Waltons / Little House on the Prairie

In the early 1970s, the 3 major US television networks decided to abandon the long held staples of western dramas and move exclusively towards gritty cop dramas (ie: Kojak).

They also cancelled corny, homespun, gentle humoured sitcoms (Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, Gomer Pyle, Mayberry RFD) in favor of explicit content urban-based sitcoms (All in the Family, Rhoda, Maude, Good Times)

Many of the shows that were cancelled were still popular, and still in the top 20 in ratings.

This move by the networks became known as "The Rural Purge" or as the terrific character actor and one of the stars of 'Green Acres' Pat Butram called it "The day the networks cancelled any show that had a tree in it."

As is often the case, the network suits failed to consult the viewing public on this complete migration to the city and viewers were soon demanding some lighter fare with more family values and moral fiber.

Thus "The Waltons" and "Little House on the Prairie" were born.

Both series were based on existing source material - the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Earl Hamner Jr.

While neither was a western (Little House kinda sorta), the offered viewers family viewing and warm, lovable characters living through harsh times in rural settings.

Both The Waltons and Little House are in constant repeat rotation here in the US and both shows hold up really well to 21st century viewing. And both were long-running and boast impressive episode tallies so you always find yourself seeing episodes you don't recall seeing before.

Though gentle, family based viewing, neither show is schmaltzy or saccharine. Both feature episodes with difficult subject matter.

Also being that they are period dramas, neither seems dated like 70's/80's shows set in those decades.

The Waltons in particular stays very true to its time. It begins during the depression and this is basically a family of "white trash" with about a dozen kids living in the mountains of Virginia (how was Liv Walton not in a wheelchair?!).

But rather than pander to hick stereotypes, the Waltons showed a loving, caring, supportive family scratching out a living, better than most, by sheer will and hard work.

In watching the series again I am struck by how hard and puritanical Liv Walton (Michael Learned) was. Deeply religious and conservative she was often at odd with John Walton Sr. (Ralph Waite) over some of the family decision making. John Sr. shown as something of an atheist (because of his experiences in World War I) and the only member of the family that did not attend weekly church. Liv did NOT like that at all.

The Grandparents were charming in their own way, especially the grandpa played with warm affection and deep wisdom by Will Geer.  When Geer died, they wrote that into the scripts and his photo always prominently hung on the living room wall.

When the grandma Ellen Corby suffered a debilitating stroke, they also wrote that into the scripts. Corby valiantly carried on despite barely being able to speak and with limited physical mobility. The family shown caring for her, just as a real family would.

Some of the stories as the time frame segued into World War II were particularly strong. An episode where the moonshine making Baldwin sisters adopt a pair of British orphans whose parents were killed in German air raids. The Baldwins were mega rich and had the best of intentions, but they were also elder spinsters and had not a clue on child rearing.

There is an episode where one of John Boy's friends from the army (a New York Jew) visits the Waltons and talks of German concentration camps and the mass execution of Jewish civilians, which the deeply spiritual Waltons cannot believe is true (except John Sr. who still harbors ghosts of the horrors of war).

Also how local German settlers in Waltons mountain, who were once beloved members of the community, suddenly find themselves being attacked and ostracized because of their heritage.

There is also an episode where a memorial to Teddy Roosevelts charge up San Juan Hill is to be erected and they want Grandpa Walton to take part as he was a member of Roosevelt's cavalry unit. Grandpa Walton refuses. Saying he sees no value in celebrating anything to do with war and he only wants to forget it. Adding that things didn't exactly happen that day as the history books suggest.

Little House tackled generally less serious issues, but there were quite a few that dealt with the treatment of Native Americans on the plains. The Civil War. Racism in general.

Little House also wasn't always quite authentic in its depiction of life on the plains. The Ingalls seemed to mostly have it a little too nice for a frontier family living in a house Pa built with his own two hands.

Michael Landon's mullet was always impeccably quaffed and his teeth white as snow.

Speaking of snow, Walnut Grove seemed to be in a section of Minnesota that I am unaware of that apparently didn't have any winter. The Minnesota I know has about 5 months of winter. 

Even with these minor faults, Little House was a very warm, family show and like the Waltons, every episode be it an extra light one or extra harrowing one, had some sort of moral message attached.

So if you ever are seeking a program with no sex, no violence, no swearing, no nudity yet entertaining and absorbing stories and characters you find yourself quite liking, I recommend either.