The Waltons: Homecoming (2021)

This is a remake aired on The CW to mark the 50th anniversary of the original Waltons Homecoming movie. Richard Thomas, the original John-Boy, introduces and narrates. The new cast are excellent and the story retains the strong sense of family and community of the original Waltons. There is also a great subplot with an African-American family and black church in this version. True to the spirited family dynamic and compassion of the original series. Had me from Richard Thomas's introduction at the theme music. And even had the Baldwin sisters with their recipe haha. Anyone who thinks either the original Waltons or this one had a 1950s mindset, I question if they really watched it. The original was written by Earl Hamner Jr, who had written for The Twilight Zone and later created Falcon Crest, based on his own life. The original Waltons was all about compassion, with great acting and writing, archetypal yet three-dimensional multigenerational characters, meaningful messages, and thoughtful conflicts (like between a writer's commitment to telling the truth and people's feelings in "The Boondoggle"), and was timelessly applicable. Made in the 70s, set on a family home in rural Virginia during the Great Depression (something we can relate to having recently been in economic hard times), the original Waltons had play-like dialogue that is nonetheless real, unlike many of today's shows tortured cultural references that pass for dialogue. "Curious, sensitive, and trusting" aspiring writer John-Boy Walton was a wonderful main protagonist and viewer identification figure. The remake is different but lives up to the values of that standard. Tune out the negative nitpickers who treat this TV-movie as a competition or threat to the original Waltons, or were looking for a copy, instead of seeing how good it is as an updated supplement and tribute true to the spirit of the original.

Sacharine, banal, cliches that will rot your teeth, but will entertain those whose minds are stuck in the 1950's, the era of white supremacy, racism, sexism and homophobia.

Not the actual actors from the Walton's series so will not be watching this looks low budget