‘The Waltons’ Cast Reunion: Why Were Those Family Dinners the Worst to Film?

Barb Oates 3 minutes ago

THE WALTONS, Kami Cotler, David W.Harper, Eric Scott, Michael Learned, Ralph Waite, Mary Beth McDonough, etc, 1972-82. with Michael inset — Everett Collection; Remind Staff

The cast of The Waltons reunited at the Hollywood Show in Burbank, California, this weekend where they laughed sharing memories and truly delighted in reconnecting with their TV family. Taking the stage were the Waltons’ matriarch Olivia “Liv” Walton (Michael Learned), and kids John-Boy (Richard Thomas), Mary Ellen (Judy Norton), Ben (Eric Scott), Jim-Bob (David W. Harper) and Elizabeth (Kami Cotler), who all starred during the show’s original run from 1972 to 1981 on CBS.

The Waltons reunion panel, Michael Learned, Eric Scott, Judy Norton, David Harper

Richard Thomas, Michael Learned, Eric Scott, Judy Norton, David Harper. Credit: ReMIND Magazine

The Waltons was a gentle story of a rural family living in the back country of Virginia, trying to outlast the Depression, and instilled plenty of timeless lessons on honesty and how to be a decent person, along with sharing the sacrifices you’d make for the people and community you love. The Waltons are one of TV’s most beloved families, as made clear by the crowd that gathered to meet and hear more from them.

Well before the Reagan family meals on Blue Bloods, it was The Waltons who first gathered around the table sharing their struggles, yet always enjoying their blessings. Shooting those scenes, however, wasn’t always as fun and uplifting as you would imagine.

The Waltons reunion, Hollywood Show, Richard Thomas, Michael Learned, Eric Scott

ReMIND Magazine

“I have to say that I got really tired of saying ‘More coffee, John?’” Michael Learned admitted, along with, “And ‘Time for bed, kids.’”

As for mealtime, there were plenty of memories shooting those scenes, but most involved quite a detailed and lengthy process.

The Waltons Reunion, Hollywood Show, Eric Scott, Judy Norton

Eric Scott and Judy Norton. Credit: ReMIND Magazine

“I loved it,” shared Eric Scott (Ben). “It was the food I never had at home. I mean, I never had Kentucky Fried Chicken at home, so I was looking forward to it.”

Learned said she never ate. “I pushed food around my plate.”

“She was an expert, watch her!” Kami Cotler (Elizabeth) enthused. “She’ll move the food and then cut a piece and then the fork will approach her lips just as an interesting piece of dialogue happens, and then she’ll look up and put the fork down. I remember a two-shot with you and Ralph Waite [John Walton] where he just finally said, ‘Take a bite!!!!!’”

The Waltons reunion panel, Hollywood Show 2025, Kami Cotler, Richard Thomas

Kami Cotler and Richard Thomas at the Hollywood Show. Credit: ReMIND Magazine

A three-minute kitchen scene would take close to four hours to film. The cast would even would go on break during the middle of a kitchen scene and have to come back to the original food plates.

“The food just gets more and more congealed, and they put it on your plate, and they scrape it back on the serving well, so it’s very gross on our end,” Colter says. “But Ralph was a realist and he would eat it.”

Thomas agreed saying, “The first few bites were always fine and delicious, but [not] by the time you get to the 30th take of a long lunch.”

“They would cover your plates when we went to lunch and they would put saran wrap or a napkin over it,” Norton (Mary Ellen) shared. “Then you come back and you’d have to uncover it and do the next tape of the scene.”

Despite the fact that she rarely ate, Learned did give credit to the props team.

“I have to give credit to Leon Schotter; I don’t think he’s with us today anymore, but he was a prop manager on the show, and he really, really tried to keep things warm and tasty, but he unfortunately didn’t succeed.”