Little House on the Prairie remains a cherished family TV show, an hour-long drama that graced NBC from 1974 to 1984. This beloved series, loosely adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic Little House books, captivated audiences for a decade, amassing an impressive 205 episodes. The journey began with a powerful pilot movie, setting the stage for the heartwarming stories that would follow.
The show transported viewers to the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s, into the lives of the Ingalls family, pioneers carving out a life in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. This town, vividly brought to life on the Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, California, became the backdrop for the Ingalls family’s trials and triumphs. Led by Pa, Charles, and Ma, Caroline, and their daughters Mary, Laura, and Carrie, the Ingalls family expanded over the seasons, welcoming new members and friends into their fold. Key townspeople like the Olesons, the gossiping store owners with their children Nellie and Willie; Dr. Baker, the town’s physician and vet; and Reverend Alden, the spiritual leader, added depth and richness to the Walnut Grove community.
The driving force behind Little House on the Prairie was Michael Landon. Following his 14-year stint as Little Joe on Bonanza, Landon sought a new project where he could star, produce, write, and direct. Ed Friendly, an NBC executive holding the TV rights to the Little House books, joined forces with Landon, creating a partnership that would bring this vision to life.
Little House on the Prairie wasn’t afraid to tackle complex themes. Throughout its run, the show explored alcoholism, addiction, faith, poverty, blindness, disability, loneliness, assault, terminal illness, suicide, child abuse, love, bullying, and prejudice. While fundamentally a drama, Little House also masterfully incorporated moments of levity and humor, creating a balanced and relatable portrayal of life on the frontier.
Even decades after its original broadcast, Little House on the Prairie continues to resonate with audiences through syndication, airing consistently in the US and internationally. The complete series is readily available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital download platforms. The show’s enduring popularity is further cemented by cast memoirs, fan conventions, and ongoing appreciation from generations of viewers.
This guide provides a detailed look at the Little House on the Prairie pilot movie. Episode airdates have been meticulously verified from primary sources to ensure accuracy, correcting inconsistencies found on many online resources. Similarly, cast and crew details, often unreliable on databases like IMDb, have been carefully re-examined and corrected.
Within each episode entry, you’ll find expandable sections for additional insights. These include curated comments, many sourced from the now-archived Television Without Pity forums, capturing fan reactions and discussions. These comments also highlight production errors and goofs, though deliberate omissions were made regarding character age inconsistencies and book-to-show deviations, as these were frequent and often intentional creative choices.
A second expandable section presents IMDb user reviews, offering a diverse range of perspectives on each episode. Images throughout the guide are interactive; clicking or tapping will enlarge them for closer viewing. “Spoilers” within episode synopses are intentionally obscured, requiring a mouseover or touch to reveal key plot points.
The newspaper icon signifies that original newspaper listings for the episode are available for viewing by clicking the icon. Please note that some newspaper images are from older copies and may have reduced image quality.
The “Cartwheel” ratings, displayed within the Michael Landon graphic for each episode, are scaled out of five, reflecting a relative ranking within the Little House on the Prairie series itself, not against television programming in general. A 3½ cartwheel rating signifies a strong, engaging episode. Three cartwheels represent a typical episode, while ratings below three indicate notable weaknesses. Episodes rated four cartwheels or higher are considered exceptional.
Original production numbers are also included, providing a more accurate indication of the filming order, which sometimes differs from the broadcast airdate sequence. This guide is designed to offer a user-friendly experience even on smartphones, ensuring accessibility across devices. For comments or corrections, please use the provided email link.
Little House on the Prairie: Pilot Movie – Episode 0.01
Episode # 0.01 (1) – 2 hours
Written by Blanche Hanalis
Directed by Michael Landon
Broadcast March 30, 1974, NBC (part of NBC Saturday Night At The Movies)
Starring: Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls, Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls, Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls, Melissa Sue Anderson as Mary Ingalls, Lindsay Sidney Green Bush as Carrie Ingalls.
Executive Producers: Ed Friendly and Michael Landon.
Based Upon the “Little House” Series of Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Crew: Ted Voigtländer A.S.C. (Director of Photography), Kent McCray (Associate Producer), David Rose (Music), Trevor Williams (Art Director), John Loeffler (Editor), Miles S. Middough (Assistant Director), Dennis Peeples (Set Decoration), Edward P. Ancona Jr. (Color Consultant).
Filmed with Panavision Equipment®, Processed by Consolidated Film Industries.
An NBC Production In Association with Ed Friendly.
Interiors shot at Paramount Studios, Hollywood.
Copyright © MCMLXXIV [1974] by National Broadcasting Company, Inc.
Guest Starring: Victor French as Mr. Edwards.
Cal Bellini as Brave, Sam Vlahos as 1st Indian, Richard Alarian as 2nd Indian, Marian Beeler as Grandmother, John Steadman as Grandfather, Vic Mohica as Soldat Du Chene.
Hal Burton (Indian Brave/Soldier), Ruth Foster (Aunt Ruby), Patrick O’Hagan (unknown) – Uncredited on episode titles; these entries have been taken from IMDb and have not been fully verified.
Synopsis: Facing dwindling game supplies, the Ingalls family – Charles, Caroline, Mary, Laura, and Carrie – leave their Wisconsin home, venturing southwest to Kansas in search of a new beginning. Their arduous journey by covered wagon leads them to settle on the Kansas prairie, land designated as Indian territory near Independence. They are soon befriended by Mr. Edwards, who assists them in building their new cabin and celebrating their first Christmas. The Ingalls family encounters both friendly and less welcoming Native Americans. However, their newfound peace is disrupted when a government land deal forces them to leave their prairie home, compelling them to seek yet another place to settle.
This pilot movie served as the foundation for the Little House on the Prairie series. Its success virtually guaranteed the series’ greenlight. Notably, the pilot remains remarkably faithful to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book, omitting only a few darker elements, such as the family’s near-fatal bout with malaria.
I re-watched the Pilot again yesterday. No matter how many times I see it, it remains perfect. There are some actual edge-of-your-seat moments (crossing the river, when Jack disappears, when the first 2 Indians enter the cabin) as opposed to the overly melodramatic moments later in the series. But I especially love how real the relationship seems between Pa and Ma, when they're short with each other and have little arguments and moods, which seems much more accurate than the later series where it's all rainbows and unicorns no matter what and they're never impatient with each other at all (cue: "Oh, Charles! *giggle*"). It really could just have been Ma, Pa and Laura though. I think Mary had 2 or 3 superfluous lines ("Pa said not to untie him!" and, "Laura wanted to untie him!" Bite me, Mary) and Carrie just perfected her famous outhouse run (holding clean stockings?? WTF?) (*charlieboo*)
charlieboo, you are so right about the pilot. That film is a thing of beauty, and I love watching it. It's faithful to the books, well acted, beautifully shot and there's so many moments that stand out. My favorites: "Dear Lord, we thank you for bringing our good and dear friend back to us." (When Jack returns.) "Hear that? Hear what, Pa? The stars, singing Hallelujah." (Pa and Laura by the campfire.) When Pa and Ma have a moment alone to share a kiss in the Little House. Whew. Smokin'. Laura and Mr Edwards' goodbye scene. Makes me cry every time. (*prairiegal*)
In the first scene, as the family is walking to the wagon, Melissa Sue Anderson briefly slips over.
At about 5 minutes in, a sunset shot of the wagon shows a jet contrail in the sky, top right. (*Steve*)
That made so mad about Jack. They could have made room for him. (*bigskygirl*)
Then Pa was so pissed because he didn't have a dog to guard them at night. Well, if he was so damn important to your safety you should have looked out for the dear dog a bit better. (*merylinkid*)
Right at the end, just after Mr Edwards has said goodbye to the Ingalls, he walks behind the wagon and somebody or something quickly moves out of sight.Watch the opening titles of the Little House on the Prairie pilot movie (video) (NB: Video file 1800kbps – may use significant mobile data)
Watch the closing scene of the Little House on the Prairie pilot movie (video) (NB: Video file 1800kbps – may use significant mobile data)
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