After the show moved to MGM studios from Paramount, the production moved onto Stage 15, the largest soundstage on the lot. When Ray Bolger guest appeared in season five he removed flooring from part of the studio where an old, defunct oil heater had been torn out and uncovered part of the Yellow Brick Road from El mago de Oz (1939), (in which he famously played the Scarecrow,) which was still intact. the children and cast were extremely excited when Bolger showed it to them.
While working on an episode of the show, Garett Brown, inventor of the Steadicam, was talking with Merlin Olsen between scenes. Olsen (a former NFL Defensive Tackle), commented how limited he thought television coverage of football was because the static cameras couldn't give the audience any sense of the speed and movement of the game. With Olsen's observations in mind, Brown eventually designed what he called Skycam, (now also known as Cablecam or Spidercam) the floating aerial camera system that flies around the stadium above the players. It has since become an essential tool for covering live sporting and stadium events.
According to Alison Arngrim's autobiography "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch," Katherine MacGregor was a nice person, but a disruptive element on set. She would argue with the directors and try to give other actors and actresses direction. Even her onscreen husband, Richard Bull, had to put his foot down about it. Michael Landon seriously considered firing her, but her performance as the show's villain was just too perfect to let her go.
Laura Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7, 1867 and died on February 10, 1957.
Michael Landon had a unique way of inspiring child actors and actresses to cry when required for a scene. Melissa Gilbert described how he would work himself up emotionally, face her with his eyes full of tears and ask her, "Do you know how much I love you?" to which she would get all teary and emotional in response.