Little House on the Prairie (TV series)

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Little House on the Prairie

Little House title card
Genre Western
Drama
Creator(s) Ed Friendly, from the original books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Developer(s) Blanche Hanalis for NBC Studios, Inc. in Association with Ed Friendly
Starring Michael Landon
Melissa Gilbert
Karen Grassle
Melissa Sue Anderson
Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush
Matthew Laborteaux
Richard Bull
Katherine MacGregor
Alison Arngrim
Jonathan Gilbert
Kevin Hagen
Dabbs Greer
Victor French
Merlin Olsen
Dean Butler
Linwood Boomer
Opening theme Instrumental theme by David Rose
Country of origin Flag of United States United States
Language(s) English
No. of episodes 208 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Michael Landon and Ed Friendly
Camera setup Single-view
Running time 45 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel NBC
Audio format Mono
Original run September 11, 1974 – March 21, 1983
Links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Little House on the Prairie was an American one-hour dramatic television program that aired on the NBC network from September 11, 1974 to March 21, 1983. During the 1982-83 television season, with the departure of Michael Landon, the series was broadcast with the new title Little House: A New Beginning.

The show was a loose adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House on the Prairie books.

The series was produced in-house by NBC, who owns the underlying rights, however it is distributed in syndication worldwide by CBS Paramount Television.

Contents

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of Little House on the Prairie (TV series) characters

[edit] Main

[edit] Recurring

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Carrie, Mary, and Laura Ingalls frolic down a hill, as shown in the opening credits of the series.
Carrie, Mary, and Laura Ingalls frolic down a hill, as shown in the opening credits of the series.

Although it differed from the original books, and many new characters and situations were added, this television series was one of the few long-running successful dramatic family shows (and still it is in syndication). Although predominantly a drama, the program did have some comedic moments, thanks to supporting cast members such as Mr. Edwards (played by Victor French) and the Oleson family: Nels Oleson (Richard Bull), Harriet Oleson (Katherine MacGregor), Willie Oleson (Jonathan Gilbert), and Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim).

The show revolves around Charles Ingalls (Michael Landon), a homemaker and patriarch who has trouble making ends meet with his family in Plum Creek, Minnesota. He and his wife, Caroline (Karen Grassle), move to Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in search for a better and more prospering community. Together, they are raising three daughters, Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson), Laura (Melissa Gilbert), and Carrie (Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush).

Clockwise from top: Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls, Lindsay or Sidney Greenbush as Carrie Ingalls, Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls, Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls, and Melissa Sue Anderson as Mary Ingalls, in a promotional photo from the first season.
Clockwise from top: Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls, Lindsay or Sidney Greenbush as Carrie Ingalls, Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls, Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls, and Melissa Sue Anderson as Mary Ingalls, in a promotional photo from the first season.

While Nels (proprietor of the town's general store, Oleson's Mercantile) is a true friend of the Ingalls, Harriet is not; she often causes trouble by spreading malicious gossip or scheming behind her husband's back to foreclose on the Ingalls' farm. Nellie, the Olesons' oldest child, is much like her mother, often very nasty and scheming to humiliate Laura. Willie, five years younger than Nellie, is a typical mischievous child and often aids his sister in her schemes. Both Nellie and Willie change their personalities for the better in later seasons - Nellie after she marries Jewish businessman Percival Dalton (played by Steve Tracy); Willie after having a heart-to-heart talk with Laura, who was by then his teacher at the Walnut Grove School. However, much to Nels' chagrin, Harriet never changes. Furthermore, the Olesons adopt another "reincarnation" of Nellie -- Nancy Oleson (Allison Balson).

Also appearing in the series are Merlin Olsen (as Jonathan Garvey), Dabbs Greer (as Reverend Robert Alden, pastor of Walnut Grove Church), Karl Swenson (as Lars Hanson, the town's founder and proprietor of the town's mill), and Kevin Hagen (as Dr. Hiram Baker, the town's doctor). Malcolm in the Middle creator Linwood Boomer appears as Mary Ingalls's teacher-turned-husband, Adam Kendall, whom she meets at the school for the blind in the (1978-1979) season. The Ingalls family adopts 10-year-old Albert Quinn (Matthew Laborteaux), whom the family meets when they move (briefly) to Winoka in a series of 1978 episodes. Many of these characters are fictional, but still contributed to make Little House a success.

In 1979, Dean Butler joined the cast as Almanzo Wilder, the man 10 years Laura's senior whom she marries. Several episodes during the 1979-1980 season deal with their budding relationship as it blossoms into true love. Almanzo and Laura are married in the 1980-1981 season première.

Later, the Ingalls family adopts more children. In the 1981 season, the family welcomes 12-year-old James (Jason Bateman) and 9-year-old Cassandra Cooper (Missy Francis), a brother and sister who are orphaned after their parents are killed in a wagon accident. Also that year, the Olesons adopt the young orphan Nancy.

Michael Landon directed a majority of the episodes. However, other people such as Leo Penn and Victor French occasionally took their turn at the director's chair.

As with most TV series set in a distant time or place, the series includes occasional historical inaccuracies. Little House on the Prairie was largely filmed on Big Sky Ranch at Simi Valley, California. Camera vistas sometimes pick up the rugged terrain, far too mountainous for Minnesota, and the Californian chaparral vegetation. In one particular episode Laura runs away and climbs up a mountain. However, there are no mountains on the prairie. Nevertheless, in most scenes the oak savanna is considered to be representative of the real Walnut Grove. Other television programs, including Gunsmoke and The Dukes of Hazzard, were produced at the same Big Sky Ranch lot. Dr. Baker's telephone in the show seems far ahead of its time, since the telephone was newly invented and existed only in large cities in the 1880s. In the episode "For the Love of Blanche" a man says "look in one of those telephone books in the big city, and you'll see someone with the same name as you." in the 1890s, there were no telephone books (likewise with Nellie's sound recorder, which was the subject of one show episode). Along with the inaccuracies, the Ingalls family in the series face a lot of problems that a real 1880s family would never have faced. For example, they meet an orphan in the city, and decide to adopt him (there are at least 9 adopted children throughout the series); they go camping; and they make school their top priority. 1970's phrases sneak into the shows too, such as "Join the club" and "tell me about it!" Despite the inaccuracies, the series did very well, and aired from 1974 to 1984.

[edit] Guest Stars

During its nine season run, many actors made guest appearances, including both well-known actors and actors who went on to become well-known. What follows is a partial listing:

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Little House on the Prairie episodes

[edit] Spin-offs and sequels

A spin-off series of sorts, Little House: A New Beginning, built around star Melissa Gilbert, lasted only one season and aired from September 1982 until March 1983. A new family, the Carters (Stan Ivar as John, Pamela Roylance as Sarah, Lindsay Kennedy as eldest son Jeb and David Friedman as youngest son Jason), move into the Ingalls' old home. Meanwhile, Almanzo and Laura (who have since given birth to a daughter, Rose), take in their niece, Jenny (played by Shannen Doherty), when Almanzo's brother dies. The Wilders appear prominently in some episodes, while in others, they appear only in early scenes used to introduce the story or its characters (see, for example, "The Last Summer").

Three made-for-television movie sequels followed: Little House: Look Back to Yesterday (1983), Little House: The Last Farewell (1984), and Little House: Bless All the Dear Children (1984). Two other Little House movies were made in conjunction with the Landon series: the 1974 pilot for the program and Little House Years (1979), a Thanksgiving special/clip show that aired in the middle of Season 6.

The Canadian sit-com Little Mosque on the Prairie takes its title and pioneering spirit, if not much else, from this series.

[edit] Awards

  • 1976 TP de Oro, Mejor Actriz Extranjera (Best Foreign Actress), Karen Grassle
  • 1976 TP de Oro, Mejor Serie Extranjera (Best Foreign Series)
  • 1978 Emmy Award, Outstanding Cinematography in Entertainment Programming for a Series, Ted Voightlander, episode "The Fighter"
  • 1979 Emmy Award, Outstanding Cinematography for a Series, Ted Voightlander, episode "The Craftsman"
  • 1979 Emmy Award, Outstanding Music Composition for a Series, David Rose, episode "The Craftsman"
  • 1980 TP de Oro, Mejor Actriz Extranjera (Best Foreign Actress), Melissa Sue Anderson
  • 1981 Western Writers of America Spur Award, Best TV Script, Michael Landon, episode "May We Make Them Proud"
  • 1982 Emmy Award, Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore), David Rose, episode "He Was Only Twelve," part 2
  • 1983 Young Artist Award, Best Young Actress in a Drama Series, Melissa Gilbert
  • 1984 Young Artist Award, Best Young Actress in a Drama Series, Melissa Gilbert

[edit] DVD Releases

The entire series has been released on DVD. The US DVD sets include exclusive interviews by Québécois Little House historian Patrick Loubatière and actors Alison Arngrim, Dabbs Greer, and Dean Butler.

A majority of the episodes in the North American DVD versions have scenes cut from the episodes--these are derived from the syndicated television versions by Worldvision Enterprises, the series former distributor; in fact, their various logos still appear at the end of most episodes (but before the current NBC Universal Television Distribution logo). Other episodes, especially in the DVD versions of some episodes in Seasons 1 and 8 of the original series, and season 9 of "...A New Beginning", are time-compressed; these are NTSC-converted video prints from UK PAL masters. Only a handful of episodes in the DVD sets are in their original, uncut versions (for example, many Season 1 episodes on DVD contain scenes not in current syndication prints).

The DVD sets sold in the US and Canada were released under license from NBC Universal by Imavision Distribution, a company based in Quebec. Imavision has also released a French-language version of the DVD set, sold separately. Both versions are in NTSC color, and coded for all regions.

The DVD sets sold in Britain were released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment (cousin company to series producer NBC); this version is in PAL color, and coded for Region 2.

Some time earlier, some single Little House episodes were released on both DVD and VHS by GoodTimes Entertainment.

On February 21, 2007, it was announced that Lionsgate Home Entertainment would assume the U.S. video rights from Imvision/Goldhil Home Video as of April, 2007.

Season Episodes Originally aired DVD release date DVD
cover
Region 1-6 in USA Region 2
1 23 1974 – 1975 July 8, 2003 July 25, 2005 (UK)
2 22 1975 – 1976 July 8, 2003 March 27, 2006 (UK)
3 21 1976 – 1977 November 4, 2003
4 22 1977 – 1978 February 17, 2004
5 24 1978 – 1979 June 29, 2004
6 24 1979 – 1980 October 26, 2004
7 24 1980 – 1981 February 15, 2005
8 22 1981 – 1982 June 14, 2005
9 19 1982 – 1983 November 1, 2005
10 3 1984 – 1984 November 28, 2006

[edit] Books

  • La Petite Maison dans la Prairie: Walnut Grove - Terre Promise by Patrick Loubatière (224 pages, published 1998)
  • Little House on the Prairie: From A to Z by Patrick Loubatière (86 pages, published October 2005), included in the season 9 DVD set.[1]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "Little House on the Prairie - The Complete Season 9 (1974)"

[edit] External links

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