"Little House on the Prairie" (1974) TV series 1974-1983

Writers:

Arthur Heinemann (writer) (14 episodes)
John Hawkins (writer) (11 episodes)
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Release Date:

11 September 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Romance | Western

Plot:

The life and adventures of the Ingalls family in the 19th century American West.

Plot Keywords:

House | Teacher | Prairie | Small Town | Blindness

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 15 wins & 34 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 30	4:00 AM	TVLAND	The Nephews	#7.14
Mon. Nov. 30	5:00 AM	TVLAND	Make a Joyful Noise	#7.15

Cast

Melissa Gilbert	...	Laura Ingalls / ... (192 episodes, 1974-1983)
Michael Landon	...	Charles Ingalls / ... (183 episodes, 1974-1983)
Lindsay Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls / ... (182 episodes, 1974-1982)
Sidney Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls / ... (182 episodes, 1974-1982)
Karen Grassle	...	Caroline Ingalls (170 episodes, 1974-1982)
Scottie MacGregor	...	Harriet Oleson (153 episodes, 1974-1983)
Richard Bull	...	Nels Oleson (148 episodes, 1974-1983)
Melissa Sue Anderson	...	Mary Ingalls / ... (142 episodes, 1974-1981)
Jonathan Gilbert	...	Willie Oleson (139 episodes, 1974-1983)
Kevin Hagen	...	Dr. Hiram Baker (114 episodes, 1974-1983)
Alison Arngrim	...	Nellie Oleson / ... (104 episodes, 1974-1982)
Matthew Laborteaux	...	Albert Quinn Ingalls / ... (87 episodes, 1976-1983)

Series Directed by
Michael Landon		(89 episodes, 1974-1983)
William F. Claxton		(68 episodes, 1974-1981)
Maury Dexter		(21 episodes, 1979-1983)
Victor French		(18 episodes, 1974-1983)
Leo Penn		(3 episodes, 1974-1975)

Series Writing credits
Laura Ingalls Wilder		(204 episodes, 1974-1983)
Blanche Hanalis		(87 episodes, 1974-1978)
Michael Landon		(48 episodes, 1974-1983)
Don Balluck		(25 episodes, 1977-1983)
John T. Dugan		(18 episodes, 1977-1980)
John Hawkins		(15 episodes, 1974-1981)
Arthur Heinemann		(15 episodes, 1974-1979)
B.W. Sandefur		(14 episodes, 1975-1982)
Carole Raschella		(14 episodes, 1977-1982)
Michael Raschella		(14 episodes, 1977-1982)
Vince Gutierrez		(7 episodes, 1979-1982)
Chris Abbott		(7 episodes, 1981-1983)
Ward Hawkins		(6 episodes, 1974-1975)
Paul W. Cooper		(6 episodes, 1976-1982)
Harold Swanton		(4 episodes, 1974-1977)
Gerry Day		(4 episodes, 1974-1975)
Dale Eunson		(2 episodes, 1974-1977)
Tony Kayden		(2 episodes, 1974-1977)
Joseph Bonaduce		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Juanita Bartlett		(2 episodes, 1974)
Hindi Brooks		(2 episodes, 1975-1978)
John Meston		(2 episodes, 1975)
Preston Wood		(2 episodes, 1975)
Lawrence Konner		(2 episodes, 1977)
Del Reisman		(2 episodes, 1979)
Paul Wolff		(2 episodes, 1979)
Jeri Taylor		(2 episodes, 1981)
Ande Lamb		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Michael Landon	....	executive producer (204 episodes, 1974-1983)
Kent McCray	....	associate producer / producer (203 episodes, 1974-1983)
John Hawkins	....	producer / co-producer (72 episodes, 1974-1978)
Marvin Coil	....	associate producer (44 episodes, 1981-1983)
B.W. Sandefur	....	co-producer / producer (37 episodes, 1975-1977)
William F. Claxton	....	producer (37 episodes, 1977-1981)
Gary L. Wohlleben	....	associate producer (22 episodes, 1982-1983)
Winston Miller	....	producer (7 episodes, 1974)

Series Original Music by
David Rose		(204 episodes, 1974-1983)

Series Cinematography by
Ted Voigtlander		(104 episodes, 1974-1983)
Haskell B. Boggs		(81 episodes, 1974-1983)
Harry L. Wolf		(9 episodes, 1981-1983)
Brianne Murphy		(8 episodes, 1981-1982)

Series Film Editing by
Jerry Taylor		(98 episodes, 1974-1983)
John Loeffler		(91 episodes, 1974-1983)
Clay Bartels		(5 episodes, 1979)
George Watters		(3 episodes, 1974)
Robert Gutknecht		(2 episodes, 1974)
Bob Fish		(2 episodes, 1981-1982)

Series Casting by
Susan McCray		(150 episodes, 1976-1983)
Edward R. Morse		(52 episodes, 1974-1977)

Series Art Direction by
Walter M. Jefferies		(192 episodes, 1974-1983)
Trevor Williams		(9 episodes, 1974)
George Renne		(2 episodes, 1981-1983)

Series Set Decoration by
Don Webb		(186 episodes, 1974-1983)
Dennis W. Peeples		(11 episodes, 1974-1978)
Morris Hoffman		(3 episodes, 1977)
Sam Gross		(2 episodes, 1981-1983)

Series Makeup Department
Allan Snyder	....	makeup artist / hair stylist (189 episodes, 1974-1983)
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist / makeup artist (145 episodes, 1974-1981)
Damion	....	hair stylist (21 episodes, 1981-1982)
Lillian Barb	....	hair stylist (20 episodes, 1982-1983)
Gladys Witten	....	hair stylist (12 episodes, 1977-1981)
Lynn F. Reynolds	....	makeup artist (9 episodes, 1982-1983)
Hank Edds	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1981-1983)
Darby Hoppin	....	hair stylist (3 episodes, 1981-1983)

Series Production Management
Miles Middough	....	production manager (40 episodes, 1981-1983)
Kent McCray	....	production manager (4 episodes, 1983)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Reid Rummage	....	second assistant director / assistant director (89 episodes, 1978-1983)
Miles Middough	....	assistant director (83 episodes, 1974-1983)
Maury Dexter	....	assistant director / first assistant director (74 episodes, 1974-1981)
Brad Yacobian	....	second assistant director (27 episodes, 1981-1983)
Buck Edwards	....	second assistant director (17 episodes, 1981-1983)
Ronald Martinez	....	assistant director / first assistant director (12 episodes, 1981-1982)
Robert Enrietto	....	assistant director (8 episodes, 1982-1983)
James B. Greer	....	second assistant director (7 episodes, 1979-1980)
Ray DeCamp	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1981-1983)

Series Art Department
Michael P. Hunter	....	assistant property master (66 episodes, 1980-1983)
Dean Wilson	....	property master (52 episodes, 1979-1983)
Glen R. Feldman	....	property master (38 episodes, 1981-1983)

Series Sound Department
Vince Gutierrez	....	sound effects editor / supervising sound editor (117 episodes, 1978-1983)
David Dockendorf	....	sound recordist (91 episodes, 1974-1979)
Frank Meadow	....	sound recordist (84 episodes, 1978-1983)
M. Curtis Price	....	sound recordist / sound re-recording mixer (82 episodes, 1979-1983)
Charles T. Knight	....	sound recordist (68 episodes, 1974-1977)
Anthony F. Brissinger	....	sound recordist / sound re-recording mixer (37 episodes, 1981-1983)
Gordon L. Day	....	sound recordist (20 episodes, 1977-1978)
Barry Thomas	....	sound recordist (13 episodes, 1977)
Duncan McEwan	....	sound recordist (5 episodes, 1979-1980)
Donna Anderson	....	utility sound (unknown episodes)
Marty Church	....	foley mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Luke Tillman	....	special effects (44 episodes, 1981-1983)

Series Stunts
Hal Burton	....	stunt coordinator / stunt double: Michael Landon (unknown episodes)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Jack Lilley	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
George Orrison	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Neil Summers	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Kenneth Hunter	....	camera operator (87 episodes, 1979-1983)
Ron Housiaux	....	key grip (74 episodes, 1979-1983)
Lon Massey III	....	gaffer / grip / ... (53 episodes, 1979-1983)
Bob Farmer	....	gaffer / grip (37 episodes, 1981-1983)
Clyde Taylor	....	lighting director (15 episodes, 1974)
Ron Cardarelli	....	key grip (13 episodes, 1979-1980)
Clarence Tindell	....	key grip (3 episodes, 1981-1983)
Richard Tim Vanik	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Kenji Takama	....	camera intern (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Frank Kennedy	....	extras casting: locations (22 episodes, 1975-1983)
Dottie O'Brien	....	extras casting (unknown episodes)
John O'Brien	....	extras casting (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richalene Kelsay	....	costumer: women (137 episodes, 1974-1980)
Andy Matyasi	....	costumer: men (89 episodes, 1974-1978)
Mike Termini	....	costumer: men (69 episodes, 1978-1981)
Linda Taylor	....	costumer: women (64 episodes, 1980-1983)
Michael R. Faeth	....	costumer: men (24 episodes, 1981-1982)
Dallas D. Dornan	....	costumer: men (19 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Editorial Department
Edward P. Ancona Jr.	....	color consultant / supervising editor (202 episodes, 1974-1983)
Marvin Coil	....	supervising editor (158 episodes, 1974-1981)
Kay Suffern	....	negative cutter (90 episodes, 1979-1983)

Series Music Department
Edna Bullock	....	music editor (89 episodes, 1974-1978)
Fred Prior	....	music editor (83 episodes, 1979-1983)
Robert Gutknecht	....	music editor (22 episodes, 1978-1979)
Tom Gleason	....	music editor (6 episodes, 1982-1983)
John Massari	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes, 1980-1983)

Series Transportation Department
Linda Cipperley	....	transportation (25 episodes, 1977)

Series Other crew
Blanche Hanalis	....	developed for television by (117 episodes, 1974-1983)
Gary L. Wohlleben	....	production controller / production coordinator (95 episodes, 1978-1982)
Don Balluck	....	executive story consultant (66 episodes, 1980-1983)
John T. Dugan	....	executive story consultant / story consultant (54 episodes, 1978-1980)
Erica Wernher	....	script supervisor (52 episodes, 1979-1983)
Kevin King	....	payroll accountant (44 episodes, 1981-1983)
Duane Toler	....	script supervisor (38 episodes, 1981-1983)
John Hawkins	....	executive story consultant (22 episodes, 1977-1978)
Chris Abbott	....	story editor (22 episodes, 1981-1982)
Tim Engel	....	production controller (22 episodes, 1982-1983)
Ward Hawkins	....	story editor (11 episodes, 1974-1975)
Michael Thomas Slifkin	....	kid's talent coach (unknown episodes, 1979-1981)
Bill McCamey	....	on-set nurse (unknown episodes)
Shirley Ulmer	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Ed Friendly Productions
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974-1983) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Worldvision (1974-) (worldwide) (TV)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Goldhil Home Media (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Goldhil Home Media (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Hallmark Channel, The (2006) (USA) (TV)
• The Total Living Network (2006) (USA) (TV)
• Channel 4 Television Corporation
• Evangelische Omroep (EO) (1975-1986) (Netherlands) (TV)
• NHK Sôgô (1975) (Japan) (TV)
• SBS6 (200?) (Netherlands) (TV) (syndication)
• Shochiku Company (1990) (Japan) (VHS)
• Shochiku Home Video (1993) (Japan) (VHS)
• TV Land (2005-) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2006-) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 1 and 2)
• Video Film Express (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 3 and 4)
• Video Film Express (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (season 5)
• Video Film Express (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 6-8)
• Video Film Express (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (season 9)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2008) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)

Other Companies

• Glen Glenn Sound  sound recording

Also Known As:

Little House: A New Beginning (USA) (last season title)

Runtime:

60 min | Germany:45 min (210 episodes) | USA:60 min (203 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-18 (DVD) (2007) (self applied) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Big Sky Ranch - 4927 Bennett Road, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

Ed Friendly Productions

Trivia:

The theme song was penned by David Rose, who wrote many theme songs. However, he is best known for the 1962 Burlesque classic, The Stripper.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the episode "Christmas at Plum Creek", Laura's horse Bunny is referred to as being male. However, in the episodes "Bunny", "The Race" and "Journey in the Spring", the same horse is always referred to as being female.

Quotes:

Nellie Oleson: Hello, Laura.
Laura: Hi, Nellie.
Nellie Oleson: Willie told me all about your class project. How's yours coming?
Laura: I haven't started it yet.
Nellie Oleson: I see. It must be very hard tracing all your relatives. Names and everything. Have to spend all that time in the forest or wherever it is you're from.
Laura: It's called the Big Woods and I'll manage thank you.
Nellie Oleson: You know the Oleson family goes all the way back to royalty. We come from heads of state and titles for most of my relatives.
Laura: Like Nero and Ivan the Terrible?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Plan B (1997)

Not as sappy as you might remember...

I grew up watching 'Little House On The Prairie', as well as read some of the books on which the program was based. As a young kid, I was aware that some of the issues on the program were very serious, but I still considered it, like many of you, to be a 'family' program; sweet, sappy, and moralistic. As the years have worn on, I've watched the program in reruns. Lately, for the past 2-3 months, I've been watching back-to-back reruns nearly everyday, and have been extremely surprised at the darker layers to 'Little House' that I guess most people never picked up. Here's some of the darker subjects tackled on 'Little House' - murder, corruption, child rape/abuse/endangerment, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, accusations of adultery, etc. From this list you'd think you I was talking about a show you couldn't watch with your family. 'Little House' also dealt with death, destruction of one's home, the evils of gossip, alcoholism, divorce, kidnapping, racism/xenophobia/religious persecution, personal crisis, loss of faith, etc. Sure some episodes tried to have a resolution at the end of 60 minutes, but most did not. The characters were not perfect by a long shot; not even the main character Laura or even the Reverend Alden. I highly recommend 'Little House' to adults wanting to try something different out. A much better show than other 'family' shows of the time, like 'Eight Is Enough' (good but not as good as LH), and much, much better than the 'family' shows of the past decade including 'Dr. Quinn' and '7th Heaven'.