The Walton's

Series tells the story of a large family unit living on Walton's Mountain during the great depression in America. Told from the perspective of 'John Boy' (Richard Thomas) it depicts the trails and tribulations of the family.

• The Waltons - Season 1 | DVD | (01/11/2004 from £29.99   |  Saving you £11.00 (36.68%)   |  RRP £40.99

  The Walton' nearly 10-year run grew out of the popular, 1971 made-for-TV movie The Homecoming, which was derived from a Depression-era, rustic setting ("Walton's Mountain"), and characters based on Earl Hamner Jr.'s autobiographical novel Spencer's Mountain--itself the source for a very nice 1963 feature film starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara. That's a lot of entertainment sprouting from Hamner's prose. But something about his seminal story of family values, rugged independence, and big dreams amidst a hardscrabble existence captured the hearts of American audiences, many of whom personally recalled severe economic adversity in the 1930s. The Waltons: The Complete First Season collects those initial episodes from the series building on the strengths of the Homecoming pilot, which introduced the extended Walton clan led by a strong-willed mill owner, John (Andrew Duggan), and his equally resolute wife, Olivia (Patricia Neal). The Waltons recast those key roles (as well as a few others) with Ralph Waite and Michael Learned (yup, a female), but Richard Thomas carried over as oldest child John-Boy Walton, an aspiring writer whose cusp-of-manhood view informs the series. Will Geer (Seconds) replaced Edgar Bergen as Grandpa Walton, Ellen Corby remained as Grandma, and John and Olivia's large brood (seven kids in all) were filled out by largely unknown, young actors. The episodes, still delightful and touching, strong on production values and unusually tight and polished for primetime drama, tended to focus on creator Hamner's pet themes of self-sacrifice and heroic effort when the going got tough. Year 1 highlights include "The Carnival", in which the impoverished Waltons, who can't pay for tickets to see a circus performance, end up sheltering stranded carney folk. "The Typewriter" is a classic about John-Boy "borrowing" a museum's antique typewriter, only to have his sister Mary Ellen (Judy Norton) sell it as junk. "The Sinner" concerns the arrival of a fundamentalist minister on Walton's Mountain, finding comfort in the words of religious iconoclast John Walton after the clergyman makes a fool of himself with moonshine. That's Hamner himself providing touches of narration. During the long run of the multiple-award-winning The Waltons, there were many changes in casting and storylines. But this boxed set reveals a fine series in its pristine state. --Tom Keogh

• The Waltons - Season 2 | DVD | (03/07/2006 from £22.49   |  Saving you £17.50 (77.81%)   |  RRP £39.99

  The welcome mat's out on Walton's Mountain. A year has gone by on Walton's Mountain. The Depression has deepened but so have the love and respect that hold the Waltons together. Share good times and hard times with America's favourite family in this 5-disc set featuring all 24 of the episodes from season 2 including 'The Thanksgiving Story' a poignant movie-length tale that won an Emmy Award for Best Writing in Drama (Series). This is the year John-Boy graduates from high

• The Waltons - Season 3 | DVD | (11/09/2006 from £28.99   |  Saving you £11.00 (37.94%)   |  RRP £39.99

  The television series that captured the American spirit of family loyalty returns for a third season on DVD. Episodes comprise: 1. The Conflict (Part 1) 2. The Conflict (Part 2) 3. The First Day 4. The Thoroughbred 5. The Runaway 6. The Romance 7. The Ring 8. The System 9. The Spoilers 10. The Marathon 11. The Book 12. The Job 13. The Departure 14. The Visitor 15. The Birthday 16. The Lie 17. The Matchmakers 18. The Beguiled 19. The Caretakers 20. The Shivaree 21. The Choice 22. The Statue 23. The Song 24. The Woman 25. The Venture

• The Waltons - Series 4 - Complete | DVD | (05/03/2007 from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  They built their home on the timeless mountain that bears their name. They built their lives on even stronger stuff: the bedrock of family. Fetaures all 24 episodes from season 4. Episode List: 1.The Sermon 2. The Genius 3. The Fighter 4. The Prophecy 5. The Boondoggle 6. The Breakdown 7. The Wingwalker 8. The Competition 9. The Emergence 10. The Loss 11. The Abdication 12. The Estrangement 13. The Nurse 14. The Intruders 15. The Search 16. The Secret 17. The Fox 18. The Burnout 19. The Big Brother 20. The Test 21. The Quilting 22. The House 23. The Fledgling 24. The Collision