A LITTLE HOUSE MIRROR ON YOU
I’m considering a new project and I’d really like your involvment. If you are so inclined take a few moments and tell me how old you were and what was happening in your lives when you discovered Little House on the Prairie and what was it about your life experiences and aspirations that bonded you to our program. From what I’ve experienced over nearly thirty years it seems to me that the connection to our show profoundly of the heart and spirit…I’d like to know, from your perspectives, if that’s really true.I look forward to hearing from you.Dean
November 24th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Dean,
Your new project sounds very intriguing and I would very much like to participate
My first exposure to Laura’s books was in early 1974 through my third grade teacher reading Little House on the Prairie in class. I loved the book so much that I went into my school’s library and check out Farmer Boy. I was confused at first because it wasn’t a story about Laura, but loved the book nevertheless. I continued to read all the books during my summer vacation, just in time for the debut of the TV series that fall…funny enough it actually debuted on my tenth birthday, so I felt that it was like getting a really special birthday gift.
I think what bonded me the most about the books was that I felt a kind of kinship with Laura and the overall moral character about the books. I felt like I understood Laura and probably would do the same things that she did, whether it be rocking the desk in school, as told in Little Town on the Prairie to showing off her own fur cape to Nellie Oleson in On The Banks of Plum Creek. The books (as well as the show) reflected good values, especially taking responsibility for one’s actions and the spirit of working hard to get ahead, both of which, I believe, is slowly going away in today’s society. My family were not American pioneers, but immigrants to the United States, and I knew how hard the previous generations worked so that the next could have better lives.
I hope this is helpful and I would be willing to participate more if needed.
Thanks
Lynne
November 24th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Hi, my name is Martha, 51 years old (two months older than you, Dean!). I am from Vienna/Austria.
I really can’t remember when Little House On The Prairie (in german: Unsere Kleine Farm) actually started on Austrian TV, but I certainly remember, that I loved it from the first moment.
I have to be honest: at first I watched it because of Michael Landon, as I was in love with him as Little Joe since I was twelve years old. When he returned as Charles Ingalls I was delighted. Of course Charles was very different from Little Joe, but the value of the series was the same: the family love, the loyalty to each other, the one-for-all-all-for-one-attitude. I found very much of myself in Laura, because when I was a kid I was a tomboy, too, we played cowboys and indians and I was the chief. And I was especially fond of the relationship between Laura and her father. There’s a special love between them and everytime I hear him calling her halfpint, I mean how he says it, it makes me melt like butter in the sun.
I watched the series also because of the actors and the characters, they play. First in the line was Michael, but I loved to see Karen Grassle and the two Melissas, too, and Richard Bull and Kevin Hagen and Jonathan Gilbert and Victor French and Katherine McGregor and so on. There was one new actor, who appeared in the middle of the series, season 6, I guess. He came as Laura’s future husband Almanzo Wilder. Could be, you know him, his name is Dean Butler, a cute guy by the way. He took his place in my heart right behind Michael.
I lost Little House out of sight for many years then and discovered it again a year ago. I bought the Imavision dvds and started watching and could not stop watching and discovered – nothing has changed, my feelings for this lovely series, its characters, its actors, its value, are the same as twenty years ago. It is that simple – I love it.
There is something about the relationship between Laura and Almanzo, before they are engaged, I want to say. Every time Almanzo says something like “just a little girl” and “it gives me a chance to give Barnum a workout” I want to take him and shake him and shout at him “wrong, very wrong, how can you say this to her, don’t you know you are hurting her feelings.” Men… a woman never could be so insensible.
I am looking forward to the new Imavision release next year and “Remembering The Last Farewell”. I can’t get enough of Little House and the message of love and understanding it gives us.
Martha
November 24th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Hi, here is Martha again.
I forgot to mention, that I never read the books. I only know the TV series.
Love to you all.
Martha
November 24th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
What an exciting project! I’ll be sure to promote it at my blog and the LHOP forums I belong to.
I began watching Little House as a young girl. The first episode I remember watching when the show originaly aired was “Country Girls”, so I’ve been a fan for while. I believe the reason I connected so much to Little House was because my childhood was not the best growing up, but Ma and Pa were these wonderful, kind parents who always dished out advice and discipline with tons of love and understanding. The show continued and some of the townsfolk of Walnut Grove moved away, but Pa and Ma stayed the same; their expressions of anger were few, but the outpouring of love and understanding never ceased. I wanted to be a part of their family.
The same things that attracted me to Little House in the beginning are the reasons I still love it today. Now, I am the parent, and I want to provide my children with a loving environment to grow up in so that when it is time for them to spread their wings and fly, they have a strong foundation to jump from.
I didn’t read the books until I was an adult and now I want to devour everything written by and about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family. I would even love to tackle a few of my own writing projects about Laura. She lived through so many changes in America that it would be interesting to see her perspective of life today. Her books are an invaluable resource for what life was like during the pioneering era.
Thanks for giving us a way to express our love for Little House and Laura’s books. I wish you much success with this project.
Cheryl
November 24th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
hello Dean,
I would love to help you with your project .
I was around 12 years of age when I used to watch little house on the prairie oh I’m going back 30 years doesn’t time just fly by!
I live in the United Kingdom ,and little house on the prairie was shown on a sunday evening, I couldn’t wait for it to come on , I used to visit my grandmother on a sunday typically english and we used to sit around a black and white television and watch it together. my parents where divorced when I was 6 and I was an only child ,so house on the prairie used to take me to another world where I could imagine being there in all honesty I was probably jealous of laura with her happy family . we lived in a populated area on the outskirts of Newcasle Upon Tyne where you had to take a long journey to get to anywhere remotely like walnut grove.
I had never experienced living like that at all, Laura’s life to me was filled with love and although the family were poor and not materialistic , her childhood was spent in a great community with people who really cared about one another , god fearing people with a great sense of right and wrong ,helping their neighbours, with strong moral values, they lived through good times and bad and what came over to the viewer was they always got through it no matter what , some of the episodes made me cry they were so sad but they always carried on they were very strong people and it all seemed to work out ok in the end.
the series had an enormous impact on my life I felt that when I grew up I would strive to have a life in the sticks , and so now 30 years on we live in an old farmhouse and barn in the lake district national park where we have land streams and waterfalls, a few herdwick sheep and a miniature mediteranean donkey, my children live a life as close to that place I used to go in my imagination 30 years ago, they get taught at home and spend their days in the fields , playing in the woods , and fishing in the streams.
my son is 7 and you guessed it I called him Almanzo he loves his name you never hear it in England, he is a constant reminder of my days watching little house on the prairie with my mother and my grandmother, and when I watch him and his sister running through the fields I can hear the theme tune to the show running through my head it makes me smile, it’s in my heart forever.
best wishes Amanda.
November 25th, 2007 at 8:42 am
Hello,
I came into the show in the later years due to my age, but I can remember looking forward to it every week. I think the reason I appreciate the show so much is b/c when I was little and watched it, it represented a carefree, worry free time in my life. The only important thing to me then, was looking forward to Little House each week. As a little kid, your innocent, ignorant to the world around you. Life was simple to me. In some way, I could probably have identified with the show b/c although life on the prairie wasn’t worry free, it was much simpler than life now. As I watched the show, I can remember wanting to be in it and living the stories I saw each week. It allowed my imagination to run free.
I love the show b/c it is a representation of my childhood, worry free and simple times. Anything that reminds me of that, is something wonderful in my book.
Good Luck on your project Dean. I think it’s a wonderful idea.
Jenny
November 25th, 2007 at 11:19 am
I am about to turn 33 and have loved Little House on the Prarie for as long as I can remember. I used to dress up like Laura and Mary for Halloween, pretend play that I was the girls and watch the show every chance I could get. Now, I have the entire collection on dvd, and still cry when I watch certain episodes. You would think after watching them so much the emotionalism of the show would die, but it doesn’t - I still smile, laugh, cry every single time. I regularly check out websites on the net associated with the show. I would love to go back in time and live in that era where everything just seems simpler, and more family oriented. Thank you Dean for being part of what has been for me a huge part of my life.
Michelle
November 25th, 2007 at 11:52 am
Hey Dean,
I like most of the other women here on your blog was attracted to Little House at a young age. I watched the TV show from it’s beginning back in “74″ which would have made me 13. I enjoyed NBC’s Little House so much that it alone got me interested in reading the books.
My childhood was different, yet similar to the previous posts I’ve read. My father was a 20 year veteran in the United States Army and as a young child/teen we did a lot of traveling. All this traveling made me quite a shy child (my friends now find this hard to believe…lol) and friends in my life were only around for a year or two before Dad got his orders to be stationed somewhere else. I’ve attended and I kid you not, at least a dozen different grade schools, three junior high schools and one high school.
Little House to me, was a world I could escape to for at least a little while. It was the one constant in my life that wasn’t changing and watching that one hour program brought me balance. I could relate to Laura and her families constant travels of moving further west. Their life changed on a year to year basis just like mine was evolving.
Me being the oldest girl in our family (5 children) I was relied upon to help with my smaller siblings. My mother, bless her heart worked all her life at the varioius army base to which we were stationed. We were not a wealthy family but never seemed to go without what we needed. I know my mother would have loved to have stayed home to take care of us kids but having 5 mouths to feed and support left finances tight. My responsibilities as a young teen was taking care of my family when I got home from school. I had to start supper, do laundry and watch the little ones until my mother got home which was usually about two hours after me.
In my youth to escape this adult world that I was thrusted in, I turned to playing sports to get me out of the house and to just allow me to be a kid again. Yep I became a tomboy just like Laura. I loved climbing trees with my brothers and their friends and I wasn’t afraid of much of anything, but don’t dangle spider in front of me today unless you want to see me scream and run in the opposite direction.
Little House helped me stay grounded and strong. It made me see that there were other families like mine that weren’t able to afford the finer things in life. Although it was only a TV show, I knew from reading the books the facts and storyline of the TV show was based mostly upon the real life struggles of the Ingalls family.
It’s funny, I hadn’t given it much thought about how similar my life was to that of Laura’s until I started typing this down for you and it just flowed from my fingertips. Wow… looking back now I guess Little House had more meaning to me then I ever imagined myself. This is probably why I still have so much love for the show today. I am still proud to admit to everyone that I am a “Little House Junkie”.
Lorrie
November 25th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
I was 5 years old when “Little House” first aired (1974). I was a year older than “Carrie.” It wasn’t until I was probably in Middle school before I watched the shows regularly (1980’s).
It was only recently (I’m 38 years old now) that I’ve become a huge fan. My husband bought the first season of Little House about 2 years ago from a co-worker who was selling some DVD’s. It sat on the shelf for about 6 months before I popped it in and that was the beginning. I spent my weekends watching episode after episode. I even developed a bit of a crush on “Almonzo” (That would be you Dean) much to my husband’s dismay.
My husband mentioned that he was first exposed when his third grade teacher read the books that Laura wrote in class. I mentioned that I never read the books or was exposed to them as a child. That Christmas (2005) he bought me the whole series. I read them all and when I was done with that series I bought all the “Rose” years written by Roger McBride (Rose’s lawyer friend/adopted son). I was saddened when I had fiished because I thirsted for more. I bought “On the Way Home” and “West from Home”, “A Little House Sampler” and “Little House Guidebook”.
I currently live on a prairie in Colorado and appreciate the trial and tribulations the Ingalls went through during the pioneering days. (windy weather, dry and dusty, rattlesnakes and spiders, mice and centipedes, drought) and (beautiful sunsets, grasslands, wildflowers, sagebrush, rabbits, gambel’s and blue scaled quail, red-tailed hawks, pheasants, cattle grazing and horse grazing, fresh air).
It took some used to living out here, but after reading the books and watching all 10 seasons, I’ve become proud to live simply. I’ve even decorated my house using many of the old antique items you might find in “Little House.” As a hobby, we raise chickens for show and have 4 peacocks. We’re even contemplating getting a Burro named “Poncho.”
The huge impact of the series? The “Little House” series makes me yearn for a life centered around family, friends and faith. Simplicity. The love parents have for their children and the relationship a daughter has with her father. I always connected with “Laura’s” character because I was a tomboy and had a special relationship with my father (I was the second daughter of 3 sisters- no brothers). I was also pretty good at “spitting.” Currently my husband calls me “Smelly Nellie” (although I look more like Laura) and often addresses my cards this way and likewise he is known as “Old Dan Tucker.”
The series itself: Michael Landon was genius in his ability to cast each character. My favorite characters were Laura and Almonzo of course, Charles Ingalls, Mr. Swenson, Rev. Alden, Doc Baker, Mr. Oelson, Ms. Beadle.
We are planning a trip next summer/fall to visit DeSmet and Mansfield - possibly some other sites if given time. I hope this gives you some more insight as to the impact the series had on this diehard “Little House” fan.
Valerie
November 25th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Martha,
You HAVE to read the books!!!
Valerie
November 25th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
I was in second grade when the show turned my Monday nights sacred. When the reruns began in non prime-time a few years later, oh my, how happy I was. Somewhere in fourth grade I got the books that I kept seeing referenced at the end of each show, and from then on I was perpetually drawn to the world of Little House, somewhat inexplicably. I used to joke that I’d spend my honeymoon on a trip to all of Laura’s homesites.
Fast forward twenty years. I relocated halfway across the country and married a farmer. People ask me if I was looking for Laura Ingalls when I fell in love and became a farmer’s wife. But I think it’s the other way around. She was looking for me.
Shortly after my wedding I made my first visit to a homesite. And my second. And my third. In my ninth month of pregnancy with my first child, I published the first issue of the Homesteader. Today I’m working on the twelfth issue and the subscriber list continues to grow. All Little House, all the time.
November 25th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
I adored the book series as a young child. I felt a special affinity to the characters and the simple, though challenging, life they led. I loved how Laura’s narrative conveyed the challenges but also the joys of family life on the prairie.
When the series debuted, I was a teenager, and, admittedly, a “closet watcher.” It wasn’t that cool to my friends. Years later, I was with my husband and two young sons at Disneyland, The local cable station was celebrating a “Little House on the Prairie” marathon, and everytime we turned on the TV in the motel, Little House was on! I was hooked again, and no peer pressure could ever drive me into the closet again.
Now I have all the seasons and movies on DVD. On my mantle is a little china doll, a replica( disappointingly made of plaster) of Ma’s on the series. I have a Little House on the Prairie quilting book and a cookbook. I regularly check the “blogs” on the website to see what people are saying about my all-time favorite show.
I had a rough childhood and found much comfort in the Little House series. The characters are as dear to me as my most cherished friends. I am grateful for the many ways this show has contributed to my life. I am a better person for these books and for the loving way they were brought to life on the show.
November 25th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Thank you all for sharing your early Little House moments with me. They are very touching…and particularly moving because you are all still so connected to the show more than twenty five years after it went off the air.
Dean
November 26th, 2007 at 12:37 am
Dean, please, wait for me:
There is a young woman in switzerland, who wants to tell her story, too. But she can’t speak englisch and I have to translate first.
I beg for your understanding and a little bit of patience.
my best, Martha
November 26th, 2007 at 7:24 am
I started watching the show in 1984 or 1985 so i was like 8 or 9 years old, my mom and i would sit and watch it together(we shared a strong dislike for mrs oleson and her bratty daughter nellie and we cried our eyes out when the blind school caught fire.–i also had a crush on Almanzo–i chuckle about it now as back then he wasand till is old enought to be my father.. but he was so cute!
) while my little sister was playing with her toys and dad was sleeping. i have the set of little house books that i got as a young girl and still will occassionally read them from time to time in fact i am reading on the banks of plum creek now. i am going on 32 now and still try and catch the shows on the hallmark channel on my days off from work, i am hoping that santa claus will get me some of the seasons on dvd for christmas-after all ui have been a good girlthis year.
November 26th, 2007 at 8:39 am
I mentioned earlier that I had read the books as an adult, but I did try to read them as a child. I had a book report to do in Fifth Grade and I chose “Little House on the Prairie”. I just couldn’t get into it–maybe there was something wrong with me (lol)–so I used what was going on in the show at the time (around season 5) in my book report. I can’t believe the teacher didn’t give me an “F”. Once I read the books and saw how different they were from the show, I figured that teacher must have had a soft spot for me because my report had nothing to do with the book except that it mentioned the Ingalls family.
Cheryl
Cheryl
November 26th, 2007 at 8:58 am
My friend Sandy asked me to tell you the following:
Hi, my name is Sandy, 36 years old, and I live in Switzerland.
I had an unhappy childhood with my parents divorced and a stepfather, who didn’t want me, always quarreling with my mother about me. An unfortunate situation for a just nine year old child and I tried to escape in my own world.
In my loneliness I found shelter in “The Little House On The Prairie” where I found the family spirit, I longed to. There was the family, I wished I had. Parents, who loved each other and loved their children. Pa Ingalls was my Pa, too, and with all my troubles I turned to him and imagined him giving me love, understanding, advice like he did to Laura and all his children. All my life I felt being part of this family and shared their secure togetherness.
I watched the show and read the books, but for me it was not just a story, it was much more than that. It was and still is the warmth and security of a loving family heart and a message of love.
My very best to all who love Little House as much as I do.
Sandy
November 26th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Unlike many of the other people here, I read the books first and then became interested in the show. I was about 8 or 9 and was very drawn to Laura, perhaps because I looked like her (dark hair, blue eyes) but more important because I fiercely admired her independent spirit.
I was 10 when I first remember being drawn into the TV show. I know I had seen the show before that but it was during Season 4 when Mary lost her sight that I became an avid fan. I always preferred the TV storylines that mirrored the books because they made them come alive. What’s been especially interesting to me as an adult are the more subtle illusions to the books that I’ve been finding in the show or the pieces from Laura’s “real” life that were incorporated into the scripts.
I did lose touch with the show until about three years ago. I had started reading the books to my daughter, who is now 8, when she was still quite young and she quickly feel in love with them. Then I discovered that Hallmark had the show on 4 times a day so I started using TiVo to record episodes to show them to her. She is now completely hooked and we’ve collected almost all of the DVDs. It’s great to know that there is something for young children to watch where you don’t have to worry about what they might see if you leave the room! There aren’t any network TV shows that I would let her watch today.
I’m so glad that there are people like you who are keeping this show alive for us. It really is timeless and hopefully will be around for generations to come. Mary M-L
November 26th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
This new project sounds wonderful. I love how you keep all the memories of Michael Landon and the entire Little House experience alive. It was an amazing show that still brings tears of joy and sorrow to my eyes….even after seeing the shows many times over. Michael Landon had a tremendous gift and it is such a tragedy that he was taken from us at such an early age. Thank you, Dean for keeping his memory and his show alive for all of us.
I am 51 years old and began watching Little House in the mid 70’s when I was in college. I admit that I had never read the books before I started watching the series. I have since read all of the books at least once. I watched the show occationally during the early episodes, but I really became a die hard fan after you came on the show. I was glued to the television set every week to see what developed between Almanzo and Laura. You and Melissa brought those characters to life in a way that captured my heart. I remember taping the shows on audio cassette tape just to hear them. That was before VCR’s and before I could afford anything else. After the show went into reruns and after I started making enough money to afford a VCR, I began video taping the shows. I have a collection of the series and the made for TV movies that came out later. Even to this day, I enjoy watching the episodes over and over. My very favorite episode is “Days of Sunshine, Day’s of Shadow”
Thank you again for all of your efforts in keeping this show alive for all of us. Whenever I have a bad day at work or I am having personal difficulties, this show lifts my spirits. It has brought me and countless others joy throughout the years. I hope that my input has been helpful to you in your efforts. Take care and I hope that you and your family have a wonderful holiday season.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
I got hooked on the show when I was in elementary school before ever reading the books. I remember begging mom to let me go to school late so I could watch the 2 episodes that came on at ten and then eleven. I then lost touch with little house for a couple of years but then for Christmas one year I got the first season on dvd. After watching the first disc I was hooked once again and now I have all the seasons and I am even a huge collector of little house memorabilia and collectibles! My love for little house was much like Sandy’s. I come from a very dysfunctional family and throughout all my highschool years I found so much comfort in little house. The show had a way of helping me to release all my stress and sadness that I was dealing with. With so many issues going on I couldn’t wait to go home everyday to watch little house. Little house was my best friend for many years. All through highschool and now my first year in college, I at least watch one episode a night! I even let my neighbor’s kids borrow my dvd’s and now they are hooked on the show! Being a 19 year old college guy most of my friends dont understand this love I have for the show but it is one that I will most definately always have. Thanks so much Dean for all your work, its meant so much to so many of us.
Jordan
November 26th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Hi, Marianne Jones!
I just discovered we are both at the same age and share exactly the same feelings about this wonderful and timeless show, Michael Landon and Laura & Zaldamo, oh sorry, it’s Almanzo.
We even share the same favourite episode, “Days Of Sunshine, Days Of Shadow”.
Martha
November 27th, 2007 at 9:19 am
I first encountered LHITP at home, in Germany, when I was around 10 or so. Every Sunday afternoon, our German TV station would show the episodes around 2 p.m., I think, and I remember my entire family congregating around the TV–my Grandpa loved the “authentic” tales from the American West, especially in the first few episodes; my Grandma loved the town scenes in the store, and I adored it when Laura “won” over Nellie. This was how we imagined rural America to be at that time, so, when I came to South Dakota in the late 80s (my first visit to America), I was half expecting to find lots of copies of Laura Ingalls in the prairie and at the state fair, and I kept my eyes peeled from Michael Landon (whom I had wanted to marry ever since I saw the first episode). What I did find were mulleted guys with Def Leppard muscle shirts and girls trying to look like Madonna. Ah well … talk about waking up to American reality.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Martha & Marianne,
I also share your favorite episode. I often watch “Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow” and have written a fan fiction story around it told all from Almanzo’s point of view. There is only one thing that disturbs me about this episode, and that is Almanzo’s reaction to Rose’s birth. In Season 7, we see Almanzo so eager to have children and Laura wanting to wait, but he is unable to appreciate and be happy about Rose’s birth because of his condition. The acting by everyone in this episode is outstanding!
Cheryl
November 27th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
As you say, Cheryl, I was disappointed by Almanzo’s reaction, too.
I wished so much he could be happy again, but he was so overwhelmed with selfpity that he even quit loving Laura for a while.
I agree with you - the acting was really outstanding.
Martha
November 28th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Hi Dean,
I’m 49 years old and my first memory of Little House was reading a story in a children’s book I had been given of Christmas stories that depicted Laura and Mary’s first christmas on the prairie. In the story, I believe they are each given a new coat and an orange and I remember thinking at the time (I think I was about 7) what a strange christmas gift an orange was! Soon after, I read ALL of the Little Books and became a lifelong fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was THRILLED when Michael Landon developed the books into the series because it combined two of my favorite things — Little House And Little Joe!
As a young Bonanza fan, I immediately fell in love with Little House! It had everything that Bonanza had (horses, log houses, small towns, michael landon, etc.) and MORE…. a family that actually had WOMEN in it! And the WOMEN didn’t die at the end of the episode!
As a teenager growing up in Long Island in the 70’s, watching Little House gave me much peace and comfort. When I watched the show, I could forget about pressures at home and school and just let myself become engulfed in the lives of people who lived before me, in a time and place much more innocent than my own.
I’ve now seen every episode countless times and love them all. I never get tired of seeing my old friends which is in a way how I’ve come to view all of them. And living in Manhattan (especially after 9/11) there are many times I appreciate sitting down and forgetting the presures at home and work and just let myself become engulfed in the lvies of people who lived before me, in a time and place much more innocent than my own. The more things change, I guess, the more they stay the same!
By the way, Dean, years ago when I worked in advertising, your sister Meg called on me! She worked at a magazine and I worked at an ad agency — it was a LONG time ago but I remember her as a real sweetie! I hope she (and you) are doing well!
Good luck on your project!
November 28th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Ooops— I left the wrong address for my website — this is the right one! sorry!
November 28th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
I do not remember a time before LHOP. I was two or three when the show began airing and our family watched every Monday evening. Because I loved the show so much I began reading the books in elementary school and LOVED them. I do, however, remember being shocked that Pa had a beard in the books because Michael Landon obviously did not. I have three boys (9,7,4) and they have enjoyed some of the DVD’s. Because of their ages they like the earlier seasons when Laura was getting into mischief. Last summer we visited the DeSmet home site and I have also been to theKansas and Mansfield sites. We bought some of the books on tape to listen to in the car last year and the kids enjoyed them. It is amazing to see the books and tv show can still appeal to a new generation. Obviously the core message of the books and tv show speaks to something essential in the human spirit for it to continue to carry on so strongly.
And to piggyback onto Cheryl, Martha, and Marianne’s comments — Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow was one of my favorites. I still remember how excited we were to watch it when it first aired.
November 29th, 2007 at 7:25 am
Hi Dean,
It is an honnor to write this to you. I was 8 or 9 years old when i looked at the little house, now i am 34 and still a big fan of the serie. My mother was looking and so did i. Now i am buying the dvd’s en for me the all time moment was when laura dated almanzo that was so fun and romantic that every girl dreams about it hahaha. I think it is great that you are making a documentary about almanzo because he was loved as much as laura.
I hope i didn’t write to many mistakes hahaha.
Lost of greetings from belgium
linda
November 29th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Dean, it is a great honor to share my thoughts on Little House on the Prairie with you. Thank you for making this opportunity available. I began watching LHotP some time in season 2, as I recall. I know it was when it was still airing on Wednesday nights. I was 9 years old at the time. I don’t recall exactly what got me started watching the show. I think I had seen it advertised, and a year before my third grade teacher read to the class from one of the books. I started watching it one week and I was hooked on it until the very last episode, when sadly Walnut Grove was destroyed.
As a kid, I think it was the things that were funny for a kid that drew me to the show — Nellie’s temper tantrums, Willie always having to stand in the corner, Carrie urgently running to the outhouse, and of course the time Laura put apples in her dress. Those things were hilarious to me at that age. As the series went on and I got older, I began to relate to Albert, Andy, and Willie, since I was almost exactly their age.
I watched the reruns of the show for a while, but after they moved to cable, I lost track of the show since I lived in a college dorm and didn’t have cable. Fast forward 22 years or so to Memorial Day weekend 2006. While channel surfing, I just happened to come across the LHotP marathon on TV Land. It was like one of those “Oh wow” moments when you hear a song from your youth that you haven’t heard in many years or you meet an old friend you’ve lost touch with. I found myself watching the LHotP marathon for hours, all the while rediscovering the show, recalling the funny scenes I had appreciated as a kid, and learning to appreciate the show on a whole new level that wasn’t possible as a kid. I think what I appreciate most about the show as an adult is that it portrays people doing the right thing and supporting each other, even when it seems like all hope is lost, all the while never losing track of what is truly important in life.
After the marathon weekend was over, I began watching at least one episode almost every day, and I quickly found that LHotP is surely my favorite TV show of all time. More than a year and a half later, I’ve seen every episode, some of them four or five times, and I never get tired of them. Watching LHotP is something I look forward to every day. No matter what has happened during my work day, I know I can always spend an hour in Walnut Grove (or maybe Sleepy Eye, Mankato, or Winoka) with a group of friendly people in a caring community. That somehow makes it a bit easier to face the challenges of the next day.
November 29th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
So many wonderful, thoughtful answers to my inquiry about the beginnings of your love of Little House. All your messages are touching because they are consistent with feelings that all of us who were involved in the show shared among ourselves.
These kinds of feelings are hopefully similar to those of people from all walks of life and all parts of the world. It wonderful to share a connection with so many to something so positively human.
All best,
Dean
November 29th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
And it is wonderful of you to reach out to us fans and allow us to become more familiar with a show that we all love and cherish.
Thanks!
Cheryl
November 30th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Hello Dean and fellow LH fans! I recently discovered this site, and can’t resist sharing my memories, too.
I was born during the original run of the series (’78) and I can’t remember a time when LH wasn’t one of my favorite shows. All during elementary school in the ’80’s I’d watch the reruns at 4:00 pm. Similar to other fans, I felt a kinship with Laura - I cheered her on in her best moments, and hated Nellie on her behalf. Also, I’m from Minnesota, and I’m glad I didn’t know at the time that it wasn’t filmed here (though I should have known - there’s no way Laura would survive a real MN winter with a little crocheted doily on her head)!
Now that I’m older, and a mom, I watch the show with greater perspective. I think Karen Grassle did a fantastic job playing Ma. She was very warm and genuine. I sympathize with her in the various episodes involving sickness or danger to the family - you can just feel her anguish. And Mrs. Oleson - well, as a kid, I thought she was just a nasty crank, but now I recognize Katherine MacGregor’s superb comedic talent. I could go on, but I’ll just say that the whole cast was excellent.
There aren’t many shows that are truly entertaining to both adults and children, but I think Little House is one of them. I look forward to watching the episodes with my daughter, as my mother did with me (and my dad on occasion, too). LH was a very versatile show. There were a few solemn episodes in which it seemed half the town died of some illness (no principal characters, of coarse). Then you have a light-hearted episode like the one that ran on Hallmark channel just the other day - “Fred.” Who’d have thought a one hour show about a goat could be entertaining? But it was, and it was a nice pick-me-up that day. And all of that, in a nutshell, is why I continue to enjoy the show.
Thank you, Dean, for letting us share our thoughts. I look forward to reading more of your Little House anecdotes!
Mary D.
November 30th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Dean,
I first started following LHOP when I was 8 or 9 years old. I was an avid reader and hooked on the Little House book series. Melissa Gilbert was I think a year or so older than me, and I just fell in love with the tv show and all the characters immediately. I had older parents, so my grandmother was raised in the same era as Laura Ingalls. I think I looked upon the tv series as a visual example of what it must have been like for my grandmother growing up on the Kansas plains.
As I grew up with Laura, I began to pay more attention to the story lines and the lessons taught. The characters were so well portrayed. You laughed when they laughed, you cried when they cried and you eagerly turned in to watch what would happen next. The Ingalls represented a whole family unit that stuck together through the good times and the bad.
Today, I reflect back on the series in admiration. To put it bluntly, LHOP today would not survive on today’s main TV line-up. Why? Simply because most people would consider it to be sap. In today’s world, the only celebrities that make the news are the ones that are in trouble with the law or involved in some sort of scandal. Those celebrities that put in time for charities or other good deeds get minimal coverage. By now you can probably tell that I am not a proponant for today’s tv programming. There isn’t any good, clean tv programs for kids to watch anymore. Being an educator, I see how this type of programming effects our children. They play fight on the playground, call each other names, ridicule and pull down each other. This, for the most part is due to the shows they watch.
I’m sorry, but we need more sap in today’s world. We need those shows that teach family values, and the importance of treating one another with respect. Kids need to see problems solved in others ways other than just with their fists or mouths. They need the TV role models that show compassion, stress the importance of working together and accepting people’s differences, both on the screen and off. Parents introduce their children to LHOP today because they know what their kids will be exposed to and they know the story line is safe for viewing.
Well, enough said (there I go ranting and raving again). Thank you for being a part of such a wonderful show. I can tell that you all were a family, both on screen and off.
Best Wishes,
Paula K.
December 1st, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Oh my goodness. The books and the show were such a part of my childhood! I’m 40, and the show and the books were a part of my life since I was about 7. I used to pretend to be Laura. I used to pretend to be in pioneer times. The monkey bars on the playground were in a covered wagon shape…we’d play Little House at recess. I’m sure the books sparked my interest in history, which I later majored in in college. When I lived in Kansas, I drove to the historical site.
Thank you for being part of such a cultural legacy, and thank you for keeping it alive.
December 2nd, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Hello Dean,
You maybe remember my story and commitment to “little house” as we already met, but I’m glad to participate and tell you how I became a “little house”addict !
I am 43, born in France, living in Canada since 1999, and I love “little house” since it first aired in France in December of 1976. I watched it in black and white then… and as there were no VCR at this time, I was angry and mad when it happened that I missed an episode !!!
I still today remember vividly the moment I read in the TV program the comments about this all-new US TV show.. My Mom had some errands to do and I was waiting for her in the car, reading the TV program magazine for the week to come… And I noticed 2 photos illustrating an article : the portrait of a young man, wearing a cow-boy hat, and 2 little girls, XIX century-style dressed, inside a covered wagon. As I loved all kind of stories about American pioneers, the Old West and so on (my favorite movie was “how the West was won”, the Cinerama blockbuster), I read the article quickly and knew about Laura Ingalls Wilder for the first time. No need to say I was in front of my TV screen for the first episode the next week (”a harvest of riends”… because in France the pilot was never broadcasted before the 80’s… Don’t ask me why !!)… And was immediately caught and seduced !!
I was caught by the unique characters, the stories, the portrayal of this era… I could identified myself and my own family to many of the situations and characters. And I fantasized a lot about this nice little house. and the whole village of Walnut Grove !
The first seasons aired every year during Christmas holidays, then re-ran on Saturdays afternoons, then it stopped after season 5 and we had to wait desperately (years!!) for the continuation. Then in 1986, a new French TV channel decided to air all the
not-yet-broadcasted episodes. It started with “the preacher takes a wife”, till the very last episode.
As I discovered the Ingalls and their adventures, I fell in love with the characters, the plots, the backgrounds… the Ingalls world!! At 13, I started making drawings of the characters and their environnement, and a few years later , some small models of the little house. I achieved this during the years, and at one time I had even a replica of Walnut Grove in the basement of my parent’s home !
As I was never satisfied with my work, I have built up to 3 versions of the little house and 2 of the mercantile. I have also built the school and the sawmill but they were not enough accurate so I didn’t keep them.
“Little house” became a part of my life… Secretely enough, I should say, because boys at my age usually liked other things than “little house”, and I was not brave enough to do my “little house” coming out :-)) !! I used to tape the soundtrack of some of the episodes on TV, and listened to it in my room… I asked my mother to look for the books, but they were not yet published in France at that time (except “little house in the big woods”). One day my Mom found for me a book about Laura’s life, written by Donald Zochert. That is where I knew about Mary’s blindness (season 4 has not been released yet in France !!). When finally the novels were published, I read them eagerly, and I loved the amount of details about daily life on the Prairie, and how we follow Laura and his family over the years…
I used -and I still do- to collect every picture or book I could find about “little House” (more especially the show) but in France they were very few in the 70’s and 80’s. Now, thanks to Ebay, it is much easier !! I still love to watch episodes from time to time. When I came to live in Quebec, it was more easy to find the original episodes, with the real voices of the actors. It was like watching them for the first time.
I think that visiting Simi Valley, where the show was filmed, is really my dream, as I studied it so much to create my models. I had the great luck to meet many of the actors at 2 reunions (Tombstone in 2005 and Beatrice in 2007) and Melissa Sue Anderson in Montreal in 2005. Those are moments I will always remember and cherish… Talking to actors and actresses that made me dream so much over the years, through the characters they portrayed, was a dream came true for me.
All the images, characters and settings created by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Michael Landon are in my heart for years and still a source of inspiration.
Thanks for reading, and thanks Dean for your interest in the fans of “little House” ! Sincerely,
Eric
December 2nd, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I first watched LHOP as a result of a homework assingment! We were asked to watch 2 new shows in Sept/Oct when the new season of shows started and then write a report about the show. I watched Trapper John M.D. My parents were very strict about what we watched and I couldn’t find another show that didn’t have swearing every other word or so. So I went to my teacher and asked if I could watch an older show that I had never seen before. She agreed and it was then that I found LHOP. I believe it was either season 3 or 4, I think Mary had her eyesight, but I don’t quite remember.
After one episode I was hooked. I began watching every week. My parents who watched the first episode with me, to ok it for my viewing, were hooked too and we all watched it as a family. Monday nights became “MY” night for the tv. Not too long after we started watching, I looked into finding the books. I remember going to the school library and finding them. I think the first ones I read were Little Town on the Prairie and These Happy Golden Years. I still remember where in the library these books sat, and that was about 30 years ago. I soon had my own collection of paperbacks and I loved reading them.
I now own a LIW library of over 100 volumes that include hardcover Willians illustrated books and a whole set of original Sewell illustrated books. I have each dvd boxed set and can’t wait til your new dvd comes out.
Little House books and show are very special to me. I have the greatest admiration for Laura and the life that she lived as well as for Michael Landon and the gift that he gave to all of us in bringing these dear books to life for us. Thank you Dean and the rest of the beloved cast for your portrayals of our favourite pioneers.
Long Live LHOP and everything related Laura!!
Marilyn
December 5th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Dean, this is a great idea and I’m glad you’re doing it. And, hi!
I was about four years old when the series on tv started and was just beginning to read the LHOP books at the same time (I was an advanced reader for my age). It was the books that started my lifelong obsession with history and historical fiction, so I must admit that I was disappointed when the tv series veered wildly from the real story. I was (and still am) a stickler for accurate historical interpretation on film, from language to costumes to food! I’ve noticed that the 1970s in general was not very faithful to this concept (blue eyeshadow on the actresses in “Roots,” anyone?!) so I certainly don’t blame Mr. Landon for that.
It wasn’t until I was much older that I began to appreciate the tv series for what it was–not necessarily at all a strict portrayal of the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, but a storyline in its own right, one that teaches love, morals, and family values. That is all Mr. Landon.
That being said, my favorite characters in the tv show are the female Olesons! Alison Arngrim and Katherine MacGregor are amazing actors and had some of the most interesting plots and personalities ascribed to any of the characters on the show. The show where Nellie Oleson goes into a fit of rage at the very end, trashing her bedroom, shrieking epithets about Laura, pillow feathers flying, while the camera captures it all from an aerial shot? Brilliant. I saw it recently and my jaw hit the floor.
December 8th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Hi Dean,
I first read Little House in the Big Woods when I was in the 2nd grade and I also read Little House on the Prairie. My big exposure came on March 27th, 1974 when I watched the pilot and feel in love with the show. I was a loyal watcher from that day on. I loved nasty Nellie (she had problems) and of course Charles, Caroline, Laura, Mary, Grace, Harriet, Nells, Willie & Nellie. Loved most of the characers, especially Almanzo. It was hard to believe that Melissa and Allison were and still are best friends off camera. They really did a great job of playing emenies.
One of my favorites was your first show Back to School! You remember that one don’t you? Love how Laura did all the the stuff like trying to past the teachers test and grow up over night just for Almanzo. I do not think he realized that she did what she did for him. Loved the scene when you and she were in your house and talking about her failing the test . I think that was the point that was established what kind of relationship the two of you would have. The Laura and Almanzo love story. Loved it. Mike dealt with it so well and letting you guys be friends for while and later when Laura was ready did the romance stuff.
Patricia
December 8th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Hi Dean:
I started reading the “Little House” books in the very early 70’s and collected the entire series, including “The First Four Years”, “Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder” by Donald Zochert along with her own biography and, of course, had my mother take us to DeSmet for a visit when I was 14.
I was a real fan from the first book all through the entire series. I watched the pilot movie and never missed an episode of the show - not one!
The show was anathema in troubled times for me after my father died when I was 8; I could lose myself in the world that Laura created through her books and Michael Landon’s expert vision of the people in that world. It gave me hope, courage, faith and taught lessons that were relevant to me.
I have never been a fan of much television as an adult but will still watch episodes of “Little House” if I see it on. (Being a PhD student in history may explain the aversion to tv - I have too much reading and research to do, besides, living in Scotland the show is not readily available here.)
I hope to one day be a writer of historical fiction more than a professor for it is in communicating the past to young people through a medium they can enjoy that provides me with a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure. Hopefully, I can do for the Jacobites I am studying, something in some small measure similar to what Laura did for ‘country girls’ everywhere.
Thanks for allowing us that were true fans to let you know how much this show means to us.
Kindest Regards -
Cheryl Garrett, PhD Candidate
Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies
University of Aberdeen, Scotland
December 19th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Hello!
As you so graciously requested fans to share the story of how they first fell in love with Little House on the Prairie, I have to say that I’m on your website because I started reading the first book in the series, “Little House in the Big Woods” to my 5-year-old daughter a few weeks ago. She’s fallen in love with reading (just like her mother did), and so I said I’d start reading chapter books to her. I could think of no better books to share than Laura Ingalls Wilder’s series. The books are my own, given to me when I was in second grade. I knew I had a treasure, even then, and kept them. As a result of the books and my daughter’s fascination, I’m back to the TV series, too, although I never really left.
I, too, began watching the series in my childhood, but I can’t pinpoint the time I started. It’s just part of my consciousness. I identified with Mary a bit more than Laura, but I loved Laura and the people of Walnut Grove. The program reinforced what my parents taught me: love, loyalty, honesty, integrity, hard work, perseverance, forgiveness - it was all there. The triumph and frailty that all people are capable of - which I know was inspired by the books, and brought to life by the vision of Michael Landon.
I confess the Laura and Almanzo courtship was edge-of-your-seat for someone like me, about to enter her teens.
As years passed, I still watched the series, but then fate stepped in when I went to work at a local TV station. Little House aired every afternoon, and I was in charge of putting it on the air, as well as putting in the commercials. I confess that my love of the show dimmed a bit, but my loyalty to the show stayed with me. The storylines I liked, but the opening theme was like a school bell. My shift at work had begun.
In this era of media saturation, when young girls about to enter their teens are encouraged to grow up frivolously and FAST, the Little House series remains an uplifting, life-affirming program - and it depicted young men and women who truly did have to conduct their lives in a way far more mature than their actual age. All members of the cast made the books come to life, and inspired and fueled the loyalty that continues so many years later.
So, thanks for blogging, thanks for asking to read our stories, and thanks, most especially, for your continued support of the visions of both Laura Ingalls Wilder and Michael Landon. People need to hear, see and know that there is good in this world, and you and your castmates were wonderful messengers.
Warmest regards,
Lisa
December 21st, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Hi Dean,
The first I remember watching Little House on the Prairie was when I was in 2nd grade. I remember getting off the bus and I couldn’t wait when it was Friday night. It was Little House on the Prairie and then the Dukes of Hazard. Wow! What a line up! I watched the show until it went off the air. My mom then surprised me and I received the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I have read them so many times (I still have them) that most of the covers have fallen off and the pages are even turning yellow from over use. Next I remember is when I was in middle school, a cable channel, I think it was TBS, started airing reruns of the show. I had watched them ever since. I have also started collecting the DVD’s. My sister-in-law and I share them together.
It was such a wonderful program that everyone could watch together. I am thankful that there are DVD’s available now so that I can watch them with my daughter. Such great memories!!
Heather
December 26th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
I am 29 years old… So Little House had started a few years even before I was born (in 1978). But since a little girl, I had Little House all around me. I remember at around the age of 3, my cousin gave me her copy of Little House in the Big Woods. Which was really cool because her parents owned a small farm in Snohomish, Washington and it was all about farming and moving west.
Little House was one of the few TV shows I remember watching and loving as a small child. We were not allowed to watch much TV and most of it was the news or America’s Most Wanted. I loved the show because I could relate to Laura and what she was experiencing, and Melissa Gilbert had the same first name as me. We also had our hair in pig tails. In fact, my mother did not cut my hair until the 5th grade and only because my figure skating coach demanded it be done. My hair was cut so short (about 1 inch in length), and I even remember trying to put a positive spin on it. I told one of my friends it was just like Laura when she had to wear her hair up because she had become a young lady.
And up until 2 years ago when I gave up on cable TV (in Seattle you can not get any TV signal unless you have cable or dish) the first thing I would look for is an old Little House episode on TV before I would watch anything else. Even funnier, I am a school teacher, and during the summer months, I tend to put holds on the library DVD’s to watch the episodes. And every now and again when I am feeling quite down, I grab one of my Little House books and read it to try and cheer me up.
And I do this all with the realization that my co-workers and friends love to razz me about my enjoyment of Little House on the Prairie, but I really do not care! Even though they do things like make WWCD bracelets (what would Charles do), make me “I would rather be watching Little House” T-shirts, send me silly email message from Manny, and send me links and threaten to buy me Michael Landon velvet paintings/pictures from E-bay!
December 28th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Dean,
I have just found your website and can’t wait to read every word you have written. When I was a child, Little House was on every afternoon at 5pm and I would get angry at my mom if I was outside and she didn’t inform me that it was 5:00…because no matter what I was doing I would stop to watch Little House…every day.
I loved Laura and wanted to be just like her. I adored the relationship she had with her family and completely understood her love for Almanzo (I had a crush as well). My favorite episode has always been “Sweet Sixteen”, when Laura’s dream finally comes true and Almanzo realizes that he loves her! To this day, it still melts my heart.
I’m 32 now and recently married. My husband adores Mash as much as I adore Little House. So now when we come home from work he is forced to watch Little House with me while I cook dinner as long as I watch Mash with him directly after. My favorite episodes are the same and my crush on Almanzo and Albert have not disappeared.
I’m so glad you have put this site together and will look forward to reading your blog. This is the closest I will ever come to knowing “Almanzo” and it is a dream come true!
Melissa
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Dean,
Thank you for blogging about Little House. I have to admit I didn’t watch it much when I was younger. In 1992 I had a back injury that put me on bedrest for a long period of time. That’s when I truly discovered Little House. I haven’t stopped watching since then! I have to say it’s about the only thing I watch on TV… and I consider it about the only thing “worth” watching. No matter how hectic my life is when I start watching Little House the stress seems to just leave and it makes me feel calmer.
My favorite episodes have always been the ones with you in them. (and, no, I’m not sucking up here, I’m just telling it how it is.) I have to say at the top of my faves list is “Sweet Sixteen” and the ones where Almanzo and Eliza Jane first come to Walnut Grove… especially when Pearly Day came to town… that was a great episode of yours!) The ‘cinnamon chicken’ bit always makes me laugh. (then again, any time Nellie gets what’s coming to her… that’s always good for a laugh!)
Little House is such a wonderful show. It’s always been able to put a smile on my face (and sometimes a tear to my eye as well). It’s a welcome sight when my husband is cycling through the guide on our satellite. Normally I don’t watch much TV. I find the TV shows of today crass, vulgar and a total waste of time. If Little House isn’t on, I’m usually not paying a bit of attention to the TV.
I’m thankful for such a wonderful show. (and that I have a show I can watch w/my 10 year old son.) I’m thankful for your blogging about it. I’m thankful that I get this opportunity to tell you so, too.
Thank you so much for your work. It’s always been truly wonderful and I will continue to be a fan!
With kindest regards to you and best wishes for a wonderful 2008,
Rochelle Howdyshell
January 10th, 2008 at 4:57 am
Dear Dean,
I posted the „Little House Mirror On You“ on unserekleinefarm.net and asked the german speaking fans to tell me their stories how each one of them experienced „Little House On The Prairie“.
I made the offer to translate the posts and here is the first one. It is from Heiko.
Martha
Dear Dean,
at first I want to thank you for your project to expand the Little House network of fans and make sure that this wonderful TV series never will be forgotten.
I am Heiko from Bremen/Germany, 42 years old.
Thirty years ago I discovered Little House.
Of course at first sight I fell in love with „Mary“ Melissa Sue but soon the other characters found a place in my heart too. I wanted to have a father like Michael Landon, like he portrayed in Little House. I guess most of the fans had this wish. His role was friendly and fair, I appreciated it very much. Even the education of the children showed an immense present-day relevance to the benefit of the show. It gave parents and kids the chance to identify with the characters. Kids loved Pa and Ma Ingalls as the ideal father and mother figure and for the parents they portrayed a wonderful example for children’s education and the equal status of men and women.
Today I see the episodes from a different point of view and many of their statements I understand in another mature way. The episodes with you and Melissa Gilbert are still worth watching, especially the ones from becoming acquainted until the marriage, because they are so innocent and very romantic (yes, this statement comes from a man!). Thanks to you they are a striking part of Little House and burnt in in the hearts of fans, because of your lovely and believable portrayal of Almanzo’s character.
With best wishes,
Heiko
January 12th, 2008 at 3:38 am
I am Astrid, 39 years old. I am from Austria.
First time I watched Little Hous On The Prairie I was a kid.
I was fascinated by the horses and the appearance of the people
And today, some decades later?
I my eyes Michael Landon managed to create a TV series one would love to be part of. We witness Little Laura’s troubles and quarrels with Nellie, her first lovesickness till her marriage with the prince of her heart and the coronation – the birth of baby rose.
We are desperate with Mary, when she becomes blind, we cry over the terrible death of her baby. In between wie laugh with and about Mr. Edwards, are shocked about Harriet and suffer with Doc Baker.
These are only examples. The writers produced fireworks of moods and emotions, haunting and thrilling – from the pilot until the tearful explosion of Walnut Grove.
Besides that – in real life – Little House brought me my own prince charming… but this is another story….
My very best
Astrid
January 12th, 2008 at 3:40 am
Hi, I am Iveta, 37 years old and became a fan of Little House just three years ago. As a child it seems I never discovered Little House or had no interest, I don’t know anymore.
Today I am mother of three daughters and Little House is my absolute favourite TV series.
I am enthusiastic about the way the Ingalls mastered their life, although it was not an ideal world at all.
In good times being grateful for the given, nevertheless others seem to have more and be much better off. In bad times not to moan, but to work it out with the help of god and keep close together.
For some people it is not understandable, but I love it.
Iveta
January 12th, 2008 at 3:42 am
Hi Dean,
I am Marina, 39 years old, and live near Hamburg on the shore of the Baltic Sea.
I appreciate that you take your time to share your Little House years with us.
I watched the series together with my parents and we all loved it.
Now, years later, I still love to see it and enjoy the the episodes from Laura’s and Almanzo’s acquaintance till the marriage. I do like especially the characters of Harriet Oleson and Charles Ingalls.
It would be wonderful if people treated each other in the same friendly and respectful way as portrayed in the show. While watching Little House you feel safe and secure in an ideal world.
My daughter, 13 years old, loves to watch Little House with me and is fascinated in the same way as people all over the world still are and ever will be.
That is the reason why I continue the story of Little House myself on a fanfiction basis. (If interested I love to tell more.)
Best wishes,
Marina
January 12th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Dear Dean,
My name is Corinne. I am 34 years old and live near Bern/Switzerland.
As little girl I used to watch Little House together with my mother.
I loved Laura’s quarrels with Nellie and Charles’ quarrels with Almanzo.
What really impressed me was how loving and caring Charles and Almanzo treated their wives and children and the kids, when they made a mistake, never where told they are no-goods, strapped bad rotten children. It happened, learn from it, they were told and nobody made unnecessary fuss out of it. I dreamed that I would treat my children the same way and some day find a man as funny, loving and understanding as Charles and Almanzo.
Little House helped me overcome many difficult situations, because by watching the show I can cry, laugh, shake my head, grin….. and it makes my day.
Today I watch with pleasure and joy the different episodes. Little House will be a part of my life forever.
Best wishes,
Corinne
January 12th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Dear Dean,
first of all I want to thank you very much for sharing so much time with us LH-fans.
I am Marianne, 24 years old, from Bad Homburg, near Frankfurt/Germany.
Little House means very much to me and I am a fan as long as I can remember. My two older sisters used to watch it and as youngest member of the family it was only natural that I got infected.
Even today I love to watch Little House. Laura Ingalls was my favourite character, may be because I had brown hair with pigtails too when I was a little girl. I like best to follow the children growing up and becoming adults on the show.
I always wished I had a father like Michael Landon. He always was loving and hearty to his children. I think the reason for this wish was that I lost my father early and remember him hardly.
Above all, people in the series treated each other friendly and respectful which is not understood these days. It’s an ideal beautiful world to dive in and forget the real world for an hour or two.
My very best,
Marianne
January 12th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I am Inez, live in Austria and I am 12 years old.
I watch Little House since I was born, because of my mami. She sees the show whenever she can manage, if it was possible all day long.
Most of all I love Mary and Laura when they were kids. They made awesome jokes and had very much fun.
I like the way people lived at that time, although I do not want to live in that time either. Without electricity and other modern convenience I can imagine it was a very hard way of living.
We make the hay for our horses ourselves and we even have to cut firewood for the winter. This is what we have in common with Little House On The Prairie.
Inez
January 12th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Dear Dean,
I must confess that I don’t remember being a huge fan of Little House when I was a kid. I was not a fan of westerns, in general, as most were too violent for me. However, I did watch it, especially in the earlier years (I was 10 yrs. old when it debuted). It was the source for most of my background knowledge when my brother and I played “Olden Days” as we called it. And it did inspire me to call my parents “Ma” and “Pa”, which I still do to this day! But, as I grew toward my teenage years, I was too preoccupied with “cooler things” to really appreciate it.
However, as an adult, I have become a huge fan!! I stumbled upon the Laura Ingalls Wilder home and museum in Mansfield, MO several years ago while on vacation, which renewed my interest in the LHOP series. Now, one of my favorite weekend activities is waking up early to catch it on the Hallmark Channel. Thank goodness for reruns because I can now appreciate the wonderful writing, directing, and acting! It is so well done that I have often been moved to both laughter and tears within a single episode!
I also love to show LHOP to my learning disabled (and otherwise disadvantaged) students at school. I feel it is a powerful educational tool. In addition to fostering a deep understanding of pioneer life, it provides engaging, entertaining examples of good values and moral role models - which are becoming increasingly foreign to too many children today!
If I ever ran my own school, Little House on the Prairie would be part of the daily curriculum!!!
Sincerely,
Donna
January 12th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Dear Dean!
I am Andrea, 23 years old, from Mondsee in Austria.
Little House shows how the people of the 19th century lived and worked. The stories are believable since they are based on real life experience of the real Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family. This is why Little House means so much to me.
The style of fashion and how people dressed you can see on other series playing in the 19th century, like “Dr.Quinn” too. I like especially the bonnets and long women robes. It is unbelievable today that this was the fashion over 100 years ago.
An important thing I want to mention: At that time the children paid respect and obedience to their parents, teachers, doctors, pastors, etc., which is very rare today.
With best wishes from Austria
Andrea
January 13th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Hello Dean,
at first I want to thank you for making us part of your magnificent Little House website.
My name is Nicole, 18 years old and I am from Eschwege/Germany.
When I was 9 or 10 years old I watched Little House with my mama for the first time and took the stories around Laura, Mary, Charles, Caroline and the other people of Walnut Grove right into my heart.
Little House On The Prairie is a show which contains so much love that I can’t get enough of it. The people had been so much more friendly and helpful at this time as they are nowadays.
Little House means to me to never give up the dream of a sound and harmonious family life. In my opinion it conveys that a family has to stick close together, no matter what strokes of life they have to suffer and how bad it might be.
Little House is simply the most beautiful, adorable and best family program I know.
Best wishes,
Nicole
January 13th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Hello Dean,
I am Katja from Düsseldorf/Germany and I am 24 years old.
I watch Little House since I was 12 years. I discovered it myself and inspired my girlfriend to see it with me.
In my teenage years I was mostly interested in the episodes when Laura and Almanzo got acquainted. I had a crush on Almanzo and Laura had my deepest sympathy when she tried to get through to his heart.
I love the episodes around the Ingalls family, because, the older I got, the more I took over many of their principles in my own life.
On one hand I saw many things happen in my life too (for example - who doesn’t know a person like Nellie, who can give you a hard time?) on the other hand some situations seem too smooth and harmonious to happen in real life.
Here in Germany Little House was on the air every day for three years and I never got tired watching it.
Since I discovered the great forum of unserekleinefarm.net and found out so many interesting details about Laura Ingalls Wilder, I can really appreciate what great job Michael Landon did to produce the series about the true story of her life.
I sure hope Little House never will be forgotten and my children and the children of my children will be able to enjoy it like I do, because it is so wonderful timeless and never can get out of style.
With best regards,
Katja
January 13th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Hi Dean,
I am Ingrid, 40 years old, from Germany.
All my life I was a fan of Little House On The Prairie.
I used to watch it when I was a child and now I watch it together with my 17 year old daughter.
No matter how many times we saw the episodes, most of them still make us laugh or cry.
I wish we had more of the Ingalls’ togetherness and love in our hectic world.
Best wishes,
Ingrid
January 14th, 2008 at 9:50 am
My name is Jürgen. I am 38 years old and I live in Germany.
I like the stories of Little House, even if they are a little too romantic in my eyes. The life must have been much harder at this time.
Like from other TV series I use to watch, I’ll try to get some personal values out of Little House for myself. Like how you should treat fellow people, think about prejudice, etc.
From my experience pieces of the Little House world still exist. People who care for each other, help out where help is needed… at least I find them at the place where I spent my childhood years.
I really doubt that the romantic side of the show corresponds with the hard reallity. Laura Ingalls Wilder portrays her ma in the books not so “soft” as she appears on the TV screen. A Nellie Oleson always was a troublemaker.
I think every time has its good and not so good aspects. Everyone has to make the best out of it.
Apart from this the story is ageless and I love to watch it again and again. Especially I enjoy that I was able to pass on my love to Little House to my little niece. Now she too watches enthusiastic “The series with the little girl”.
my very best,
Jürgen
January 15th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Dear Dean,
I’d love to contribute to your project “Little House Mirror on you”.
I am Daniela, 34 years young and live in Olpe/Sauerland near Köln/Germany.
Little House was and still is very special for me. I was about 10 years when I saw it for the first time. I never missed even one episode.
I found it so wonderful how the Ingalls family stuck close together, shared good times and bad and never ever gave up, not even in worst situations. Each character of the show was unique, that’s what made it very special for me. Everything fits…
Caroline was my favorite, she was such a powerful adorable woman, never losing her poise and always standing by her man Charles without complaining.
Even such dislikeable characters like Harriet or Nellie/Nancy simply belonged to the story.
I was very sorry for Mary, when she had to suffer so much pain in her life and I was thrilled by Laura’s and Almanzo’s romance… would they or would they not come together?? I was happy when they finally came together.
I had a crush on Almanzo but I didn’t like his long hair.
Even today I love to watch Little House because I love the Ingalls.
And honestly… sometimes I would like to look behind their closed doors at the one or other occasion.
Little House will live forever and we will never forget you and the others.
best wishes to you, Dean, from
Daniela
January 28th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Hello! My name is Laura, and I am 26 years old. I started watching re-runs of Little House when I was about 10 years old. I just loved the family dynamic between all of the characters on the show, and of course the main character had the same name as me! After seeing the shows, I began reading the books. I remember thoroughly enjoying them as a little girl. Later on in college, I re-read the books again in for a Children’s Literature class I was taking. It was then that I really appreciated the romance between Almonzo & Laura. Being recently married myself, and experiencing the thrill and excitement of falling in love, it just hits home that love is timeless. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, or what time in your life you experience it. It’s always a wonderful, amazing thing. I think that is what the show always communicated to me as a little girl, and now as an adult.
Good luck with your project!
Laura
January 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Dear Dean,
I am Daniea, 27 years old, from Germany.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to share our thoughts and feelings for Little House with fellow fans on your blog.
When I was 10 years old I discovered my love for Little House On The Prairie. At this time I was thrilled by Laura and her adventures and had a crush on Albert.
Later I lost the show out of sight for some years. But two years ago again I was infected by the Little House feaver and it did hit me harder than ever…
Now I am married and a mother myself and my attention has increased to Caroline and Charles and in the later episodes to Laura and Almanzo as a married couple and parents.
I love how people treat and respect each other… within the family and outside. Even in bad times they stick together.
Besides I admire the outstanding performance of the actors.
I love watching Little House because it gives me the feeling to be part of the family myself.
Best wishes,
Daniela
February 4th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Dean,
I am more than thrilled to recently discover this site and hear of your project as well as the upcoming DVD of Almanzo’s youth! Little House is the “comfort food” of television. I was born in 1976, and I have been watching LHOP for as long as I can remember. I clearly recall sneaking downstairs, as a little girl, attempting to watch the weekly episode which aired after my bedtime. I have continued my love for the show for over 3 decades.
The magic of Little House is its timelessness and its effect on you throughout different “seasons” of your life. I remember as a young girl, poking fun at my mother for getting teary-eyed during some of the episodes. I wondered how she could be so sappy! Now that I am older and a mother myself, I see myself watching the same episodes and getting emotional. The show grows with you. As your life experiences increase, you begin to relate even more to the characters and their situations. I feel like I have grown up with Laura.
Over the years, I have watched the show at whatever time it aired. At one point it was on at dinner time, and then it was on in the late morning, which was when I would tune in anytime I was home sick from school or work. I watched it in my college dorm room, and now I watch it when my 2-year old daughter takes a nap.
I am also a true romantic at heart and adore all of the Laura and Almanzo episodes. Sweet Sixteen melts my heart every time I watch it! I currently DVR 4 episodes a day, and I still find it very comforting to “go home” to Little House. I am so happy to know that the show lives on in so many ways! Thank you, Dean!
Warmest regards,
Shannon
February 7th, 2008 at 9:51 am
My Little House beginning started in 1968 at age 8 after reading the Little House books at my school library. My mom purchased the set for me and inscribed them lovingly in 1972. Then when the Little House series aired, we realized that Rocky Ridge Farm would make a fantastic vacation. So in June of 1974 my parents and I headed to Missouri and began a long association with Mansfield. The first person we encountered in the little town was Irwin Moody, who was directing traffic due to a brush fire. We stopped to speak with him asking directions to Rocky Ridge Farm and found out that he and his wife had personally known Almanzo and Laura. This began a lifelong friendship with two very special people. We drove from our home in Augusta, GA to Mansfield each September to visit the Moodys and particdipate in Wilder Days. I even subscribed to The Mansfield Mirror so I could get all the news of that special place. This continued until the mid 1990s when sadly the Moodys passed away. Now my own parents are gone, but my husband shares my love of all things Little House and I am so thankful for that fateful trip in 1974 that only happened because of Michael Landon and his extrordinary talent and vision. Despite purists’ negative views of Michael Landon’s deviations from the books, no one can negate the impact that series had and continues to have in promoting goodness, integrity and faith. Compared to what we have today, it is pure gold. And you are continuing that legacy, Dean. Thank you so much for the chance to reflect on such a memorable time of my life. And, too, I so appreciate the integrity and respect that you have shown in playing a truly inspiring man; I think he would be so proud.
Laurie
February 9th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
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February 16th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
While looking for Little House info for a British friend who has just moved to the US, I came across your blog. My British friend is a fan of the Little House books, and was talking about them the other night. It caused me to reflect on my own memories of the TV series.
My feelings on Little House are very similar to each post I’ve read. The warmth of the stories still remains in the heart of this 45 year old wife and mother.
I would like to add a behind the scenes perspective of the tv show…
In 1979-1980 I lived in Sonora, Calif. I was a senior in High School. My sister was in middle school. One day she came home from school and said a tv star from Little House on the Prarie had come to talk to her class. She said he was so nice and talked to each of the kids who had the nerve to approach him. If my memory serves, that tv star was you, Dean. I thought that was so nice.
When Little House came to town to film, it seemed like everyone had encounters with the cast and crew. All the encounters I heard of were possitive. I was able to watch filming in the old town of Columbia. It was very interesting to watch the process of filming the show. Michael Landon would wave and say hello, even though you could tell he was very busy. The crew would talk to us and tell us were to stand so we were safe from wagons and horses.
It’s nice for me to know that the possitive format of the tv series also reflected on to the cast and crew behind the scenes. I still stop and watch the tv show when I come across it on tv. All these years later, the stories can still make me smile and even shed a tear.
Thanks for the memories!!
Tammy
February 27th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
There’s never been a time in my life that I’ve not had “Little House” as a part of it. I was born in 1974, and my mother watched “Little House” from the premiere movie forward. She grew up loving the “Little House” books so was drawn to the show for that reason.
I can remember being in elementary school and being so excited whenever the reruns would begin again with the first season because even as a young child, I recognized that the books and the tv show were very different. But those first few episodes contained parts from the books, and I liked to sit there with On the Banks of Plum Creek open before me, reading and watching the bits that were the same simultaneously.
“Little House” was a part of every day for me, reruns on every afternoon, and those extra special Monday nights when I got to stay up late with Mom to watch the newest episode.
I work with disabled children in their homes, and it happens from time to time that the family will have “Little House” on while I’m trying to work. I’m very good at ignoring the television, but when “Little House” is on, I just cannot keep my mind on my work, it sucks me right in every time. It is filled with such nostalgia for me.
As a huge fan of the real Laura and her books, I cannot equate the tv series with the books at all in my mind, they are two entirely separate entities in my mind. However, Little House is such an excellent program in its own right.
March 17th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Our first child, Mike, was born in 1978 in northern Indiana, an area known for it’s Amish and Mennonite families. Mike and I faithfully watched every episode of Little House together. One day we were in our local K-Mart, and my son spied an Amish father with his family. The man was sporting the traditional hat, boots and suspenders. Mike excitedly and loudly pointed and yelled, “Look, Mom, it’s the Little House on the Prairie family!” I cringed, hid, and turned to exit quickly…when I remembered that the Amish, like the Ingalls, had no tv set and had probably never seen an episode of our favorite family show. Now, after several moves to both coasts of America, we have returned to northern Indiana, and 25 years later that same K-Mart is still there! But alas, my children are all grown and gone. Yet I have rediscovered in my empty nest home that old episodes are still airing daily and I continue to watch as often as I can! Thanks for the memories!
July 6th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Dean,
I started watching Little House when it first aired in 1974 and stayed with it until the The Last Farewell. I was 22 years old at the time. I have the whole series of Little House books plus a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Donald Zochert which was taken from Laura’s unpublished memoirs. In this case, it was the show that came first; the books came later.
My favorite episodes are the Laura and Almanzo ones and my all time favorite is still Sweet Sixteen.
Your blog about the making of the Little House series is interesting and I’m looking forward to more installments. I am also looking forward your new dvd “Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura.
Thanks for keeping Almanzo Wilder alive for all the Little House fans like me.
Susan
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I played Little House; I wrote Little House stories and sequels and drew Little House pictures; read every bio that I could about Laura and tried keeping a journal because I thought that Laura had written her books based on childhood diaries. I wanted a bonnet and used a hood from a winter coat instead; rolled up newspapers were logs for our Plum Creek winter scenes. I hated Geraldo because it replaced the 11am reruns on channel 9…and then I discovered the 8am reruns on TBS (right after Bewitched)…sigh…I can still sing Old Dan Tucker…I always wanted to know more about Carrie and about Laura’s friends.
~I was born several years into the show’s original airing, and I remember both the show and the books as constants in my life. Ladylike was a bad word, hehe, and I still braid my hair and love black boots to this day…Independence, love of family, memories, writing, telling stories, traveling, a restless, wandering, childlike spirit, and the protection of my now-grown baby sister are just some of the myriad ways that Little House has influenced me…Oh, and I was the only one who knew what homesteading was in my high school history class!
I’m now a librarian, and I still cite the Little House books as influential favorites…!
Dean, it’s very cool that you’re becoming personally involved with the real characters and history, and Almanzo was a neat character in both books and show.
kath
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Dean
Little House was such huge part of my growing up! My family sat around and watched each episode together. The neighbor kids and I played Little House and even dressed up as the characters for a fourth of July parade. I did a project on Laura Ingalls and built a coverd wagon when I was in 5th grade.
As I grew into my teenage years and as an adult I watch the reruns and the DVD’s. I felt part like I was part of the Little House family…
Now I have a 7 year old who wants to be Laura.. We have read the books together, and visited the Wilder farm as it is only 30 miles from our house.. I think it is all about family.. And sticking together no matter what. That is what makes it so special…
July 25th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Hi Dean!
While looking through some LHOP stuff online, I stumbled on this site. What a nice surprise!
When LHOP started airing on TV in 1974 I was 5 years old. It wasn’t until the 3rd year of it’s airing that I started watching the show (I was 8). I had spent my younger years as an only child, but my mom was pregnant with my little brother at the time, and she was very involved in her pregnancy (and eventually my brother) at the time. I don’t remember what was the first episode I watched, but I remember being hooked on the show from the first moment. I had to beg my parents each week to stay up late (and sometimes I would sneak out of my room to watch TV without my parents knowing so I could watch the show).
The summer after the 3rd season (my brother was born by then), my parents bought me the whole series of the LHOP books to occupy me during the summer (while my mom took care of my baby brother). I read the whole series, and developped a new appreciation of the show.
Both books and TV series hooked not because Laura was like myself but more because I desperately wanted to be like Laura, the tomboy, the outspoken. Instead I was a child that was very shy and sheltered (instead of being involved in sports like I WANTED to, I was involved in ballet, which I hated, because my mom said sports were unlady like for a girl).
As Laura grew up, and was coming of age, I very much identified with her, especially when she met Almanzo. Some of the shenanigans she pulled to get his attention, were exactly the types of things I would of done to attract boys/guys as well (until I became more mature that is ;).
I hate to admit this, but I had a huge crush on you Dean at the time… Like many girls at the time that were involved in the show. When the storyline veered really really wildly from the books, you were the one who kept me hooked on the show.
As an adult (now 39), married with 2 boys, I still watch all the reruns of the show when they air on TV (which drives my husband nuts because he has always HATED LHOP because he was forced to watch it as a kid). I have a new appreciation of the series. Although I am fully aware of the struggles faced by Laura and her family during her time, life was much more simpler and oriented towards real values as compared to life today. In many aspects my childhood years were a bit carefree as was Laura’s childhood. However, it is very different for today’s youth and it makes me very sad for my boys. Everything is extremely fast paced and material oriented and it totally disgusts me. The airing of the TV series now makes me nostalgic for my own childhood and for an era long gone where family values were the most important thing of all.
I have kept all the LHOP books that my parents gave me that summer in 1977, thinking that when I had children someday they would also read the books. My oldest son who is 8 has read 5-6 chapters of the first book and totally lost interest. That seriously broke my heart. But I guess he cannot identify with Laura, being he’s a boy and light years away from the type of life portrayed in the book. Maybe I can get him more interested in a few years… My youngest son is at a good age to introduce him to this literary classic though (he’s 4 and a half), so there is still hope.
It’s funny how LHOP has a different meaning for me as a child and now as an adult. Guess it’s because I’m all grown up now
BTW, one thing is certain, even as an adult I think Almanzo is cute as a button still
In the original series as well as the more recent pictures of you Dean. You haven’t changed that much and still very handsome 