<P> On Christmas Eve 1933, the Waltons prepare for the holiday . However, John Walton (Andrew Duggan), who was forced to take work in another part of the state, has not returned home yet, and his family is becoming increasingly worried . </P> <P> The time is 1933--34, during the Great Depression in the United States . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No. in series </Th> <Th> No. in season </Th> <Th> Title </Th> <Th> Directed by </Th> <Th> Written by </Th> <Th> Original air date </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "The Foundling" </Td> <Td> Vincent Sherman </Td> <Td> John McGreevey </Td> <Td> September 14, 1972 (1972 - 09 - 14) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> The Waltons shelter a deaf girl (Erica Hunton) left on their back porch by her mother because her father insists on institutionalizing her . While they search for her family, they start teaching her sign language, which she uses to help Elizabeth when an emergency arises . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "The Carnival" </Td> <Td> Alf Kjellin </Td> <Td> Nigel McKeand </Td> <Td> September 21, 1972 (1972 - 09 - 21) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> A traveling carnival comes to Walton's Mountain, but the children choose to sacrifice the money they had saved for it so that Grandma can replace her broken glasses . When the troupe becomes stranded by their dishonest ringmaster, John and Olivia allow them to stay temporarily in their barn, and the family is rewarded with a private show . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "The Calf" </Td> <Td> Harry Harris </Td> <Td> Jim Byrnes </Td> <Td> September 28, 1972 (1972 - 09 - 28) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> The Waltons' cow gives birth to a bull calf, which John decides must be sold for truck repair money, much to his children's disappointment . He is able to buy it back after he learns the man he sold it to (Leonard Stone) plans to butcher it . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> </Td> <Td> "The Hunt" </Td> <Td> Robert Butler </Td> <Td> John McGreevey </Td> <Td> October 5, 1972 (1972 - 10 - 05) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> John - Boy is anxious to prove himself on a turkey hunt with his father and two friends, but finds he can't shoot a turkey, which he equates with premeditated murder . He has no trouble killing a bear when it attacks his father . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 5 </Th> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> "The Typewriter" </Td> <Td> Philip Leacock </Td> <Td> Theodore Apstein </Td> <Td> October 12, 1972 (1972 - 10 - 12) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> John - Boy borrows an antique typewriter from the Baldwin sisters so he can submit a proper manuscript to a magazine . Mary Ellen inadvertently sells the typewriter to a traveling junk dealer (George Tobias). Fortunately, Sheriff Bridges is able to help her track it down . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 6 </Th> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> "The Star" </Td> <Td> Alf Kjellin </Td> <Td> John McGreevey </Td> <Td> October 19, 1972 (1972 - 10 - 19) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> A meteorite crashes through the roof of the Baldwin sisters' "Recipe" room, which they take as some kind of sign from their dead Papa . Grandpa Walton takes it as a sign of his own impending death; Ben takes it as a sign he will win the fourth - grade spelling bee; and an unscrupulous relative of the sisters first plans to exploit the meteorite for financial gain, then tries to steal their "Recipe machine". </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 7 </Th> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> "The Sinner" </Td> <Td> Philip Leacock </Td> <Td> John Furia, Jr . </Td> <Td> October 26, 1972 (1972 - 10 - 26) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> A young preacher, Matthew Fordwick (John Ritter), comes to Walton's Mountain fresh from seminary, where he has learned the currently - popular fire and brimstone style of preaching . He happens to be a Baldwin relative, and after a visit succumbs to the effects of their "Recipe". His tee - totaler church superior fires him, but after he humbly apologizes to John - Boy for his hypocrisy, Grandpa and John convince the congregation to look at the forgiving side of the gospel and accept him . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 8 </Th> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> "The Boy From the C.C.C." </Td> <Td> Harry Harris </Td> <Td> William Welch </Td> <Td> November 2, 1972 (1972 - 11 - 02) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> A troubled teenager from Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan whose father was murdered by a gangster runs away from the Civilian Conservation Corps to Walton's Mountain . The Waltons take him in and teach him that he can trust some people and he doesn't have to fight (literally) for everything he gets . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 9 </Th> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> "The Ceremony" </Td> <Td> Vincent Sherman </Td> <Td> Nigel McKeand </Td> <Td> November 9, 1972 (1972 - 11 - 09) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> A Jewish Nazi - refugee family moves to Walton's Mountain from Germany . Expecting to find similar antisemitism in America, the bitter, distrustful father, Professor Mann, chooses to protect his family by hiding their faith, and cancels plans for his son's impending bar mitzvah . The paranoid couple rebuff the Waltons' every attempt at visitation . John - Boy discovers the family secret, and helps the boy find a rabbi, while the others open their home for the ceremony . Grandpa convinces the father not to deny his faith, and to honor his son by attending . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 10 </Th> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> "The Legend" </Td> <Td> Lee Philips </Td> <Td> John McGreevey </Td> <Td> November 16, 1972 (1972 - 11 - 16) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> John's World War I buddy (Jim Antonio) visits, but after he accidentally sets a grass fire for which Jason is blamed, and wounds the family dog on a hunting trip, John discovers his friend has not put away the horrors of the war and gotten on with his life . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 11 </Th> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> "The Literary Man" </Td> <Td> Philip Leacock </Td> <Td> Colley Cibber </Td> <Td> November 30, 1972 (1972 - 11 - 30) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> A.J. Covington (David Huddleston), a wandering, well - read man claiming to be a writer, comes to Walton's Mountain, befriends John - Boy and helps him with his writing . But A.J. must come to terms with the fact that, after an initial success, he has spent most of his life in search of "the big story", but has avoided actual writing for fear of failure . John - Boy begins to back away from writing as well when he thinks it is interfering with the needs of his family and causes him to shirk his duties for a lumber contract, but A.J. encourages him to find value in writing about the little things, which could very well comprise "the big story", now thinking about settling down on the mountain . Meanwhile, Jim - Bob is stricken with appendicitis, and though his surgery is successful, his family is left with a steep bill . A.J. decides to lend them the money he received from pawning his treasured musical watch to Ike and moves on once more, leaving them a farewell letter signed "Andy", who only his closest friends may call him by . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 12 </Th> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> "The Dust Bowl Cousins" </Td> <Td> Robert Butler </Td> <Td> Paul Savage </Td> <Td> December 7, 1972 (1972 - 12 - 07) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> John's cousin and her family seek refuge in Walton's Mountain after losing their Kansas farm to the Dust Bowl, but her husband has developed a bad attitude toward misfortune and taught their son that the world owes them something . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 13 </Th> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> "The Reunion" </Td> <Td> Jack Shea </Td> <Td> Earl Hamner </Td> <Td> December 14, 1972 (1972 - 12 - 14) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> The Baldwin sisters plan to hold a family reunion when their cousin Homer (Denver Pyle) visits, but Homer runs off with their batch of over 100 jars of the "Recipe" intended for the reunion, planning to sell it in Charlottesville; then all of the invitations return because the addressees are either dead or unlocatable . The Waltons make up for the failed reunion with a family visit to cheer the disappointed sisters . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 14 </Th> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> "The Minstrel" </Td> <Td> Philip Leacock </Td> <Td> John Furia, Jr . </Td> <Td> December 21, 1972 (1972 - 12 - 21) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> A young wandering musician visits the Mountain . Mary Ellen plans to run away with him, thinking that she is in love with him and that he will help her fulfill her dreams of travel and adventure . She learns a hard lesson when he tells her he won't be "tied down" by anybody and leaves without her . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 15 </Th> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> "The Actress" </Td> <Td> Vincent Sherman </Td> <Td> William Bast </Td> <Td> January 4, 1973 (1973 - 01 - 04) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> Alvira Drummond (Pippa Scott), a famous stage and screen actress, is relegated to staying at the Walton home after her car breaks down in Walton's Mountain . Contrary to the front she puts up, she is out of work and money after her agent tired of dealing with her prima donna attitude . After she learns a humbling lesson, the Waltons help her regain her confidence, then organize a town performance to help her raise money for a train ticket back to New York . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 16 </Th> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> "The Fire" </Td> <Td> Harry Harris </Td> <Td> Earl Hamner </Td> <Td> January 11, 1973 (1973 - 01 - 11) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> After learning that schoolteacher Miss Hunter is teaching evolution to his daughter, a religious fanatic breaks into the Baldwins' and steals some Recipe, then gets drunk and beats his daughter . He then uses the remaining Recipe to burn down the school, killing himself in the process . Ike Godsey lets Miss Hunter use some extra space in his store for temporary classrooms until the county can build a new school . Olivia contacts the girl's mother, who had earlier run away from her abusive husband, and the woman returns to look after her daughter . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 17 </Th> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> "The Love Story" </Td> <Td> Lee Philips </Td> <Td> Earl Hamner </Td> <Td> January 18, 1973 (1973 - 01 - 18) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> Jenny Pendleton (Sian Barbara Allen), whose mother died years ago, runs away from her father and new stepmother, back to her deserted house in Walton's Mountain . Jenny and John - Boy meet and fall deeply in love, but she is soon traumatized by her father's sudden accidental death, and ultimately moves away with the stepmother . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 18 </Th> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> "The Courtship" </Td> <Td> Harry Harris </Td> <Td> Jeb Rosebrook </Td> <Td> January 25, 1973 (1973 - 01 - 25) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> Olivia's uncle, Cody Nelson (Eduard Franz), visits . He is a bank accountant near retirement, but put out of work by the bank closings . They attempt to cheer him up by introducing him to a lively, spirited local widow, whom he courts . Afraid to commit to her upon learning of her four marriages (including a divorce), he finally resolves to ask her to marry him . The Reverend Fordwick performs the ceremony at the Waltons', and the couple remain happily married for life . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 19 </Th> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> "The Gypsies" </Td> <Td> Harry Harris </Td> <Td> Paul Savage </Td> <Td> February 1, 1973 (1973 - 02 - 01) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> A gypsy family stranded in Walton's Mountain during a thunderstorm with a broken wagon, break into the Baldwins' for shelter . The Waltons allow them to temporarily camp on their property so Grandma can tend--successfully--to their sick baby . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 20 </Th> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> "The Deed" </Td> <Td> Vincent Sherman </Td> <Td> James Menzies </Td> <Td> February 8, 1973 (1973 - 02 - 08) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> When a lumber company tries to claim the Mountain, the family discovers that their ancestors never filed for legal title to their land . They must raise $200 to obtain the deed, forcing the entire family to chip in . Against his father's wishes, John - Boy decides to take time off from school to work in the city of Wheeling . On payday, he is robbed of his week's pay by two men while leaving a tavern . He encounters the same pair a few days later and asks a nearby policeman to arrest them . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 21 </Th> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> "The Scholar" </Td> <Td> Lee Philips </Td> <Td> John McGreevey </Td> <Td> February 22, 1973 (1973 - 02 - 22) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> Verdie Grant asks John - Boy to teach her how to read and write, on the condition that he keep it a strict secret . She is motivated by the desire to travel to Richmond to see her youngest daughter Sarah graduate from college . A misunderstanding causes Verdie to assume John - Boy betrayed her confidence, and she angrily stops the lessons, despite his attempt to explain . She relents after she has to ask him to read Sarah's letter to her, which implores her to come to the graduation . She completes the lessons and makes the trip to Richmond, becoming a good Walton family friend . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 22 </Th> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> "The Bicycle" </Td> <Td> Alf Kjellin </Td> <Td> Nigel McKeand </Td> <Td> March 1, 1973 (1973 - 03 - 01) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> Frustrated with the burden of her domestic obligations, Olivia buys a used bicycle, which awakens some of her dormant dreams as she starts singing in the church choir again . Meanwhile, John - Boy helps blacksmith Curtis Norton (Ned Beatty) woo a "mail - order bride" by ghost - writing letters for him . When the city - raised girl arrives with big dreams, she becomes disillusioned with Curtis' bucolic ways, becomes angry when she discovers John - Boy wrote the letters, and cancels the engagement . Olivia's experience reminds her that dreams don't always work out, and don't replace the benefits of family . She convinces the girl to accept Curtis and loans her the bicycle to go after him . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 23 </Th> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> "The Townie" </Td> <Td> Jack Shea </Td> <Td> Richard Fielder </Td> <Td> March 8, 1973 (1973 - 03 - 08) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> John - Boy's friend Sarah Jane Simmonds (Sissy Spacek) wants to marry him to escape her strict, overprotective mother, but he rejects the idea . She then secretly dates a "townie", a spoiled rich boy named Theodore "Ted" Albert Claypool Jr. (Nicholas Hammond), who drives a LaSalle coupe, and exasperates John - Boy by expressing admiration for John Dillinger . He steals money and a gun from his father, and takes Sarah Jane off to Maryland to elope . John - Boy pursues them and finds them both injured outside the overturned LaSalle . Ted pulls the gun on John - Boy and tries to take the Walton truck, until John and Ted's father show up . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 24 25 </Th> <Td> 24 25 </Td> <Td> "An Easter Story" </Td> <Td> Philip Leacock </Td> <Td> Teleplay by: John McGreevey Story by: Earl Hamner </Td> <Td> April 19, 1973 (1973 - 04 - 19) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="6"> <P> In a two - hour special, Olivia is stricken with polio after returning from church in February . When pain and fatigue turn into numbness and paralysis, she faces the prospect of permanent disability with courage, encouraging her children to fulfill their dreams . While John - Boy checks into applying to the University of Virginia, he takes the opportunity to seek out a doctor who specializes in the treatment of polio, having contracted it himself once . He tells John - Boy of an unorthodox, experimental treatment to fight the paralysis . Olivia tries the exercises, against the realistic / pessimistic advice of the local doctor . They at first give her hope of recovery by Easter, but then she becomes discouraged and resigns herself to life in a wheelchair when they ultimately don't work . But shortly before Easter, she dreams that Elizabeth calls out to her for help, and she gets up out of bed . She attends the Easter sunrise service with her family, celebrating the apparent miracle . </P> In 2009, TV Guide ranked this episode #77 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> No. in series </Th> <Th> No. in season </Th> <Th> Title </Th> <Th> Directed by </Th> <Th> Written by </Th> <Th> Original air date </Th> </Tr>

What was the first episode of the waltons called