Watch CBS News

'The Waltons,' 'Falcon Crest' Creator Earl Hamner Jr. Dies At 92

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) —  The Hollywood Reporter is reporting the death of TV scribe Earl Hamner Jr., most known for creating the huge CBS hits "The Waltons" and "Falcon Crest."

In tone, the two shows Hamner became known for could not be more different. Actually, that's a complete understatement.

"The Waltons" (1971-81) was about a hardscrabble family living poo, but loving large in the Depression-era Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. When the series ended, Hamner wrote three more movies about life on Waltons mountain. "Goodnight, John-Boy" became a pop culture phrase and a parody of the show didn't exist without the signature goodnights of the family.

"Falcon Crest" (1981-90) was about three families of rich folks -- the Channings, Cumsons and the Giobertis -- who backstabbed their way through a fortune in present-day while living large and hating larger in Napa Valley wine country.

Hamner himself grew up much more like a Walton than a Channing.

He was born in 1923 in the backwoods of Virginia. He often wrote novels about large families (he was one of eight) and how love could conquer hunger, hard times and a lack of funds.

According to his children on a post on his Facebook page, Hamner died of cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

"I am very sorry to be the bearer of sad news. My father, Earl Hamner, passed away today at 12:20 PM Pacific time. Dad died peacefully in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. He was surrounded by family, and we were playing his favorite music, John Denver's Rocky Mountain Collection. Dad took his last breath half way through Ricky Mountain High. I am sure many of you know Dad was ill, but his amazing tenacity and fight masked how seriously ill he has been over the last year and a half," the post read.

Hamner also created several shows that were critically acclaimed but largely ignored by audiences. These included the sweet family drama "Apple's Way" and the Western "Boone."

Hamner's other TV credits included "Wagon Train," "The Twilight Zone," "Gentle Ben," "Nanny and the Professor."

He also wrote "Charlotte's Web" in 2006.

Hamner also wrote the 1968 TV movie "Heidi." When NBC pulled a nail-biting NFL game between the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders to start the movie on time, viewers went ballistic. The game became derisively called "The Heidi Game" and forever changed how sports were programmed.

Son Scott Hamner has worked as a soap opera head writer on such shows as "As the World Turns" and "The Young and the Restless."

For more about Hamner's prolific life, visit his website.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.