The Waltons - Ask Judy - behind the scenes with Judy Norton 

You have all posted a number of questions so I thought I would answer some of these directly. I'm going to continue with these "Ask Judy" segments. What would you like to know?

One of my favorite moments of the show was when Grandma came back after her stroke and even though she couldn’t say much got frustrated with Grandpa and said ‘you old fool’. 😊

The last reunion show “A Walton Easter” was set in 1969. The series began in 1972. I have often laughed at the idea that in the next reunion movie they would all sit around the TV and watch episodes of the Waltons.

I love your honesty and sharing of the realities of the behind the scenes.

I haven't a question just a simple statement. "THANK YOU" to the cast and crew of the Walton's show for playing a happy part of my 1970's childhood. Much love from Ogdensburg, NY ❤

Judy....The pic of you with the catchers glove and wearing the big hat is priceless....Love that pic...Soooooo Mary Ellen, I think...

You should star in a Hallmark Christmas movie as a Mom and singer meeting up with GW!!

Thank you! I never see Grandma as a grumpy person. I see her as a studious, bible fearing woman, as many women in that time may have been. I loved her!! ❤ Question: When Richard Thomas left, and the other actor replaced him. I find it difficult to accept a different actor. Was that anything that affected you, or other cast members?

Writers often don't think much about the intelligence of viewers, they think they can just get away with "inconsistencies" without anyone ever noticing, a good example was the episode "The Burnout," most of the upper part of the house was destroyed yet about two weeks later in "The Quilting," Olivia is showing Mary Ellen her "hope" chest with its contents up in the attic.

Wish I still had my Walton's lunch box I had as a kid. Prbly worth a lot more than what my mom paid for it back in 74 when I was in first grade.

I always enjoyed the character Jim Bob but he is talked about the least can you do a behind the scenes on Jim Bob? Thank you for all this I truly enjoy them.

Watching "The Last Straw" from season 8 where John says he has cut his last piece of lumber. Even though the plot was about John, I couldn't help but notice how strong you as Mary Ellen made her character so strong. The conversations between you and John were deep and meaningful. Your character became the one who people turned to because of your knowledge and experience as a nurse and I believe, as a strong person. From the time Mary Ellen fought having her quilting party to marrying Curt to losing Curt, to studying for your tests and taking pills, to overcoming so many obstacles. The part was wonderful and you made it so. Sometimes you had a small part but after Mama was gone and Grandma was gone, you really grounded the show. I wish they had featured you more in those later episodes.

I too would like to know more about the Baldwin ladies in later life. What do you know about the actors?

The writers and producers think very little of us as fans. I realize as an actor, you don't have a say but I'm sure you don't underestimate us as Walton fans.

I loved when grama came back to the show after her stroke everyone in the family helped her to get back to grama.Especially when Jason had encouraged her to sing with him and play the piano.

I can just hear Grandma saying "Zebulon!" I liked her. What's weird now is hearing you be so soft spoken and quiet when as Mary Ellen you were always so out there, loud and proud kinda ....know what I mean? Tough and strong and opinionated. I miss that.

What a happy way to start my Friday ❤️. Thank you Judy! I look forward to your next video. Perhaps you could talk a bit about Ronnie Claire Edwards and what she was like? She went from being timid to being such an eccentric character on the show. She was definitely unforgettable!

I loved it that Ellen played a vinegary Grandma, somehow it seemed more of a match for keeping Grandpa attached to the ground.

I watched the Walton's when I was a kid, I always identified with the character of Elizabeth, I was wondering what ever happened to the actors that played John Curtis, Mary Ellen's son.

I never dreamed when watching the Waltons for all those years there would be something called facebook and youtube where we would be able to interact with some of the actors, very cool.

"Hi Miss Judy Mary Ellen, thank you for the next in the series video of our TV family, I watch the Waltons each day on MeTV! Such a breath of fresh air in a complex and confusing world of questionable content in programming anymore! Your still beautiful as always thank you for your videos! L.o.l

My family grew up similar to the Waltons. We had 2 more siblings than the Walton kids but 11 people in our home. Every time we talk as family the Waltons come up because the love we have for each other always brings the show to mind. We love you all and the Walton's tv show brings to mind our lives in the early years. I just want to say thank you all for what you brought to tv, to our lives, and for the memories that just watching brings back to mind of our own childhood. Every episode is like going home again. So thankful the show is still being aired!!! Thank you Judy for reaching out to the world and understanding how much you are all loved still.

On your next Q&A could you talk about the animals in the show throughout the series. Chance, Blue, Rover etc. Thank You.

These stories you tell about the show and actors are priceless Thank You Judy

I always liked the scene with all of the Kids in The Homecoming A christmas Story when the Kids were decorating the Christmas Tree with the Birds Nest argument, that so reminded me a a Real Life Family and how they can argue but when all is said and done the Love is still there.

I like watching the reunions.I feel that the cast still gets together which is a good thing.

Thanks for this Q&A post. As fans, you don’t know how much we appreciate the stories you share with us. You always make us feel like we were apart of it in some way or another. 👍🏻

Thanks for answering the questions about the grandkids. I knew it wasn’t up to you as the actors and shame on the producers and writers for being so dismissive of the shows viewers and fans and taking us for granted! And thanks for speaking up for us!❤️

"Ask Judy" - I have always been curious of what a regular work week looked like on a show such as The Waltons. For example, when the cast received a script, how much time did you have to prepare before shooting scenes? I have always loved this show.

You have no idea, the joy you bring by doing this for your fans and fans of The Waltons. What a rare treat, that a cast member holds memories of this great show to heart as we do. Love and Admiration, Jamie

From Jim : What is it like to be a part of something that has worked it's way into the fabric of society as the Waltons has? I mean you go anywhere and say "Goodnight John Boy" and people know what you're talking about. Here we are 50 years later and still talking about your show. Very few others have done that. Maybe Lucy and Star Trek and the Bradys.

I loved and expected Mary Ellen to be obstinate in every episode… something about her I really loved, and it was expected

I had a tremendous crush on Erin Walton as a kid. I grew up as a backwoods country boy, and wished I could meet someone like her in real life. Did any of the child stars get a lot of fan mail? I have heard interviews with Dawn Wells and others from "Gilligan's Island" talking about her receiving thousands of letters a week, especially from troops serving in Vietnam. Did any of the actors from the Walton's gain that level of popularity?

I am 62 fixing to retire at the fire dept where I have worked for 26 years we watch the Waltons every day my grandmother said before she passed away that was a lot like there life.she had some great stories

Do you think there will ever be another Walton family reunion? Thanx Judy! Your efforts are not going unnoticed! By the way,I love your beautiful backgrounds! And I heard the helicopter!

Enjoyed the show back in the day and now that I'm retired.....I catch a couple of episodes a week. A classic that will be watched for years to come by old and new fans. Btw, I always had a crush on Mary Ellen. ;)

Hello do you think maybe in the future a Walton tv special? A return to Walton Mountain...I think fans are ready...love your you tube channel..Damon...

Thank you Judy for answering the questions on the story's contradictions. We fans take everything in the show seriously. I can't understand why producers and writers think we forget storylines.

I've watched interviews with Ellen Corby on youtube and she had fantastic Hollywood stories. She was a cool woman. I want to to know more about the Baldwin Ladies.

I just watched “The cradle” and grandpas advice to Olivia brought tears to my eyes.

You are correct... people remember... and the details... you were in their homes and part of their dreams. You talked about the details of the house a while back... we all guessed that the door in the living room went into the grandparent's room... the layout of the Walton's house and the layout of Rosanne's house means a lot because many of us were always around old houses like these... and what went on with these families are not forgotten because you were, like it or not, part of our families... you were right standing up and speaking for us... we are loyal to the original cast...

I loved the photos of you and the other kids in your 70's style clothes. So cool to see the difference from your show wardrobe and a reminder of the times you actually lived in.

Love these “behind the scenes” 😊. Actually watching an episode right now, on TV ☺️👍🏻.

I am from a big family as well. 7 in all, 4 girls, 3boys, one brother 6yrs older than me, I was oldest girl with 5 younger than me. We had a lot of laughs, very noisy in the home. But all in all I can relate to the show, our grandparents lived with us, loved listening to their stories. It was a good childhood.

Hello, How did everyone take it when the show was canceled? Tricia

Any chance you could all get together and give us maybe 6 more episodes? Please!!!!!!!!!

What I would like to know is if you have any memorabilia from the show? 😃 Love the videos Judy❤

Judy I thank you for explaining so much of the Waltons! I have to say in my older years, I am not obsessed, but it comforts me to turn the Waltons on almost every day to watch snippets of my childhood… thank you so much

One of my favorite episodes is "The Quilting", did you get to keep that beautiful quilt. I just love The Walton's, and have watched it since The Homecoming first aired. Such sweet memories, and my Dad remembers growing up in those years on a farm. Thank you for doing this. 💕💖💕

Watch show every day!! Gives me peace of mind.People were so caring and gentle,yet tough!

I n the episode of the two English children that was staying with the Waltons , the scene where they ran away and were at the army air base there was a 1970's era car that drove by in the background on the highway wonder if anybody else caught that blooper?

I always love the show, but when Grandpa died for me it took a little joy out of the show but I still watched it and loved it

I always loved Cora Beth Godsey. Would love to hear about Ronnie Claire Edwards.

Its funny. We always watch and enjoy television shows but we never realize just how much goes into making a great show. Thank you

Beautiful backdrop there. Sharing your experiences with The Waltons here is fantastic and I cherish it! I enjoy nostalgia and I enjoy the creative process. Thank you so much. I watched the show as a kid and I'm obsessed with it daily on the Hallmark Channel. :)

Thank you for this, Judy! I'm not really surprised that the producers would brush off inconsistencies back then because they probably thought the episodes would be shown once or twice and then never seen again, so who'd notice if Mary Ellen had more kids? It was like on Happy Days when the eldest brother Chuck disappeared and was never mentioned again - although when Marion Ross and Tom Bosley played a married couple in an episode of "The Love Boat", they had a son named Chuck! That was kind of a nudge, nudge, wink, wink to those of us who had been paying attention!

Hi Judy, how close was your personality to the character of Mary Ellen?

As a die hard Walton"s fan I agree with you totally if they changed one little thing we knew , we lived our lives with ya'll (and I still do everyday) and it was a wonderful experience. I think the world needs more of this today more than ever. Thank you all so much

i would love it if you ould speak of beulah bondi in depth when they were having the feud and being evicted.

Hey Judy , I just wanted to say thank you for your contribution to the Waltons . In these crazy and scary times , whenever I start to feel hopeless about the world we live in , I watch an episode of the Waltons and always feel better . I think everyone could use a dose of the Waltons!!! Thank you 😊

We appreciate you Judy! Thank you so much for giving us answers to our questions!👋🏾❤️

Mis Judy. Norton thankyoi for sharing about how they filmed the house scenes.I also found it interesting that you had mentioned about all. the Walton's scenes were filmed.

Judy, I have always wanted to know about your thoughts on the "Curts" in your Waltons life, and suspect you could do a whole episode simply on that character. What did you think of Mary Ellen breaking off with David Spencer to marry Curt so abruptly? I believe I read somewhere that Tom Bower was quite a bit older than you, so what was that like for you and him? While Curt initially seemed a little annoying -- creating waves -- it did appear there was some chemistry between your characters. Lastly, what about Curt's Pearl Harbor death and his "return" via actor Scott Hylands late in the series? These days I would think it seems like "jumping the shark" but what did you think at the time? Thanks, as always, for these special insights into your memories of such a wonderful show.

It must have been a joy to work with such wonderful people

Yes. I suspected as much that the actors were not taken seriously. The quality of television writing took a nose dive from sitcom to news in the eighties

I Loved watching the Walton's TV Show growing up. I really like Judy Norton having these Shows. She has such a soothing quality about her. I am close in age with her. I always wished I could have been an Actress like Judy.

Question: Was there ever a time when you personally wanted to leave the show?

Judy, I've been plugging your channel on Facebook, to my friends, etc. I'm hoping your channel will grow tremendously and that the legacy of the Waltons will continue to grow. Thank you for all you do with these videos.

Can you tell us what you did before The Homecoming and tell us about your being cast for The Homecoming and The Waltons. Thank you

I love your sharing with us fans of how the scenes were filmed.

**Waltons Strong*💪💪💪💪

Your right...we fans did notice..thanks

Tell us about second john boy

When life is difficult I'm glad I have your show to go back to escape which has been quit alot recently,I lost my dad awhile ago and we would always watch your show together when I was little, Thank you so much, and keep the reruns coming

Judy, I have enjoyed all of your behind the scenes segments. My question is did Jason (Jon Walmsley) ever record any of the songs that he wrote or sang on the show?

What great little behind the scenes about the Walton's, brings back memories.. I loved watching and then my Daughter, now my Granddaughter.. Timeless ❤️

I loved the reunions even if they got the characters kind of wrong. I wished they would have consulted with a former cast member or asked for opinions. The fans will know. I write stories myself so I like to go back and do a little research on who or what I was writing about. The Andy Griffith show has many fans and they could repeat line by line and storylines. We knew what happened because we viewed the shows over and over just we did the Waltons. We knew that Cora Beth was John's cousin and was plain and shy and did not like her simple ways but within a couple of years she was acting like she was always meant to be an actress on a stage with dignity but she did not start out that way! I loved Ike Godsey. He was a friend and seemed to have been related also. I wished Jim Bob and Elizabeth were focused on as adults. I feel like the Jim Bob character was a little neglected.

It has been one of my favorite

For me the time differentiation in the TV Movies seemed off... For instance you have the 1969 moon landings but the family age wise would have been the early -mid 50's ... Was this ever broached and was this another production issue.

I loved all the Walton episodes. But, I do wish there were more episodes revolving around Mary Ellen's character especially when she was a young girl. I really enjoyed the way you portrayed her.

I love Ellen Corby! I love watching old movies and seeing her in them. I'll say to my daughters, "Look girls! There's Grandma Walton!" Just the ones off the top of my head are "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Little Women," the one with June Allyson. Have a question about Curt's character. What happened to his character? He was so strong and opinionated. I sure did like him. Those later Walton episodes, I'm not too familiar with, but the writers brought him back, but he (not the same actor) was whimpy, and I thought it was a real cop out. What are your thoughts on the whole Curt thing?

Thank you for addressing the children issue. You KNEW we'd noticed!

Since Jon was from England, did he still have a British accent when the series began?

Judy, your answer to the last question reminded me of a saying I've heard a lot over the years when it came to family... "I love you dearly but I just don't like you very much right now." That's the key to relationships, whether they be with friends who become family, or the family we're born into.

Were you allowed to keep any of the scripts or did they have to be returned after each episode was taped?

I was watching Magnum PI (the original with Tom Selleck) and then The Waltons come on. The Hallmark Channel plays all of the classics. At about 4am Dr Quinn Medicine Woman comes on for aa few hrs and then Little House on the Prairie for a few hrs more and then Matlock at 9 am and so on. All these TV 📺 shows bring back memories of my childhood and my teen years. I hope you realize how important your Waltons are to millions of people still 50 yrs later. It was a great show that represented the American family and the culture nicely. Thank you so much for being on RU-vid and for making The Waltons so special 💗.

Hello Judy please, activate the caption so we can translate what you say into Portuguese (Brazil). Thank You !

I just watched The Awakening today, one of my favorites especially since it focuses on you with your first love and wanting independence, and then with Grandma accepting aspects of aging. I adored Ellen Corby. I've often wondered if you experienced being directed as to how girls your age in the 1930s would maybe talk, walk, behave. My mother who watched the show with me every Thursday in the 70s told me that everything about you reminded her of herself when she was a girl in that time back then. She talked about your voice inflections, the way you walked to school in your school dresses, bobby socks and oxfords. Your walk, body language wasn't like a girl my age of 1973. Specifically, I'd like to know if you studied the ways of the time you portrayed. You were so believable to us as a depression era teenage girl wanting to know the world. I finally found that in this episode you were able to stay in the shed. Mary Ellen's desire for independence always inspired me. I day-dreamed of being Mary Ellen in that episode, so very beautiful as usual, and honest. I'd love to know more about what you knew about those olden days and how you managed to disguise Judy Norton, if that was necessary.

Did you ever get to meet the family that you played or visit the real house

You are a lovely lady Judy, for keeping in touch with fans like this. The Waltons was always special when I grew up. That feeling of family that the show gave off was important to me and still is to this day, any writer who wants to destroy all that through a reunion show is crazy. May I ask what it was like to work with Peggy Rea who starred in the later seasons and of course Dukes of Hazzard.

How do you feel when you see yourself on screen? What do your kids or nieces and nephews think seeing you as a youngster?

I was three yrs younger than Mary Ellen and, yes, had a crush. If that wasn't bad enough, I then viewed you on Battle of the Network Stars...and you rocked me as much as your character on TV. Beautiful woman and thx for staying involved.

Hello Judy. I was just wondering if you could tell me when you were pregnant with your baby. Did you have to wear a pillow under the dresses or was it a special pad that made you look and feel pregnant?? I really love the Waltons.

Watched the Waltons when I was a kid and in my teen years and still watch the re-runs now.

Waltons was my favorite show. I still watch it everyday on metv at noon. Thank you for all the answers to questions. I just have a comment. I really missed Richard Thomas when he left.

Wow. You were Mary Ellen in the Waltons?! Wow. Just wow. I remember all the times the mother referred to Mary Ellen.

Absolutely love The Walton’s and all of the cast and their roles. I could watch the various shows over and over. My mom grew up in Kentucky in a small little town during the times that are portrayed in the stories of the The Walton’s. She would have been around the age of Elizabeth during that time. My mom has passed now, but when I watch the various shows it makes me think of the time she grew up and the issues that families had to face in those times. Watching The Walton’s has honestly made my life worth living in seeing the genuine value that are expressed through out the shows. Thank you all for creating a show that has been a treasure to see, brought tears to my eyes, and beautiful memories to my heart ❤️. God bless you all!

Thanks for your answer to questions. I watch a lot of your site. I just recently discovered. You are absolutely correct. We Who grew up watching the Waltons would indeed notice changes. . After so many great shows and stories, we almost knew the Waltons more than our next-door neighbors. They should have listened more to yall who were the Waltons. Great show great cast. 😊

I absolutely love The waltons. I record them every day!!!

I love the church scenes the worshiping seemed so real.Everyone seemed caring for thier brothers and sisters