Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[Blergh]

Having Jonathan Gilbert  finding out his original name then legally changing his back to it after permanently splitting from his adoptive family is one of the few scenarios I can think of re him being able to have totally dropped off the radar for nearly forty years!

On a more lighthearted note, in that 'Stars in the House' podcast I saw they dug up and replayed a Japanese TV commercial for soft-dough packaged cookies called 'Country Ma'am' that featured a Japanese-dubbed Karen Grassle wearing a rather formal, Victorian high-necked tea outfit and apron ringing a dinner bell to contemporary (1970's)  evidently US-American kids in overalls to 'serve' the cookies. She related that it actually had been filmed in California near a real barn by the Japanese company. However, the Japanese film crew had found the grass so brown that they painstakingly PAINTED it a rather intense green so she and the rest of the cast had to wait for it to dry. What I liked the most about it was that she actually displayed a sense of humor about herself! I wish she had included that story (and similar stories) in her autobio!

 

[debraran]

20 hours ago, Blergh said:

Having Jonathan Gilbert  finding out his original name then legally changing his back to it after permanently splitting from his adoptive family is one of the few scenarios I can think of re him being able to have totally dropped off the radar for nearly forty years!

On a more lighthearted note, in that 'Stars in the House' podcast I saw they dug up and replayed a Japanese TV commercial for soft-dough packaged cookies called 'Country Ma'am' that featured a Japanese-dubbed Karen Grassle wearing a rather formal, Victorian high-necked tea outfit and apron ringing a dinner bell to contemporary (1970's)  evidently US-American kids in overalls to 'serve' the cookies. She related that it actually had been filmed in California near a real barn by the Japanese company. However, the Japanese film crew had found the grass so brown that they painstakingly PAINTED it a rather intense green so she and the rest of the cast had to wait for it to dry. What I liked the most about it was that she actually displayed a sense of humor about herself! I wish she had included that story (and similar stories) in her autobio!

 

I liked how she mentioned good things about Melissa Sue but I guess I lot was negative. I did see Kevin Hogan in a new light some characters being "always there" but seeing a new side of him.  Did she think the Gil Gerard thing was funny? I could have gone my lifetime without knowing thatl😜

I wonder how much, whether famous or not so famous, your book is changed by the editor. Put more of this in or that. I didn't mind her honesty about work, Melissa G and others didn't dispute it, but a little levity would have gone a long way. You don't want to read a memoir and feel sad or "blah" when done. The memoir I would have LOVED to read would have been Katherine's for sure. She was ballsy and honest and funny.

MSA book was a little boring but like reading scripts and seeing it through her eyes and I didn't wish I didn't read it. She admitted what she could remember and not and had a lot of class never putting down MG and Alison even though they did it to her. Even complimented Alison. She was honest about Michael and said she made up before he was sick and showed pics of her wedding with him. Her maturity in what she said, I felt a permanent 👍after that. Alison's was funny but she could have done without the putdowns. They were children then.

 

Edited February 7, 2023 by debraran

[Blergh]

FWIW, Bonnie Bartlett Daniels ( Grace Snider Edwards) has just written her own autobio Middle of the Rainbow: How a Wife, Mother, and Two-Time Emmy Winner Managed to Find Herself (2023). OK, it covers a surprising range of subjects including having endured rather dysfunctional parents and, for the first part of her union with William Daniels, a somewhat unconventional union of 71 years that barely survived the first ten years but has grown to be a genuine mutual  love match in their twilight time. Be warned that it does occasionally get a bit graphic in describing sexual assaults which  may be triggering for some readers and/or discomfiting to others. However, she does tell a rather compelling account and has met a very wide assortment of famous, infamous and otherwise memorable folks in her nine decades.

 Anyway, for this SubForum, she does have an entire chapter to LHOTP in which she said she enjoyed the cast and crew as well as the work. Oh, and she had befriended Miss MacGregor when they both performed in the 1950's soap Love of Life and had a great deal of fun catching up with her as well as performing with her in the more recent production! She was quite moved by Patricia Neal's determination and resolve after having survived a rather devastating series of strokes a few years before.  She also praised ML for listening to her suggestion on how to better light an emotional scene and implementing said suggestion despite adding an hour to the production time. Oh, and she enjoyed working with Victor French a great deal and was sad that when he amscrayed for Carter Country, she also was out  and never to return.  In any case, LHOTP seemed as though it had been a fun, rewarding interlude for her.

[debraran]

7 hours ago, Blergh said:

FWIW, Bonnie Bartlett Daniels ( Grace Snider Edwards) has just written her own autobio Middle of the Rainbow: How a Wife, Mother, and Two-Time Emmy Winner Managed to Find Herself (2023). OK, it covers a surprising range of subjects including having endured rather dysfunctional parents and, for the first part of her union with William Daniels, a somewhat unconventional union of 71 years that barely survived the first ten years but has grown to be a genuine mutual  love match in their twilight time. Be warned that it does occasionally get a bit graphic in describing sexual assaults which  may be triggering for some readers and/or discomfiting to others. However, she does tell a rather compelling account and has met a very wide assortment of famous, infamous and otherwise memorable folks in her nine decades.

 Anyway, for this SubForum, she does have an entire chapter to LHOTP in which she said she enjoyed the cast and crew as well as the work. Oh, and she had befriended Miss MacGregor when they both performed in the 1950's soap Love of Life and had a great deal of fun catching up with her as well as performing with her in the more recent production! She was quite moved by Patricia Neal's determination and resolve after having survived a rather devastating series of strokes a few years before.  She also praised ML for listening to her suggestion on how to better light an emotional scene and implementing said suggestion despite adding an hour to the production time. Oh, and she enjoyed working with Victor French a great deal and was sad that when he amscrayed for Carter Country, she also was out  and never to return.  In any case, LHOTP seemed as though it had been a fun, rewarding interlude for her.

I remember reading an interview where she talked of getting the gumption to talk to ML about changes from Katherine (who else?) : ) She said in her time, it was work and she was never the star of LHOP but I liked her and wished her time with Victor had been longer. I hated he had to lose family again. I think unless I'm blurring stories, but I thought Hersha had a moment of asking for a change too with Katherine helping her. Just a small thing but I guess he ran with an iron hand but had his moments. I think one of them said they never did it again though. lol  They also were friends. From interview:

Years later, while living in California, Hersha often used to look after a free-spirited dog named Lightening, who used to roam the streets of Hollywood. This is how Hersha came to meet and befriend actress Katherine "Scottie" MacGregor, who also looked out for the same dog! It was around that time that MacGregor was starring, as Harriet Oleson, in the television series Little House on the Prairie.

When Hersha starred in a play as Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, MacGregor and her Little House co-star Richard Bull came to see it. They were thoroughly impressed with Hersha's performance, and recommended her to the Little House casting director, as a possible new cast member. This recommendation led to Hersha being cast as a guest star (playing Michael Landon's sister-in-law) in one episode during the third season, before being cast as a regular player in the role of Merlin Olsen's wife, Alice Garvey, for Seasons 4 - 6.

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by debraran

[Blergh]

While it seems Miss Parady was friends with both the 'Olesons' (despite her character usually being annoyed by Harriet), I wonder how she got along with Merlin Olsen who played her husband?

 Well,since they both seemed to have been friends with Miss MacGregor, I imagine that she and Miss Bartlett might actually have enough in common to be friends (despite the fact that Grace and Alice were never to meet).

[Mr. Sparkle]

Randomly found this on Yahoo just now; I haven't even read it yet. It includes an interview with Thylvia herself!

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/untold-story-sylvia-most-wtf-140000274.html 

[debraran]

5 hours ago, Superclam said:

Randomly found this on Yahoo just now; I haven't even read it yet. It includes an interview with Thylvia herself!

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/untold-story-sylvia-most-wtf-140000274.html 

Thanks for that, I can see MG doing that, lol re the "not going to work out" But I don't believe it's a favorite of LHOP fans at all. It got good ratings because sadly, rape and things like that bring in viewers but it wasn't LHOP kind of stuff. He did it for ratings but deep down no one really wanted that, the true fans gravitate to the beginning which was about faith, love, and fake prairie living. Not clowns, rape, abuse and fires.

I would have rather seen Albert married than addicted and killed sort of but alas no input from fans. ; )

[CountryGirl]

The only good things that came out of that episode were:

(1). Ma putting Albert in his place when he tried to school her about his feelings of true wub: "And Don't Ever Raise Your Voice To Me While You Live In This House."

(2). It gave birth to one of the best forum names ever (TWOP), "Pa, Ma, and the Mime That Raped Sylvia."

[Blergh]

6 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

The only good things that came out of that episode were:

(1). Ma putting Albert in his place when he tried to school her about his feelings of true wub: "And Don't Ever Raise Your Voice To Me While You Live In This House."

(2). It gave birth to one of the best forum names ever (TWOP), "Pa, Ma, and the Mime That Raped Sylvia."

It was one of the most infamous NOT 'beloved' episodes,IMO! And I agree that it was GREAT seeing Caroline truly show her grit by insisting on respect from her still minor son instead of caving! It took a LOT to get Caroline's dander up and this likely had been the last straw of YEARS of Albert's taking her for granted despite her having kept him well-fed,clean-clothed,etc. .

One of the most cringeworthy revelations in the interview with Miss Barash was that they used the scene of Sylvia Webb's . . . disturbing male DNA Donor calling  Sylvia a 'whore' - for Miss Barash's audition!🤢 The only consolation to that was that she said that the colleague who played Mr. Webb(Royal Dano [1922-1994]) was actually quite nice to her offcamera.

Oh,and it turns out that she had been friends with both the Labortyeaux bros in school beforehand.

Oddly enough, she also claimed that she had at least been led to believe that Sylvia was intended to be a permanent regular character as Albert's wife but she believed that MG(of all folks) killed that arc and hastened Sylvia's demise. However, it's hard to believe that the show would have attempted much less pulled it off.

[Pirpana]

15 hours ago, Blergh said:

Oddly enough, she also claimed that she had at least been led to believe that Sylvia was intended to be a permanent regular character as Albert's wife but she believed that MG(of all folks) killed that arc and hastened Sylvia's demise. However, it's hard to believe that the show would have attempted much less pulled it off.

Yeah, and somehow it seems implausible that MG would have had that kind of power had ML (and others) wanted to go through with it.

[Blergh]

12 hours ago, Pirpana said:

Yeah, and somehow it seems implausible that MG would have had that kind of power had ML (and others) wanted to go through with it.

All I can think of is that, as per Miss Arngrim, MG evidently was the unofficial junior boss of all the minor performers  and perhaps Miss Barash might have made the leap that MG actually would have had the power to alter intended storylines.

Regardless, it does strain all credulity to think that the hostile, small-minded, victim-blaming/shaming Walnut Grove citizenry would have somehow done 180's to have welcomed a teenaged rape victim as Mrs. Albert Ingalls (to say nothing of all the above embracing her eventual child known to be sired by a rapist).

[Brn2bwild]

On 12/15/2022 at 2:31 AM, debraran said:

I found it odd but I guess not really, since LHOP is fiction on TV, that Harriet had a small store. Women didn't really run stores, they shopped more. From what little I read, factory work or teachers. I loved seeing her doing it, maybe she could have in small pockets of the world but can you imagine it? Women couldn't vote, had trouble with credit/banking

I found this interesting about women being lured into department stores, escaping home for a while to shop. https://www.history.com/news/how-19th-century-women-used-department-stores-to-gain-their-freedom

I am utterly shocked being born after this date, women couldn't have a bank account until 1960s? Good Lord, you go Harriet, own that store and we know she had bank acct. I'll take that fiction over many of the other unbelievable things on the show.

https://www.oneadvisorypartners.com/blog/the-history-of-women-and-money-in-the-united-states-in-honor-of-womens-history-month

I know more about British women's power than Americans' at that time, but femmes sole, or single women, had greater power to control their finances than married women, and did run their own shops here and there. A single womam of means was in a much better position than a married woman.  So it's not unprecedented that Harriet would have run her own shop before she married Nels.

[Blergh]

4 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

I know more about British women's power than Americans' at that time, but femmes sole, or single women, had greater power to control their finances than married women, and did run their own shops here and there. A single womam of means was in a much better position than a married woman.  So it's not unprecedented that Harriet would have run her own shop before she married Nels.

True but it was hardly typical or easy back then.

Moreover, as confirmed by that episode in which a women's suffrage campaigner appeared, any properties belonging to never-married, widowed or divorced women whether they had inherited them or earned them, by the contemporary laws,these would automatically become the SOLE properties of their new husbands upon the women getting married. IOW, the usually sympathetic Nels appeared to have been a fortune-hunter re Harriet's property at the start of their marriage (and Harriet was encouraging hithero unknown suitors to do the same to Nellie via gifting Nellie her 'very own hotel and restaurant' for a grad present).

Edited February 11, 2023 by Blergh

[debraran]

4 hours ago, Blergh said:

True but it was hardly typical or easy back then.

Moreover, as confirmed by that episode in which a women's suffrage campaigner appeared, any properties belonging to never-married, widowed or divorced women whether they had inherited them or earned them, by the contemporary laws,these would automatically become the SOLE properties of their new husbands upon the women getting married. IOW, the usually sympathetic Nels appeared to have been a fortune-hunter re Harriet's property at the start of their marriage (and Harriet was encouraging hithero unknown suitors to do the same to Nellie via gifting Nellie her 'very own hotel and restaurant' for a grad present).

That was sad since Nellie was very bright and could have gone to school to be a teacher or whatever women were allowed to do. Nel's did marry Harriet with shop but he was smart too and I'm sure at Princeton could have been secure in another profession. I didn't mind suspending reality for LHOP but they did gloss over how backward many things were then. As noted above, rape and babies and marrying would just be pure gossip and nastiness but shows like this usually clean it up with death. They treated Hester Sue very well although Joe Kagen had a harder time. Didn't Hester Sue go to mass but he had to be "voted in". Geez, how Christian of them. True but still. Hester Sue really had no issues working in "Mayberry "Walnut Grove. Caroline got more pay for working at restaurant than she ever would have gotten in any other job (not that it made it easy for the Ingall's) but women usually got the short end of the stick in most areas.

[Blergh]

I wonder why the Olesons didn't rename 'Caroline's Restaurant and Hotel' to 'Hester-Sue's. ..' after Miss Grassle's departure? I mean, they'd already changed the name from 'Nellie's' (at Percival's urging) to draw in more customers who preferred Ma's cooking to Nellie's (and kept that name even after Percival encouraged her to improve her culinary skills)..  Yet, once Caroline decamped for the mean city of Burr Oak [?!], wouldn't customers have wondered where she was and why the restaurant was still named for her? And Hester-Sue seemed to have had a strong customer base on her own! Also, neither Caroline nor Hester-Sue owned the building nor were related to Nellie or the Olesons who, evidently, kept managing if not having outrightly legally acquired the establishment after the Daltons/Cohens departure!

[methodwriter85]

On 2/10/2023 at 1:59 PM, Pirpana said:

Yeah, and somehow it seems implausible that MG would have had that kind of power had ML (and others) wanted to go through with it.

Melissa Gilbert clearly didn't want to be paired with a 25-year old dude (and frankly I don't blame her) but she had to do it anyway. I don't believe she had that kind of power. Michael Landon and 1970's/80's tv in general were very much of "you toe the line or you're easily replaced" cutthroat mindset.

As for Jonathan Gilbert, I hope he's doing well. It's sad he felt the need to totally break from everyone, but if it's what he had to do, it's what he had to do.

Quote

MSA book was a little boring but like reading scripts and seeing it through her eyes and I didn't wish I didn't read it. She admitted what she could remember and not and had a lot of class never putting down MG and Alison even though they did it to her. Even complimented Alison. She was honest about Michael and said she made up before he was sick and showed pics of her wedding with him. Her maturity in what she said, I felt a permanent 👍after that. Alison's was funny but she could have done without the putdowns. They were children then.

I mean, I haven't heard the best things about Melissa Sue Anderson but she does still look absolutely fabulous. 

I will say that I respect that she kind of just kept it matter of fact and didn't try to spice things up or "get back" at Alison Arngrim. (I mean, I loved "Confessions" but let's be honest, Alison dragged MSA through the mud in that.) 

Edited February 13, 2023 by methodwriter85

[Egg McMuffin]

On 2/11/2023 at 3:27 PM, Blergh said:

I wonder why the Olesons didn't rename 'Caroline's Restaurant and Hotel' to 'Hester-Sue's. ..' after Miss Grassle's departure?

What’s funny is the sign on top of the front porch still said Nellie’s, even after the restaurant and hotel was ostensibly renamed Caroline’s. Only sign painted in he window was changed to Caroline’s. So in the final season, neither of the two characters named in the signage were present on the show.

[debraran]

On 2/12/2023 at 5:12 PM, methodwriter85 said:

Melissa Gilbert clearly didn't want to be paired with a 25-year old dude (and frankly I don't blame her) but she had to do it anyway. I don't believe she had that kind of power. Michael Landon and 1970's/80's tv in general were very much of "you toe the line or you're easily replaced" cutthroat mindset.

As for Jonathan Gilbert, I hope he's doing well. It's sad he felt the need to totally break from everyone, but if it's what he had to do, it's what he had to do.

I mean, I haven't heard the best things about Melissa Sue Anderson but she does still look absolutely fabulous. 

I will say that I respect that she kind of just kept it matter of fact and didn't try to spice things up or "get back" at Alison Arngrim. (I mean, I loved "Confessions" but let's be honest, Alison dragged MSA through the mud in that.) 

I think Melissa was just more mature than the rest of the kids. At least that is what most adults said about her and some of the kids.  Her mom kept her underfoot. All the adults in interviews said nice things, when most didn't talk of the "kids". Richard Bull said that of Jonathan later on also. (he took a few more years) : ) I also think an unsaid thing by MG etc is that MSA was given an Emmy nod for her best performance on LHOP and Mike was so proud of her. MG was "star" and didn't get one. In that world, good chance that bothered her but not in her head. MSA said in her book, Alison was very shy when she came on the set and in time she warmed up and started being like she was now. She always knew she had a lot of talent etc. I think Melissa Sue did well after LHOP, has a beautiful family in Canada and even "jabs" at her not making an event (which is optional) didn't say she wasn't in state or that she had 3 kids etc. I'm not a "fan" but just don't like when people bully and if someone wont give it back, rises above it, they do it more. I didn't respect Alison for that even if she had no real dirt on her, but it sells books. I think demeaning someone is wrong though when they didn't do anything but not want to hang out with you or do things you were doing on the set.

Re the restaurant sign, I think it was fitting to put Hester Sue on window but I think even for Mike, pushing that an AA woman could have that much influence in that time, wasn't something he felt comfortable doing. She did run the place though. Although fans joke of her breaking into song all the time, she loved how Mike gave her avenue to sing since she had a beautiful voice and at the time, she had a steady job when they weren't always plentiful.

Edited February 14, 2023 by debraran

[methodwriter85]

Melissa Sue Anderson comes off as a quiet person who just didn't gibe with goofy kids, which is what Alison and Melissa Gilbert were. She came in, did her job, kept to herself, and went back home. That's the vibe I get from reading her book. It might not make her the warmest or nicest person in Earth, but I could respect that her work life and her personal life were kept pretty separate. I did think she did a fabulous job as the villain in the tv movie Midnight Offerings and it's kind of a shame her career petered out after about 1987. (She settled down and had a family.)

[methodwriter85]

On 1/22/2023 at 1:37 PM, debraran said:

Willie would have been even harder to see but Albert wasn't a country bumpkin, he lived in orphanages and on the street for a while.

That reminded me of the episode where Nancy runs away when Nellie visits and suddenly a girl who lived most of her life as an orphan didn't have a lick of street smarts. Michael really just wrote whatever the hell he wanted to write.

[jird]

Caught the end of Meet Me at thr Fair, and I forgot how much I love Mary's SUPER-DRAMATIC delivery of the line, "All you care about is your balloon!" 😄

[CountryGirl]

2 hours ago, jird said:

Caught the end of Meet Me at thr Fair, and I forgot how much I love Mary's SUPER-DRAMATIC delivery of the line, "All you care about is your balloon!" 😄

Oh whatever PrissPot, you were happily lapping up all of Cass’ flattery. 

[Blergh]

On 2/16/2023 at 5:56 PM, jird said:

Caught the end of Meet Me at thr Fair, and I forgot how much I love Mary's SUPER-DRAMATIC delivery of the line, "All you care about is your balloon!" 😄

Which had one of the biggest anachronistic goofs of the whole series:  As per the United States's Federal Aviation guidelines for  the past X number of decades, ALL aircraft flown in US airspace MUST display their registration number starting with N_______. OK, fine but  Cass's balloon had that number on full display at least 25 years before the Wright Brothers had even invented their airplane- never mind how long before the FAA's creation! LOL

Edited February 21, 2023 by Blergh

[CountryGirl]

Speaking of anachronistic goofs, that same episode has another oops!

When Patrick is hanging under the balloon trying to bring it back down with Carrie in it, tire tracks from the camera truck can clearly be seen in the grass.

[Blergh]

5 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Speaking of anachronistic goofs, that same episode has another oops!

When Patrick is hanging under the balloon trying to bring it back down with Carrie in it, tire tracks from the camera truck can clearly be seen in the grass.

One might give the tracks the benefit of the doubt via imagining that they're from very wide wagons with funny wheels.

However, I still don't get why no one thought to cover the balloon's FAA registration number with a banner,etc. for the duration of the filming. It's not as though they were planning to fly it to LAX with Carrie onboard!

[jason88cubs]

So after me and my girlfriend finish the show we are watching now I think I'm gonna have her watch LHOP and get her opinion on each episode

[Blergh]

3 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

So after me and my girlfriend finish the show we are watching now I think I'm gonna have her watch LHOP and get her opinion on each episode

Had she never seen the show before ? Regardless, that should be interesting (and if you want to share some of her insights, I for one would welcome them here).

[jason88cubs]

18 hours ago, Blergh said:

Had she never seen the show before ? Regardless, that should be interesting (and if you want to share some of her insights, I for one would welcome them here).

I think she has seen a few but not all of em lol

[jird]

Albert just burned down the blind school, and I will never ever stop being mad that everyone left the baby in a burning building.

Also, "Darkness is My Friend" was on before this, and all I can think is that they say darkness is their friend now, but next week darkness won't even be in the episode and they'll all have forgotten about darkness, like every other Ingalls friend.

[debraran]

I'm probably in the minority but I always wished Michael had Mary and Adam not have a baby they'd have a hard time bringing up without help but adopt one of the many kids, one who is blind, that don't have a parent. They would have a child already accustomed to not seeing and they can teach it the way they saw things. Instead he kept having her lose the baby in some way.  Then if he wrote them off, they can be living at a school somewhere and we wouldn't have miracle seeing and Mary without a plot.

I always thought a great sequel/special would have been Nellie and Percival and the twins in a city with Mary and Adam and others visit.

[jason88cubs]

Charlotte Stewart, along with some from The Waltons, will be visiting my town in April

 

Of course she's also in TREMORS, my favorite movie of all time so maybe I can ask her 1,000 questions about that

[andidante]

4 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

Charlotte Stewart, along with some from The Waltons, will be visiting my town in April

 

Of course she's also in TREMORS, my favorite movie of all time so maybe I can ask her 1,000 questions about that

I LOVE Tremors! It's one of my favorite movies. 

[Blergh]

16 hours ago, debraran said:

I'm probably in the minority but I always wished Michael had Mary and Adam not have a baby they'd have a hard time bringing up without help but adopt one of the many kids, one who is blind, that don't have a parent. They would have a child already accustomed to not seeing and they can teach it the way they saw things. Instead he kept having her lose the baby in some way.  Then if he wrote them off, they can be living at a school somewhere and we wouldn't have miracle seeing and Mary without a plot.

I always thought a great sequel/special would have been Nellie and Percival and the twins in a city with Mary and Adam and others visit.

Technically, I would agree with you (and, as I've said, it's odd that at no point does Charles or Nels ask how their respective daughters and sons-in-law are faring in New York nor pass their best regards to these previously known entities).

However, since Nellie and Percival/Isaac were essentially comic relief while Mary and Adam were . .. drama llamas (and I can think of only a single time Nellie and Adam had dialogue  and no time when Mary and Percival or Adam or Percival  had any) I guess ML  literally couldn't imagine the Dalton/Cohens and the Kendalls interacting with each other in a new city when they hadn't truly done so in Walnut Grove.

[kathyk24]

16 hours ago, debraran said:

I'm probably in the minority but I always wished Michael had Mary and Adam not have a baby they'd have a hard time bringing up without help but adopt one of the many kids, one who is blind, that don't have a parent. They would have a child already accustomed to not seeing and they can teach it the way they saw things. Instead he kept having her lose the baby in some way.  Then if he wrote them off, they can be living at a school somewhere and we wouldn't have miracle seeing and Mary without a plot.

I always thought a great sequel/special would have been Nellie and Percival and the twins in a city with Mary and Adam and others visit.

Mary shouldn't have been married and had a baby since the real Mary was single. Mary could have been a teacher at the state school for the blind.

[debraran]

7 hours ago, Blergh said:

Technically, I would agree with you (and, as I've said, it's odd that at no point does Charles or Nels ask how their respective daughters and sons-in-law are faring in New York nor pass their best regards to these previously known entities).

However, since Nellie and Percival/Isaac were essentially comic relief while Mary and Adam were . .. drama llamas (and I can think of only a single time Nellie and Adam had dialogue  and no time when Mary and Percival or Adam or Percival  had any) I guess ML  literally couldn't imagine the Dalton/Cohens and the Kendalls interacting with each other in a new city when they hadn't truly done so in Walnut Grove.

True but they could have, he chose to have some actors just not interact as much. Might have made less boring conversation.

I know especially today, you can have a lot of help being blind, but then to marry, to have both blind raising a seeing child since they both weren't born blind, seemed like just a vehicle back then, to make a few more episodes and sand storms. ; ) They acted like Mary was dumb in wondering how she would care for a child. (or children)

I know later, Steve was sick but then, even if Nellie was "mature" and married, she was still funny and they had chemistry. What a loss to give her a bad wig (never in short supply) and have her leave. Willie I liked, but his marriage was more boring except for the engagement. I never liked Laura married and really think it would have been fun to have them in some episodes. I still enjoy Percival episodes and the pig farmer and Nellie, hysterical. My sister not even a fan remembers that episode, "Make her a widow!!" lol

Mike didn't like specials or reunions, he thought it was a place to have fans see how old everyone got, but I thought a Thanksgiving were they all met in the city, you got to see how everyone was doing, not too many years later, would have been a ratings winner for sure.

 

[Egg McMuffin]

On 3/3/2023 at 5:12 AM, debraran said:

Mike didn't like specials or reunions, he thought it was a place to have fans see how old everyone got, but I thought a Thanksgiving were they all met in the city, you got to see how everyone was doing, not too many years later, would have been a ratings winner for sure.

 

That was very selfish of him! He could have taken a page from other series that did TV movies. How about Little House on the Prairie Goes to Paris, where Miss Beadle takes Laura, Mary, Nellie, and Willie to the City of Light on a student exchange program? Or perhaps A Very Ingalls Christmas, which focuses on the Ingalls family coming together for the holidays and dealing with their own personal problems (Adam and Mary can’t conceive, Zaldamo has lost his job, Charles gets trapped in a cave in and Caroline works a miracle with her voice).

Edited March 4, 2023 by Egg McMuffin

[jason88cubs]

Was talking to a few people and a guy said he didn't like "LHOP" and "Michael Landon annoyed him"

 

what the heck!

[Mr. Sparkle]

45 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

Was talking to a few people and a guy said he didn't like "LHOP" and "Michael Landon annoyed him"

 

what the heck!

Is their last name Oleson by any chance? 

[methodwriter85]

On 3/3/2023 at 11:21 PM, Egg McMuffin said:

That was very selfish of him! He could have taken a page from other series that did TV movies. How about Little House on the Prairie Goes to Paris, where Miss Beadle takes Laura, Mary, Nellie, and Willie to the City of Light on a student exchange program? Or perhaps A Very Ingalls Christmas, which focuses on the Ingalls family coming together for the holidays and dealing with their own personal problems (Adam and Mary can’t conceive, Zaldamo has lost his job, Charles gets trapped in a cave in and Caroline works a miracle with her voice).

I do legitimately think that Rose would have been the focus of a spinoff in the mid-90's if Michael Landon hadn't passed away in 1991. I could have see it being something akin to Road to Avonlea:

But like, with a lot more death and consumption. Little House has had a very good afterlife, enough that there were two separate mini-series. 

[jird]

So, the drunk driving episode is on (the one where Mr. Edwards gets all tanked and Albert falls off the wagon and jacks up his leg), and Doc Baker says, "I've given him morphine for the pain."

So now we know - Doc Baker is the one who started him down the road to drug addiction!

[Blergh]

2 hours ago, jird said:

So, the drunk driving episode is on (the one where Mr. Edwards gets all tanked and Albert falls off the wagon and jacks up his leg), and Doc Baker says, "I've given him morphine for the pain."

So now we know - Doc Baker is the one who started him down the road to drug addiction!

It also must be said that it never gets acknowledged that Albert likely had to deal with a great deal of pain for quite some time thereafter.

As much as I liked Isaiah, I didn't blame Charles one bit for initially ending the friendship after he'd nearly killed the latter's son due to drunk [wagon] driving!

OTOH, considering how much of a 'functional' alcoholic ML was behind the scenes that virtually all his surviving co-stars have attested to, it seems a bit hypocritical for Charles to have been such a fanatical teetotaller. I only hope that ML always had  others driving him back to his house after getting  looped on the set.

[debraran]

6 hours ago, Blergh said:

It also must be said that it never gets acknowledged that Albert likely had to deal with a great deal of pain for quite some time thereafter.

As much as I liked Isaiah, I didn't blame Charles one bit for initially ending the friendship after he'd nearly killed the latter's son due to drunk [wagon] driving!

OTOH, considering how much of a 'functional' alcoholic ML was behind the scenes that virtually all his surviving co-stars have attested to, it seems a bit hypocritical for Charles to have been such a fanatical teetotaller. I only hope that ML always had  others driving him back to his house after getting  looped on the set.

 A lot of stars indulged but even the kids caught on the "coffee" they drank wasn't coffee. It's kind of sad though that something controls you so much. Alcohol is one of those accepted drugs that people laugh about and say "I need a drink" but when you can't go a day without it, when you need it, no amount of fame or money makes an addiction better. He was honest in thinking it might have had to do with his cancer, that and smoking but people get pancreatic cancer all the time without those risk factors. That's why I learned young, no matter how glossy someone looks on a magazine cover, they are all suffer the same failings. It buys security but that's it.

Charles was against drinking on the show, he also had every young/old relationship end over and over again although he did the same thing off the set. I always wondered why, just because he thought it was right or just what he thought the viewers wanted. I know he did it out of anger but the worst comment he made (to me) about affair and marriage later to Cindy, was he once stated he believes Charles wouldn’t have stayed marriage to Caroline if the character had the option. According to People, Landon once stated he didn’t think the characters would’ve stayed together “except that it was a long way to the next house in those days.”

I'm sorry he had 3 marriages and many issues but some of them we bring to the table, it's not "marriage" it's our own demons.

I'm glad he did show marriages on the show could sustain and even when Caroline had Chris show her she was not invisible and Charles had his flirtation with women, they were loyal to each other.

[Egg McMuffin]

13 hours ago, jird said:

So, the drunk driving episode is on (the one where Mr. Edwards gets all tanked and Albert falls off the wagon and jacks up his leg), and Doc Baker says, "I've given him morphine for the pain."

So now we know - Doc Baker is the one who started him down the road to drug addiction!

LOL. And if Doc Baker prescribed it, it was morPHINE. The way he pronounces it always cracks me up, with the emphasis on the second syllable.

[Blergh]

On 3/10/2023 at 4:50 AM, debraran said:

 A lot of stars indulged but even the kids caught on the "coffee" they drank wasn't coffee. It's kind of sad though that something controls you so much. Alcohol is one of those accepted drugs that people laugh about and say "I need a drink" but when you can't go a day without it, when you need it, no amount of fame or money makes an addiction better. He was honest in thinking it might have had to do with his cancer, that and smoking but people get pancreatic cancer all the time without those risk factors. That's why I learned young, no matter how glossy someone looks on a magazine cover, they are all suffer the same failings. It buys security but that's it.

Charles was against drinking on the show, he also had every young/old relationship end over and over again although he did the same thing off the set. I always wondered why, just because he thought it was right or just what he thought the viewers wanted. I know he did it out of anger but the worst comment he made (to me) about affair and marriage later to Cindy, was he once stated he believes Charles wouldn’t have stayed marriage to Caroline if the character had the option. According to People, Landon once stated he didn’t think the characters would’ve stayed together “except that it was a long way to the next house in those days.”

I'm sorry he had 3 marriages and many issues but some of them we bring to the table, it's not "marriage" it's our own demons.

I'm glad he did show marriages on the show could sustain and even when Caroline had Chris show her she was not invisible and Charles had his flirtation with women, they were loyal to each other.

There have been adulterers and couples informally  but permanently separating from Time Immemorial even in places where folks lived far apart from each other.

However, by ALL accounts (including the recent exhaustive scholarly tomes), for all of RL Charles Ingalls's faults, flightiness and erratic income , he and Caroline Quiner Ingalls DID have a mutually faithful monogamous union.

I definitely believe that ML was trying to self-justify his having sabotaged his own [2nd]union via attempting to refuse to credit others for having had faithful unions despite the odds that have always existed!

[Mr. Sparkle]

Here's a nice interview with Alison Arngrim: 

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/little-house-on-the-prairie-anniversary-nellie-oleson-alison-arngrim-interview-130059620.html

[jason88cubs]

I'm 35 and I always find it amusing when I tell people i watch this show, or The Waltons, they cat surprised

 

I mean, it's a wholesome show that doesn't have sex, violence (besides the occasional rib breaking) and has some moments that really make ya think

[Zella]

I thought LHOTP was wholesome until I watched it. ;) The first few seasons are, but between the mime rape, Pa's broken ribs, the burning baby battering ram, and the phallic statue that heals Albert, there's a lot that makes me go "Hmm." LOL 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Zella

[debraran]

On 3/19/2023 at 8:56 PM, Superclam said:

Here's a nice interview with Alison Arngrim: 

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/little-house-on-the-prairie-anniversary-nellie-oleson-alison-arngrim-interview-130059620.html

Thanks for that, not too much new for me, but I didn't know they turned her down for some negotiation on her contract. Who wouldn't want a little time off but then I remembered Mike didn't want Karen doing a movie or TV show either and I think she lost one. it's not like most are in every episode or very long. Some short scenes of giving lunch boxes to family or asking for coffee could have been filmed ahead. Maybe it would have been much better (I can't watch most of later ones) if she stayed with a little incentive.

I'm glad she disliked the stuttering episode...lol, that was pretty awful. Laura should have owned up to taking the music box and I thought it was odd she ended up being "punished enough" for lying.

I don't think the show is a mystery for lasting so long. Fans delete the awful shows from their minds or watching and nothing beats the earlier ones for a break from the constant barrage of sex, violence, death and reality shows on TV/streaming.

 

[andidante]

3 hours ago, debraran said:

 

I'm glad she disliked the stuttering episode...lol, that was pretty awful. Laura should have owned up to taking the music box and I thought it was odd she ended up being "punished enough" for lying.

I

 

Laura never seemed to get punished for anything she did wrong. Pa seemed to think she was the best thing since sliced bread, LOL.

[CountryGirl]

The phallic monument actually healed James, not Albert. That and Pa’s manly beard. The things one remembers.