I posted this last year, but here it is again. This is one of our favorite Christmas shows that we watch each year at Christmas. This predates the TV series and the cast is a bit different. Patricia Neal is amazing as Olivia Walton. It might be that she reminds me of my grandmother, but I love her. Richard Thomas still plays John Boy -- in fact all the kids are the same as the series cast, but only Ellen Corby, who plays the grandmother, did the series of the family adults.
Shane and I use many of the lines from this show in much of our everyday conversation. For example, if one of us suggests we should buy something, the other person usually says, "That's the first thing I'm going to do once this Depression is over!" (Olivia was referring to a getting a phone.) "Favorite line: What were you doing in your room John Boy with the door locked?" I realize this is a long show, but it is worth it.
UPDATE: Some of the links no longer work, but you can still see parts of it. Sorry.