Little House on the Prairieby Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger 25 Apr 2008 06:00 AM Based on the series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, "Little House on the Prairie" was a hit television show from 1974 to 1983, and thanks to the wonders of syndication, is still airing today. I am a huge fan of the books and also enjoyed the show, although there are huge discrepancies between the two. I think you need to enjoy the show on its own and not worry about comparing it to the books. Melissa Gilbert plays our heroine, Laura. She grows up in a small Midwestern town called Walnut Grove, and is surrounded by her loving family. Michael Landon plays her pa, a kind-hearted man whose tender feelings sometimes get in his way. Karen Grassle is Ma, Melissa Sue Anderson is Mary, Laura's older sister, and Lindsay and Sidney Thornbush (twins) play little sister Carrie. As time goes by, we add Wendi and Brenda Turnbaugh as baby sister Grace. Life for Laura is actually not too different from life for a contemporary girl. She has issues with jealousy over Mary's pretty blonde hair, she gets into scrapes at school, and she must deal with all the other things that go along with being a young girl. Her biggest foil is Nellie Olson (Alison Arngrim) the mean rich girl in town who delights in making Laura's life miserable. The Ingalls family is very poor, and must make do on the little they have. All Nellie has to do is whine for something and she gets it, and she loves rubbing it in Laura's face. In 1979, a new character is introduced to the show. Played by Dean Butler, his name is Almanzo Wilder, and he's an amazing catch. All the girls in town set their caps for him, but he's content to be a bachelor. Laura instantly falls for him, but he sees her as just being a little girl. That doesn't last for long, though - as Laura reaches her sixteenth birthday, he wakes up and realizes what's been in front of his face the whole time. Pa objects to the difference in their ages - he's twenty-four to her sixteen-but when you're meant to be, that's just how it is. This storyline is one that I didn't care for. The real story of Laura and Almanzo's courtship is much more romantic than what they invented for the show, but I guess this way I have two love stories to enjoy rather than just one. "Little House on the Prairie" is the ultimate in family entertainment. I watch it on my local PBS station. Check your local listings to see when it's aired in your area. Related Blogs: Little House on the Prairie - the Musical The Little House on the Prairie Series Learn more about Tristi Pinkston  I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006. Relevantmedia tags User Comments  Dale Harcombe |
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