Product Details

• Actors: Ralph Waite
• Directors: Ralph Waite, Gwen Arner, Gabrielle Beaumont, Anthony Brand, Robert Butler
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: June 8, 2004
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000255LO8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,798 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Waltons - The Foundling (TV Premiere DVD)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

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85 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful first episode, but it's on the Season One DVD, July 14, 2004

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Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Waltons - The Foundling (TV Premiere DVD) (DVD)

The Foundling is the first episode of the first season of The Waltons, and it really is quite remarkable. You would be hard pressed to tell this was the first episode of the series, for one thing, as all of the qualities that made The Waltons such a wonderful, uniquely warm-hearted show, are all there on display. There is no effort made to somehow identify each of the characters for the audience, as this was from the very beginning a family rather than a grouping of characters. Granted, this was not the first time America had met this family. On December 19, 1971, The Homecoming aired on CBS, introducing America to the Walton family (originally, the Spencer family as described in Earl Hamner's novels and even a feature film from 1963 starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara). The success of that TV movie inspired the series, which debuted on September 14, 1972. Many of the actors and actresses from The Homecoming assumed the same roles on the series, with three very important exceptions: Ralph Waite now played the role of John Walton, Miss Michael Learned assumed the role of Olivia Walton, and Will Geer became not only Grandpa Walton but in many ways the entire nation's Grandpa (and, for my money, the most beloved character in television history).

As this first episode begins, a little girl is left on the proverbial doorstep of the Walton home. Livie's maternal instincts come to the fore immediately, and the whole family really takes the poor girl Holly immediately into its collective heart, even convincing the pragmatic John to keep her rather than turn her over to "a home." They soon learn that the silent little girl is deaf, at which point the family members take it upon themselves to learn the rudiments of sign language and teach the girl to communicate. The girl's mother secretly watches everything, and we learn that she abandoned her daughter in a last-ditch effort to keep her husband from putting the girl away somewhere as a worthless "throwback." John-boy is somewhat distracted early on, as he is busy pitching woo to the always incredibly wishy-washy Marsha Woolery, but he - as you might expect - makes the first real breakthrough in terms of drawing young Holly out of her shell. Elizabeth, of course, gets jealous when she sees Holly getting all of the family's attention, and this leads to a real crisis.

It's a wonderful episode, showcasing the warmth of TV's ultimate family-oriented series, but I must tell you there is really no reason at all to buy this DVD. The entire first season of The Waltons has now been released on DVD, and The Foundling is only one of the 24 heart-warming episodes included in that must-buy collection.

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Why is there no remastering of The Waltons?, July 21, 2004

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N. Stock (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Waltons - The Foundling (TV Premiere DVD) (DVD)

A memo to Warners home video-The Waltons is a classic Emmy award winning series and deserves better treament from you.
If TV stations can show The Waltons in stereo,then why is this DVD and the season one box set in mono?
There is no remastering,no stereo sound,no subtitles for the elderly,no interviews with the cast and no documentaries for this classic Emmy Award winning show.
This is not good enough.
If other studios can remaster such average fare as The Dukes Of Hazard and Wonder Woman,then there is no excuse for Warners not giving The Waltons DVD set better treatment.
Here's hoping that when The Waltons Season Two box set comes out next year that Warners treats it and fans with some respect.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great To Have a Quality Show on DVD!, June 2, 2004

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Stephanie Fitzgerald "stepanneg2" (Red Oak, Tx., USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Waltons - The Foundling (TV Premiere DVD) (DVD)

I am really glad that Waltons episodes on DVD are finally hitting the shelves! This episode, in particular, is one of my favorites. It is in the first season boxed set, so I'm not quite sure why this episode was released separately. As far as I can tell, these shows are being released UNCUT! It would be great to have extras, but as long as the show itself is left "intact", I'll keep purchasing them and enjoying them.