The Abdication

Episode aired Nov 20, 1975
TV-G
1h

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

164

YOUR RATING

Drama Family Romance

King Edward VIII abdicates the throne and the Waltons follow the story. Meanwhile, a movie production team is in town and John-Boy reconnects with a friend who's part of the production crew.... Read allKing Edward VIII abdicates the throne and the Waltons follow the story. Meanwhile, a movie production team is in town and John-Boy reconnects with a friend who's part of the production crew. John-Boy is offered a job.King Edward VIII abdicates the throne and the Waltons follow the story. Meanwhile, a movie production team is in town and John-Boy reconnects with a friend who's part of the production crew. John-Boy is offered a job.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

164

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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User reviews1

7.7164

Featured reviews

8timmcd-84202

God Save the King John-Boy

Writer AJ Covington returns to Walton Mountain as the writer of a (what appears to be godawful) film being shot at the nearby Tabor house. Enraged by bystanders cackling at the terrible dialogue, the movie's peevish director hires John-Boy to script-doctor AJ's screenplay, leading to much awkwardness.

Meanwhile Mary Ellen, already swooning over the Edward VIII abdication drama playing out overseas, enthusiastically throws herself at the handsome British studio assistant Todd. One half expects her to drag him upstairs to, uh, "crown" him herself. Stephen Collins is in fine form here as the Englishman Todd (his accent is flawless), James Karen proves entertaining as the constantly annoyed director and George Dzundza is sympathetic as AJ Covington, whose fortunes seem to change like the wind.

The audience must overlook a couple of "yeah, RIGHT" plot details, such as a NY film company driving 500 miles to shoot a couple of scenes in rural Virginia, but overall a well-written episode and the real-life abdication is weaved in nicely with the goings on at Waltons Mountain.

Trivia
A.J. Covington was originally played by David Huddleston in 'The Literary Man' (S1 Ep11) and played by George Dzundza in 'The Abdication' (S4 Ep 11)..

Goofs
The character A.J. Covington , played by actor David Huddleston, appeared the first time in this series in season one's episode #11 'The Literary Man' and at the end of that episode the narrator stated that the Waltons never see him again. But, the character appears again in this episode, played this time by actor George Dzundza, getting younger in the process, since Mr. Dzundza is junior to Mr. Huddleston by about 15 years. The narrator at the end of this episode states that A.J. Covington "twice came into our lives on Walton's Mountain and twice he wandered off."

Quotes
John-Boy Walton: [referring to AJ Covington] You're not gonna believe how much money he makes. When he told me, I didn't believe it myself. He makes $150 a week.
The Grandfather: Ahh, he must've been pulling your leg.
John-Boy Walton: Nope. $150 a week.
The Grandfather: Well, that's as much money as the President of our country makes.
Esther Walton: Why, that's $600 a month.
John-Boy Walton: Mm-hm.
The Grandfather: For that kind of money I'd crawl bare naked through a rattlesnake farm.