This is the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE Encyclopedia
The official "unofficial" guide to Michael Landon's legendary television series.
THE DEPARTMENTS
[ Main Page |
A to E |
F to K |
L to Q |
R to Z |
The FAQ |
The Timeline |
Collectables Page |
The
Pictures Page |
100
Trivia Facts |
Cast Bios ]
SEASON GUIDES (so far)
[
Season One |
Season Two |
Season Three ]
Last updated August 2, 2009
HERO TOWNSHIP BAD...and GOOD NEWS (or, THE FUTURE OF THIS SITE)
Hello, Little House fans! First off, I know you've been dying to see an update, but although you have not seen any lately in terms of content as to the LHOTP characters and season summaries, rest assured that this site is as timeless as the series itself.
This site has been (and in my mind, still is) a labor of love for both me and you fans. It is my personal tribute to such a great family series that is still airing worldwide in reruns. To all the fans who have contributed to this site and even forwarded me rare photos pertaining to LHOTP, I thank you.
But, as you may know by now, GeoCities (the server hosting this site) will be closing down in October. It is very sad to see the server go...at the same time, I am grateful for the opportunity to have kept this web site up for all of you Little House fans. With that in mind, this site will continue in some form after Geocities' closing. I turn to you fans of "Little House" to keep the legacy of this fan site alive.
To that end, I hope you will consider donating to this web site using the PayPal button below so I can have the funds available to not only keep this site going, but to help finance my new computer (or perhaps a second one by 2010). So won't you help with your donation? When you do, I pledge to find new ways to bring you new information and some tidbits about this legendary series, which incidentally is now available in its entirety in a box set on DVD. Thanks to all you fans, and I'll see you down the prairie trail!
If you are a true "Little House" fan and a fan of this
web site and want us to keep going, then take a moment to donate
by using the buttons below. This will help us pay for the high speed Internet access needed to continue this site.
My goal at this point is $2,000. Donations of $5 and above are recommended. In advance, I say "Thank you".
DONATE THROUGH PAYPAL!
PLEASE DONATE TO ENSURE THE FUTURE OF THIS WEBSITE..and to pay for my computer(s) and internet.
Click to subscribe to The Little House Club
We still have a RealVideo file
of the opening titles and familiar theme music. This particular rendition
is from the episode "Here Come The Brides". Click
here to find it.
If you'd like to contribute something to our Encyclopedia, you can
E-mail me at right here.
DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF MICHAEL LANDON, VICTOR FRENCH, KEVIN HAGEN, BURL IVES, SAM EDWARDS, JOHNNY CASH, JUNE CARTER CASH, DAVID ROSE, RICHARD BASEHART,
LEW AYRES, RICHARD JAECKEL, STEVE TRACY, DUB TAYLOR, RAY BOLGER, RALPH
BELLAMY, KARL SWENSON, MOSES GUNN, RICHARD MULLIGAN, ANN DORAN, WILLIAM A. CLAXTON, BILLY BARTY...
...and the creator of "Little House On The Prairie", Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Also dedicated to Michael Garrett Boxleitner, the son of Melissa Gilbert, and in
whose soul a piece of Michael Landon will live on...and to the millions and
millions of fans worldwide who still watch "Little House On The Prairie" day
after day, week after week...
I have online auctions of out-of-print videos and other nick-nacks from time to time. Click here to see what I may have.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome one and all to this
homepage for one of the most treasured and most popular family shows
of all time...LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE.
This is the definitive guide to almost every character, event, and
place in Michael Landon's long-running series and movies.
From Charles Ingalls to Nellie Oleson, from Walnut Grove to Mankato, from
Isaiah Edwards to Nathan Simms, from the Cooper children to the Sanderson
orphans...everything you ever wanted to know about the characters, situations,
and events in Little House will be on this page.
DISCLAIMER:Please note that this web site is based solely on
the television series and not upon the Laura Ingalls Wilder novels on
which the series itself is based, so therefore events in the original
novels are not deplicted in this site.
Also, many entries in the encyclopedia mention events that are not
deplicted in the series. This was done merely for the purpose of bringing
closure to the stories of certain characters and situations, and in
effect filling in the gaps the television series could
not.
THE HISTORY OF THE
LITTLE HOUSE SERIES
In 1974, just after the
demise of the long-running Western "Bonanza", the National Broadcasting
Company laid plans for a two-hour television film with the same family-oriented
quality as its predecessor. Michael Landon, who had helped propel "Bonanza"
to success, was commissioned by the network to produce a film based on a
best-selling series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. That film was
"Little House On The Prairie". The movie told of a post-Civil War young
pioneer family struggling to make ends meet on a small house on the prairie
hills of Kansas, with disasterous consequences. The film ends sadly with
the group leaving their treasured home (having been driven out by Government
order) for another life. The film left audiences wondering what would happen
to this family called the Ingalls?
The question was answered in a subsequent television series that ran for
eight years. The series version of "Little House" had the Ingalls finally
establishing life in a small town called Walnut Grove, Minnesota. There,
they would meet their "harvest of friends" from a good-natured minister
to a loner-turned-family man, from a pesky housewife to a hard-working
lumber man. At the helm of its run was the heart and soul of the show,
Michael Landon, who served as executive producer for the entire run of
the series. He also frequently wrote and directed. His good friend and
co-star, Victor French, also had a hand in directing.
When the original series ended its run in 1982, Michael Landon left Walnut
Grove. But viewers wanted the exploits of Walnut Grove to continue, so
"Little House" was brought back briefly for the 1982-83 fall season,
re-tooled and re-built around co-star Melissa Gilbert, and re-titled "Little
House: A New Beginning". Replacing the Ingalls were a country-life family
called the Carters, but most of the major characters from the previous
series remained. Unfortunately, the show's ratings were dismal, and not
even occasional guest appearances by Michael Landon and Allison Arngrim
("Nellie") would save the show.
When "...A New Beginning" was canceled, the storyline was left without some
type of closure. So NBC decided to produce three tele-films to wrap up
"Little House" forever. The first, broadcast in 1983, called "Look Back
To Yesterday", more or less wrapped up the storyline of Albert Ingalls. The
following year, in the spring of 1984, NBC aired "The Last Farewell", which
purported to have brought the entire series to a conclusion with the
destruction of Walnut Grove. Although it was the last "Little House" story
to be filmed, it was not the last to be broadcast, for NBC had one final
"Little House" telefilm that had not previously aired...it was a Christmas
story called "Bless All The Dear Children", about the kidnapping of Laura's
baby girl Rose. This aired in December of 1984.
Since the last "Little House" telefilm, several members of the cast (including
Michael Landon) have passed on. But a piece of the man who brought
"Little House" and several other shows (including "Father Murphy" and
"Highway To Heaven") is kept alive by Melissa Gilbert (his "Little House"
co-star) through her son, Michael Garrett Boxletiner.
Meanwhile, the syndication rights to "Little House" are now held by Paramount Domestic Television, which recently became part of CBS Corporation (a result of the splitting apart of former corporate parent Viacom). The remaining rights are still held by NBC/Universal. The show itself continues to
be seen every day in many countries around the world (including TBS
Superstation) and in many different languages.
As for the future of "Little House", a new complete series box set by Lionsgate is due to be released to DVD later this year, assuring fans of the continuation
of the legacy that the late Laura Ingalls Wilder and Michael Landon have
built.
If you want to help contribute to this page, I am welcome to your
suggestions. E-mail me right here.
RECOMMENDED
SITES
Here are some LHOTP web sites that either have
endorsed this page or I strongly recommend. Please visit them when you
can...
Melissa Sue Anderson-
Beyond The Prairie is for fans of the actress who played Mary Ingalls.
PrairieFans.com and PrairieTalk.com gives you more interaction and information on "Little House". The PrairieFans.com site also incorporates the old Memories Of Michael tribute site honoring Michael Landon.
The Official
Kevin Hagen Website--Now a web site especially for fans of the
man who played Dr. Baker.
Classic TV Web Index Page--Your index to classic television,
including "Little House".
Videos For The Family--Your connection to great videos for all
ages has returned at videosforfamily.com. Visit it now!
Official Billy Barty & Friends Web Site--Pays tribute to the man who played "Little Lou". May his legacy live on forever!
If you have a LHOTP site and would like for me to include it on this
page, E-mail me and I will include
it in this section.
Sign My Guestbook
View My Guestbook
HOW TO BE A PART
OF THE LITTLE HOUSE EXPERIENCE
Join the
Yahoo Little House Club for chat hours and
other LHOTP related activities!
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE: ©1974-2008 NBC Studios, Inc. All rights
reserved. LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE is a trademark (™) of NBC Universal, Inc. This
website is not affiliated with NBC, Universal Pictures, the Estates of Michael Landon and Laura
Ingalls Wilder, CBS Television Distribution, or any other person or entity
associated with LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE.
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