A Lorimar production, created by Earl Hamner, starring Ronny Cox.

Watch the opening credits to this show.

APPLE'S WAY

Dad hard at work in his studio, waving to Mom as she brings a plate of fried chicken out to a picnic table...

The family gathering around for a little outdoor meal. Long haired Vincent Van Patten making ice cream. Some girl eatin' fried chicken. Two youngsters sharing a beverage with two straws. Grampa takin' a chomp out of an ear 'o corn - and winking with pleasure...

This was TV of the 1970s. Can you imagine? I could almost feel the grains of sugar on my teeth as I watched...

But I think I liked it back in '74.

I like that it is somehow "TV PG".

Probably because of some radical hippie elements. :P

I remember the episode where the family took in a troubled girl (or maybe it was Jon David Carson), who hid joints behind a poster on the wall. Ergo, TV PG.

Picture the actors heading on over to Trader Vic's after shooting this cloying opening title sequence to wash down the treacle with a few Rob Roys.

WOW. I haven't seen that show since...1974.
Oh, yeah. Not recommended for cynics or those allergic to sugar. I suppose it was nice in it''s own way. Meant to be a fairly harmless family show. And it pretty much was.

Talk about a blast from the past.

My memories of that show are why it was such a revelation for me to watch Ronny Cox's later wicked turns in ROBOCOP & TOTAL RECALL... and his brilliantly played STAR TREK:TNG role as the Admiral from hell. A truly underrated actor.

Earl was hoping to capture some more of that WALTONS magic but alas....

The opening looks like one of those educational films where a family learns about the journey its food takes before it winds up on the table.

As a kid watching APPLE'S WAY I'll confess that it was Kristy McNichol that caught my eye.

She was just honing her chops for FAMILY! :P