Earl Hamner Jr. was an American television writer and producer, best known as the creator of the long-running TV series The Waltons and Falcon Crest.
He was born in 1923 in Schuyler, Virginia, where his father worked in soapstone mines.
The family’s difficult experiences during the Great Depression, including Hamner’s father’s long commute to work, inspired Hamner’s novel The Homecoming, which became the basis for The Waltons.
In addition to his television work, Hamner wrote several novels, including Spencer’s Mountain, which was adapted into a film.
He continued writing and producing television projects until his death in 2016 at the age of 92.
Siblings
Hamner had four brothers and three sisters. His brothers, from youngest to next-oldest, were James Edmund, Willard Harold, Paul Louis and Clifton Anderson.
The girls, from youngest to oldest, were Nancy Alice, Audrey Jane and Marion Lee.
Career
Hamner started his career as a writer, first working at a radio station in Cincinnati in 1948-1949 after graduating from the University of Cincinnati.
He then moved to New York and began writing for NBC Radio and television.
In the 1960s, Hamner wrote several episodes of the TV series The Twilight Zone.
He also wrote the screenplay for the 1963 film Palm Springs Weekend and adapted the E.B. White classic Charlotte’s Web for a 1973 animated film.
Hamner is best known as the creator of the long-running TV series The Waltons, which drew from his own childhood experiences growing up in a large family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression.
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He served as the creator, executive producer, and narrator for The Waltons.
After The Waltons ended, Hamner created and produced another successful TV series, Falcon Crest, which ran from 1981 to 1988.
He also co-wrote the 2000 mystery novel Murder in Tinseltown.
Throughout his career, Hamner wrote several novels, including the autobiographical Spencer’s Mountain, which was adapted into a film.
He continued writing and producing television projects until his death in 2016 at the age of 92.
Notable projects
Hamner’s most notable projects include The Waltons which he created in the 1970s.
This long-running TV series was inspired by Hamner’s own childhood experiences in rural Virginia during the Great Depression.
He also worked on Falcon Crest, a successful prime-time soap opera series set in the California wine country, which Hamner created and produced from 1981 to 1988.
Additionally, Hamner wrote several episodes for The Twilight Zone, a classic anthology TV series during the 1960s.
He has also authored several novels, such as the autobiographical Spencer’s Mountain, which was adapted into a film.
Hamner also wrote the screenplay for the 1963 film Palm Springs Weekend and adapted Charlotte’s Web for a 1973 animated film.
Apart from The Waltons and Falcon Crest, he created the short-lived TV series Apple’s Way and co-wrote the 2000 mystery novel Murder in Tinseltown.
Throughout his career, Hamner’s storytelling style, focusing on family and traditional values, resonated with audiences and solidified his place as a beloved figure in television.
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