Earl Hamner, Jr.

Earl Hamner was interviewed for four hours in Studio City, CA. Mr. Hamner talked briefly about his earliest writing credits, for shows such as Today, Wide, Wide World, and The United States Steel Hour. Next, he spoke about his experiences writing for the anthology series The Twilight Zone, and discussed each of the episodes he wrote. He recalled the controversy surrounding the television movie Heidi, which he wrote, when it interrupted an important football broadcast. He discussed in great detail his experiences as the creator of the drama series The Waltons, and spoke about the creation of the program, the cast, and the show’s parallels with his own childhood. He also talked about some his later series, including Apple’s Way, The Young Pioneers, Falcon Crest, Brewster Place, and Snowy River: The McGregor Saga.   The interview was conducted by Jennifer Howard on September 18, 2003.