Back in the 1970s, family dramas on TV dotted the landscape, and one of them that remains fond to many is The Waltons. Behind the creative stories from Earl Hamner Jr., viewers tuned in week after week to see how the family on Walton’s Mountain was doing. A lot of fans became enamored with the journey of John-Boy Walton, played by Richard Thomas. Others just enjoyed seeing what antics different family members would get into on a regular basis.

How to Watch ‘The Waltons’

You can catch The Waltons on TV still today. Check out episodes on a daily basis on MeTV. You can also stream the show for free with ads on Freevee.

An All-Star Cast Made the Show Great

The Waltons provided lots of learning experiences for all of its viewers. The show did let us all see how much of a simpler time life was back in the day. But things were not as easy as you might think. They were dealing with the struggle coming out of the Great Depression. Also, there was a world war going on, too.

Besides Thomas, the cast on The Waltons was quite talented. Ralph Waite, known to some modern TV viewers from his time on NCIS, played patriarch John Walton. Michael Learned portrayed Olivia Walton, who had plenty on her plate with those kids. Judy Norton superbly played Mary Ellen, a young, growing girl who was finding her way into being a woman. Those who fondly remember the show also will recall that Will Geer played the grandfather and Ellen Corby was the grandmother. Geer, sadly, died before the show ended its original run on CBS. Corby suffered a debilitating stroke, taking her off the show for a little bit. Much like her stubborn character, though, Corby would return to it. Her speech and mobility were not the same as before her stroke, yet she soldiered on.

While those are some of the lead actors, there were others who filled up the screen as well. Mary Elizabeth McDonough portrayed Erin while Kami Cotler played the precocious younger sister, Elizabeth. David W. Harper played Jim Bob while Jon Walmsley was Jason. Walmsley would, at times, play his guitar on the show. It was an extension of his real-life vocation as a musician. Eric Scott played Ben, too.