Little House on the Prairie

A well-written show with some definite episodes within "genres" (broad comedies, moral choices, adventure, family values, religion). As far as a complete body of work, the seasons best hold together in the first four years, ending with "I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away" (you can believe that the family had faced issues and had to move as they moved previously, in the spirit of the books and the time period)...adding additional cast and bringing back characters afterward added some confusion and some continuity problems that are well documented. The last season of episodes and the last TV movies are often lambasted as not true to style, or by having substitute families, and while this is true to a point, the new characters often were used to tell similar stories.

I enjoy this series (I faithfully watch the reruns) for the same reasons millions of others do; the story lines that provide valuable lessons in life and the outstanding performances by regulars and guests. I would like to let readers know my all time favorite episode. It's the one titled "The Man Inside". This is the one about the fat man who decides to "leave" so his daughter will no longer have to be embarrassedd by him. Later, the children in the blind school open her eyes and help her realize what a great father he is.

This show debuted just after my birth, my mother watched it religiously and I was raised watching this show. I have read and re-read all of the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and I now own every season available on DVD. Little House On the Prarie is a show that not only showed America what family is all about, it also tackled serious issues every week. I've read all of the negative comments and still can't see why anyone wouldn't love this show. Yes Michael Landon was a big part of the show, but the show was really about Laura and how she grew up, and as she grew up we got to watch a wonderful actress, Melissa Gilbert, grow up too. At 31 I now look back on this show with love and tenderness, remembering special times with my own mother as I watched it as a child. This is truly one of the best family shows that has ever been broadcast on TV. We need shows like this on TV now.

I don't know what it is about this show, but it is one of my all time favorites. I am now in my early 40's and still watch it every time it airs. I own every DVD and even recorded every show long before DVDs were available. Michael Landon had a gift about the shows he wrote and directed. The best episode, in my opinion, is "The Lord is My Shepherd." The story lines and family atmosphere of these episodes says a lot. I can remember growing up watching these shows every Monday night - brings back fond memories of sharing those times with my family, particularly my grandmother, who adored Michael Landon as much as I did. I wish TV of today had the family values like it had many years ago. Shows such as "Little House" will forever remain a piece of history. Thank God Michael Landon left us such wonderful TV memories! :-)

When I was 10 years old, my family was transfered back to the US from Germany where my dad had been stationed with the US Army. Our first night stateside we stayed in an airport motel, and while flipping through the channels to see what was new on American TV (all we had in Germany was afrts), we saw our first Little House Episode. The Sunday School class was outside under the big tree discussing plans for Rev Aldens birthday. I had read the little house books in school, and based solely on the names I jumped up and yelled, "It's Little House, it's little house" Needless to say, it was still on Wednesday nights then, and it became a Wednesday night tradition in our house, then Mondays. Every time I see the episode I think of that first night after a long flight, and all of us in that motel room. Good memories....