Want to Watch THE WALTONS Holiday Specials This Year? Here’s How
Movieguide® Contributor
If you grew up watching THE WALTONS — especially around the holidays — then you may want to take a trip down memory lane and preview the TV family’s Thanksgiving and Christmas specials.
“The sad news is that the original 1971 Waltons Christmas special, THE HOMECOMING: A CHRISTMAS STORY, will not be airing on TV this year, and is also not available for streaming but is available for purchase” from retailers like Amazon, Remind Magazine reported.
The 1982 Thanksgiving Special, A DAY FOR THANKS ON WALTON MOUNTAIN, and the 1993 special, A WALTONS THANKSGIVING REUNION, are also available to purchase on Amazon.
However, all seasons of THE WALTONS can be streamed for free on Freevee (until Freevee merges with Prime Video). No Prime subscription is required to watch.
READ MORE: A WALTONS THANKSGIVING’S BELLAMY YOUNG SAYS MOVIE TEACHES ‘LOVE AND KINDNESS’
“On Freevee, you can watch all the show’s holiday episodes, including Season 2’s two-part ‘The Thanksgiving Story,’ where the holiday festivities are interrupted by John-Boy’s (Richard Thomas) serious head injury; Season 5’s ‘The Best Christmas’; and Season 8’s ‘The Spirit,’ where the Waltons spend Christmas Eve with an escaped German POW,” Remind said.
You can also catch THE WALTONS on MeTV every weekday at noon. It releases the three next episodes it will air ahead of time on its website.
Remind added, “Fans of the 2020’s reboot specials will have more luck catching the Waltons on TV this holiday season. The 2021 special THE WALTONS’ HOMECOMING, a remake of the original Waltons special THE HOMECOMING: A CHRISTMAS STORY, will air on Dec. 21 at 8pm on The CW. And the 2022 special A WALTONS THANKSGIVING can be viewed for free on the CW website.”
READ MORE: HERE’S WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE WALTONS STARS’ REUNION THIS FALL
On-screen mom Oliva Walton, played by Michael Learned, said THE WALTONS cast really were like family.
“We spent more time together shooting the show than we did with our own families,” she said. “So of course, we became close. I love them. And it makes us feel good that the show continues to hit home.”
“So many people come up to me, even today, and say, ‘Watching THE WALTONS was the only time I felt safe for an hour.’ Others tell me it reminds them of their childhoods when life was sweeter and more innocent. We’re proud of our work,” she said.
In June this year, Tom Bower, who played Dr. Curtis Willard in the series, died in his sleep in his L.A. home.
“After guest-starring as the pilot Rex Barker on THE WALTONS’ fourth-season episode ‘The Wing Walker’ in 1975, Bower became a regular cast member the following season when Curt arrives in Walton’s Mountain to replace Dr. Vance (Victor Izay). He hires Mary Ellen Walton (Judy Norton) to be his nurse, and the two quickly marry and eventually have a son,” The Hollywood Reporter said.
