Little House on the Prairie (1974)

Watchseries; The great Michael Landon spent his entire life as a part of the television generation. He has a career that span five consecutive decades from the late 1950's all the way until the early part of the 1990's. From 1959 when "Bonanza" came on the air,all the way through the mid-1980's with "Highway To Heaven",and the short-lived series "Us",there wasn't a single year that he did not have a series on the air. That is a record that will stand the test of time. Landon specialized in creating high quality family programming that made him one of the hardest working individuals in television. What made him so unique and successful in all the shows he produced and starred in,that the general public didn't realize that Michael Landon was very technical in what he did since he wrote,produced,and directed many of the episodes for "Bonanza","Little House On The Prairie",and "Highway To Heaven",not to mention his short lived series "Us". Its was here during his most successful show,"Little House On The Prairie",that he was not only the executive producer,but in charge of his own production company and the necessary means in which he had his own studio as well, Michael Landon Productions through the powers that be with TV executives over at NBC. "Little House On The Prairie",show audiences that Landon was way beyond his image as "Little" Joe Cartwright,for which he played for the 14 seasons that "Bonanza" ran on the air,and gave them new light into the character of Charles Ingalls,a strict but loving father who made a way out of no way to provide for his family during the times and struggles that went on the town of Walnut Grove. In about every episode it shows us how a strong loving family who stayed together and basically solved their problems with the love and understanding of one another through the hardships and trials that came their way,but made it through with hope and faith.

"Little House On The Prairie",had enough staying power for the nine and a half years that it ran on NBC-TV(1974-1983)and from there became one of the best family oriented shows of the 1970's,and it stayed that way throughout the remainder of the early-1980's. The series produced 203 episodes,and also developed a spin-off as well,"Father Murphy",which ran for three seasons. Not to mention three successful made for TV movies based on this series as well,from the premiere episode in 1974,to the fiery climax of the series in mid-1983. However,about the episodes,as one comment mentioned them as sweet and sappy as it was remembered,but in other terms it was a series that tackled some very disturbing issues that were relevant in its day while at the same time staying within the frame of the moralistic/family oriented genre. Some of it tackled even darker subjects,and this was a first in the family oriented dramas of the 1970's. But at the same time,it has some very touching moments. Also it had some classic episodes to boot too....Who remembers the episode were Laura Ingalls and Nelly Oleson duked it out against each other? But for most part,and as far as the characters were concerned,we got to see Melissa Gilbert's character of Laura transform during the series run from the development of a little girl to a beautiful woman,and it was during this series that she got married too. The chemistry between Michael Landon as Pa and Melissa Gilbert as Half Pint was perfect in every aspect and it shows in the Golde

The great Michael Landon spent his entire life as a part of the television generation. He has a career that span five consecutive decades from the late 1950's all the way until the early part of the 1990's. From 1959 when "Bonanza" came on the air,all the way through the mid-1980's with "Highway To Heaven",and the short-lived series "Us",there wasn't a single year that he did not have a series on the air. That is a record that will stand the test of time. Landon specialized in creating high quality family programming that made him one of the hardest working individuals in television. What made him so unique and successful in all the shows he produced and starred in,that the general public didn't realize that Michael Landon was very technical in what he did since he wrote,produced,and directed many of the episodes for "Bonanza","Little House On The Prairie",and "Highway To Heaven",not to mention his short lived series "Us". Its was here during his most successful show,"Little House On The Prairie",that he was not only the executive producer,but in charge of his own production company and the necessary means in which he had his own studio as well, Michael Landon Productions through the powers that be with TV executives over at NBC. "Little House On The Prairie",show audiences that Landon was way beyond his image as "Little" Joe Cartwright,for which he played for the 14 seasons that "Bonanza" ran on the air,and gave them new light into the character of Charles Ingalls,a strict but loving father who made a way out of no way to provide for his family during the times and struggles that went on the town of Walnut Grove. In about every episode it shows us how a strong loving family who stayed together and basically solved their problems with the love and understanding of one another through the hardships and trials that came their way,but made it through with hope and faith.

"Little House On The Prairie",had enough staying power for the nine and a half years that it ran on NBC-TV(1974-1983)and from there became one of the best family oriented shows of the 1970's,and it stayed that way throughout the remainder of the early-1980's. The series produced 203 episodes,and also developed a spin-off as well,"Father Murphy",which ran for three seasons. Not to mention three successful made for TV movies based on this series as well,from the premiere episode in 1974,to the fiery climax of the series in mid-1983. However,about the episodes,as one comment mentioned them as sweet and sappy as it was remembered,but in other terms it was a series that tackled some very disturbing issues that were relevant in its day while at the same time staying within the frame of the moralistic/family oriented genre. Some of it tackled even darker subjects,and this was a first in the family oriented dramas of the 1970's. But at the same time,it has some very touching moments. Also it had some classic episodes to boot too....Who remembers the episode were Laura Ingalls and Nelly Oleson duked it out against each other? But for most part,and as far as the characters were concerned,we got to see Melissa Gilbert's character of Laura transform during the series run from the development of a little girl to a beautiful woman,and it was during this series that she got married too. The chemistry between Michael Landon as Pa and Melissa Gilbert as Half Pint was perfect in every aspect and it shows in the Golde

Little House on the Prairie watchseries. I've also read the negative comments and I have none. I've noticed some of the things that were mentioned but so what? What's wrong with showing emotion and crying? What's the problem with bringing new characters on for just one episode? That's the way shows are done, which should be obvious to all adults by now - if they've watched at least, well.....*anything* in film. I've been part of filming many times and I can tell you honestly that Michael Landon would have been a dream to work with. Melissa Gilbert is a pro and I absolutely adore her work. She remains one of my favorite actors to this day. The rest of the players are priceless. I'm 41 now and I was growing up watching this show and I just wonder how in the world could a parent NOT want their child to watch something like that? I learned so much from the storylines, and they taught me the meaning of goodness and purity. Little House was the epitome of good. They brought to light many situations and the best solutions to them and in most cases no one was ever hurt(unless an emotional learning experience). And not even Jack drowned. :o) If you want a wholesome show that the family will love and will benefit from, this is it. Not even the Waltons can top this one, and I love that show. Overlook the discrepancies that were mentioned here and you won't be sorry you took the chance. I came here to post because I saw that the first season of Little House is coming out and I would love for others to benefit. I just wish they'd filmed it in the past 5 years so my son could've been part of it. :o)

I love that show,I grew up with it,I saw all the episodes about twenty times.Michael Landon was a marvelous man he knew the how to make the show works and to touch audience all over the world. The casting was perfect.The music was great,all the characters had their theme song. If only we could see more about the little house actors now because they were more talented than somme actors you get on television drama now.Mattew Laborteaux was a great actors especially in the episode I'll remember you and Fagin and who could ever forget Scottie Mc gregor and Alyson Amgrim as Hariet and Nelie Olson. My point is that THEY DONT DO SHOWS LIKE THIS ANYMORE and it's sad,they did try to copy it with Dr queen but still it wasn't the half as good. I am hoping one day of somme sort of a reunion even if I know that it wont be the samme as the great Michael Landon died and that many of the others actors did too.

Watching the T.V. show "little House on the Prarie" was, believe it or not, the main reason I got into reading the book series in the first place. I fell in love with the characters so much that I was encouraged by my father to read the books to find out what Laura Wilder and her family really went through. Ane over the years it has further encouraged me to become a writer myself. I have passed on the now family tradition of watching this show onto my own children in the hopes that they too will walk away even just a small amount of wisdom. The same wisdom that has helped my sister and I both to not only refuse drugs but to also follow the "golden rule" of "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."

A well-written show with some definite episodes within "genres" (broad comedies, moral choices, adventure, family values, religion). As far as a complete body of work, the seasons best hold together in the first four years, ending with "I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away" (you can believe that the family had faced issues and had to move as they moved previously, in the spirit of the books and the time period)...adding additional cast and bringing back characters afterward added some confusion and some continuity problems that are well documented. The last season of episodes and the last TV movies are often lambasted as not true to style, or by having substitute families, and while this is true to a point, the new characters often were used to tell similar stories.

I've watched almost every episode of Little House. I'll admit some of the episodes were meaningful and had a good plot, while others went completely off the wall and were completely random. Some of the flaws and annoyances in this television show, as most of you have probably noticed, are the "newcomers" to the small town of Walnut Grove who only appear in one episode and suddenly disappear and never are seen again in the town.. and Carrie's alien-like approach to things and acting weird and younger then what she really is. Other things the show could've done without is Michael Landon's constant rubbing of little children's hair at the drop of a hat and Laura's do-no-wrong attitude. On a scale of one to ten, ten being the best, I'd give Little House a 5. There are some episodes I'm fond of and some that make me nauseous. =)