"The Waltons" Christmas Special Quiz

Answer: The Homecoming

Though often referred to as "The Walton Family Christmas," the show's title was taken from the original novella "The Homecoming" upon which it was based. The popularity of this movie led to the long-running series "The Waltons."

Answer: 1971

The series, "The Waltons," debuted in 1972, and ran for nine successful seasons on CBS despite many cast changes during the run.

Answer: John Boy Walton

This is taken word-for-word from the novella, and the line is repeated by Grandpa Walton to John Boy later during the movie.

Answer: Earl Hamner Jr.

Author Earl Hamner Jr.'s published recollections of his childhood in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains served as the basis for the series "The Waltons." Hamner also provided the narration for this holiday special, and throughout the series, speaking as an adult John Boy.

Answer: Patricia Neal

Kentucky-born Neal gave a spirited performance as Mama Walton, but declined to participate in the series. Laurie played the less-than-down-home mother in "Carrie." Low-key Learned played Olivia Walton on the series, and Karen Grassle portrayed Caroline "Ma" Ingalls on "Little House on the Prairie."

Answer: Miss Mamie and Miss Emily Baldwin

The Misses Mamie and Emily Baldwin supplement their income by selling "the recipe," a suspect corn liquor they brew in their home, which was previously adored my their late father, the judge.

Answer: Edgar Bergen

Bergen, the voice behind radio dummies Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, turned in a more serious performance as the family patriarch in this episode only. Mustachioed Geer played Grandpa Walton on "The Waltons," and was much-loved until his death mid-series. He was not replaced, and Grandpa was allowed to pass away, as well.

Answer: Christmas cactus

Olivia brings the scarlet-blossomed plant to the Walton lunchtable and declares she had forgotten about it last fall, "And now, would you loooook?"

Answer: read a page in the Bible

Mary Ellen plans to memorize the entire Bible cover to cover, a practice that comes in handy later in the plot when a missionary lady arrives to hand out presents.

Answer: Charlie Sneed

Charlie, a croney of shopkeep Ike Godsey and John Walton, brings one of his "boosted" turkeys to the Walton house on Christmas Eve. His arrest leads to John Boy's search for his father in Sneed's rattletrap car.

Answer: a fatal bus crash

The bus in question is the bus John Walton would have taken to return home to Walton's Mountain. She tells John Boy "It's a man's job I'm sending you on."

Answer: Hawthorne Dooley

Rev. Dooley's church is nearby, and John Boy sits through the children's interpretation of the birth of Jesus while waiting for Dooley to help him on the search.

Answer: Ashley Longworth

Miss Emily often daydreams about Longworth (who was really run off by her father, according to sister Mamie) and speculates that as years pass and still no word of him comes, he must have died in "one of the wars."

Answer: go to the barn

The children want to go to the barn to see the Christmas "miracle," when all the animals will get down on their knees and speak with human voices. Olivia declines, saying the only miracle she wants to see "is your daddy walkin' through that door." John Boy tells the story of the miracle to the children again.

Answer: writing tablets

When John Boy opens the packet of Big Chief writing tablets, his father says, "Now how do you suppose it got all the way up to the North Pole that you want to be a writer?" John Boy replies: "I guess he must be a mighty smart man."