I also love how it crosses all political lines even though there have been attempts by the conservative right to co-opt the show. The show is obviously still beloved by many people. That’s the fascinating part, to see all those fans who are younger than me. And there were plenty of younger fans, too. I was impressed that people had come from all over the world for the event. Kami Cotler: Yes, I went there a couple of times as a kid, and I definitely took my own kids there. Did you ever go to Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum when you were on the show? I had such a good time talking to “my little sister” about what it was like to be on a TV show at such a young age.ĭanny Miller: The Waltons Weekend was so much fun - it’s always great to see you guys back together. I don’t know what they put in the water on Walton’s Mountain, but Kami and the rest of the cast have defied the aging process and look they just moseyed on up from Drusilla’s Pond. Since leaving acting, Kami has had a brilliant career as a progressive educator and principal.

Still basking in the nostalgic glow of the weekend and the real feelings these people clearly still have for each other, I had coffee this week with Kami Cotler who played youngest child Elizabeth Walton. “I personally don’t like The Brady Bunch,” he wrote in response. Reading Eric’s letter, I see that I was again looking to bond with my Walton kin, this time by dissing their saccharine TV competitors. It was something that actually happened in Michael’s household and she had suggested the idea to Earl Hamner. The episode was the one Michael mentioned to me last week when Olivia goes on strike because she felt her family wasn’t helping enough around the house. I felt very special when the episode aired later that season and I could read along with my copy of the script. I must have been trashing the fan magazines of the day, looking for some way to bond with my TV sister. I was very excited when I received this letter from Eric Scott because he wrote it on the back of a page of the script from that week’s show. I remember opening that letter and feeling like I was reading a note from a sibling, complete with typical childlike mistakes (“Your right about the mags”). Judy Norton sent me a letter written on a ripped piece of notebook paper. I also wrote to some of my “brothers” and “sisters” during that difficult time. I turned to The Waltons every week for comfort, as so many people did. After so many years, I finally had the chance to thank her for the sweet letter she wrote to me when I was a little boy and suffering from the trauma of my parents’ divorce. Last week I had the chance to talk to Michael Learned, the matriarch of the clan, who told me how close she felt to her Walton kids, even after she left the series. The photo above was taken during Saturday’s Q&A and features the following cast members: Martha Nix Wade (Serena Burton), Cissy Wellman (Cissy Tucker, Yancy Tucker’s wife), Michael Learned (Olivia), Kami Cotler (Elizabeth), Mary McDonough (Erin), Leslie Winston (Cindy, Ben’s wife), Eric Scott (Ben), Judy Norton (Mary Ellen) kneeling: Radames Pera (guest star), Ellen Geer (Will Geer’s daughter and guest star).

We were also treated to two songs by the talented Judy Norton (who played Mary Ellen) and got to bid on Waltons memorabilia in a fun auction hosted by Eric Scott (Ben) and Mary McDonough (Erin). (who created the show based on his own childhood in Virginia) receiving the Will Geer Humanitarian Award, and participated in a very fun Q&A with the cast.

We got tours of the grounds from Will Geer’s family members who still run the theater, had the chance to mingle with the visiting cast members, watched a video of 92-year-old Earl Hamner, Jr. The reunion of cast members from the TV series ( The Waltons began with the 1971 TV movie The Homecoming and then continued on as a series for nine seasons on CBS followed by six reunion movies in the 80s and 90s) was warm and very moving. The event was a fundraiser for the spectacular outdoor theater founded by the late Will Geer (who played Grandpa Zebulon Walton on the long-running show). I was thrilled to attend the Waltons Weekend a few days ago at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum just outside of Los Angeles.

Kami cotler husband kim howard