Earl Hamner, Jr.

In his four-hour interview, Earl Hamner, Jr. (1923-2016) talks briefly about his earliest writing credits, for shows such as Today; Wide, Wide World; and The United States Steel Hour. Next, he speaks about his experiences writing for the anthology series The Twilight Zone, and discusses each of the episodes he wrote. He recalls the controversy surrounding the television movie Heidi, which he wrote, when it interrupted an important football broadcast. Hamner details his experiences as the creator of the drama series The Waltons and speaks about the creation of the program, the cast, and the show's parallels with his own childhood. He also talks about several of his later series, including Apple's Way, The Young Pioneers, Falcon Crest, Brewster Place, and Snowy River: The McGregor Saga. He also describes writing the script for the 1973 film adaptation of E.B. White's beloved Charlotte's Web. Jennifer Howard conducted the interview on September 18, 2003 in Studio City, CA.