Little House on the Prairie ran for more than eight seasons from 1974 to 1983. Michael Landon was the show's star, although he dropped out for its last season. Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle, and Melissa Sue Anderson provided supporting roles. The series is about a family living on a small farm in Plum Creek near the small village of Walnut Grove, Minnesota. The drama is an adaptation of the book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Ed Friendly served as the executive producer of the series. The show gained people's love. Sadly, some cast members have distanced themselves from Hollywood.
Despite the show's light-hearted tone, it actually touched on some relatively intense subject material for its time. In many ways, the show was ahead of its time. Behind the scenes, things weren't quite as quaint as the show's picturesque setting. For decades, scandals, feuds, and even a curse have haunted the show's cast and crew. Let's take a closer look at the sad truth hiding behind the scenes of Little House on the Prairie.
Michael Landon Loved Pulling Pranks on Set
Michael Landon was a notorious prankster. Sometimes, he'd recruit tarantulas, snakes, or frogs. The actor had a nasty habit of putting a frog in his mouth. When people went to talk to him, Landon would open his mouth so the frog could get out and scare his listener. However, he wasn't the only trickster in the family. Both Alison Arngrim and Melissa Gilbert had a particularly nasty prank they loved to do. They'd cover a toilet seat with plastic wrap, and the next person would have one heck of a mess to clean up.
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Alison Arngrim Often Fainted on the 'Little House on the Prairie' Set
Simi Valley, California, is not precisely Minnesota, which means the cast and crew worked in over a hundred degrees some days. That came with a lot of health risks. The women in all their layers felt it especially bad, but there was one assistant director and Alison Arngrim in her heavy Nellie wig that frequently fainted. People would think they will be allowed to rest after sweat and stress. Nevertheless, Landon wanted everyone to be serious about their work, including the kids.
Was 'Little House on the Prairie' Racially Insensitive?
Today TV shows cover just about everything. Viewers can watch crime dramas, space adventures, social critiques, and tales of revolution. Although Little House on the Prairie was promoted as wholesome and safe, the show tackled some pretty deep stuff. But some viewers think they did it in a problematic way.
The season 3 episode "The Wisdom of Solomon" tackles issues of racism in a brutally deep way. The Ingalls help Solomon and Solomon give The Ingalls and the audience some very important stuff to think about: "Would you rather be black and live to be a hundred, or white and live to be fifty?"
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The show then aired season seven's infamous two-parter "Sylvia", which feels like something out of a horror movie. But the real monster is humanity. Little House on the Prairie explores stalking, assault, abuse, and the stigma surrounding victims and survivors of assault all in one plotline. This definitely wasn't for everyone and left a lot of its contemporary viewers shocked. It was so unlike anything they'd seen at that time, and that's why it mattered.
Michael Landon Wasn't The Same Father As Portrayed On Screen
The world-famous star of Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie, Michael Landon, has won the hearts of millions. Playing the charming and strong Charles Ingalls on set, he turned out to be the absolute opposite with his real-life family. What devastating story hides behind the broken childhoods of Michael Landon's kids?
In the 1970s, Michael Landon lived in Beverly Hills in a mansion on seven acres with his second wife and three children. His kids had everything they could dream of. They even had a chance to play on-screen together with Landon in the TV show Little House on the Prairie. But the fortune and happiness turned into ashes the day Michael Landon left the family.
It turned out that Landon had an affair with a makeup artist while playing on the show, whom he later married. In fact, the actor was married three times and had nine children. His kids, Michael Landon Jr., and Leslie Landon, were devastated. The perfect image they had of their father was now shattered, leaving a life-long scar.
His daughter Leslie who was 18 at that time, suffered severely from her parent's divorce. All the stress, confusion, and sorrow turned into an illness. It resulted in Leslie suffering from a bulimia eating disorder. Meanwhile, Leslie's younger brother, Michael Jr., also suffered during that time. 16-year-old Michael Jr. was absolutely broken and full of bitterness, anger, and sorrow. He turned to drugs and alcohol to reduce the pressure and dull the pain. Their mother, who was left alone, had to cope with the mess in her family, saving her children.
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