The Untold Truth Of The Waltons

Publish date: 2024-04-30

In the early 1970s, CBS instituted what's known in TV lore as "The Rural Purge," cancelling nearly all of its shows set in the country, or which appealed to an older, non-urban demographic with less disposable income. Out went long-running hits like "Green Acres," "The Beverly Hillbillies," and "The Red Skelton Show," and in came city sitcoms about young professionals such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Bob Newhart Show."

CBS was widely criticized for seemingly abandoning its audience, and the debut of the nostalgic, rural drama "The Waltons" in the midst of the Rural Purge could be perceived as an olive branch to those now-underserved, loyal viewers. Nevertheless, the network didn't seem to have much confidence or faith in it, placing it on the fall 1972 TV schedule (via InThe70s) at Thursdays at 8 p.m., opposite ABC's hip spy show "The Mod Squad" and NBC's "The Flip Wilson Show," the #2 show on all of TV in the previous season. Creator Earl Hamner Jr. told the Los Angeles Times that in 1972, critics "predicted it would not last a season."

"We were basically on the death block," "Waltons" cast member Judy Norton told Zoomer. "The producers did a major grassroots campaign to gather an audience, particularly in middle America." The producers' publicity campaign — not the network's — worked. "The Waltons" finished its first season in the top 30 in the ratings, while viewership numbers of "The Mod Squad" and "The Flip Wilson Show" tumbled dramatically.

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