Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[CountryGirl]

51 minutes ago, Prairie Rose said:

Did Charles's/ML's maniacal laughing jags bother anyone else? They always seemed to come out of nowhere and were so loud. Ugh. 

In a word?

Yes.

[Zella]

It didn't at first, but somewhere along the way, it started to remind me of something the villain does in a slasher movie. 

 

[jason88cubs]

6 hours ago, Prairie Rose said:

Did Charles's/ML's maniacal laughing jags bother anyone else? They always seemed to come out of nowhere and were so loud. Ugh. 

No I always laughed

 

Especially when they cut to him laughing in the Quarrel episode between Nels and Harriet when she dumped the eggs on his head

[BigBingerBro]

His manical laughing jags are like nails on a chalkboard for me.   It happened over time.  I guess binge-watching will do that.  I guess it's his "real" laughter and not acting?  I guess they thought it was quirky enough to leave in the show but man it grates after a while.

[Blergh]

2 hours ago, BigBingerBro said:

His manical laughing jags are like nails on a chalkboard for me.   It happened over time.  I guess binge-watching will do that.  I guess it's his "real" laughter and not acting?  I guess they thought it was quirky enough to leave in the show but man it grates after a while.

It seemed to match the 'after prank' guffaws in the blooper reels so I think it's at least close to the real thing.

 

 BTW, has anyone ever heard any explanation as to why Charles alone pronounced his wife's name as CaroLYNN while  everyone else on the show correctly called her 'CARE-oh-line'? Surely if ML believed everyone ELSE was wrong in the pronunciation of C-a-r-o-l-i-n-e, he'd have yelled 'cut' and have them redo their lines until they echoed Charles's way! 

[CountryGirl]

2 hours ago, Blergh said:

It seemed to match the 'after prank' guffaws in the blooper reels so I think it's at least close to the real thing.

 

 BTW, has anyone ever heard any explanation as to why Charles alone pronounced his wife's name as CaroLYNN while  everyone else on the show correctly called her 'CARE-oh-line'? Surely if ML believed everyone ELSE was wrong in the pronunciation of C-a-r-o-l-i-n-e, he'd have yelled 'cut' and have them redo their lines until they echoed Charles's way! 

ML couldn’t be bothered with pesky little details. Just like he made countless people, me included, mispronounce Al-MAN-zo’s name. 

[Katy M]

13 hours ago, Blergh said:

 BTW, has anyone ever heard any explanation as to why Charles alone pronounced his wife's name as CaroLYNN

I figured it was an endearment.

[jason88cubs]

I never noticed the name difference from Charles to everyone else hmmm

Edited May 11, 2022 by jason88cubs

[Prairie Rose]

Melissa Gilbert's new book dropped yesterday:

[ctlady]

Just saw The Third Miracle yesterday for the first time.  Other than sentimental reasons, I don't know why Ma would've kept Mary's glasses all these years.  Even if one of the other kids eyesight declined, the prescription may not be the same.

[Egg McMuffin]

Right. Plus, what the hell is she going to use them for? What was the excuse for a blind woman taking a pair of old glasses on a trip?

[Katy M]

14 hours ago, Egg McMuffin said:

Right. Plus, what the hell is she going to use them for? What was the excuse for a blind woman taking a pair of old glasses on a trip?

It was pretty contrived.  Caroline gave them to her because weird reasons.

[Egg McMuffin]

They should have just let Miss Pre-Plum be the one wearing glasses. The rest of the story could have played out the same way, and it would have made more sense.

[Blergh]

10 hours ago, Katy M said:

It was pretty contrived.  Caroline gave them to her because weird reasons.

Maybe to remind her that she and Charles likely had had to spend a year's worth of income on them- yet Mary hid them in a hollow log and pretended to 'lose' them just because she hated Nellie and Willie calling her 'four eyes'! 

[Egg McMuffin]

It’s really too bad they never did any spinoffs, because there was so much potential.

Little Store in the Big City. The adventures of Nellie and Perciville running the family store in New York, helped by their BFFs Adam and Mary.

Jezebel: The New Adventures of Whisper Country. Every week a new teacher arrives in Willow Run, and crazy-ass Miss Peel tries to drive her out.

Something Wilder. Manly divorces Beth and goes to live with his family: controlling Eliza Jane, flaky Royal and his wife, the bratty kids and Pearly White.

Monty and Edwards: Mismatched Edwards and Montague become roommates. And solve crimes.

Blind Spot. Hester Sue runs the Sleepy Eye School for the Blind, with the help of Houston LAMB and his two charges.

Edited May 22, 2022 by Egg McMuffin

[Mr. Sparkle]

29 minutes ago, Egg McMuffin said:

Little Store in the Big City. The adventures of Nellie and Perciville running the family store in New York, helped by their BFFs Adam and Mary.

I'd watch this one. 

[debraran]

13 hours ago, Superclam said:

I'd watch this one. 

I used to say this would be the best spin off except Steve got sick. Even if they did it with Nelly losing him at one point, it could have been a strong show with Melissa Sue and hubby etc.

[maggiemae]

Been binging for several weeks.

ML was indeed talented, but a nasty person.

Kept the money for raises for himself.

Yet on this series and the next he is all about morality, goodness, godliness, forgiveness, honesty, etc.

But was so greedy to deny adult or child actors on his show raises.

Not anything like he was on the series. Or his next.

[Blergh]

19 hours ago, maggiemae said:

Been binging for several weeks.

ML was indeed talented, but a nasty person.

Kept the money for raises for himself.

Yet on this series and the next he is all about morality, goodness, godliness, forgiveness, honesty, etc.

But was so greedy to deny adult or child actors on his show raises.

Not anything like he was on the series. Or his next.

It's interesting that Miss Gilbert considered him to be nothing less than a bona fide father figure (at least until the bond soured over her own mother siding with his 2nd ex wife against him courting and marrying his much younger 3rd wife). .. and Miss Arngrim believed that he treated her and the other minor performers with respect. Also, it seems he had a loyal crew that followed him from the Bonanza set to LHOTP all the way to Highway to Heaven.

However, it's a bit sad that Ketty Lester (Hester Sue Turhune) and Charlotte Stewart (Miss Eva Beadle) seemed to like and respect him as an employer and person while Karen Grassle (Caroline Ingalls) appears to have disliked  him in both capacities. 

However, ALL the above mentioned adoring and befriending Katherine MacGregor in their memoirs!

[debraran]

9 hours ago, Blergh said:

It's interesting that Miss Gilbert considered him to be nothing less than a bona fide father figure (at least until the bond soured over her own mother siding with his 2nd ex wife against him courting and marrying his much younger 3rd wife). .. and Miss Arngrim believed that he treated her and the other minor performers with respect. Also, it seems he had a loyal crew that followed him from the Bonanza set to LHOTP all the way to Highway to Heaven.

However, it's a bit sad that Ketty Lester (Hester Sue Turhune) and Charlotte Stewart (Miss Eva Beadle) seemed to like and respect him as an employer and person while Karen Grassle (Caroline Ingalls) appears to have disliked  him in both capacities. 

However, ALL the above mentioned adoring and befriending Katherine MacGregor in their memoirs!

How could you not love Katherine! She was ballsy and loving and strong willed. Richard Bull liked her but took on her telling him how to do a scene etc. A deep respect followed. She took on Michael often and I feel he knew she was not replaceable and put up with it but I believe she just didn't want to come back at the end. She had suggestions for scene changes and some he did. Her "peacock" line about him, still makes me laugh.  She got Hersha who really didn't like how a scene was going to ask him about changing it. She got her nerve up and he did change the lighting etc. but she never did it again, not having Katherine's chutzpah. ; ) Charlotte did say Michael hit on her but he was her boss and she said No. That is never a good thing. (he should know better) He moved on to another. I think Ketty especially then, was grateful for being on the show, getting to sing, etc. She didn't have as much time with him as others but in that world, you didn't bite the hand that fed you, even if you wanted more money.

[Blergh]

9 hours ago, debraran said:

How could you not love Katherine! She was ballsy and loving and strong willed. Richard Bull liked her but took on her telling him how to do a scene etc. A deep respect followed. She took on Michael often and I feel he knew she was not replaceable and put up with it but I believe she just didn't want to come back at the end. She had suggestions for scene changes and some he did. Her "peacock" line about him, still makes me laugh.  She got Hersha who really didn't like how a scene was going to ask him about changing it. She got her nerve up and he did change the lighting etc. but she never did it again, not having Katherine's chutzpah. ; ) Charlotte did say Michael hit on her but he was her boss and she said No. That is never a good thing. (he should know better) He moved on to another. I think Ketty especially then, was grateful for being on the show, getting to sing, etc. She didn't have as much time with him as others but in that world, you didn't bite the hand that fed you, even if you wanted more money.

Ironically, Miss Stewart didn't seem to feel the least miffed or put out by ML propositioning her since she said they were both single (though I question the timing) and he seemed perfectly happy to keep working with her after her evidently polite but firm decline whereas Miss Grassle seemed VERY annoyed re ML's resistance to her proposed raise despite the fact that, as per her bio, he did NOT ever attempt to proposition her (even though he made inappropriate comments and jokes in her presence).  Then, too, Miss Lester also wasn't propositioned by ML and he didn't seem to say or do anything that discomfited her (and she was NOT shy about dissing the nameless AD who DID proposition her despite her marital status).  Miss Lester and  Miss Stewart also seemed perfectly fine with their steady salaries (and, oddly enough, for all of the 2nd hand and/or postmortem disses that Miss MacGregor allegedly made about ML, NONE of them have claimed that she was upset with the salary he paid her). 

[debraran]

12 hours ago, Blergh said:

Ironically, Miss Stewart didn't seem to feel the least miffed or put out by ML propositioning her since she said they were both single (though I question the timing) and he seemed perfectly happy to keep working with her after her evidently polite but firm decline whereas Miss Grassle seemed VERY annoyed re ML's resistance to her proposed raise despite the fact that, as per her bio, he did NOT ever attempt to proposition her (even though he made inappropriate comments and jokes in her presence).  Then, too, Miss Lester also wasn't propositioned by ML and he didn't seem to say or do anything that discomfited her (and she was NOT shy about dissing the nameless AD who DID proposition her despite her marital status).  Miss Lester and  Miss Stewart also seemed perfectly fine with their steady salaries (and, oddly enough, for all of the 2nd hand and/or postmortem disses that Miss MacGregor allegedly made about ML, NONE of them have claimed that she was upset with the salary he paid her). 

No Doc Baker complained of no raise (and he was on a long time) and I think Richard Bull. Katherine seemed fine with things but we don't know what went on behind the scenes.

When was Mike single on the show and not with his girlfriend? He was dating her so to speak while he was married and he divorced Lynn to marry her which took a while. I hope it wasn't then because he was committed to her supposedly and she was pregnant.  Ah the life of Hollywood. Maybe that's why Charlotte liked Victor who was really single. He seemed like a nice guy overall too but had some bad habits that shortened his life. He brought so much comic relief to the show.

Edited May 31, 2022 by debraran

[jason88cubs]

woke up last week to A Christmas They Never Forgot, right at the part where Carrie wakes up Charles and they are all having a jolly good time, never mind they are snowed in for quite awhile

[Mr. Sparkle]

12 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

A Christmas They Never Forgot

I like that they took Almanzo's story from the book, but the "happy slave" narrative is hard to take. 

[debraran]

9 hours ago, Superclam said:

I like that they took Almanzo's story from the book, but the "happy slave" narrative is hard to take. 

Always hated that part too, used to FF if watching it on Amazon. Gag worthy.

The most honest scene he did was with Solomon but then Solomon finding a guy like Charles and Walnut Grove probably was not true but I'll buy it more than the "happy slave" trope. His 100 year question was timeless.

Edited May 31, 2022 by debraran

[jason88cubs]

11 hours ago, Superclam said:

I like that they took Almanzo's story from the book, but the "happy slave" narrative is hard to take. 

I cant tell ya the last time i saw the full epsiode

Edited June 1, 2022 by jason88cubs

[Mr. Sparkle]

10 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

I cant tell ya the last time i saw the full epsiode

I've seen it in the last 2 years, but only once. I either missed it, or it wasn't shown as often in my pandemic binge. 

[Blergh]

On 5/30/2022 at 5:11 PM, debraran said:

No Doc Baker complained of no raise (and he was on a long time) and I think Richard Bull. Katherine seemed fine with things but we don't know what went on behind the scenes. 

I wasn't saying that Miss Grassle was the ONLY regular who didn't consider the salaries to be sufficient. 

However, given the litany of complaints that the late Miss MacGregor supposedly had about ML, it's somewhat puzzling that even via those 2nd hand and/or postmortem sources, so far no one has claimed that she had any complaints about the salary.

[debraran]

7 hours ago, Blergh said:

I wasn't saying that Miss Grassle was the ONLY regular who didn't consider the salaries to be sufficient. 

However, given the litany of complaints that the late Miss MacGregor supposedly had about ML, it's somewhat puzzling that even via those 2nd hand and/or postmortem sources, so far no one has claimed that she had any complaints about the salary.

Yes, I wish now I never gave it away but Patrick Loubatiere interviewed her in  Prairie Memories years ago and Richard Bull and few others. It was extensive and I think many of my memories of her were from that. I found many interviews to be repetitive online or edited but she might have said something in that one. She seemed to be unlucky in love but smart in taking care of herself and I teared up with she met with Richard Bull's wife when he died to say they both had a great husband. The scene where she falls in the water on LHOP was one of her many ideas.

I know Richard Bull in that interview gave insight on Jonathan when others didn't touch it. He said he wasn't favored, ignored by mom, very smart, smartest kid on set, other compliments. Katherine was very honest and after a while I gave it to a LHOP fan.

[Blergh]

I agree that Miss MacGregor sounds as though she'd have been interesting and (mostly) fun to know if one had had reason to know her. She was such a live wire that, according to Miss Arngrim, she actually had her phone number listed in the LA directory . .and gabbed for HOURS with fans who'd call her about to talk about Mrs. Oleson,etc. 

It's too bad that her proposed autobio wound up never published and/or completed as she sounds as though she'd lived a rather unusual life (and I'm not just talking about her having become a Hindu as an adult). 

[debraran]

12 hours ago, Blergh said:

I agree that Miss MacGregor sounds as though she'd have been interesting and (mostly) fun to know if one had had reason to know her. She was such a live wire that, according to Miss Arngrim, she actually had her phone number listed in the LA directory . .and gabbed for HOURS with fans who'd call her about to talk about Mrs. Oleson,etc. 

It's too bad that her proposed autobio wound up never published and/or completed as she sounds as though she'd lived a rather unusual life (and I'm not just talking about her having become a Hindu as an adult). 

She always wrote fans back too, sometimes if they wanted a lot, she'd ask for a SASE since she wasn't rich, but would add a drawing or photo etc. Pretty cool of her. One fan wrote a list of questions and she wrote funny answers to each one. I wish I thought or knew how to do that back then. One fan though said she wrote she was 90 now and didn't believe it, so she still was doing it close to her death at 93. ; )

Edited June 2, 2022 by debraran

[Blergh]

I always thought it interesting how Hersha Parady got hooked up with LHOTP via her helping to care for a semi-stray dog that Miss MacGregor was also looking out for and meeting& befriending her. Although she had to have had enough talent to win the casting directors and ML over since I doubt they would have been eager to have given Miss MacGregor the satisfaction of casting one of her cronies.

I like how virtually every surviving cast member who has gone on record about anything to do with LHOTP has sung Miss MacGregor's praises as a person- especially those who played folks who Harriet clashed with! 

P.S. It's too bad Ruth Foster didn't go on record about  her POV of Miss MacGregor offcamera before her death since her character of Mrs. Foster was one of the very few Walnut Grove residents who didn't get flak from Harriet (even when  Mrs. Foster took advantage of the '100 percent off' sale)! 

[jason88cubs]

anyone owe boxset for dvd?

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'm strictly Amazon Prime for this show now. 

[jason88cubs]

On 6/14/2022 at 9:13 AM, Superclam said:

I'm strictly Amazon Prime for this show now. 

My local wal mart has the entire box collection for like 59 or 69 dollars

I keep debating on buying it

[Mr. Sparkle]

9 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

My local wal mart has the entire box collection for like 59 or 69 dollars

I keep debating on buying it

You can probably get it cheaper at Amazon. 

They should give you a discount for taking the 9th season. (And most of the 8th, honestly.)

[jason88cubs]

I saw "Someone please love me today" for  a later season episode, it's pretty good

[ctlady]

I always thought the blind children at the circus in Annabelle was cruel. The circus is more about seeing for entertainment than sound. Charles’ blow by blow description of everything is no replacement for visually witnessing it. And dang Grace crying throughout the entire thing. She should’ve been removed from the scene than keep her in there looking frightened with Carolyn trying to cheer her up

[debraran]

4 hours ago, ctlady said:

I always thought the blind children at the circus in Annabelle was cruel. The circus is more about seeing for entertainment than sound. Charles’ blow by blow description of everything is no replacement for visually witnessing it. And dang Grace crying throughout the entire thing. She should’ve been removed from the scene than keep her in there looking frightened with Carolyn trying to cheer her up

And you know it wasn't fake. Poor thing probably was tired. That was a silly show with Laura and Almanzo and the dress and the describing of the events. If they were deaf I could see it. I would be so scared if I couldn't see with the noise and commotion.

I didn't think having a "fat" person was ever nice  and the tall person was usually on stilts but showing that after all the cracks about Harriet's weight (when she wasn't heavy) and dieting etc. seemed shallow. Same with Mr Bevin's, the writers should learn their own lessons! You can make fun up to so many pounds. Oh yes, Elmer too.

Edited June 20, 2022 by debraran

[jird]

I'm surprised Michael Landon didn't just cast the Lucky Charms leprechaun to play all of the Irish characters on this show.

[Brn2bwild]

On 6/14/2022 at 7:13 AM, Superclam said:

I'm strictly Amazon Prime for this show now. 

You can watch the entire series on Peacock.  Only $5/month, a lot less than Amazon.

[Zella]

7 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

You can watch the entire series on Peacock.  Only $5/month, a lot less than Amazon.

It's entirely free on Amazon Prime, though, which isn't true of all of their offerings. So, if you already have Prime for things like shipping, it's a pretty good deal. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

It's entirely free on Amazon Prime, though, which isn't true of all of their offerings. So, if you already have Prime for things like shipping, it's a pretty good deal. 

That's what I do. I have Prime and I also have someone's borrowed Peacock account. I like Prime's interface better. I almost never watch Peacock. 

That said, I barely watch LH anymore after watching the entire series through about 10 times when I was working from home. I'm giving Charlie and the gang a break! 

[Egg McMuffin]

19 hours ago, Superclam said:

That's what I do. I have Prime and I also have someone's borrowed Peacock account. I like Prime's interface better. I almost never watch Peacock. 

That said, I barely watch LH anymore after watching the entire series through about 10 times when I was working from home. I'm giving Charlie and the gang a break! 

Terrible! Only if enough people watch can we prevent the blind school from burning down this time.

[Mr. Sparkle]

If we all chant "SHUT THE DOOR" at the screen, maybe Hester Sue will hear us. 

[jird]

On 6/27/2022 at 7:13 AM, Superclam said:

If we all chant "SHUT THE DOOR" at the screen, maybe Hester Sue will hear us. 

And "TAKE THE BABY" at Mary and Adam.

[Katy M]

7 hours ago, jird said:

And "TAKE THE BABY" at Mary and Adam.

Yeah.  I think Hester Sue takes way too much of the blame on this board.  Sure, maybe the fire spread faster from her leaving the door open. But, if Albert and his buddy hadn't started the fire in the first place, there would have been no fire, and if Mary and Adam had taken the baby, there would have been no casualties.

[Blergh]

Actually, I wish Adam Kendall had listened to those viewers who might have shouted at him 'TURN AROUND! Don't seek out  Mary Ingalls!' . Think of ALL the grief both of their lives would have been spared had they neither met the other!

[ctlady]

So after watching 'Thylvia' for the umteenth time yesterday, it just hit me that the actor who plays her father (Royal Dano) had also played Alice Garvey's estranged first husband in Crossed Connections

[Blergh]

9 hours ago, ctlady said:

So after watching 'Thylvia' for the umteenth time yesterday, it just hit me that the actor who plays her father (Royal Dano) had also played Alice Garvey's estranged first husband in Crossed Connections

So could he have baked Sylvia's presumed late mother? Oddly enough, they never actually spell out what had happened to the teen's mother. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't recall anyone doing more than implying that the older woman had died.