| Little People, Big World | |
|---|---|
| Format | Reality television |
| Starring | Matthew Roloff Amy Roloff Zachary Roloff Jeremy Roloff Molly Roloff Jacob Roloff Martin Klebba |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 226 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | Helvetia, Oregon |
| Running time | 30-60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Gay Rosenthal Productions |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TLC |
| Original run | March 4, 2006 – December 6, 2010 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Little People, Big World is a reality television series produced in the United States that aired on TLC. The series follows the six-member Roloff family farm near Portland, Oregon. Many of the episodes focus on the parents, Matt and Amy, and one of their sons, Zach, who are all little people.
On August 26, 2010 TLC announced that the sixth season would be the last for the show. Little People, Big World debuted on March 4, 2006, and the series finale aired on December 6, 2010.[1] The show is also available for download on iTunes. On July 12, 2011 it was officially announced that Little People, Big World will return to TLC for 4 brand new specials. Production has already finished and the first special aired on October 2 2011 with the rest to follow.
Contents |
The show follows the daily lives of the Roloff family — parents Matt and Amy, and their four children: Zach, Jeremy, Molly and Jacob. Matt, Amy and Zach are little people, while Jeremy, Molly and Jacob are of average height or greater. Teenagers Zach and Jeremy are fraternal twins; although Zach is not of average height, his brother Jeremy is above average height (6'1"), (185 cm).
The family lives on the 36-acre (150,000 m2) Roloff Farms, located north of Hillsboro in Helvetia, Oregon (a suburb of Portland). Although crops of pumpkins are grown and sold by the family, much of the farm has been converted into a series of playground set pieces for the Roloff children. They were designed by Matt, who spent most of his childhood in the hospital. He has tried to make his children's life the best possible.
Episodes of the show typically showcase one or more members of the Roloff family engaging in everyday activities such as shopping, athletics and dealing with household finances. The drama of the show arises from the fact that many of these activities are made more challenging due to the height of the dwarfs in the family, as Matt and Amy are 4'1" (124 cm), Zach is 4'4" (132 cm).
As with any reality show, the segments that are aired are ones that are expected to generate viewer interest. However, Little People, Big World avoids portraying the Roloffs in a stereotypical or sensational light. The situations encountered in the show are ones that most families deal with, although the ways in which the Roloffs deal with them are unique to them and are from the perspective of little people.
The Roloffs have several close friends who appear regularly on the show, among them actor Martin Klebba who has known Amy for over 20 years.
Jacob Roloff and family friend Mike Detjen, were seriously injured in an accident on the family farm on Saturday, October 28, 2006, (episode aired April 9, 2007). They were injured when the family's trebuchet (which they use to launch pumpkins as part of the pumpkin season promotion) prematurely triggered. Jacob was rushed to nearby St. Vincent Hospital and underwent surgery to relieve swelling in his head caused by a small piece of skull pushed into his brain. Jacob and Mike recovered from the injuries and were released on Monday, October 30, 2006.[4]
Although a TLC camera crew were at the farm recording footage, they were not in the area where the accident occurred. The accident, therefore, was not recorded. Prior to the airing of two new episodes on November 4, TLC aired a brief segment with Matt and Amy acknowledging the accident and thanking everyone for their support. Jacob was shown with what appeared to be an injury around his right eye.
Footage taken shortly after the accident occurred on the farm was shown December 16 in the final minutes of the season finale, "Farm Overload." A crowd had gathered around Jacob, who was lying on the ground near the trebuchet. The first two episodes of season 3 focus on the accident, and how the local media reacted to it.
| Season | Season Premiere | Season Finale |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 4, 2006 | May 13, 2006 |
| 2-A | October 7, 2006 | December 16, 2006 |
| 2-B | April 9, 2007 | June 4, 2007 |
| 3-A | October 15, 2007 | December 17, 2007 |
| 3-B | March 3, 2008 | May 3, 2008 |
| 4-A | October 13, 2008 | December 13, 2008 |
| 4-B | February 15, 2009 | May 15, 2009 |
| 5-A | October 12, 2009 | January 12, 2010 |
| 5-B | April 5, 2010 | June 14, 2010 |
| 6 | September 6, 2010 | December 6, 2010 |
The first season of Little People, Big World generated solid ratings for TLC (especially in the important 18–49 demographic), leading to the show's renewal for a second season.[6] Critical reviews of the series have been generally positive, citing the show's positive portrayal of little people.[7][8] Conversely, other reviews have claimed that the show has a voyeuristic bend to it (albeit a non-sexual one), but allows the viewer to feel good about watching because it is not outwardly or overtly exploitive.[9][10]
Since the show began airing, Roloff Farms has become an extremely popular tourist destination. While the farm and its many attractions have long been available for public viewing during pumpkin season (October), it is now receiving far more visitors than can be accommodated. During the 2006 season, more than 30,000 people arrived to buy pumpkins and tour the farm, which only has space for a few hundred vehicles. The farm was shut down temporarily by Washington County deputies on one Saturday in October 2006, due to massive traffic. Area residents have complained about the gridlock caused by the visitors, as well as about the increased media scrutiny the show has brought.[11]
The Roloffs receive as many as a dozen emails per minute from supporters.[8] The increased exposure, however, has led to safety concerns for the family, who now deal with trespassers and zealous fans. They recently installed a security gate on their property.[11]
The Roloffs have hit the headlines a number of times. In 2006, Jacob and Mike Detjen, a family friend, were severely injured when a pumpkin catapult prematurely launched. In 2007, Matt was arrested on DUI charges. While he was found not guilty of the DUI, he was found guilty of refusing to submit to a blood alcohol test. As a result of his refusal, his driver's license was suspended for three years, because he had previously admitted guilt in a drunken-driving diversion program that he completed in 2003.[12] The sixth and final full season of Little People, Big World premiered on September 6, 2010.[13]
|
|||||||||||