Voyage to the Bottom of the Ratings has so many WTF episodes, I’m amazed you were able to settle on that one.
Been watching reruns of ‘The Waltons’ on MeTV. Hey, don’t judge! It’s kind of a comfort watch for me during these pandemic times. Normally, you know what you’re getting-- the show is pretty well-grounded in reality, albeit a sentimental, sepia-tinged, overly nostalgic version of reality in the 30s.
But in one episode, in which the youngest daughter Elizabeth was about to turn 13, strange things started happening around her-- vases flying off shelves, the piano playing itself, a Raggedy Ann doll spookily animating itself and walking toward her. At first the family thought it was just Elizabeth acting out, but it turned out she had an actual poltergeist attached to her! I don’t remember if they figured out a way to get rid of it or if it just went away by itself.
Very simple: Appalachia is a zone prone to earth tremors…
Thing is, I thought when I first saw the episode it would end up having a rational explanation like that, but it turned out to be straight-up supernatural.
Although it was the more pseudo-scientific form of poltergeist-- not an angry spirit in the Speilbergian mode, but uncontrolled telekinetic activity arising from the conflicting emotions of someone entering puberty.
(Minor nitpick-- The Waltons took place in Virginia, which is close to, but not actually part of, Appalachia.)
Western Virginia, particularly the Blue Ridge Mountains, are part of Appalachia. I don’t know if it’s clear where Walton’s Mountain was supposed to be, but probably close enough for earthquakes and supernatural events to have an effect.
It was the '70s. Parapsychology was relatively respectable, and a lot of folks thought of it as an emerging science, not woo. The writers probably thought having a teenage girl manifest uncontrolled telekinesis was realistic and grounded.*
*Note that I am NOT endorsing that view, just that for the '70s, taking parapsychology seriously in a realistic and grounded show doesn’t seem WTF? to me. It seems like…the '70s.
True…the 70s was a pretty WTF decade.
The WTF episode of this very thread. 
OK, so the Appalachia area does encompass part of Virginia, and it looks like Nelson County, which the internet tells me is the real location the fictional Walton’s land is based on, is indeed part of Appalachia. I stand corrected.
The '70s; if you can remember them, I’m very, very sorry.
Nelson County residents undoubtedly felt the 2011 quake which closed the Washington Monument.
The 1970s are when good taste took a well-deserved vacation. (I don’t remember them. I was born in 1980 but I’ve seen pictures.)
I live near the Brevard Fault Zone and the only time I know if there’s been an earthquake is when I see it mentioned on the news. Our earthquakes aren’t very big.
They don’t have to be very big to release the evil that dwells beneath the ground.
By the time Elizabeth went through puberty, the Waltons should have been used to the poltergeists - she had four older brothers and two older sisters, after all.
Maybe she was born with a caul.
Come to think of it, she was the 7th child
By the way, I unreservedly love The Waltons as well. The show is what the show is and it takes the characters seriously, which is more than many shows featuring rural America do.
The Appalachians are still decompressing after being scrunched up against Africa.
They’ve been using that excuse for eons.
It’s taking longer than we thought.