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Season 6

6.01 Hawk, The  (121)

6.02 Stray, The  (122)

6.03 Recluse, The  (123)

6.04 Warrior, The  (124)

6.05 Seashore, The  (125)

6.06 Volunteer, The  (126)

6.07 Grandchild, The  (127 – double length)

6.08 First Casualty, The  (128)

6.09 Battle of Drucilla's Pond, The  (129)

6.10 Flight, The  (130)

6.11 Milestone, The  (131)

6.12 Children's Carol, The  (132 – double length)

6.13 Celebration, The  (133)

6.14 Rumor, The  (134)

6.15 Spring Fever  (135)

6.16 Festival, The  (136)

6.17 Anniversary, The  (137)

6.18 Family Tree, The  (138)

6.19 Ordeal, The  (139 – double length)

6.20 Return, The  (140 – double length)

6.21 Revelation, The  (141)

6.22 Grandma Comes Home  (142)

Starring: Ralph Waite1, Michael Learned1 and Will Geer2 as The Grandfather. Executive Producers: Lee Rich and Earl Hamner. Created by Earl Hamner. Produced by Andy White.

Judy Norton-Taylor (Mary Ellen) (eps 1-3,5-223), Jon Walmsley (Jason), Mary Elizabeth McDonough (Erin), Eric Scott (Ben), David W. Harper (Jim-Bob), Kami Cotler (Elizabeth), Earl Hamner (The Narrator).

Neil T. Maffeo (In Charge of Production), Earl Hamner (Executive Story Consultant), Paul West (Story Editor), Jerry Goldsmith (The Waltons' Theme), John M. Nickolaus A.S.C. (Director of Photography 1-20,22), Serge Haigneré (Director of Photography 21), Ed Graves (Art Director 1-10,12), Carl Braunger (Art Director 11,13-22), Marvin Adelson (Editor 1-3,12), Marjorie Fowler A.C.E. (Editor 4,7,8), Bill Mosher A.C.E. (Editor 5,7,10,14,17,19,20,22), J. Howard Terrill (Editor 6), Bernard Balmuth (Editor 9,13,18-20), Fred W. Berger A.C.E. (Editor 11,15,16,21), Gene Fowler A.C.E. (Editorial Supervision 1-9,12), Claylene M. Jones (Associate Producer), Walter Alzmann (Unit Production Manager 1,2,6-8), Lynn Guthrie (Unit Production Manager 3-5), Joe Florence (Unit Production Manager 9,11,15), Ralph Ferrin (Unit Production Manager 10,12-22), Joe Florence (First Assistant Director 1,4,6,9,11,15), Ralph Ferrin (First Assistant Director 2,3,5,7,8,10,12-17,19,21,22), Walt Gilmore (First Assistant Director 18,20), Claude Lawrence (Second Assistant Director 16-18,20-22), James Cane (Set Decorator), Jeanne Malone (Costume Supervisor), Bonnie Slepak4 (Costumer 1,3,5,7,10,12,14,16,18,20,22), Jim O'Daniel (Costumer 2,6,8), Paul St. John (Costumer 4,9,11,13,15,17,19,21), Polifroni/Sabba (Casting), Victor Guarnier (Sound Effects Editor), Dick Kupper (Sound Effects Editor 1-3,6,8,20,22), Jack Wheeler (Sound Effects Editor 4,5,7,9,12), Sam Caylor (Sound Effects Editor 10,11,13-15), Sid Lubow (Sound Effects Editor 16-19,21), Ken Runyon (Music Editor), William Flannery (Production Sound Mixer), Fred Westcott (Property Master), Richard Chaffee (Script Supervisor 1-13,16-22), Elizabeth Bernard (Script Supervisor 14,15), Doris Hamner (Technical Consultant), Serge Haigneré (Camera Operator 1-18,20,22), Ron Woolf (Camera Operator 19), William Reynolds (Makeup Artist), Edith Lindon (Hair Stylist), Duane Smith (Electrical Gaffer 1-10,12), Chris Lynch (Electrical Gaffer 11), Romolo Acquistapace (Electrical Gaffer 13), Robert Chaldu (Electrical Gaffer 14-22), Larry Aube (Key Grip 1,3-5,7-22), Fred Arney (Key Grip 2,6), Al Rohm (Construction Coordinator), Jim White (Transportation Captain), Antique Automobiles by Movie World Buena Park CA., Panavision®, Color by Movielab, Sandy Dvore (Main Titles), Filmed at The Burbank Studios Burbank California.

Copyright © MCMLXXVII [1977] Lorimar Productions Inc. (1-13)

Copyright © MCMLXXVIII [1978] Lorimar Productions Inc. (14-22)

1 Ralph Waite and Michael Learned alternate (roughly speaking) for first billing.
2 Will Geer is "Co-starring" for episodes 1 and 2.
3 Though credited, Judy Norton-Taylor does not appear in episode 4.
4 aka Hope Slepak.

Overall Nielsen rating for season: 20.8 (20th).

A John-Boy-less and Grandma-less Walton family bounced back for a sixth season. Richard Thomas, who had departed the production on amicable grounds, also returned for two installments (The Return and The Revelation), the former of which is a movie-length special dealing with the rather unlikely scenario of John-Boy reopening a disused coal mine to help the financial problems of the area. Health factors kept Ellen Corby out of the show until the very last episode of this season when she felt well enough to return for a guest appearance. Sadly, the reunion between Grandma and Grandpa was to be short-lived...

The already fragile continuity of The Waltons is dealt a further blow when the timeline of the show unashamedly jumps forward one year to accelerate the program into the war years. This would be fine if the dating worked given that factor, but what explanation is there for having Mary Ellen pregnant in The Seashore (dated by Earl Hamner's narration to "late spring 1940") but then post childbirth in The First Casualty ("the fall of 1939")?

As before the episodes range from the good to the terrible. The Children's Carol falls into the latter category and is one of the weakest episodes in the entire Waltons canon. Playing the older orphan staying with the family, Sally Boyden's "London" accent is the worst heard on screen since Dick Van Dyke's legendary attempts in Mary Poppins. The actress (who is Australian and had appeared as a resident singer on a talent show down under) actually sounds quite well-spoken underneath which makes all the "ma'am"s and dropped aitches sound even more forced. Her brother, Pip, goes around, for some reason, with his hand permanently welded to his cheek as if he's had some sort of accident involving a tube of Super Glue. Add in a totally un-Christmassy feel ("Indian summer held off the snows of winter," narrates Hamner to dodge out of having to give the weather a seasonal look) and you're left with a complete clunker of an episode. Both The Homecoming and, especially, The Best Christmas were way better seasonal installments of The Waltons. And, while on the subject matter of the The Children's Carol, haven't we had enough stories about orphans and runaways (see also The Stray and The Flight this season, not to mention at least nine stories across the previous seasons)?

One of the best episodes here is The First Casualty as the community suffers its first "war" victim as G. W. Haines (a previous boyfriend of Mary Ellen, but now seeing Erin) is killed during a training accident. The episode ends with a really touching scene with John reading G. W.'s final letter to a sobbing Erin. The sequence is set on a bright sunny day providing an unexpected but excellent visual dissonance with the dark nature of the story. Although, I must say I was distracted a bit during G. W.'s funeral scene when I found myself wondering why there is a modern 50-star flag atop the casket instead of the correct 48-star version; such is the life of a pedant.

The Warrior sees an elderly Indian laying claim to the land underneath the Waltons' barn. The episode commendably puts both sides of the argument (a recurring strong point of the entire Waltons series) and ends realistically without the family agreeing to tear down their barn (which is what I feared would happen) and instead, as a compromise, donating a fresh patch of land on the mountain to be used as a new Indian burial site.

Another credible story is The Family Tree in which Verdie discovers a strange medallion in a box of her late father's possessions. The find inspires her to delve into her family's past history in slavery. The episode ultimately makes the point that, while the Civil War freed one set of people from slavery, it was the ruin of others.

The Hawk

"Early in September of 1939, shortly after Hitler invaded Poland, England delivered an ultimatum that Germany withdraw her troops. And while war clouds were building over Europe, our family was to face a disturbing conflict over the arrival of a new and controversial figure in our community..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.01 (121)  {S6,D1,sA}
Written by Andy White
Directed by Tony Brand
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast September 15, 1977, CBS   (UK: May 14, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey). Starring: Lynn Carlin (Sarah Bridges), Robert Donner (Yancy Tucker), Rachel Longaker (Aimee Godsey) and Tom Bower (Curt Willard). Introducing: Peter Fox (Reverend Hank Buchanan)1. Featuring: Nora Marlowe (Mrs. Brimmer), Sheila Allen (Fanny Tatum), A. Wilford Brimley (Horace Brimley), George D. Wallace (Dean Beck), Dorothy Shay (Thelma), Hank Stohl (Radio Announcer), Art Gilmore (Newsreel Announcer), David Frankham (Neville Chamberlain).

1 First appearance of the new minister, Hank Buchanan, played by Peter Fox.

The handsome new minister stirs up quite a to-do in the congregation, especially among the ladies.

The Reverend Hank Buchanan with Corabeth
John and Olivia enjoy a moment together
The Stray

"Looking back to 1939 on Walton's Mountain, I had to span a chasm far deeper and wider than nearly 40 years of time. Customs and prejudices that were acceptable in those days have gentled into a greater justice today. But they were part of that time, and to remember them any other way would be false. It was then, too, that my youngest brother, Jim-Bob, entered a phase designed to drive the rest of the family to exasperation – a time when nothing stayed in his head for very long..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.02 (122)  {S6,D1,sA}
Written by Kathleen Hite
Directed by Harry Harris
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast September 22, 1977, CBS   (UK: May 21, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey). Guest Starring: Todd Bridges (Josh), Lynn Hamilton (Verdie Foster), Ketty Lester (Mrs. Thomas), John Crawford (Sheriff Bridges) and Tom Bower (Curt Willard). Featuring: Jonas Agee (Town Boy #1), Kin Shriner (Town Boy #2).

Footprints lead to the barn... and to a runaway lad named Josh who takes a shine to John.

John with Josh
Josh gets a good wash
The Recluse

"As the news of war in Europe grew increasingly grim, we could feel a tension here at home – a charge of electricity in the air as we looked to the outside world with new interest and concern. It was a time when my brother, Ben, was reaching out for new horizons. And for my family, the long Depression years were coming to an end..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.03 (123)  {S6,D1,sA}
Written by Seth Freeman
Directed by Walter Alzmann
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast September 29, 1977, CBS   (UK: May 28, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth). Guest Starring: Linda Marsh (Fern Lockwood), Lew Brown (Mr. Jarvis), Britt Leach (Easy Jackson), Eric Lawson (Shop Foreman) and Joseph A. Butcher (Anson Adams) and Tom Bower (Curt Willard). Featuring: Carol-Ann Williams (Ben's Girlfriend), Robyn Pohle (Anson's Girlfriend), Llynn Storer (Worker), Hatsuo Uda (Waiter), Walker Edmiston (Farmer).

A love of music brings Jason together with a timid recluse whose only companion is a canary. Ben leaves home to look for a job; Grandpa follows him when an argument develops with John over workloads.

The reclusive Fern Lockwood
Ben working in the shipyard
The Warrior

"Most of us tend to be convinced of the rightness of our heritage, our traditions, our way of life... until some event happens that shakes our deepest beliefs to their foundations. On a day in 1939, two strangers came to our mountain. As a consequence of their visit, we were to learn that others had roots there which reached deeper than our own..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.04 (124)  {S6,D1,sB}
Written by Joan Scott
Directed by Ralph Senensky
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast October 13, 1977, CBS   (UK: June 11, 1979, BBC2)

Guest Starring: Jerado DeCordovier (Grandfather Joseph Teskigi), Ernest Esparza III (Matthew Teskigi), Richard Eastham (Judge Parrish), Tom Bellin (Public Defender Cross). Featuring: John Crawford (Sheriff Ep Bridges).

An elderly Indian and his grandson claim the Waltons' barn sits on a sacred ancient burial site.

Grandfather Joseph Teskigi
Grandson Matthew Teskigi
The Seashore

"In the late spring of 1940 our world on Walton's Mountain was very quiet and uneasy. For the first time ever, people stopped work in the daytime to turn on the radio. The war in Europe had seemed to be hibernating until suddenly, on the 10th of May, the Germans invaded Belgium and the Netherlands and Luxembourg. By the 10th of June, they had enslaved all three, and driven the British and French forces into the sea, and were marching into Paris. To all purposes, the free world in Europe now consisted only of the British Isles. And just as suddenly, at least it seemed so here at home, there were no more pacifists, no isolationists. The little ocean between us and the Nazi terror was not very wide any more. People were beginning to feel that the time had come to help whatever allies we had, and to be ready when the attack turned on ourselves..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.05 (125)  {S6,D1,sB}
Written by Marion Hargrove
Directed by Lawrence Dobkin
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast October 20, 1977, CBS   (UK: June 18, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey), Mary Jackson (Emily Baldwin), Helen Kleeb (Mamie Baldwin). Guest Starring: Vickery Turner (Lisa), Melody Thomas1 (Darlene), Arthur Franz (Chief Moresdale), Michael Richardson (Dittenberger), Robert Gooden (Flaherty) and Tom Bower (Curt Willard). Featuring: John Hiestand2 (The Radio Announcer).

1 aka Melody Thomas Scott.
2 aka Bud Hiestand.

At the Baldwin sisters' beach cottage, the family meet a young student from England who seems reluctant to return home. Back on the mountain, Ben makes the most of the absence of the rest of the family.

Stranger on the shore: Lisa Cooper
Darlene with Ben
The Volunteer

"In 1939, when the threat of war hung over our country, it seemed to me that our lives altered much in the same way that winds moved down Walton's Mountain: changing sharply sometimes, but more often gentling us so gradually that it took a length of time to show the change had come about at all..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.06 (126)  {S6,D1,sB}
Written by Kathleen Hite
Directed by Philip Leacock
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast October 27, 1977, CBS   (UK: June 25, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey). Guest Starring: David Doremus (G. W. Haines). Featuring: Merie Earle (Maude Gormley), David Clarke (Abel Bingley), Nadyne Turney (Lady Customer), Wendy Rastatter (Judy), Channing Clarkson (Ernie), Kevin Scott Allen (Soldier), Hank Stohl (The Radio Announcer).

When Erin turns down G. W. Haines' marriage proposal, he up and joins the army. At the store, Ike decides to exploit Maude Gormley's artistic talents.

The volunteer: G. W. Haines
Maude Gormley paints a picture
The Grandchild

"There came a time when everyone on Walton's Mountain was looking forward to a very special event – a blessed one – the birth of my sister, Mary Ellen's, baby. All the neighbors shared our anticipation as the day approached, and only the mother-to-be seemed unconcerned that a new generation of Waltons was about to begin..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.07 (127) - double length  {S6,D2,sA}
Written by Rod Peterson and Claire Whitaker
Directed by Ralph Senensky
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast November 3, 1977, CBS   (UK: July 2 & 9, 1979, BBC2, in two-part version)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey), Mary Jackson (Emily Baldwin), Helen Kleeb (Mamie Baldwin). Guest Starring: Beth Raines (Cassie), Robert Donner (Yancy Tucker), Rachel Longaker (Aimee Godsey), David Hooks (Ab Hineman) and Tom Bower (Curt Willard). Featuring: Merie Earle (Maude Gormley), Joe Ross (Burlesque Comic), Frank DeVito (The Drummer), Trish Garland (Burlesque Dancer), Nora Marlowe (Mrs. Brimmer)1, Peter Fox (Rev. Hank Buchanan).

1 This is the last episode for Flossie Brimmer owing to the death of the actress Nora Marlowe.

Mary Ellen is expecting her baby, but do the stars foretell a successful birth? Meanwhile, Jason finds work in a burlesque hall.

Mary Ellen runs through a storm
Mrs Brimmer sees some bad news for Mary Ellen in the tea leaves
The First Casualty

"In the fall of 1939, the people on Walton's Mountain were becoming increasingly affected by the spreading war in Europe. In our family and others, despite our rural isolation, it was to cause immediate and profound change..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.08 (128)  {S6,D2,sA}
Written by Andy White
Directed by Harry Harris
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast November 10, 1977, CBS   (UK: July 16, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth). Guest Starring: Lin McCarthy (George Haines), Jean Allison (Louise Haines), David Doremus (G. W. Haines), Robert Donner (Yancy Tucker), Cissy Wellman (Sissy) and Tom Bower (Curt Willard). Featuring: Dorothy Shay (Thelma), A. Wilford Brimley (Horace Brimley), David Dotson (Mickey), Peter Fox (Rev. Hank Buchanan), Art Gilmore (The Radio Announcer).

The war hits home when Curt is called to active duty and the first hometown soldier loses his life. On a happier note, Yancy Tucker gets married.

A funeral on the mountain
Yancy and Sissy get married
The Battle of Drucilla’s Pond

"While the war in Europe continued to spread, a deceptive calm lay over Walton's Mountain. In this quiet before the storm, our mother turned to painting, losing herself in it as if, somehow, she could preserve those tranquil days for ever..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.09 (129)  {S6,D2,sB}
Written by Rod Peterson and Claire Whitaker
Directed by Philip Leacock
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast November 17, 1977, CBS   (UK: July 23, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey). Guest Starring: Michael Sullivan (Private Lance), Alice Hirson (Jane Stevens), Rachel Longaker (Aimee Godsey) and Tom Bower (Curt Willard). Featuring: Joseph Cala (The Sergeant), Jeff Reese (The Sentry), Kevin Scott Allen (The Soldier), Merie Earle (Maude Gormley), Dorothy Shay (Thelma).

War and peace... While soldiers train at nearby Drucilla's Pond, Olivia paints scenes of pastoral beauty and enters an art competition. Elsewhere, Ike tries to ready the town for war by staging a mock attack exercise.

Olivia painting a picture of Drucilla's Pond
Local Civil Defense warden, Ike
The Flight

"With each passing year on Walton's Mountain, our growth was sparked by learning and change. In fitting together the pieces of our developing personalities, there came a time when my youngest brother, Jim-Bob, had to make a decision which was to affect the rest of his life..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.10 (130)  {S6,D2,sB}
Written by Carole Raschella and Michael Raschella
Directed by Ralph Waite
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast December 1, 1977, CBS   (UK: July 30, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey). Guest Starring: Lynn Carlin (Sarah Bridges), Peter Miner (Joe Douglas), Michelle Stacy (Claire), Merie Earle (Maude Gormley), Dan Priest (Harrison Bixby), Jerry Crews (Ed Larkin) and John Crawford (Ep Bridges).

A runaway orphan who plans to join the Army Air Corps rekindles Jim-Bob's interest in flying. At the same time, Sarah and Ep Bridges plan to adopt...

Joe Douglas and Jim-Bob
Sarah Bridges
The Milestone

"There is a special niche in memory where a child places his parents. A place in time where they are never younger, never older – a time when they are changeless. For me, that memory is of many years ago, and no matter what came after, they are forever young..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.11 (131)  {S6,D3,sA}
Written by Kathleen Hite
Directed by Philip Leacock
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast December 8, 19771, CBS   (UK: August 6, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey). Guest Starring: Louise Latham (Aunt Kate2). Featuring: Peter Fox (Rev. Hank Buchanan), Jim Henaghan (Mr. Clinton).

1 Many sources list The Milestone after The Children's Carol having incorrectly dated the broadcast of the latter as December 5 (rather than December 15).
2 Aunt Kate would appear again, in Season 7's The Parting (but played on that occasion by Neva Patterson).

Not understanding why she suddenly feels emotionally fragile, Olivia turns to her Aunt Kate for advice.

Olivia faces a mid-life crisis
Olivia's Aunt Kate
The Children’s Carol

"I remember that Christmas when all the sounds and events of the world spoke against the holiday. London was being bombed, the evil of Nazi rule was spreading across Europe and, on Walton's Mountain, Indian summer held off the snows of winter. It was a year two young English children were to seek refuge on the mountain, and it was a year when my mother's faith was put to its severest test..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.12 (132) – double length  {S6,D3,sA}
Written by John McGreevey
Directed by Lawrence Dobkin
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast December 15, 19771, CBS   (UK: not broadcast?)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey), Mary Jackson (Emily Baldwin), Helen Kleeb (Mamie Baldwin). Guest Starring: Sally Boyden (Tess Wrayburn), Lynn Hamilton (Verdie) and Tom Bower (Curt Willard). Featuring: Jeff Cotler2 (Pip Wrayburn), Rachel Longaker (Aimee Godsey), Dorothy Shay (Thelma), Peter Fox (Rev. Hank Buchanan), David A. Cramer (Alan Timmons), Ed Owens (Sgt. Grimes), Steve Eastin (Airman), Ivy Bethune (The Landlady), Judith Sharon Morton (Mrs. Rumsen), Kate Edwards (Allison), Dinah Anne Rogers (Mrs. Wrayburn).

1 Sources which list December 5 as the broadcast date are incorrect.
2 Jeff Cotler is Kami Cotler's younger brother.

A plucky young orphaned girl and her mute brother escape the London Blitz to find a new home. Mary Ellen cannot stand being away from Curt and rents an apartment near his camp.

Londoners Tess and brother Pip
Curt Willard
The Celebration

"Nature, I think, intended my father to be a dreamer and a poet. Instead, he became the head of a large, hungry household. The one thing he feared and despised was debt, and yet it clung to him as devotedly as it clung to all of his neighbors. He tried never to borrow, never to buy anything on time, and never to fall behind on things like taxes and doctor bills. As careful as he was, there came a day in 1940 when he looked at his finances and was astounded by what he found looking back at him..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.13 (133)  {S6,D3,sB}
Written by Marion Hargrove
Directed by Gwen Arner
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast December 22, 1977, CBS   (UK: August 13, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey). Guest Starring: William Phipps (John Martin Renshaw), Tammi Bula (Marcia Woolery), Peter Fox (Rev. Hank Buchanan), Jack Manning (J. J. Brendamore), Merie Earle (Maude Gormley), Hal Riddle (Track Superintendent). Featuring: A. Wilford Brimley (Horace).

The family pitches in to complete a big contract to finally pay off the loan on their mill; Ike buys a job lot of fridges which turn out to be duds; and Corabeth is disturbed when Reverend Buchanan turns up to a function with a scantily clad Marcia Woolery in tow.

John and Olivia relax after working hard in the mill
Erin and Marcia Woolery
The Rumor

"In memory now I think to that time in 1940 when the war was in Europe, wide miles across the Atlantic from the Blue Ridge – a time when its treachery rarely reached as far as Walton's Mountain. Still, the seeds of distrust and suspicion were everywhere. They were there for my sister, Elizabeth, when she began to keep a journal, such as I had done as a boy. Her imagination, always vivid, had been joined by a genuine gift for exaggeration. So when the rumor began, Elizabeth was among those who passed it along bigger than when she had received it..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.14 (134)  {S6,D3,sB}
Written by Kathleen Hite
Directed by Ralph Waite
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast January 5, 1978, CBS   (UK: August 20, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey). Guest Starring: Mathew Anden (Willie Brimmer), Ellen Blake (Marta Brimmer), Tasha Lee Zemrus (Katrina Brimmer), Barry Cahill (Buck Vernon), Hal Boker (Fisk), Larry D. Blake (Charley). Featuring: John Crawford (Sheriff Ep Bridges), Chris Anders (German Voice), John Hiestand1 (The Radio Announcer).

1 aka Bud Hiestand.

With Hitler on the move in Europe, some of the townsfolk greet a new German family with suspicion.

Willie Brimmer and John face the mob
Buck Vernon leads the suspicious crowd
Spring Fever

"It was spring on Walton's Mountain, and, after the confinement of a long winter, life burst forth with such energy that every creature seemed charged with it... including the two young stallions in our house: Ben and Jim-Bob..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.15 (135)  {S6,D3,sB}
Written by Rod Peterson and Claire Whitaker
Directed by Richard Chaffee
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast January 12, 1978, CBS   (UK: August 27, 1979, BBC2)

Mary Jackson (Emily Baldwin), Helen Kleeb (Mamie Baldwin). Guest Starring: Heather Totten (Ruby Davis), Debbie Gunn (Patsy Brimmer).

Trouble brews when Ben takes Jim-Bob's girlfriend on a romantic picnic. Miss Mamie has a malaise.

Patsy Brimmer and Ben
Miss Mamie feels her life is done
The Festival

"Spring on Walton's Mountain was always a welcome and celebrated event. Everything that had been dormant during the winter came to life. My grandfather said it was a time of beginning, when every living thing was given the opportunity to renew itself. In the spring of 1940, when the world was on the brink of war, our lives were to change drastically..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.16 (136)  {S6,D4,sA}
Written by Michael McGreevey
Directed by Gwen Arner
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast January 26, 1978, CBS   (UK: October 30, 1979, BBC2)

Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey). Guest Starring: James Bond III (Josh)1, Lynn Hamilton (Verdie Foster), Hal Williams (Harley Foster), T. K. Carter (Jodie Foster)1, Rachel Longaker (Aimee Godsey). Featuring: Kathleen O'Malley (Mrs. Wilkens), Steve Shaw (George Simmons).

1 There are changes of actors playing both Josh Foster (from Todd Bridges to James Bond III) and Jody/Jodie Foster (from Erin Blunt to T. K. Carter).

Jason and Josh think they make a great musical team but other folks think they don't, because Josh is black... At school, both Elizabeth and Aimee become interested in a boy.

Josh Bridges plays his trumpet
Elizabeth and Aimee
The Anniversary

"Between two people in a good marriage there develops a kind of silent communication. Each knows what to expect of the other, when to offer strength, where to step lightly. It is this kind of predictability that makes the occasional surprise shine all the brighter in memory. As my parents' silver anniversary approached, my father was to reveal a side of his nature that years of hard work and sacrifice had kept secret, and in doing so, he made it an anniversary that none of us would ever forget..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.17 (137)  {S6,D4,sA}
Written by Rod Peterson and Claire Whitaker
Directed by Walter Alzmann
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast February 2, 1978, CBS   (UK: November 6, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey). Guest Starring: Tom Bower (Curt Willard), Christopher Woods1 (David Spencer). Featuring: John Perryman (Phone Serviceman).

1 For his early appearances on the show, Christopher Woods was credited as Robert Merritt Woods.

John and Olivia's 25th anniversary gives everyone the chance to plan surprises. Mary Ellen runs across David Spencer, the fiancé she jilted just before their wedding.

Olivia scrubs John's back
Jim-Bob's light show
The Family Tree

"As the 1930s became the war years of the 1940s, an awakening came to our small community: an awareness of the world beyond our Blue Ridge Mountains. There began a reaching out to touch people and places and knowledge we had never considered before..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.18 (138)  {S6,D4,sA}
Teleplay by Thomas Hood, story by Thomas Hood and Joyce Perry
Directed by Lawrence Dobkin
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast February 9, 1978, CBS   (UK: November 13, 1979, BBC2)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey). Guest Starring: Lynn Hamilton (Verdie Foster), Hal Williams (Harley Foster), Paulene Myers (Mrs. Nelson), Davis Roberts (Frank Nelson), Vernon Washington (The Sexton), Donald Petrie (Arnold Kevin), Amzie Strickland (The Clerk) and Ernestine Barrier (Miss Unwin). Featuring: William Washington (The Gardener).

Verdie comes across an old medallion in a box of effects belonging to her late father and is inspired to investigate her family background. Twelve-year-old Elizabeth pretends she is grown up when she starts corresponding with an army pen pal.

Verdie shows the medallion to Hal
Plantation owner Estelle Unwin
The Ordeal

"Scarcely a year or a season passed on Walton's Mountain that did not bring a test of my parents' courage and the strength of our family ties. In the spring of 1940, the test came, as always, without warning, and from the direction none of us expected..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.19 (139) – double length  {S6,D4,sB}
Written by Paul West
Directed by Lawrence Dobkin
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast February 16, 1978, CBS   (UK: November 20 & 27, 1979, BBC2, in two-part version)

Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey), Mary Jackson (Emily Baldwin), Helen Kleeb (Mamie Baldwin). Guest Starring: Virginia Gregg (Ada Corley), Richard Sarradet (Dr. Jamison), Julie Gibson (Evelyn Winfield), Dorothy Shay (Thelma) and Rachel Longaker (Aimee Godsey). Featuring: John Crawford (Ep Bridges).

When Ben's and Jim-Bob's negligence leads to an accident that cripples Elizabeth, the family rallies to help her recover.

Elizabeth in a wheelchair
John prays for Elizabeth to get better
The Return

"In the early times of separation from my family, I kept in mind a clear picture of the scenes of my boyhood. But the times were changing, and my memories were far removed from the realities. The turbulent state of the country in the year before we entered the war was especially felt in our remote little community, and particularly by my father..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.20 (140) – double length  {S6,D5,sA}
Written by Kathleen Hite
Directed by Harry Harris
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast March 16, 1978, CBS   (UK: December 4 & 11, 1979, BBC2, in two-part version)

Special Guest Appearance: Richard Thomas. Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey), Mary Jackson (Emily Baldwin), Helen Kleeb (Mamie Baldwin). Special Guest Star: Lloyd Nolan (Cyrus Guthrie). Guest Starring: Lynn Hamilton (Verdie), Hal Williams (Harley), Helen Page Camp (Allie), Sandy Kenyon (Willis), Nancy Priddy (Nora), Walter Brooke (Mr. Johnson), Dorothy Shay (Thelma), Rick Beckner (Jim Dolworth) and Deirdre Lenihan (Daisy). Llynn Storer (Burt), John Perryman (Merle), Britt Leach (Easy Jackson), Ed Deemer (Man at Bus Depot), Don Tuche (Mr. Preston), Peter Fox (Rev. Hank Buchanan), John Crawford (Ep Bridges), Sheila Allen (Fanny Tatum).

John-Boy returns to Walton's Mountain hoping to boost the local economy by reopening the Guthrie coal mine. But John, Jason, Ben, Jim-Bob and many local men are trapped when the roof of the old mine gives way.

Corabeth and Mary Ellen witness the disaster at the mine
John-Boy in the Guthrie coal mine
The Revelation

"When I was a boy, I dreamed of what I would make of my life when the time came to leave the mountain. My journey took me to New York City where I became a reporter for a press service, began work on my second novel, and fell in love. I knew that the days of my life would be played out elsewhere, but, as always, the events that took place on the mountain would shape and change the rest of my life..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.21 (141)  {S6,D5,sB}
Written by D. C. Fontana and Richard Fontana
Directed by Gwen Arner
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast March 23, 1978, CBS   (UK: January 15, 1980, BBC2)

Special Guest Appearance: Richard Thomas1. Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey), Mary Jackson (Miss Emily Baldwin), Helen Kleeb (Miss Mamie Baldwin). Guest Starring: Deirdre Lenihan (Daisy), Walter Brooke (Mr. Johnson), Rachel Bard (Mrs. Garner) and Tommy Leonetti (The Piano Player). Featuring: Steve Shaw (George Simmons), Will Parker (The Reporter).

1 This is the last time Richard Thomas would appear until the reunion movies of the 1990s. Before then, Robert Wightman would take over the role of John-Boy.

John-Boy is engaged to Daisy Garner but a guilty secret threatens their relationship. Meanwhile, Grandpa "helps" revitalize Elizabeth's failing lemonade stall.

Daisy Garner
Grandpa and Ike sample the improved lemonade
Grandma Comes Home

"A house alone has little meaning – it's the people who live there who bring it to life and give it character. All during my grandmother's absence, our house and everyone in it seemed to long for her return. Grandpa never stopped hoping that she would come home, and finally there came a day when his prayers were to be answered..."

Newspaper listingEpisode # 6.22 (142)1  {S6,D5,sB}
Written by Rod Peterson and Claire Whitaker
Directed by Ralph Senensky
Music by Alexander Courage
Broadcast March 30, 1978, CBS   (UK: January 22, 1980, BBC2)

Special Guest Star: Ellen Corby. Joe Conley (Ike Godsey), Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth Godsey), Mary Jackson (Emily Baldwin), Helen Kleeb (Mamie Baldwin). Guest Starring: Kenny Marquis (Clarence). Featuring: Peter Fox (Rev. Hank Buchanan).

1 This episode is the last appearance of Grandpa, played by Will Geer.

The family is overjoyed when Grandma returns to Walton's Mountain, but they offer more help than she wants.

Stroke-stricken Grandma struggles to answer the phone
Grandpa Zeb Walton
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6.01 Hawk, The  (121)

6.02 Stray, The  (122)

6.03 Recluse, The  (123)

6.04 Warrior, The  (124)

6.05 Seashore, The  (125)

6.06 Volunteer, The  (126)

6.07 Grandchild, The  (127 – double length)

6.08 First Casualty, The  (128)

6.09 Battle of Drucilla's Pond, The  (129)

6.10 Flight, The  (130)

6.11 Milestone, The  (131)

6.12 Children's Carol, The  (132 – double length)

6.13 Celebration, The  (133)

6.14 Rumor, The  (134)

6.15 Spring Fever  (135)

6.16 Festival, The  (136)

6.17 Anniversary, The  (137)

6.18 Family Tree, The  (138)

6.19 Ordeal, The  (139 – double length)

6.20 Return, The  (140 – double length)

6.21 Revelation, The  (141)

6.22 Grandma Comes Home  (142)

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01 The Hawk

02 The Stray

03 The Recluse

04 The Warrior

05 The Seashore

06 The Volunteer

07 The Grandchild (double length)

08 The First Casualty

09 The Battle of Drucilla's Pond

10 The Flight

11 The Milestone

12 The Children's Carol (double length)

13 The Celebration

14 The Rumor

15 Spring Fever

16 The Festival

17 The Anniversary

18 The Family Tree

19 The Ordeal (double length)

20 The Return (double length)

21 The Revelation

22 Grandma Comes Home