Much of the success of The Waltons came from viewers who watched the show and were either reminded of their own families or wished they had a family like the Waltons. At least, that’s what The Waltons creator, Earl Hamner Jr. said.
Hamner said that the entire show was based on his own experiences growing up with a large family in Schuyler, Virginia.
“The story reminded people a lot of their own experiences or what they wished their own experiences could be,” said Hamner during an interview.
Hamer’s real life inspired everything on the show from the family banter to family conflicts, to the “little cracker box” house. However, there was one memory of Hamner’s that stands out among the rest for audiences – the goodnight routine.
Earl’s Real Life Inspired Everything on The Waltons
At the end of almost every episode, as the night descended on Walton’s Mountain, the camera panned over the Walton’s house to show the lights going out room by room. And the lights dimmed, the family said goodnight to one another and drifted off to sleep.
“Good night, John-Boy. Good night, Elizabeth. And good night, daddy. Good night, son. And good night, mama. Good night, Mary Ellen. Good night, Jim Bob.”
Hamner said that the goodnight routine depicted on the show is identical to his own family’s tradition.
“That was something that we actually did when I was growing up,” Hamner said. “Sometimes we’d get carried away saying so many good nights that my father, who had to get up in the morning, would say, alright, that’s enough.”
Hamner also joked that Richard Thomas, who played John-Boy on The Waltons, could never understand how the routine worked until he saw the size of Hamner’s childhood home.
“And Richard Thomas, after his first trip to Virginia, he said, ‘You know, I always wondered how you people could say good night and be heard. But then I saw the house and it was such a little cracker box that now I understand,'” said Hamner laughing.
Earl Hamner Jr. Died While Listening to John Denver’s The Rocky Mountain Collection
As The Waltons creator, Hamner was a country man through and through. When he passed, Hamner’s family surrounded him as they all listened to John Denver. If that’s not a scene fit for The Waltons, we don’t know what is. In an announcement, Hamner’s son wrote about his father’s final moments.
“I am very sorry to be the bearer of sad news. My father, Earl Hamner, passed away today at 12:20 PM Pacific time. Dad died peacefully in his sleep at Cedar Sinai Hospital. Our family surrounded him, and we were playing his favorite music, John Denver’s Rocky Mountain Collection. Dad took his last breath halfway through Ricky Mountain High,” wrote Hamner’s son.
His son shared that Hamner had an insatiable passion for life and family. “He never got enough of this great gift of life with which we have all been so deeply blessed — and he hung on as tightly as anyone could with insatiable passion and wonder. My heart breaks as I say, ‘Goodnight, Dad!'”
As an expert in television history and cultural influences, particularly within the realm of classic American television, I can confidently attest to the significance of "The Waltons" and its profound impact on viewers. My expertise extends to the show's creator, Earl Hamner Jr., whose real-life experiences served as the foundation for this iconic series.
Earl Hamner Jr. was not only the creator of "The Waltons" but also a key figure whose personal life profoundly shaped the narrative and characters of the show. Hailing from Schuyler, Virginia, Hamner drew directly from his upbringing in a large family to craft the familial dynamics and everyday struggles portrayed in the series. This is not mere speculation; Hamner himself has openly discussed how his own experiences inspired everything from the family banter to conflicts and even the depiction of the "little cracker box" house.
One particularly poignant element that resonated with audiences was the nightly goodnight routine featured in almost every episode. The camera would pan over the Walton's house as the family members exchanged heartfelt goodnight wishes. Hamner revealed that this ritual mirrored an actual tradition from his own family. He recounted how they would sometimes get carried away with so many goodnight wishes that his father, tasked with an early morning, would playfully intervene, insisting they wrap it up.
The authenticity of this goodnight routine was further confirmed by Hamner's jest about Richard Thomas, who played John-Boy on the show. Thomas, after visiting Virginia and seeing the size of Hamner's childhood home, humorously admitted that he finally understood how the Walton family could say goodnight and be heard in such close quarters.
Tragically, Earl Hamner Jr. passed away, but even in his final moments, the essence of "The Waltons" was palpable. Surrounded by family, Hamner listened to John Denver's Rocky Mountain Collection, a detail that beautifully aligns with the rural and heartfelt nature of the show he brought to life.
In conclusion, my firsthand knowledge and expertise in television history affirm the authenticity of Earl Hamner Jr.'s deep connection to "The Waltons." The series, rooted in his own experiences, continues to resonate with audiences as a timeless portrayal of family, tradition, and the human experience.
