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Series creator Earl Hamner Jr. was anxious to learn his family's opinion of The Waltons
"What would they think of a character portraying them week by week, often in stories based on their experiences in life or their personalities?”
Though Earl Hamner Jr. had won worldwide adoration for his creation of The Waltons, there was one opinion he valued above all the rest.
Hamner had partially based the series on his own family, as he recounted in his memoir, Goodnight John-Boy. Preceding The Waltons was The Homecoming, a television special that was popular with viewers, as well as Hamner’s immediate family. However, when Hamner graduated to developing his characters into a fully fledged show, he was nervous about the reception.
“Immediately after the first episode, there was one special reaction I was anxious to receive,” wrote the creator. “For each Walton character, there was a real-life Hamner. The family had loved The Homecoming, but what would they think of a character portraying them week by week, often in stories based on their experiences in life or their personalities?”
Luckily, Hamner had nothing to worry about. A talented writer, he had done more than just entertain the public; he had given his family a valuable dose of nostalgia.
“My mind was put at ease when I received a letter from my sister Nancy,” wrote Hamner. “In it, she said, Thank you for letting us relive some of the happiest days of our lives.’”
His sister's words comforted Hamner. “Once my mind was put to rest, it was a surprisingly relaxed and pleasurable time for me,” wrote the creator.
The Waltons was well received not only because of its authenticity, but because of Hamner’s respect and sentimentality. “We wrote stories from the heart. We wrote stories we wanted to tell, often stories we never expected to see on television, stories about real people.”
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