Writers: Various
Directors: Various
Cast: Richard Thomas, John Walmsley, Eric Scott, Earl Hamner Jr., Kami Cotler, Mary Beth McDonough, Judy Norton-Taylor, David W. Harper, Ralph Waite, Joe Conley, Michael Learned, Ellen Corby, Ronnie Claire Edwards
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: April 29, 2008

The Waltons is one of those all-American, family type of shows. It is the kind of show you watch and feel good about watching. With an all-star cast and some of the most memorable characters in the history of television this show set the stage for the family drama. Over the years, The Waltons explored issues that real families faced. Sure, there was some added drama, but as a whole, many families could relate to the lives of the Waltons and the experiences they were going through.

Today, The Waltons is classic television. It’s quite the treat to watch an episode of The Waltons on television. Taking its cues from history, The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season is no exception to this. In fact, some of the most exciting episodes occurred during this season. As WWII was declared by America, John Boy and the rest of the Waltons do what they can to support the war effort. Their loves, losses, struggles, and touching moments resonate in those who watch and enjoy the telling of one of the best dramas ever to air on television.

Release Information:
The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season is made up of 23 episodes. These episodes originally aired on television between September 21, 1978 and March 22, 1979. This is the seventh DVD for the series to be released and all of the others are available for purchase on their own or in a set of five (seasons 1-5) with the sixth season available on its own.

The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season was released on April 29, 2008 by Warner Home Video. You can purchase The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season DVD at your favorite place to shop both online and off. This three-disc DVD box set is available at Amazon where it is retailing for $29.99.

The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season Plot
The Waltons face the prospect of war as it is declared by President Franklin D. Roosevelt after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Waltons, much like many other American families are devastated by the events of December 7, 1941. With the recent loss of Grandpa Walton, the prospect of more death in a war filled with senseless violence is not something the Waltons had hoped to have happen. Still, the war gives many in the family a sense of purpose and a way to move on past their loss.

For John Boy, this means he will head to Europe, to report for the newspaper, Stars and Stripes. This job takes him to London. Mary Ellen helps the war effort by playing the role of nurse. The younger Waltons, Jason, Ben and Jim-Bob also must decide if they want to help out by volunteering for service in the war. John and Olivia Walton help out and keep busy with their nest quickly emptying. They do this by expanding their lumber business, which they can use to help the war effort, as well.

Prior to her service, Mary Ellen gets an apartment in Charlottesville with Erin. In the meantime, Jim-Bob has fallen in love with a woman who is about to enter the convent. With so much going on, it’s hard to believe that love, loss, sadness, heartache, and jubilation can all be a part of just one season of the Waltons. This season is one of those you simply cannot miss with some of the most heartfelt performances of the series put in by this amazing cast.

The 23 episodes are spread across three discs, front and back. The episodes are split up in the following way:

Disc 1 – Side A:
- “The Empty Nest Parts 1 and 2”
- “The Calling”
- “The Moonshiner”

Disc 1 – Side B:
- “The Obsession”
- “The Changeling”
- “The Portrait”
- “The Captive”

Disc 2 – Side A:
- “The Illusion”
- “The Beau”
- “Day of Infamy”
- “The Yearning”

Disc 2 – Side B:
- “The Boosters”
- “The Conscience”
- “The Obstacle”
- “The Parting”

Disc 3 – Side A:
- “The Burden”
- “The Pin-Up”
- “The Attack”
- “The Legacy”

Disc 3 – Side B:
- “The Outsider”
- “The Torch”
- “The Tailspin”
- “Founders’ Day”

The acting for the Waltons is excellent. They don’t make shows like this anymore. The storylines in this season, which I really enjoyed, are all fleshed out to the point where you feel the action. You become a part of the story. You are a part of the Walton family. I can’t ask for a better show to review and I have to decline from telling you too much about the story. You really need to find out what happens by watching the episodes on your own because they’re too good to miss! Anybody who has watched the Waltons will understand they are still watching the same family, but this breaks them apart and where they go will depend on how they help the war. To explain where they went besides the information I listed previously would be detrimental to the experience most people have when watching this show (if they’ve never seen it before)!

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
For being an older show the video quality for The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season is pretty good. There are minor issues with grain and compression artifacts, but nothing too terrible. Overall, everything looks pretty good and comes through clearly. The video for The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season is available in full frames at a 1.33:1 aspect ratio!

The audio quality for The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season is available as Dolby Digital English mono sound. This is pretty typical for older television series. The audio is good. No volume toggling is needed, but the soundtrack isn’t nearly as dynamic as television shows tend to be today. For what the show is, the mono sound works. Still, I tend to prefer the updated soundtracks better and the mono soundtrack is limited in what I can do.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
There aren’t any bonus features included in The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season DVD box set.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season is one of the best seasons of this excellent television show. Packed with action and interesting storylines this DVD box set is a must have for fans of the show. Newcomers to The Waltons should probably check out season one first, just because this is such a dynamic series. However, it won’t take much to be up to speed with what is going on in the lives of the Waltons, even if you’ve never seen this series before. The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season is highly recommended.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: The Waltons, The Complete Seventh Season, DVD Review, TV Show, Richard Thomas, John Walmsley, Warner Home Video, Family, Drama, Joe Conley