories from people saying that they had a dysfunctional family life and it was the Waltons who raised them and taught them how to be a parent. The waltons gives you the opportunity to travel back in time with them, to a simpler time when family and love was all there was.