Good night, John-Boy: The Waltons quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
Good night, John-Boy: The Waltons quiz
Image: CBS

About This Quiz

Was The Waltons one of your favorite television shows? Then this quiz is for you. The show aired in the 1970s, so you might want to brush up on your Waltons trivia before you get started. When you're ready, let's find out how much you remember about this iconic show.

Goodnight John Boy, goodnight Maryellen, goodnight... ok, we could go on, but you get the idea. One of the main things that most people remember about The Waltons was the ending scene of every show, where the family said goodnight to one another... all of them. And, since it was a big family, this took a while.

Starring Ralph Waite and Michael Learned as Ma and Pa Walton, and with Richard Thomas as John Boy, the storyteller of the clan, The Waltons first aired in September 1972 and ran for nine seasons and 221 episodes, ending in the summer of 1981. The series was created by Earl Hamner, Jr. and was based on his book, Spencer's Mountain (which was released as a film in 1963). John Walton, Jr., or John Boy, had six siblings, and his paternal grandparents, Zeb and Ester, also lived in the house. What a houseful!

Do you think you can ace this Waltons quiz? Prove it.

Where is the show set?
Vermont
Georgia
Virginia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The family lives on Walton Mountain in Virginia, smack in the middle of Appalachia.

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What is John-Boy's biggest dream for his future?
become a doctor
have a big family
become a writer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Living in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains, John-Boy dreams of becoming a journalist. He would love to go to college but knows that his family can't afford it.

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What is Ike Godsey's role in the community?
doctor
general store owner
sheriff
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Isaac Godsey, better known as Ike, runs the local general store. He's also the postmaster and the only mechanic around until Jim-Bob Walton opens his own garage.

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What are the Baldwin sisters known for making?
quilts
lemonade
moonshine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The totally oblivious Mamie and Emily Baldwin love making "Papa's Recipe," using their father's secret recipe. What they don't seem to realize is that they are actually making moonshine, not a harmless elixir or tonic.

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Each episode of the show ends with what scene?
playing in the yard
eating family breakfast
bedtime
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Each episode of "The Waltons" ends with a few characters speaking about what happened that day, then various family members saying good night as the camera pans the exterior of the home.

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Where does patriarch John Walton work?
lumber mill
hotel
school
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Walton ekes out a living working at the local lumber mill, and also does some farming and hunting to feed his family. As his sons grow older, several of them come to work at the mill as well.

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What does Yancy Tucker famously steal?
jewelry
chickens
cars
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Local character Yancy Tucker is known as the Robin Hood Chicken Thief because he steals chickens from the rich to help the poor. He also sets the Waltons' barn on fire in season one, but makes up for it when he lets Ben move in after the family's home burns later in the series.

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True or false: John-Boy finally makes it to college.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Against all odds, John-Boy becomes the first person in his family to graduate from college, after he attends Boatwright College. He later goes to New York to become a writer, then joins the military.

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Which local resident does Corabeth Walton marry when she comes to town?
Yancy
Sheriff Bridges
Ike
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tired of being a bachelor, general store owner Ike Godsey falls for John's cousin, Corabeth Walton. The pair get married in season three.

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What is Mary Ellen's dream career?
doctor
housewife
business owner
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mary Ellen dreams of becoming a nurse so she can help people. She later realizes that she needs to train as a doctor in order to make a real difference, so she pursues this very difficult career path -- despite opposite from those who think women shouldn't be doctors.

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What is the name of Mary Ellen's first husband?
Curt
David
Daniel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mary Ellen is engaged to someone else when Dr. Curtis Willard comes to town. She drops fiance David in favor of the dashing Dr. Curt, who marries Mary Ellen then heads overseas with the U.S. Army Medical Corps.

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Which of the Walton children is a music whiz?
Erin
Elizabeth
Jason
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's young Jason who loves the music world. He gets a job playing piano at the Dew Drop Inn, then joins a gospel group after the inn burns down. He attends a music conservatory and eventually gets a job on the radio.

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Which of these is owned by Flossie Brimmer?
library
boarding house
stable
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Flossie Brimmer owns the boarding house on Walton Mountain. After she dies, Zuleika Dunbar buys the property in the season seven premiere episode.

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True or false: John-Boy dies while fighting in WWII.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John-Boy goes M.I.A. after his plane is shot down in Europe. He spends some time in a coma then develops amnesia, which means that it takes a long time for him to make it home to Walton Mountain.

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Who does Ben marry?
Carol
Cindy
Diane
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Known as Sinful Cindy, thanks to a bad reputation, Cindy settles down a bit after eloping with Ben. The pair have two children and Ben goes to work at the mill with his father.

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Who is the youngest of the Walton kids?
Elizabeth
Jason
Mary Ellen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The youngest Walton, Elizabeth, is best friends with Aimee Godsey. She grows up and joins the Peace Corps.

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Which Walton child was a twin?
Mary Ellen
Ben
Jim-Bob
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The only Walton to be born in a hospital, Jim-Bob was also the only one to have a twin. Unfortunately, his twin, Joseph Zebulon, died at birth.

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Who does John-Boy eventually marry?
Darlene
Susan
Janet
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After returning from WWII and working in journalism, John-Boy marries Janet in the special, "A Walton Wedding." Much of the film focused on the efforts of Janet's Aunt Flo, who was determined to throw a perfect wedding whether the bride and groom were happy or not.

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What is the name of Verdie Grant's husband?
Harley
Ben
John
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Verdie is a widow struggling to raise her children alone on Walton Mountain. When Harley Foster comes to town, the two eventually marry and adopt son Josh -- an orphan who found his way to the mountain.

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How many children are in the Walton family?
5
7
9
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Waltons have seven children, including four boys and three girls. The story is told through the eyes of the oldest son, John-Boy, who narrates the show as an adult looking back at his childhood. An eighth child died at birth.

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Which member of the family is stricken with polio in the season one finale?
Mary Ellen
John
Olivia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's mom Olivia who comes down with polio in the two-part season one finale, "An Easter Story." Thanks to a holiday miracle and a little help from John-Boy, Olivia is cured of the disease with no lingering effects.

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What does Olivia get John for their 25th anniversary?
ring
vacation
phone
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Waltons finally get a phone in season 6, as John and Olivia celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. She surprises him with a phone, while he builds her a gazebo.

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Which of the Walton kids gets married in the special, "Mother's Day on Walton Mountain"?
Mary Ellen
Elizabeth
Jason
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After believing that first hubby Curt is dead, Mary Ellen learns that he is alive but very damaged from his participation in the war. The couple divorce and she marries Jonesy in the special, "Mother's Day on Walton Mountain."

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In what decade is the show set when it first premieres?
1860s
1930s
1970s
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The show starts in the 1930s, and takes viewers through the Great Depression and into WWII during the 1940s. Filming for the show actually took place during the 1970s.

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What is the name of the Walton matriarch?
Olivia
Ellen
Rebecca
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Olivia and John Walton care for their seven children with the help of John's parents, Zeb and Esther, who share a home with the family.

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What is Ep Bridges' role in town?
sheriff
gas station attendant
town drunk
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sheriff Ep Bridges keeps the peace on Walton Mountain. He helps the Waltons with many problems throughout the show, including tracking down a lost typewriter.

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How many seasons did the show run?
6
9
12
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Waltons" ran for nine seasons, from 1971 to 1981 -- that's more than 200 episodes! It started life as a 1971 TV movie, called "The Homecoming: A Christmas Story," and was so successful that it became a TV series.

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What is the name of the local schoolteacher?
Miss Hunter
Miss Grundy
Miss Thatcher
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In such a small community, you only need one teacher. Miss Hunter teaches all of the local children, including the entire Walton family, in a one-room schoolhouse. When the schoolhouse burns down, Ike Godsey lets her teach classes in the general store.

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True or false: All four Walton boys were in the military during WWII.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Walton sons were willing to fight for their freedom, with all four of the boys heading off for battle in WWII. Jim-Bob was stationed at a base near by and the war ended before he had to fight.

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What event takes place during the special, "A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion"?
JFK assasination
end of WWII
moon landing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The timeline of the show was extended through the TV movies that followed the series. In "A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion," John-Boy breaks the news of the 1963 JFK assassination, which takes place 20 to 30 years after the events on the TV series.

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