Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[tearknee]

I feel that once you removed the rose-colored glasses of childhood, MG just isn't a good actress, particularly as the show splutters and fades by the early eighties. 

I find "Christy" from the 1990s better than Landon's "Little House". But then, I'm an Xennial like the Turnbaugh's and Steffin's and Coleman's. Again, Landon's weird hang-ups from his childhood abuse negatively affect the show all too visibly at points.

[Zella]

I think MG was a good child actress, but her acting skills noticeably nose-dive as she got older. Her emotional scenes in the early seasons can be quite moving. But after Laura is supposed to be an adult, she's just embarrassing to watch anytime she has to emote.

I think this might be a common issue for child actors. I thought the same of Kami Colter in The Waltons. Most of the Walton kids, minus Richard Thomas, couldn't act worth shit, but I thought she was competent enough in the early seasons. But as she got older, she seemed to lose whatever that was. 

[tearknee]

Ron Howard would be a male version of Cotler. Serviceable as Opie and utter drek as Richie. On the other hand, Bill Mumy and his daughter Liliana are both good so...

[Blergh]

17 hours ago, tearknee said:

Ron Howard would be a male version of Cotler. Serviceable as Opie and utter drek as Richie. On the other hand, Bill Mumy and his daughter Liliana are both good so...

Well, it's a good thing that Mr. Howard has opted to concentrate on directing and producing movies so he doesn't have to worry about his performing.

 

As for Miss Colter, while I think she may be retired now, she DID spend a few decades as an educator and school administrator so she's not pinning everything on performing either.

Perhaps MG may want to consider other venues besides performing. ..

[debraran]

I guess the company the LHOP cast was angry at from the mishandling of the money and crowds etc. is not ending. They didn't tell some canceled fans they weren't going to be at events and they went. The cast did post on social media but I guess not everyone saw it.  I'd love to see them again but I hope they find a good event planner. I feel for fans showing up and no one is there and online it says "sold out" not canceled.

Dean wrote this on FB if you can see it in 2 parts.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3910941565895424&set=pcb.3910956225893958

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3910941572562090&set=pcb.3910956225893958

 

Edited October 2 by debraran

[crazy8s]

On 9/30/2024 at 6:27 PM, Zella said:

I think MG was a good child actress, but her acting skills noticeably nose-dive as she got older. Her emotional scenes in the early seasons can be quite moving. But after Laura is supposed to be an adult, she's just embarrassing to watch anytime she has to emote.

She was far better showing the caring emotions. Scripts for adult Laura usually had it written she was pissed at some person, for some reason and it just fell flat.

I may be mis remembering but being married, teaching etc always seemed to cause her to be angry.

The episode of her being too young to marry has been on this week. Hilarious that she is deemed a child too young to marry in one moment and the next she is sent off with Adam to NY to meet with a lawyer about his father's will.

[Zella]

5 hours ago, crazy8s said:

She was far better showing the caring emotions. Scripts for adult Laura usually had it written she was pissed at some person, for some reason and it just fell flat.

I may be mis remembering but being married, teaching etc always seemed to cause her to be angry.

The episode of her being too young to marry has been on this week. Hilarious that she is deemed a child too young to marry in one moment and the next she is sent off with Adam to NY to meet with a lawyer about his father's will.

Yeah I can definitely see that! The scenes I always found the most awful are the ones where she's supposed to be angry, now that you mention it. 

[debraran]

If anyone likes Karen Grassle, she has a nice newsletter that comes out quarterly I think and I wish I could copy paste photos but this is part of her last one. How nice she found an old love at her age and in Italy!! This is part of letter and link to her page. Newsletter link is on bottom https://karengrassle.net/news

Meanwhile, in my small world, there has been much joy. I am so grateful for all the blessings of the last months, beginning with the 50th anniversary of Little House in Simi Valley, CA. I imagine you caught a lot on social media. Did you ever imagine seeing so many of us gathered together in one place again? I was delighted and amazed and so touched by the affection of our audience. Some of our cast are continuing to go out and celebrate this year and maybe you are catching up with them somewhere soon.

As for me, I’m taking a break. My love of long ago has come into my life again. He lives in Italy and I am on my way to spend the fall there. Will return for Christmas with my son.

When I went to the Monte Carlo TV Festival in June, where we were invited to celebrate our 50th, we had great times seeing fans, getting lots of attention, photos, etc. in a beautiful place on the Mediterranean. And we saw some great fireworks!

My dear friend, Amy, and I then went down the coast to Carrara where my old boyfriend lives, and sculpts, visited his studio and the mountain, and resolved to return as soon as I could. Then, Amy and I went on to have many wonderful experiences in Tuscany and Venice. So lucky to get to make this trip where I thought I might never be again, and with a perfect traveling companion.

When I last wrote I think I may have written of the fallow field. Since then, I have been to Austin for the eclipse, Alaska with my son and friends, seen many of my old colleagues from the show, and am off to Carrara to spend time with Robert. After the isolation of the pandemic, it’s hard to believe I get to have so much life in my life.

Wishing you much life of your own. My absentee ballot is coming to me in Italy. Vote!

Warmly, Karen

Maybe she wasn't sick for CT but had better things to do. ; )

[Blergh]

On 10/2/2024 at 2:36 PM, crazy8s said:

She was far better showing the caring emotions. Scripts for adult Laura usually had it written she was pissed at some person, for some reason and it just fell flat.

I may be mis remembering but being married, teaching etc always seemed to cause her to be angry.

The episode of her being too young to marry has been on this week. Hilarious that she is deemed a child too young to marry in one moment and the next she is sent off with Adam to NY to meet with a lawyer about his father's will.

I always thought it was a bit UN-Laura like to have somehow been able to have guided her still-blind BIL taking ALL those stages and trains to/from Walnut Grove to New York City without her in any way  having commented on her impressions of the trip, the GIGANTIC big city,etc (how it was like for her to have guided Adam through all these venues and made sure that he was neatly attired,etc.). ALL she said was that Ma told her to take Adam there, so she DID. ..and that was it. 

 Yes, I know that the focus of the storyline was for Adam to have found out that his late lawyer dad was flat broke and, essentially, this wound up having been a wasted round-trip to the late Mr. Kendall's executor's office but it might have been interesting to have gotten some 'country girl' insights to all that travel.

 

[Egg McMuffin]

Landon was a plot-driven producer, so we didn’t get to see character development like that. Too bad. So we didn’t get to see the Nellie/Perciville courtship play out over a number of episodes - it was rushed so we could get to the wedding. And there was a big missed opportunity for Laura and Nellie to gradually get closer during Nellie’s last season of the show, after she was married, culminating in her emotional reunion with Laura in season 9. Instead, those two characters hardly share the screen after their respective marriages. So the season 9 reunion comes out of nowhere.

[tearknee]

Continuity didn't matter in that era, let alone running arc threads as there were fewer network repeats and local stations played whatever tape of a program being rerun happened to be nearest at hand that day.

[Blergh]

True.

One of the worst examples of bad continuity had to be when Laura got jealous of Almanzo's ex-girlfriend and Harriet gleefully told Nellie 'Nellie! Laura and Almanzo are getting DIVORCED!'- followed immediately with Nellie getting a greedy barndoor wide grin with creepy music playing as though she was about to give chase to the Almanzo the second the  Wilders' divorce decree went into effect. Yeah, this seemed like something that a pre-marital,sabotaging Nellie would have eagerly done.

HOWEVER, considering that Nellie had married Percival before Laura had married Almanzo (and, in all other episodes, seemed happily married to him),  one would have thought Nellie's reaction to Harriet's gossip to have been nothing more than to have shrugged her shoulders and said, 'So?'

It seemed they expected the audience to actually ignore/forget Nellie having gotten married!

[debraran]

11 hours ago, Blergh said:

True.

One of the worst examples of bad continuity had to be when Laura got jealous of Almanzo's ex-girlfriend and Harriet gleefully told Nellie 'Nellie! Laura and Almanzo are getting DIVORCED!'- followed immediately with Nellie getting a greedy barndoor wide grin with creepy music playing as though she was about to give chase to the Almanzo the second the  Wilders' divorce decree went into effect. Yeah, this seemed like something that a pre-marital,sabotaging Nellie would have eagerly done.

HOWEVER, considering that Nellie had married Percival before Laura had married Almanzo (and, in all other episodes, seemed happily married to him),  one would have thought Nellie's reaction to Harriet's gossip to have been nothing more than to have shrugged her shoulders and said, 'So?'

It seemed they expected the audience to actually ignore/forget Nellie having gotten married!

That was very stupid. Nellie grew up, period, you can't go back and forth. It was like the writers started drinking or maybe they just didn't care anymore.

[Blergh]

5 hours ago, debraran said:

That was very stupid. Nellie grew up, period, you can't go back and forth. It was like the writers started drinking or maybe they just didn't care anymore.

I agree.

In addition to that, it was rather stupid for them to have  pitched that  the small-minded, appearance-keeping 19th century Harriet would have wanted a potential son-in-law who was. ..a divorced man. Would them 'winning' him from Laura have been worth THAT stigma? Had he become a widower, sure but a divorced man?! Uh-uhn!

 

Edited October 8 by Blergh

[tearknee]

I hated "Doctor Mike" and her daugghter on a certain 1990s show for that post-Helen Reddy era behavior. It's an insult to the actual women and girls of the real time period. I'd love a good utopia but that sort of thing is out to lunch.

[Blergh]

5 hours ago, tearknee said:

I hated "Doctor Mike" and her daugghter on a certain 1990s show for that post-Helen Reddy era behavior. It's an insult to the actual women and girls of the real time period. I'd love a good utopia but that sort of thing is out to lunch.

I thought it was OTT that these 19th century frontier folks would have accepted a woman doctor who had Calamity Jane's wardrobe on that show. Interestingly enough there was a famous surgeon at that time Dr. Mary Walker (1832-1919) who only wore men's suits but this would have been more acceptable because that was the attire for male doctors at that time. Yes, believe it or not, even a male doctor who wore 'frontier' or casual clothes instead of a suit would have been somewhat ostracized by his peers.

IIRC, there was a one-shot teenaged girl who DID wear boys attire but was popular with the boys in the class because she was . ..developed  but I can't recall any adult women doing so on LHOTP.

[Mr. Sparkle]

Today I learned that the actor who played flagpole maker Yuli Pyatakov also played Worf's adoptive father! 

[Blergh]

There is a new Podcast in which AA, Dean Butler and the host Pamela Bob did their best to explain the casts' side about why they believed that they got burned by the one managing those 50th Anniversary events. Among other things,AA claimed that the cast  had to essentially RACE from Connecticut to Pennsylvania via rental cars (after having exhausted themselves working nonstop in the first spot)  just so the latter venue's guests wouldn't have to cool their heels for nothing.  Also, Mr. Butler said that in addition to wanting to spare the cast, fans and vendors from future needless hassles, they didn't want the future Reunion Site hosts to have to be totally overwhelmed and confused by that management.

There's more details about the cast's decision to pull the plug AND why they had to make an updated statement re their nonparticpation in this Podcast but what's also interesting is that they played local news clips and other media to give credence to their side re what they claimed went down.

[debraran]

12 hours ago, Blergh said:

There is a new Podcast in which AA, Dean Butler and the host Pamela Bob did their best to explain the casts' side about why they believed that they got burned by the one managing those 50th Anniversary events. Among other things,AA claimed that the cast  had to essentially RACE from Connecticut to Pennsylvania via rental cars (after having exhausted themselves working nonstop in the first spot)  just so the latter venue's guests wouldn't have to cool their heels for nothing.  Also, Mr. Butler said that in addition to wanting to spare the cast, fans and vendors from future needless hassles, they didn't want the future Reunion Site hosts to have to be totally overwhelmed and confused by that management.

There's more details about the cast's decision to pull the plug AND why they had to make an updated statement re their nonparticpation in this Podcast but what's also interesting is that they played local news clips and other media to give credence to their side re what they claimed went down.

I just watched that. Poor Dean having to be "limo driver" for them, from CT to PA and in one day. Before they got transportation or a bus.

I agree, the NBC local news was fine talking about it, but they left out people who spent WAY more than the 3 or 4 they talked too, came further and saved more to come to an event. They didn't have time to talk to vendors who didn't get paid. The cast never got lunch breaks and I saw one person get Matt a subway sandwich but it's hard to eat and take photos etc. There were so many things wrong.

I look forward to them finding a better company and hopefully touring again.

Edited October 11 by debraran

[Blergh]

21 hours ago, debraran said:

I just watched that. Poor Dean having to be "limo driver" for them, from CT to PA and in one day. Before they got transportation or a bus.

I agree, the NBC local news was fine talking about it, but they left out people who spent WAY more than the 3 or 4 they talked too, came further and saved more to come to an event. They didn't have time to talk to vendors who didn't get paid. The cast never got lunch breaks and I saw one person get Matt a subway sandwich but it's hard to eat and take photos etc. There were so many things wrong.

I look forward to them finding a better company and hopefully touring again.

I agree with all the above.

However, I think it's possible that the cast and/or news  programs may have decided to hold back the . ..most extreme cases from the main narrative in order not to show all one's cards at once so as to be able to hold those in reserve in case the the questionable management attempted to downplay or discredit what has been presented.

 Still, I have to admit that it was brave of AA, Mr. Butler and Miss Bob to at least put forth as much as they did to minimize any misunderstandings that at least some of the show's fans may have had over what had happened.

 

[Blergh]

Did anyone else watch 'The Angry Heart' and wonder why, after her abusive husband's murder, Todd's mother Edna didn't relocate back to her nice parents's Walnut Grove abode? I mean, I fail to see why she opted to stay in a mean city tenement when it seemed obvious that they'd have happily welcomed her and their then-preteen son into their home! All I can think of is that Edna had false pride and didn't want to admit to them (or herself) that she couldn't make it on her own re raising her son until he himself became a hulking abusive teen. Of course, the question is how was she able to get him OUT of her home also went unanswered- and even when her parents realized that their once cute child grandson had morphed into a dangerous teen thus, they had nothing but sympathy for their daughter realizing that it was a virtual certainty that he HAD abused her the very same way he had beaten up his elderly grandfather for the having had the audacity to wake Todd early to help with the farm chores!

Yeah, I know there'd have been no story had Edna and Todd moved to Walnut Grove ASAP (and Todd likely would have emulated his kindly grandfather's character instead of his abusive male parent's character). Of course, since they ALSO seemed to have thought highly of their late son-in-law (and didn't give the slightest hint of having known of him being an abuser), it's likely that Edna had ALSO kept that a big secret from them.

[jason88cubs]

7 hours ago, Blergh said:

Did anyone else watch 'The Angry Heart' and wonder why, after her abusive husband's murder, Todd's mother Edna didn't relocate back to her nice parents's Walnut Grove abode? I mean, I fail to see why she opted to stay in a mean city tenement when it seemed obvious that they'd have happily welcomed her and their then-preteen son into their home! All I can think of is that Edna had false pride and didn't want to admit to them (or herself) that she couldn't make it on her own re raising her son until he himself became a hulking abusive teen. Of course, the question is how was she able to get him OUT of her home also went unanswered- and even when her parents realized that their once cute child grandson had morphed into a dangerous teen thus, they had nothing but sympathy for their daughter realizing that it was a virtual certainty that he HAD abused her the very same way he had beaten up his elderly grandfather for the having had the audacity to wake Todd early to help with the farm chores!

Yeah, I know there'd have been no story had Edna and Todd moved to Walnut Grove ASAP (and Todd likely would have emulated his kindly grandfather's character instead of his abusive male parent's character). Of course, since they ALSO seemed to have thought highly of their late son-in-law (and didn't give the slightest hint of having known of him being an abuser), it's likely that Edna had ALSO kept that a big secret from them.

Haven't seen that one in awhile but enjoy it

[debraran]

It always disturbs me that he was left in that environment and that Charles thought (or the writers) that he should love his dad. I don't think just being your bio dad you have to love someone who just caused you fear or hurting most of your life. He might miss those things and not know how to connect to anyone, but loving his Pa, feeling guilty, I think there was too much on that. He had a right to dislike his treatment which was most of what he got and no help from his mother later. Very sad story. Too many kids never have that connection which is very hard to get later. My sisters ex had 2 parents that drank and he wanted something different when he got married. In his case, he just couldn't be what he never saw or modeled. Many can I'm sure, but he wasn't a good husband or father and sadly at 19, my sister didn't see these things. His son had a lot of issues but ended up okay later in life.

I wish they had an update, just seeing the grandparents in mercantile and asking about him.

[jason88cubs]

4 hours ago, debraran said:

It always disturbs me that he was left in that environment and that Charles thought (or the writers) that he should love his dad. I don't think just being your bio dad you have to love someone who just caused you fear or hurting most of your life. He might miss those things and not know how to connect to anyone, but loving his Pa, feeling guilty, I think there was too much on that. He had a right to dislike his treatment which was most of what he got and no help from his mother later. Very sad story. Too many kids never have that connection which is very hard to get later. My sisters ex had 2 parents that drank and he wanted something different when he got married. In his case, he just couldn't be what he never saw or modeled. Many can I'm sure, but he wasn't a good husband or father and sadly at 19, my sister didn't see these things. His son had a lot of issues but ended up okay later in life.

I wish they had an update, just seeing the grandparents in mercantile and asking about him.

Agree. When Caroline said how can anyone hit a grandparent(which I agree) that was the norm for Todd. He was constantly beat so he beat people. Not using this as a excuse either but how CLOSE was he with his grandparents as well? Did he even really spend a lot of time with them before this event? If he hadn't seem them in forever or wasn;t use to them he's not going to have the same feelings towards them as they do him

 

Also how did his mom live in Chicago  after Todd's dad passed? how did she make money? Kind of like what @Blerghsaid. Why didn't she move to Walnut Grove??

[Blergh]

Yes, I agree that it was wrong for the show to insist that one HAD to 'love' even an unquestionably abusive DNA Donor- or one was irrefutably a malevolent sociopath(or at the very least an irredeemably bad person). I mean, the way this got depicted, it seemed as though the show was trying to make the case that if one STAYED 'unloving', then one would be doomed to become a male Lizzie Borden.

I also think agree that Caroline showed a bit of naivete in thinking that Todd would have had had the SAME bond with his grandfather as someone who'd have been raised by and/or known them their entire lives.  Although, it was unquestionably wrong for Todd to be ANYone up (including almost certainly his mother Edna) but especially an old, frail man who had (at most) verbally annoyed him rather than physically accosted him.  I suppose Edna may have thought that her TWO parents would somehow not be as easily overwhelmed by Todd as she had been solo but his grandmother was in no shape to begin to defend her abused husband much less herself against Todd (and I don't blame them for letting Charles try to see if he could be 'reasoned' with- much less being skittish being in Todd's presence thereafter).

I think it would have FAR healthier had Todd's breakdown consisted of him saying that he wished his male DNA Donor had been more like Charles or his maternal grandfather and he was sorry that the male DNA Donor had wasted his life having been an abuser instead of having even tried to love Todd  and Edna for how they were (and he was going to do all HE could to atone for his past abuse of Edna and his poor grandfather THEN strive to be a worthy person before he'd consider starting his own family). I also think it would have been better to try to  learn to let go of the angst over the past and not letting it spoil one's current life or future then work to consider an abuser with indifference rather than insist on forgiving them.

I also agree  that there should  had been some kind of 'update' on his poor grandparents even just having Harriet or Reverend Alden ask about Todd's status at the Mercantile or church would have worked (although I'd have preferred for the episode ending with him doing some good mea culpas re physical abuse of his grandfather and, at the very least, mental abuse of his mother).

 

 

[debraran]

2 hours ago, Blergh said:

Yes, I agree that it was wrong for the show to insist that one HAD to 'love' even an unquestionably abusive DNA Donor- or one was irrefutably a malevolent sociopath(or at the very least an irredeemably bad person). I mean, the way this got depicted, it seemed as though the show was trying to make the case that if one STAYED 'unloving', then one would be doomed to become a male Lizzie Borden.

I also think agree that Caroline showed a bit of naivete in thinking that Todd would have had had the SAME bond with his grandfather as someone who'd have been raised by and/or known them their entire lives.  Although, it was unquestionably wrong for Todd to be ANYone up (including almost certainly his mother Edna) but especially an old, frail man who had (at most) verbally annoyed him rather than physically accosted him.  I suppose Edna may have thought that her TWO parents would somehow not be as easily overwhelmed by Todd as she had been solo but his grandmother was in no shape to begin to defend her abused husband much less herself against Todd (and I don't blame them for letting Charles try to see if he could be 'reasoned' with- much less being skittish being in Todd's presence thereafter).

I think it would have FAR healthier had Todd's breakdown consisted of him saying that he wished his male DNA Donor had been more like Charles or his maternal grandfather and he was sorry that the male DNA Donor had wasted his life having been an abuser instead of having even tried to love Todd  and Edna for how they were (and he was going to do all HE could to atone for his past abuse of Edna and his poor grandfather THEN strive to be a worthy person before he'd consider starting his own family). I also think it would have been better to try to  learn to let go of the angst over the past and not letting it spoil one's current life or future then work to consider an abuser with indifference rather than insist on forgiving them.

I also agree  that there should  had been some kind of 'update' on his poor grandparents even just having Harriet or Reverend Alden ask about Todd's status at the Mercantile or church would have worked (although I'd have preferred for the episode ending with him doing some good mea culpas re physical abuse of his grandfather and, at the very least, mental abuse of his mother).

 

 

Yes, I agree and although it's "cheaper" for LHOP to just mention someone, seeing him with his grandparents one day and having them say he was helping with such and such would have been nice. But if not, just saying how much of a help he is being on the farm and how his mom is coming out, just something. I get why characters are not always continued but it makes it more real and warm and gives you feeling of community when they at least say something.

[jason88cubs]

This was a episode Charles wasn't struggling financially though. Paid the 10.00 for his watch and bought Todd a shirt lol

 

I looked it up. 10.00 back then (1870s?) is worth 240.00 today

Edited October 20 by jason88cubs

[Blergh]

On 10/20/2024 at 4:02 PM, jason88cubs said:

This was a episode Charles wasn't struggling financially though. Paid the 10.00 for his watch and bought Todd a shirt lol

 

I looked it up. 10.00 back then (1870s?) is worth 240.00 today

Maybe Charles used up his 'younger daughters' bedroom' mad money fund for those items.

[tearknee]

I don't envy TVU Carrie having to fulfil the role of nursemaid to The Crying One and Blondie in Iowa for *months* when Caroline got to come back to WG for the odd post-series TVM.

 

[debraran]

I just found out a channel on my smart tv (I don't have cable) has LHOP on 24 hours. I happened to catch Doctor's Lady. She was beautiful and definitely had in her contract, a better hair stylist and costume desisgner. ;)

I thought it was sad when Doc Baker said he never felt like this in his life, this alive, happy. He's not young and it wasn't "I haven't felt like that in a long time" I wonder why he never had any other love interest. Even Mr Edward's rough as he was, had 2 wives and a young blind girl who thought he was nice. He was a doctor, educated and pleasant and off the set, Karen said very popular with women. Just odd that he had one episode with a love interest and that's it.

I always wanted him to start to court Stanley's widow after time had passed....tv time a few episodes. : ) She was older mom and her husband died and it would be a ready made family and home

Edited October 23 by debraran

[Mr. Sparkle]

Roku TV? That's where I get all my Little House now. It takes about 8-1/2 days to go through the whole series including the movies. I was watching so much I had to take a week long break. 

[mustbeme]

I love Roku, I went so far as printing out the episode list in order, so I can plan my day watching Little house or Gunsmoke, by what episode is going to be on.

I watch almost all the early ones, and about season 4 I watch the ones I like and skip a lot of seasons 8 & 9, and I only watch the blow the town up movie and the pilot movie....

I have control of the TV in our office, Little House and Gunsmoke NEVER upset our walk in people.

[debraran]

8 hours ago, Mr. Sparkle said:

Roku TV? That's where I get all my Little House now. It takes about 8-1/2 days to go through the whole series including the movies. I was watching so much I had to take a week long break. 

I have Roku upstairs but a Samsung smart TV in my den.

[Blergh]

On 10/23/2024 at 5:02 AM, debraran said:

I just found out a channel on my smart tv (I don't have cable) has LHOP on 24 hours. I happened to catch Doctor's Lady. She was beautiful and definitely had in her contract, a better hair stylist and costume desisgner. ;)

I thought it was sad when Doc Baker said he never felt like this in his life, this alive, happy. He's not young and it wasn't "I haven't felt like that in a long time" I wonder why he never had any other love interest. Even Mr Edward's rough as he was, had 2 wives and a young blind girl who thought he was nice. He was a doctor, educated and pleasant and off the set, Karen said very popular with women. Just odd that he had one episode with a love interest and that's it.

I always wanted him to start to court Stanley's widow after time had passed....tv time a few episodes. : ) She was older mom and her husband died and it would be a ready made family and home

If nothing else, they sure picked a performer who could have passed for having been Harriet's niece!

I wonder if Doc Baker might have considered who his aunt-in-law would have been and that might have been at least a contributing factor re why he insisted on giving her up so she could be free to be courted by someone closer to her age?

[The Wild Sow]

On 10/23/2024 at 6:02 AM, debraran said:

He was a doctor, educated and pleasant and off the set, Karen said very popular with women. Just odd that he had one episode with a love interest and that's it.

Kevin Hagen was only 47 when that episode was filmed (but passed for at least 10 years older!) , and Anne Archer was 28.  Gee, a whole 19-year age difference! I guess Doc was supposed to be a bit older than Kevin's actual age?

Quote

On 10/23/2024 at 6:02 AM, debraran said:

I always wanted him to start to court Stanley's widow after time had passed....tv time a few episodes. : ) She was older mom and her husband died and it would be a ready made family and home

 

Aw, that was on this morning. That would have been nice.

[debraran]

3 hours ago, The Wild Sow said:

Kevin Hagen was only 47 when that episode was filmed (but passed for at least 10 years older!) , and Anne Archer was 28.  Gee, a whole 19-year age difference! I guess Doc was supposed to be a bit older than Kevin's actual age?

Aw, that was on this morning. That would have been nice.

People died younger then but Hanson was older than the doc but he was supposed to be 50 I think?  Funny Michael was 46 and Cindy 28 when they got together. He joked it was fine but not with his daughters on the show. My grandparents were 15 years apart so I didn't think it was that bad but he might have thought he wouldn't be growing old with her. In my grandparents life, he outlived her (97 when he died)

I always wondered how Stanley's wife got by although other widows did, it was realistically very hard with a child.

Edited October 25 by debraran

[Blergh]

One unexplained mystery re the Olesons: Harriet's cousin who wanted to adopt Alicia Sanderson solo was wealthy, Nels's cousin the widower with the young son who'd never learned how to swim was wealthy, Harriet's niece who Doc Baker courted appeared to have been wealthy.. ..so where WERE all these rich folks when the Olesons' store went belly up due to the monsoon ruining the farmland and the railroad playing games?

[tearknee]

The backstory changes constantly in pre-bringe era shows

[debraran]

One mystery I might have missed, not liking later shows as much as the earlier ones, is why Uncle Jeb after all the bragging of his money and how he could out lawyer them and “don’t take me on “etc. did he not offer money to Charles? He needed to move to dry climate and sell his house, and didn’t  offer a penny that I remember for the upkeep of James and Cassandra with a poor farmer who was living in a two bedroom home on the prairie. If I’m wrong and just don’t remember, please tell me . I remember them being so happy they could stay with the Ingles but a college fund or just a food fund as a gift is something I can’t see Charles and Carolyn turning down   He was their legal uncle. 
Is that why Charles was living high off the hog in the city working at a store? 

Edited October 26 by debraran

[tearknee]

Isn't Uncle Jed the one that cuddles and kisses Cassandra when Doc Baker has told him he has TB?

(Carrie will furtively hide her celebratory bottle of moonshine when the Doctor in Burr Oak tells the Ingalls that Cassandra has TB and won't last too long...]

[Blergh]

18 hours ago, tearknee said:

The backstory changes constantly in pre-bringe era shows

I don't disagree but ML had the capacity to stick with ONE narrative instead of hopscotching all over the map with clashing ones.

 

[tearknee]

On 9/30/2024 at 11:17 PM, Blergh said:

On a recent podcast with AA, Dean Butler and their faithful interviewer Pamela Bob, guest Tracie Savage ( 'Christy Kennedy') claimed and the others confirmed that SHE had been in the running for the role of Laura and was only one of two finalists before MG was selected. Miss Savage didn't originally believe she had come THAT close to the starring role (believing it to be solely an old wives tale that her own mother told her) but the others confirmed this. Thankfully, Miss Savage seemed to have long since made her peace with her brief time on LHOTP because she has had a different but a rather steady career path ever since.

Still, one wonders if she'd have given Laura same level  ofintensity MG did and/or if she'd gone through the motions in later seasons (had the show been still fated to last nine seasons).

Tracie/Christy Kennedy would have made a better Laura than MG -- especially in the later seasons where MG seems to have just walked off the set of Jaws the Revenge...

A Carrie/Grace/Cassandra focused post-series spin-off in Burr Oak might have had legs.

[tearknee]

If Grace Ingalls ever goes on a rampage about being stuck in that highchair almost to the end of her time on the series (though it was not as bad as Puddin' in "Leave it to Beaver" in a playpen at age 4), she might channel Ellie Creed 2019:

[jason88cubs]

Today would be a perfect LHOP episode.

 

Election day and couples aren't talking, families are feuding, the town is falling apart. All because people have different opinions on who should lead the country

 

Well Charles Ingalls is sick of it! When he went to the mercantile and felt the tension and saw someone get verbally abused for having a different opinion well "it made me long for the friendliness of this town, the reason why I settled here"

 

He rings the school bell bringing everyone to town, stands on the steps and gives a impassionate speech! ripping off his shirt as emotion comes over him!

 

"Joe, do you remember when Harry and Cal helped you with your roof!"

"Mary Ann, Do you remember when Suzie helped provide food for your family when you were hurt"

 

"No one cared who voted for who then! Well I think me and my family might just move on"

 

Charles walks as Hansen says "Charles wait1" the whole town comes running at him syaing hes right as everyone hugs and shakes hands and doesnt even care who won the election

 

Charles winks at camera and it ends

[Blergh]

Then Harriet comes out and says that the entire Walnut Grove populace has unanimously voted for Charles to put his shirt back on!😉

[tearknee]

Cassandra versus Nancy in a school mock election?

[Blergh]

31 minutes ago, tearknee said:

Cassandra versus Nancy in a school mock election?

Would the slogan be "Vote for Blah instead of . . .Witchy"?

[kav]

Did any of the episodes ever take place in November of election years and which seasons would have been election years?

 

Also do we have any idea if the real Charles Ingalls and Almanzo voted in elections?  Did any of the girls ever get to vote?

[Blergh]

12 minutes ago, kav said:

Did any of the episodes ever take place in November of election years and which seasons would have been election years?

 

Also do we have any idea if the real Charles Ingalls and Almanzo voted in elections?  Did any of the girls ever get to vote?

I don't recall any Presidential elections being depicted- just a mayoral race in which Harriet attempted to install Nels as a puppet mayor.

While all four Ingalls sisters DID live to see the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920,  I only recall Mrs. Wilder herself having expressed her POV re contemporary politics but I don't recall any documentation confirming whether any or all of them actually registered  then exercised their citizenship right to vote.

[tearknee]

11 hours ago, Blergh said:

Would the slogan be "Vote for Blah instead of . . .Witchy"?

Baby Bear's porridge verus Soylent Green?

6 hours ago, Blergh said:

I don't recall any Presidential elections being depicted- just a mayoral race in which Harriet attempted to install Nels as a puppet mayor.

While all four Ingalls sisters DID live to see the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920,  I only recall Mrs. Wilder herself having expressed her POV re contemporary politics but I don't recall any documentation confirming whether any or all of them actually registered  then exercised their citizenship right to vote.

Mary Ingalls only had two opportunities (1920 and 1924) and given her disabiility would have been much more likely to have been prevented from  being able to exercise it -- as with eugenics etc. it was more a matter of state practice not law.