NBC entered a rather dark time in the mid-’70s. The network became a ratings disaster as it was trounced by ABC & CBS on a yearly basis. Thankfully NBC had someone from their past give them a rare shining hit. Michael Landon had just wrapped up a 14 year run as Little Joe Cartwright on Bonanza. He had grown up in front of viewers. After years of playing the youngest son, he was ready to start a TV family of his own. He returned to TV in the spring of 1974 as the father of the Ingalls with the TV movie Little House on the Prairies. The autobiographical book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder had maintained popularity for decades with her tales of a youth on the frontier. The movie proved to be a sensation and a series was put into production for the 1974-75 season. Little House on the Prairie: Season One & the Pilot Movie brings together the start of the magic season.
Little House redefined the family Western. America was used to tales of powerful families running a massive ranch and brawling all comers as seen on The Big Valley and Bonanza. This wasn’t the Ingalls family. They were small and young in a vast frontier. Charles (Michael Landon) and Caroline (Karen Grassle) went across country in a wagon with daughters Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson), Laura (Melissa Gilbert) and Carrie (Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush). The pilot movie opens with the family leaving the location of Little House in the Big Woods. They are heading to Kansas. Things look all good until the weather, fire, Indians and finally the U.S. government makes the Ingalls consider moving further down the prairie.
“A Harvest of Friends” settles the Ingalls in Minnesota. It was still an untamed land before Mary Tyler Moore Show show arrived. Charles gets into a major money problem when he buys his land. He’s working way to many jobs to meet the bills. Even worse is a feed dealer who schemes against him. This episodes sets the tone for the series since in the end, it’s not merely rugged individualism that saves the day, but a concerned community. This was a pretty bold move since most Westerns solved their problem with a gun or at least a public lynching. “Country Girls” points out that even in a sweet community, there’s some people that are pains. Mary and Laura attend the local school house. This is where they meet the original Oleson girls. Harriet (Katherine MacGregor) and Nellie (Alison Arngrim) are the spoiled daughters of the town’s richest citizen. They want every one to know that they rule the school. This is also an important episode since it’s the start of Laura telling tales of her family. This case it’s a school presentation about her mother. “School Mom” features a guest appearance of Dirk Blocker, the son of Dan Blocker (Hoss on Bonanza). “The Lord Is My Shepherd” brings Ernest Borgnine (McHale’s Navy) to town.
Little House on the Prairie stands up as family entertainment after 40 years. The stories being about family and community make it enduring. These aren’t the most outlandish plots pilfered from Rawhide and Bonanza. They’re about people and a town struggling to survive eventually thrive. This is a great show sit back and watch with your own kids in the rugged terrain of suburbia.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The 1080p transfers look fine. They bring out the untamed locations and the glory that was Michael Landon’s curly hair. The audio is 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. The new track brings out the richness of the score. There’s also French and Spanish dub tracks. The episodes are subtitled in English.
The Little House Phenomenon Part One: A Place in Television History (14:04) lets the stars discuss the founding of the series and its impact.
Original Screen Test (1:48) is for Michael Landon working with Melissa Gilbert. It’s easy to see why she was cast in such a major role.
Little House on the Prairie: Season One & the Pilot Movie brings back the glory of Michael Landon’s second TV hit. The Blu-ray transfers make things look more vivid than when you saw the show in 1974.
Lionsgate presents Little House on the Prairie: Season One & the Pilot Movie. Starring: Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Melissa Sue Anderson and Melissa Gilbert. Boxset Contents: 24 episodes on 5 Blu-rays. Released: March 23, 2014.
