Rod Peterson

Born July 7, 1921, the accomplished television writer Rod Peterson got his start penning episodes of such 1950s and '60s Western series as "Bonanza," "The Deputy," and "Black Saddle." His proven aptitude to write for kids on the stagecoach drama Laramie afforded Peterson a long-running gig on "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color," helping to bring to life such authentically rural episodes as the equine tale "Justin Morgan Had a Horse." In 1975, Peterson became heavily involved with "The Waltons," the iconic drama series revolving around a large family living in the countryside of Virginia during the Great Depression. As one of the show's most prolific writers and producers, Peterson scripted and/or oversaw nearly 70 episodes. The scribe turned bucolic family dynamics on its head with the feuding-clan drama "Falcon Crest," on which he served as executive producer. Before his death in 2004, Peterson revisited his best known work as the writer of the TV movies "A Walton Wedding" and "A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion." In an appropriate reflection of his big-family ways on television, he was the proud grandfather of 23 children.