While plenty of episodes of The Waltons challenged the status quo, the series, for the most part, kept their content fairly tame. The appeal of a show like The Waltons is the call back to a simpler, more family-friendly time.

While creator Earl Hamner Jr. didn't necessarily falsify a depiction of what life was like in the 1930s and 1940s, viewers came to expect a sort of episode when they tuned in for The Waltons.

Actor Ralph Waite, who played John Walton Sr., said during an interview that pursuing more risqué content ran a few risks of its own.

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"You begin to feel like you're violating audience expectations," said Waite during an interview with The Columbia Record. "We mustn't go too far. Viewers expect a certain mold. So there is a tendency to play it safe."

Of course, there was no person safer than Papa Walton. He was there through the good and the bad times, quick with a bit of advice or a comforting hand. "He's the good side of me.," said Waite of John Walton.

Of course, an actor is only as good as their costars, which meant that Waite was very fortunate indeed. The actor spent nine years on The Waltons, and he never grew tired of working with fellow actors like Will Geer, who played Grandpa Walton.

"It's been a good life," said Waite. "You can get bored spending 11 hours on a set, but Will always manages to keep his interest up. He's a marvel. Put him anywhere, and Geer will have a ball."