Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[Zella]

Almanzo in the show is no prize either. He gave me the creeps. 

[Egg McMuffin]

I’m glad she fell down because if she didn’t, then the theme song wouldn’t make that weird noise when she falls. Anyone ever notice that?

[jason88cubs]

I still don't understand how they had a restaurant. It's been awhile since I have watched but I can't imagine they got that much business especially in Walnut Grove

[Egg McMuffin]

A restaurant in a community of poor people - lol. I don’t know how Colonel Sanders thought that Walnut Grove could support a KFC.

[ctlady]

2 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

I still don't understand how they had a restaurant. It's been awhile since I have watched but I can't imagine they got that much business especially in Walnut Grove

I just thought that the other day while watching Oleson vs Oleson Harriett was trying to run the restaurant by herself with Caroline away gathering petitions.  AND a hotel.  I could see if WG was a tiny town adjacent to a big city with lots of attractions and sight seeing that would attract tourists to stay somewhere cozy, quiet and inexpensive.  But who actually VISITED WG that it warranted it's own restaurant and hotel?

The 3 most annoying moments that make me super punchy:

1.  "Elysssssssa!  Elyssssssa!   Elyssssssa!  Elysssssa!"  (The Godsister)

2)  Grace screaming bloody murder at the dinner table in Oleson vs Oleson

3) "My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  (oh Lord, I just lost count!)  (May We Make Them Proud2)

Runner up:  "I'm a woman.  A woman!!  (Back To School 2)

And....was Willie developmentally behind?  Or was it the many hours he spent in the corner that put him behind in his schoolin'?  While watching Times Are Changing, he towers over all the other kids the school when they're swimming at the lake.   I know there are multiple grades in that one room schoolhouse, but I thought Willie would've been graduated by now.  Isn't he around the same age in this episode that Nellie was in Back To School1 when she graduated?

[Zella]

It would have made more sense for it to be a boarding house that provided meals and lodging rather than a hotel or restaurant. But even then, it probably wouldn't have been considered truly respectable unless it had her parents living there too. 

[Snow Apple]

I also thought Willie was in school way too long and wondered about his age. Did we see or hear about Albert graduate? I assumed Albert and Willie were the same age.

Maybe the the restaurant earns money from bachelors who won't or can't cook? And maybe those working in town eat lunch there instead of bringing food from home? Restaurant food is fresher than a homemade sandwich made that morning (a sandwich with meat or butter is gross by lunchtime). No fridge or microwaves back then for leftover stew. But I can't see WG residents paying for restaurant food everyday. 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Snow Apple

[Zella]

45 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

Maybe the the restaurant earns money from bachelors who won't or can't cook? 

During this time period, that's why so many people lived in boarding houses--it provided household services like laundry and meals that someone living alone could not realistically do on their own and work since everything was so time-intensive--and why I think a boarding house makes way more sense than a hotel or restaurant. 

[jason88cubs]

58 minutes ago, Snow Apple said:

I also thought Willie was in school way too long and wondered about his age. Did we see or hear about Albert graduate? I assumed Albert and Willie were the same age.

Maybe the the restaurant earns money from bachelors who won't or can't cook? And maybe those working in town eat lunch there instead of bringing food from home? Restaurant food is fresher than a homemade sandwich made that morning (a sandwich with meat or butter is gross by lunchtime). No fridge or microwaves back then for leftover stew. But I can't see WG residents paying for restaurant food everyday. 

True about bachelor's.  Did it ever say what hours were or did they have a sign? I'd imagine they would be close during certain times of the day. Breakfast probably started around 5 or 6 back then?I could see them closing at 10:00 open 12:00 to 2:00 then dinner 5:00 to 7:00 maybe?

I wonder if they had shorter hours during winter too? I can't imagine people traveling to the restaurant on a cold winter night

[Egg McMuffin]

1 hour ago, Snow Apple said:

I also thought Willie was in school way too long and wondered about his age. Did we see or hear about Albert graduate? I assumed Albert and Willie were the same age.

I think they implied Willie had graduated when he got married in the last regular episode. As for Albert, he graduated to morPHINE and fatal disease syndrome.

58 minutes ago, Zella said:

During this time period, that's why so many people lived in boarding houses--it provided household services like laundry and meals that someone living alone could not realistically do on their own and work since everything was so time-intensive--and why I think a boarding house makes way more sense than a hotel or restaurant. 

That’s why Laura and Manly got into the boarding house biz. Which was a good idea, except that you’d have to live with that harpy.

[Mr. Sparkle]

3 hours ago, ctlady said:

The 3 most annoying moments that make me super punchy:

1.  "Elysssssssa!  Elyssssssa!   Elyssssssa!  Elysssssa!"  (The Godsister)

2)  Grace screaming bloody murder at the dinner table in Oleson vs Oleson

3) "My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  (oh Lord, I just lost count!)  (May We Make Them Proud2)

Runner up:  "I'm a woman.  A woman!!  (Back To School 2)

I humbly add: "I'm here!! I'm here!!" from the blind girl who was caught in the sand storm. 

[CountryGirl]

Can I add DripLip's ""I DIDN'T MEAN IT! I DIDN'T MEAN IT! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! AN ACCIDENT!!!!!" 

[debraran]

Karen Grassle posted she went to a fan expo in Nashville with Alison and Melissa G. Part of her message. Pic of little house is from fan who made it to show them.

Then I jetted over to Knoxville, Tennessee for the Fanboy Expo where I joined the delightful Melissa Gilbert and the fabulous Alison Arngrim for a mini-LHOP reunion. Below is a picture of the three of us. The staff and volunteers at Fanboy Expo were so great to us! We are so lucky with our fans who shower us with appreciation. So many were moved to tears that my helper, Jada, brought tissues and ran out! People came from as far away as Mississippi and Connecticut. I was amazed and humbled. My sincere thanks to all the fans and to Fanboy Expo.

Finally, I am sharing this on the website and on social media, but I wanted to let my Insiders know this news directly:

Change is part of life. The time for me to sign and send autographed photos and books by mail is coming to an end. After almost 50 years, I’m sure you can understand. My energy needs to go in other directions.

Requests for autographs, signed photos, signed books and bookplates received by mail after September 1st, 2022 will not be answered.

I so appreciate your understanding, and your loyalty to LHOP and to me over these nearly 50 years! The love of “Ma” and the positive responses to my memoir have been humbling and gratifying. Thank you!

From time to time, I will be doing appearances, which I will announce on my website. Please come if you can and I’ll be signing there and joyfully greeting my exceptional fans.

Edited August 12, 2022 by debraran

[jird]

On 8/11/2022 at 12:45 PM, ctlady said:

Runner up:  "I'm a woman.  A woman!!  (Back To School 2)

"AND I HATE ALL OF YOU!"

(And Jonathan in the background thinking, "What did I do?")

[Egg McMuffin]

On 8/11/2022 at 1:45 PM, ctlady said:

The 3 most annoying moments that make me super punchy:

1.  "Elysssssssa!  Elyssssssa!   Elyssssssa!  Elysssssa!"  (The Godsister)

2)  Grace screaming bloody murder at the dinner table in Oleson vs Oleson

3) "My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  My baby!  (oh Lord, I just lost count!)  (May We Make Them Proud2)

4) Albert crying “no, no, NO!!!” (and doing the TARA) when he found out Thylvia was pregnant. Was that because he didn’t do it, or because he did?

4) “Look upon the face of death, never feel your baby’s breath!” Oh wait, that was a Waltons.

[ctlady]

For anyone interested, the final 3 episodes of the series are on this morning from 9-noon on Hallmark

[Blergh]

15 hours ago, debraran said:

She did a lot of publicity for book which was tiring. The can't do autographs surprised me but it is free. Even Katherine if they sent a picture or something to sign, would ask for postage. I  didn't think Karen would get that many requests. I do respect her wishes though and she deserves to relax. I know she had surgery too.

Of course, what's rather sad is that Miss Grassle is getting (if not already gotten) to the state/age of needing as much income as possible to take care of her health yet having little disposable income beyond her LHOTP association (reunion tours and bio royalties).

[Mr. Sparkle]

29 minutes ago, ctlady said:

For anyone interested, the final 3 episodes of the series are on this morning from 9-noon on Hallmark

I don't hate that last one with Mr. Montague, but I'm glad that proposed spin-off never happened. 

[ctlady]

2 hours ago, Superclam said:

I don't hate that last one with Mr. Montague, but I'm glad that proposed spin-off never happened

I didn't know there was supposed to be a spin off.  It makes sense because they left so many open doors - esp about Mr. M.  It just.....ended.

Harriett was the worst in Shall I Have This Dance.  She cried at Nellie's wedding, dressed like it was a funeral for Willie's wedding and can't even go to the reception.  Had to make it all about her - and good ol' Nels didn't disappoint in coddling her and telling her it wasn't a mistake to marry her. UGH!

I was wondering why Rachel didn't start wearing her hair up after she got married.

And that infamous rust and teal dress Laura wore when she was 15 still fits as she wore it to the wedding

Matthew going back with his Pa was so contrived - and the change of heart was too fast for me to buy it

[Mr. Sparkle]

10 minutes ago, ctlady said:

I didn't know there was supposed to be a spin off.  It makes sense because they left so many open doors - esp about Mr. M.  It just.....ended.

Yeah, assuming wikipedia is correct:

"The spin-off’s finale episode, Hello and Goodbye, in which Laura and Almanzo finish renovating the late Mrs. Flannery's home into a boardinghouse and start to take in residents, was meant as a backdoor pilot for an entirely new spinoff alongside what was supposed to have been another few seasons of the original show.

Writer Sherwood Montague rounded out the ensemble and the show was supposed to have covered his attempts to bring sophistication to Walnut Grove, but low viewership led to cancellation of both the sequel show and the intended spinoff."

The very awful Bless All the Dear Children ties up some of the loose ends. Is Montague in Blow Up the Town? I don't remember and I certainly don't want to look. 

[Blergh]

Speaking of Mr. Montague, I was a bit appalled at how he flippantly told Mrs. Oleson that Nancy was set to commit suicide after he'd termed Nancy's composition 'drivel'! I'm by NO means a fan of Nancy and, yes, she deserved to have someone give her an honest opinion about her work rather than worship it(or her) . However, telling even a bratty child's mother that the child was ready to do herself in over said opinion  and leaving the mother in an alarmed state was NOT clever or funny and I was a bit appalled that it was treated strictly for laughs  on the show instead Mr. Montague either trying to encourage Nancy to work to improve her work or,at the very least, have had him advise Harriet to tell Nancy that he wasn't attacking HER  but just wanting her to try to improve her skills. BTW, Mr. Montague had had no knowledge of Nancy having attempted to have another child killed by getting the latter child trapped in the ice house.

[jird]

10 hours ago, Superclam said:

The very awful Bless All the Dear Children ties up some of the loose ends. Is Montague in Blow Up the Town? I don't remember and I certainly don't want to look

I think so. I have a memory of him and Almanzo fighting some of the Bad Guys, but can't remember where he was at the end.

[Egg McMuffin]

Wikipedia is notoriously unreliable. I don’t think Laura’s boarding house was supposed to be its own spinoff. Little House: A New Beginning was the spinoff. It only got folded into the LHOTP syndication package because it only lasted a season. I believe the boarding house setup was supposed to be a new setup for LHANB, season 2, because having the Carters fill in for the Ingalls and Laura with a reduced role was not working.

[Blergh]

2 hours ago, Egg McMuffin said:

Wikipedia is notoriously unreliable. I don’t think Laura’s boarding house was supposed to be its own spinoff. Little House: A New Beginning was the spinoff. It only got folded into the LHOTP syndication package because it only lasted a season. I believe the boarding house setup was supposed to be a new setup for LHANB, season 2, because having the Carters fill in for the Ingalls and Laura with a reduced role was not working.

The whole Grand Hotel on the Prairie featuring Messrs. Edwards and Montague as Laura's Odd Couple permanent residents (with Mr. Edwards evidently not being charged for board by Half-Pint out of sheer pity and sentimentality) and Willie &his new bride(the former she'd  only recently started being barely civil to) being the cooks and Manly, Jenny & Rose being. . . human wallpaper didn't work for the last regular episode and the lamentable post show TV movies so I doubt it would have worked as a 2nd season. BTW, what was supposed to have happened to the Wilder and Edwards farms while the onetime residents did nothing but hang out at the Grand Hotel? Did it occur to either of them to rent the land and houses to supplement their incomes or were they just supposed to forget the land they'd worked so hard to obtain and provide for their families with existed while they played house in the Grand Hotel?

[jason88cubs]

17 hours ago, Blergh said:

The whole Grand Hotel on the Prairie featuring Messrs. Edwards and Montague as Laura's Odd Couple permanent residents (with Mr. Edwards evidently not being charged for board by Half-Pint out of sheer pity and sentimentality) and Willie &his new bride(the former she'd  only recently started being barely civil to) being the cooks and Manly, Jenny & Rose being. . . human wallpaper didn't work for the last regular episode and the lamentable post show TV movies so I doubt it would have worked as a 2nd season. BTW, what was supposed to have happened to the Wilder and Edwards farms while the onetime residents did nothing but hang out at the Grand Hotel? Did it occur to either of them to rent the land and houses to supplement their incomes or were they just supposed to forget the land they'd worked so hard to obtain and provide for their families with existed while they played house in the Grand Hotel?

I don't think I have seen a single full episode of The New Beginning

[Mr. Sparkle]

17 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

I don't think I have seen a single full episode of The New Beginning

Lucky.

[jason88cubs]

On 8/14/2022 at 7:22 PM, Superclam said:

Lucky.

the most i have seen is the first 10-15 mins of the 1st episode tbh

[Mr. Sparkle]

2 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

the most i have seen is the first 10-15 mins of the 1st episode tbh

All jokes aside, some are better than others, but the season suffers without Charles & Caroline. I am not at all interested in the Carters. 

[jason88cubs]

"Christmas at Plum Creek" was on tonight. Love that episode

[debraran]

6 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

"Christmas at Plum Creek" was on tonight. Love that episode

If it wasn't for the horse gift, I'd love it to pieces. I really didn't like the contrived trade with Nel's at Laura's age etc. but loved the rest of it.

My fav is the Xmas in the first show with Mr Edwards. I even bought my young twins back when, a LHOP tin cup which came with penny and peppermint stick. ;)

Edited August 17, 2022 by debraran

[Mr. Sparkle]

10 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

"Christmas at Plum Creek" was on tonight. Love that episode

I agree, it's one of the better early episodes. 

[CountryGirl]

6 hours ago, Superclam said:

I agree, it's one of the better early episodes. 

The Bunny nonsense aside (because how dare your rip my heart out, alongside Laura's and all so unnecessary and it made me not like Nels), I loved the family working together to make the most of the holiday. 

Although the gold standard will always be the one in Kansas, although the looks between Ma and Mr. Ingalls almost set my screen ablaze. 

But keeping so close to the original book with the gifts and Laura's response to PrissPot saying she was going to save her peppermint stick, "Not me!" and crunch...just perfection.

[jason88cubs]

19 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

The Bunny nonsense aside (because how dare your rip my heart out, alongside Laura's and all so unnecessary and it made me not like Nels), I loved the family working together to make the most of the holiday. 

Although the gold standard will always be the one in Kansas, although the looks between Ma and Mr. Ingalls almost set my screen ablaze. 

But keeping so close to the original book with the gifts and Laura's response to PrissPot saying she was going to save her peppermint stick, "Not me!" and crunch...just perfection.

I always thought LHOP did a great job at really making it look like winter/cold in those type of episodes. Like you would see the characters walking in rubbing their hands, shivering. Small details

Edited August 18, 2022 by jason88cubs

[CountryGirl]

23 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I don't think anybody deserved to get smacked, but I liked both Mary and MSA better than Laura or MG.  I find that to be a largely unpopular opinion, but it's mine and I'm keeping it.

It might seem UO to cape for PrissPot but MG's acting really took a nose-dive when DB/Amanzo joined the cast. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

I can think of times where each of the kids deserved a kick in the rear. 

[jason88cubs]

5 minutes ago, Superclam said:

I can think of times where each of the kids deserved a kick in the rear. 

especially when the kids would sneak out at night

That had to be SUPER dangerous back then with all the wild animals and they didnt have flashlights and I'm sure they were not allowed to use matches (maybe they were allowed to though?")

I know that there's the episode they walked in the middle of the night to Oelson's Mercantile. I can't imagine how hard of a walk that would have been in the dark

[Zella]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

I don't think anybody deserved to get smacked, but I liked both Mary and MSA better than Laura or MG.  I find that to be a largely unpopular opinion, but it's mine and I'm keeping it.

I also liked Mary much better too as a general rule in the TV show. Laura often came across as a major brat. In the books, I liked Laura better. I think in general TV shows don't often know how to write someone as feisty without veering into obnoxious. Book Laura was spirited. Show Laura was often just insufferable. 

Edited August 18, 2022 by Zella

[jason88cubs]

In the show did they ever say how long Makato was from Walnut Grove? In real life it's 82 miles.

From what I have researched online you could go 20-30 miles a day with horse+buggy so your looking at a 2-3 day trip there, so also a 2-3 day trip back. Wow

Wow that really puts things into perspective on how long we have come.

[jird]

Look Back to Yesterday is on (and they're going to Mankato!), and I just realized that the Fatal Nosebleeds music sounds a lot like the fire music. Portents of doom, I guess.

[Egg McMuffin]

On 8/20/2022 at 6:05 AM, patriciahelenkit said:

Looks like Carrie and Alyssa's McDonalds franchise is up and running. Hope their shake machine works!

Colonel Sanders is gonna be pissed.

[jason88cubs]

Random question

When Charles would go to work, from memory he never took the horses+Wagon, he usually walked from what I saw

Would that have been normal back then? If you were going to be gone a extended time , and not be THAT far away would you just keep the horses at home?

I understand when the family would go to Walnut Grove why they would take it but why not to work?

[BigBingerBro]

25 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

but why not to work?

He would have had to stable and water the team while he was at work and I doubt that was free.  It was probably all down to $$$  When the family went to "town" for church or shopping, they didn't stay so long that the horses needed care.

[Egg McMuffin]

Also, Ma needed the team so she could go gallivanting around town while Pa was at work.

[debraran]

7 hours ago, Egg McMuffin said:

Also, Ma needed the team so she could go gallivanting around town while Pa was at work.

Yes, she didn't always have Chris. ; )

[ctlady]

Watching There’s No Place Like Home 2   Why didn’t Charles give Albert Carrie’s sleeping area and have Carrie and Laura room together in the loft?  It was terribly awkward to have Laura and Albert up there with a blanket curtain to give them privacy. What was Charles thinking?

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, ctlady said:

Watching There’s No Place Like Home 2   Why didn’t Charles give Albert Carrie’s sleeping area and have Carrie and Laura room together in the loft?  It was terribly awkward to have Laura and Albert up there with a blanket curtain to give them privacy. What was Charles thinking?

Likely Charles (and maybe Caroline) was thinking that Albert was old enough (and smart enough) to know what would have  been REALLY going on in the parental bed just feet away from Carrie's former sleeping area (unlike Carrie who at least was smart enough not to let them THINK she knew what was going on). .and maybe Grace would have gotten more cranky.

AND perhaps Laura didn't want to have to try to make small talk with Carrie up in the loft so maybe she had insisted on Albert behind the curtain instead!

[jird]

Our youngest kid moved out (well, to college, so only sorta), so I told my spouse that now we have to go to Mankato and adopt a psychopath.

[Egg McMuffin]

Make sure you slap a wig on the new child and pretend that they are a near-twin of the old one, even though they look nothing alike.

[debraran]

15 minutes ago, Egg McMuffin said:

Make sure you slap a wig on the new child and pretend that they are a near-twin of the old one, even though they look nothing alike.

It was bad enough, Walnut Grove had alcoholics and bigots and rapists, they had to bring a young woman, a child on the show, with NO empathy, no feelings, willing to kill someone to get her way, kill an animal, lie constantly, it was so beyond LHOP, it broke my heart. It was the nail in the coffin for me.  They never once gave her a do over, the "mermaid" episode might have but it didn't. 

After meeting Nancy, I'll take the mean, cold, noisy city over WG any day. ; )

[CountryGirl]

What I will never understand is ML’s disdain for the books and saying you couldn’t make a series out of them. 

I can think of so many examples and wasted opportunities, just off the top of my head. 

From LHITBW:

Dance at Grandma’s where Laura Ingalls Sr bests youngest son, George, at a dance-off and we get to meet the Ingalls extended clan. The Christmas chapter where Laura gets Charlotte. Laura getting punished for slapping Mary over boasting that aunt Lottie prefers blond hair.

LHOTP - the whole book was full of drama and granted, the TV pilot followed it as closely as the show ever would, but it could have easily been a full season.

OTBOPC - the Laura/Nellie rivalry (Town Party/Country Party came close but the Olga plot wasn’t needed). The grasshopper plague. The Christmas where Nellie had no muff LOL. Laura almost drowning in Plum Creek. Pa being trapped in a blizzard.

BTSOSL - Charles Jr’s birth (I know, not technically in the original series, Grace’s birth and Mary going blind. Laura and Lena’s friendship. Leaving Minnesota for the Dakota Territory. Grace being thought lost on the prairie.

TLW - like LHOTP, the entire book was made of drama, danger, and excitement. Hello, Cap and Almanzo risking their lives to go after the wheat to keep the town from starving.

LTOTP - Mary going away to school and Carrie helping to fill that void. Laura’s friendships with Mary, Minnie, and Ida. The return of Nellie Olesen. Laura’s crushes on Cap and Ben. The drama gold with her and Eliza Jane and “I’ll rock that desk, Miss Wilder!” Laura and Ida’s history recitation and Almanzo asking to see Laura home.

THGY - Laura and Almanzo’s relationship done right. Laura’s nightmare guest teaching job with crazy Mrs. Brewster. The clothing and accessories porn vs the same tired red-brown dress. Mary’s return. Laura and Almanzo’s wedding.

You get the idea.