"Little House on the Prairie" (1974) TV series 1974-1983

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Writers:

Arthur Heinemann (writer) (14 episodes)
John Hawkins (writer) (11 episodes)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Release Date:

11 September 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Romance | Western

Plot:

The life and adventures of the Ingalls family in the 19th century American West.

Plot Keywords:

House | Teacher | Blindness | 19th Century | Small Town

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 15 wins & 34 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 19	8:00 AM	HALMRK	The Election	#3.20
Sun. July 19	9:00 AM	HALMRK	Castoffs	#4.1

Cast

Melissa Gilbert	...	Laura Ingalls / ... (190 episodes, 1974-1983)
Lindsay Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls / ... (182 episodes, 1974-1982)
Sidney Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls / ... (182 episodes, 1974-1982)
Michael Landon	...	Charles Ingalls (181 episodes, 1974-1983)
Karen Grassle	...	Caroline Ingalls (169 episodes, 1974-1982)
Scottie MacGregor	...	Harriet Oleson (152 episodes, 1974-1983)
Richard Bull	...	Nels Oleson (147 episodes, 1974-1983)
Melissa Sue Anderson	...	Mary Ingalls / ... (142 episodes, 1974-1981)
Jonathan Gilbert	...	Willie Oleson (139 episodes, 1974-1983)
Kevin Hagen	...	Dr. Hiram Baker (113 episodes, 1974-1983)
Alison Arngrim	...	Nellie Oleson / ... (105 episodes, 1974-1982)
Matthew Laborteaux	...	Albert Quinn Ingalls / ... (87 episodes, 1976-1983)

Also Known As:

"Little House: A New Beginning" (USA) (last season title)

Runtime:

60 min | Germany:45 min (210 episodes) | USA:60 min (203 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-18 (DVD) (2007) (self applied) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Big Sky Ranch - 4927 Bennett Road, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

Ed Friendly Productions

Trivia:

Alison Arngrim originally auditioned for the role of Laura Ingalls, but was not successful. She then tried out for the role of Laura's sister Mary, to the same avail. However, when auditioning for the role of "Nasty" Nellie Oleson, she was hired on the spot for playing mean so convincingly.

Goofs:

Continuity: Slick city guy Royal Wilder and his wife Millie stick Laura and Almanzo with the care of their two obnoxious sons so that they can go on a vacation. A couple of seasons later, a new Royal shows up (who Almanzo claims not to have seen in ten years). Now he's a sickly farmer with a pre-teen daughter, Jenny, and no sons or wife anywhere in sight.

Quotes:

Laura: Why don't you give like the rest of the children?
Nellie Oleson: My mother say's we're not like the rest of the children!
Laura: I suppose she's right.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "30 Rock: The Head and the Hair (#1.11)" (2007)

great

The late Michael Landon spent his life as a part of our tv family. From 1959 when Bonanza came on the air until 1989 when Highway to Heaven was canceled, there was not a single year that he did not have a series on the air. That is a record that will stand for all time I believe. He specialized in creating high quality family programming. People don't generally realize that Mister Landon wrote and directed the majority of the episodes of Bonanza, Little House and Highway To Heaven. Little House showed us a simple, strong loving family who stayed together and solved their problems with the power of love and understanding. Michael was everyone's favorite strict but loving father. Melissa Gilbert said she really looked upon him as a father figure and the chemistry between Half Pint and Pa showed it. Thru Mary's blindness and her baby's death to Laura's marriage and all the other problems the Ingalls stayed together. The show had a first class ensemble cast and everyone did a wonderful job at creating colorful characters from Victor French's lovable Mister Edwards to Katherine MacGregor's snobby, mean Mrs. Olsen. What I like is the fact that Harriet Olsen always got her "comeuppance" at the end of every episode as did Nellie, but they never really did learn their lesson. One episode I remember particularly well was the one where Richard Mulligan played a Cival War veteran who was still troubled by his experiences at the Battle of Shiloh. He had ran away in battle and was seriously addicted to morphine. Mulligan was brilliant in the part and unlike most episodes, this one had a completely tragic ending. He killed himself. Also, the episode where Albert became an addict was excellent. People made fun of the scene where he vomits on Pa during withdrawal but that is exactly what happens to addicts when they go through it. Matthew Laborteaux visited rehab centers to research his part and it shows. It is a chilling look at the horrors of drug abuse.