“The Waltons” will be turning 50 years old as a TV series in 2022. Will there be anything of note done to celebrate this moment?
Judy Norton, in a segment from her “Behind The Scenes of The Waltons” show, talks about what might or might not happen in the coming months.
“There has been a lot of speculation and questions about whether or not there will be any ‘Waltons’ gatherings, any fan reunions for the 50th anniversary,” Norton, who played Mary Ellen, says.
‘The Waltons’ Cast Members Talking Over Options for Doing Events
“I’m happy to say that the members of ‘The Waltons’ cast, we recently joined up on Zoom to talk about this,” she said. “Me, Mary [McDonough], Kami [Cotler], Jon [Walmsley], and Eric [Scott[, just to talk about what we might want to do.”
Norton says they all asked one another if there was interest in doing something.
“And so, we are exploring a number of options for 2022 to see about celebrating the 50th anniversary of the beginning of ‘The Waltons’ series,” she says.
Norton Points Out This December Marks 50th Anniversary of ‘The Homecoming’
“Of course, this December celebrates the 50th anniversary of ‘The Homecoming,'” Norton says. “We thought 2022 would likely be a time where it would be safe for us all to travel again and gather, so we might do one thing, we might do a number of different events.”
“The Homecoming: A Christmas Story” would actually be viewed as a pilot for the TV show. In the TV movie, actors Patricia Neal and Andrew Duggan played Olivia and John Walton, respectively. Those roles, obviously, would go to Michael Learned and Ralph Waite for the actual TV series. Famed actor-comedian Edgar Bergen played Grandpa Walton in the movie, but Will Geer took over the role. Ellen Corby did retain her role from the movie to TV as Grandma Walton.
Norton says “The Waltons” cast members still alive are thinking of the show’s fans.
“We know from the lovely interaction we’ve had with those of you who have followed the show for all these years, what it means to you,” she says. “So we really do enjoy that opportunity to share with you all in person.”
Norton says that she and her fellow “The Waltons” cast members will keep their fans posted through their Facebook pages. She also says that she’ll keep people posted on her YouTube channel when there’s information to share.
Of course, many of the show’s fans would like to see Richard Thomas at these events. His John-Boy Walton character remains one of the most popular in that series’ run. Norton didn’t mention the actor’s name, yet “The Waltons” definitely received a boost from the veteran TV and stage star’s presence.
