Rating: 
Summary: THE WALTONS THE COMPLETE FIRST YEAR
Review: I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS COLLECTION. IT TOOK ME BACK TO MY DAYS AS A CHILD AND AN EASIER TIME. CAN'T WAIT FOR YEAR TWO TO COME OUT
Rating:
Summary: One Of The Greatest Family Series Ever Created
Review: I feel in alot of ways that I grew up with the Walton children as the classic depression era series "The Waltons", was a regular part of our family viewing for years on a Sunday night here in Melbourne. It was always with great anticipation that we tuned in to see what would unfold that week for our favourite TV family. Whether the storyline dealt with John Boy struggling to get his first book published, Olivia battling a severe attack of polio, Grandpa feeling lonely while Grandma was in hospital or Erin deciding to raise a baby faun we were guaranteed a well crafted, beautifully written and acted story that while on the sentimental side always had elements of hard reality in them. None of the Walton family were perfect and that was one of the great strengths of the series where we got to enjoy people who were decent and inherently good individuals but who from time to time succumbed to their personal weaknesses and temptations like we all do on occasion.It is wonderful that season one of the multi Emmy award winning "The Waltons",has now received the proper DVD release that it so richly deserves. Being the brain child of creator Earl Hamner Jnr who based the series on his own childhood in Virginia. "The Waltons", premiered on the 14th September 1972 against tough competition from such favourites as the then popular Flip Wilson Show. After a shaky start the series took off in the ratings and stayed in prime time for an amazing 9 seasons which saw the setting move right through the depression years and then into World War 2 and beyond. Obviously over that period of time many changes occured in the series and unfortunately the second half of "The Waltons", run was plagued by cast changes that ultimately damaged the show. First veteran Ellen Corby (Grandma) suffered a stroke, Richard Thomas (John Boy) left to do other projects, Will Geer (Grandpa) died of a heart attack, and Michael Learned (Olivia) also left to do other acting work. Each departure affected the series and I always felt Michael Learned's departure in particular, removing the warm calming mother of the clan was the biggest disappointment and left a hole in the series. Season one however has all of those difficulties long in the future and these 24 episodes find all the actors settling into their characters that we soon grew to love and know so well. Season one contains some brilliant episodes for you to enjoy such as "The Scholar", which won a writing Emmy award, the superb "The Literary Man", and possibly best of all the heartwrenching two part episode "The Easter Story", which provided Michael Learned with one of her best stories in the series when she is stricken by polio. The writing could always be relied upon to create an emotional story but it was the power and sheer believability of the acting talent involved that made "The Waltons", such first class entertainment. Will Geer and Ellen Corby were born to play Zeb and Esther Walton the grandparents of the clan. Here were no sentimental oldies but two people who were described at the time as the "most realistic elderly couple on television". Ralph Waite as John Walton and Michael Learned as his wife Olivia where acting legends that brought qualities of warmth, reason and sacrifice to their characters of the parents. Even the children were well cast with actors that looked like they could be living on Waltons Mountain. Central to all the action of course was Richard Thomas in his unforgettable role as eldest son John Boy through who's eyes the action each week unfolded. This DVD set has the complete and uncut episodes set in their correct order so you can follow the families development from the first episode that went to air. I only hope that a similiar treatment will be given to the following seasons of this legendary show. Viewing "The Waltons", again after all these years and seeing stories full of real human spirit and warmth makes me sadly lament the state of alot of our modern television that seems to have lost its way in entertaining people. Do yourself a favour soon and become acquainted with the Walton clan in depression era Virginia, you'll be a better person for the experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Content super but night scenes are too dark
Review: If I were rate the content of these DVD's, I would give it 5 stars. The stories are wonderful, and my 9 and 7 year old beg to watch the episodes. However, every time there is a night scene, you cannot see ANYTHING. There is a night scene in "The Carnival" that lasts about 10 minutes, and you can see NOTHING. You just hear the voices. Sometimes there are night scenes when they're inside and a candle is lit. You can barely make out the actors in the story. They really should have digitally remastered these things to make the night scenes brighter. Unlike another reviewer's comments, ours does have closed caption in English.
Rating:
Summary: The Waltons: First Season
Review: This is a wholesome, enriching show that encourages love and devotion between not only family members but also between members in the community. The only negative thing about this set of DVDs is that I can't find any of the other seasons. Since this is my favorite show of all times, I pray that Amazon carries the other seasons soon.
Rating: 
Summary: DVD cracked
Review: I am certain that the programs are good, but the first DVD in the series is cracked! They are to be played on both sides, so unless Amazon or someone can replace it, We have lost 6 episodes. I hope the rest will be OK. I handle DVDs very gently alhtough I know they are supposed to be practically indestructable....
Rating:
Summary: Timeless Entertainment for any age
Review: I grew up with the Waltons from age 11 to 20 and always enjoyed the show. Now that I am much older with children, I value the entertainment value and the moral character of the series even more. My boyfriend gave me this set as a Christmas gift and was even brave enough to spend six hours viewing both sides of the first DVD in the set (5 in the set with I think 32 episodes) -- we both enjoyed it immensely. I have since viewed episodes 7 through 9, and it just keeps getting better. Out of such a talented cast from young to old, it's hard to say who is the best, but I think I've always been partial to Will Geer as the grandfather. I highly recommend this DVD set to anyone of any age.
Rating:
Summary: Wise, Rich, and Entertaining Still
Review: Wisdom is so hard to come by these days on TV. So we are blessed to have available to a new generation the rich stories of the Walton family. These stories, meticulously written and lovingly acted by a memorable cast of players, take us to the brink of sentiment but always manage to teach us wonderful lessons about growing up, generosity, kindness, and what it means to be a family and to be alive. My 11-year-old son and I watch an episode a night. He's learned the names of all the family members. It's good to know that nothing cynical or nasty will be appearing on this show as he watches it, and that he will come away with things to think about. There is an open-hearted and nonjudgmental generosity that circles this show, always open to new ideas and new people. Richard Thomas (John-Boy) possesses a wide-eyed wonder and a love of literature that is amazingly refreshing. And his father, John, and mother, Livia, listen to their children and give them the emotional room to grow. What a beautiful gift they've given them. Earl Hamner's narrative voice grounds us in a world of certain love even amidst economic and political chaos. I would pay a lot to have all nine seasons right here in my home.
Rating:
Summary: The Waltons are the best show ever on tv
Review: I have all of the Columbia House vhs tapes however I want to get the entire collection of The Waltons on dvd's. I will be looking forward to Season 2 and so on when they are released. The Waltons are a tv show that an entire family can sit down and watch together and parents never have anything to worry about or to feel embarrassed of. I have been a fan of The Waltons ever since they were on tv and have yet to find a show that is as good.
Rating:
Summary: Great Set
Review: The Waltons is one of my alltime favorite television series. I feel like I know each and every one of the characters. I grew up with them and actually fantasized I was a part of their wonderful close-knit family. Now, with the release of this DVD set, I can once again experience that warm, fuzzy feeling every time I view an episode. This set is great. The prints are superb but do show some very minor age spots in places, especially at the beginnings of the episodes. The shows appears to be un-cut, however it's been so long since I've seen one, it's difficult to tell. The stories are cohesive and the running time indicates that they are complete. I have only one minor bone to pick, though and that is at the end of each episode, the announcer says, "stay tuned for scenes from the next episode of the Waltons".....but they don't show the scenes.....that end tag would have made this set perfect but leaving them out does not detract from the un-edited programs. Maybe they will add the preview tags to any future season releases; hope so at any rate. I still rate this set a 5 star. The sound is great, picture looks awesome on HDTV and the colors are vibrant and not washed out. The packaging is wonderfully creative as well. I highly recommend this set to any avid Waltons fan.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best series ever made
Review: I, like so many others, have been a fan of The Waltons since the first airing of The Homecoming. I never dreamed at the time that I would one day be sharing my love of this show with my husband, who didn't own a tv in the seventies, and my children, who weren't born until the mid-eighties. It has often amused me that the biggest detractors of this show almost never have actually watched it. My mother, who never watched it once, has always said,"Ugh! The Waltons. A bunch of goody-two-shoes and that stupid John Boy and that ugly thing on his cheek." I was privately amused when my son, whose name is John (after a grandfather, not John Boy)actually was born with a small mole on his left cheek so his Gramma had to "shut up" about it!(unlike Richard Thomas, my son plans to have his removed when he is fully grown!)Anyway, many of the best life lessons my husband and I have tried to model and impart to our kids have been backed up by issues on the show! I can hardly wait for the Second Season.
Sue
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