If you think Little House on the Prairie was picture-perfect, think again!
This beloved classic, known for its timeless charm, wholesome stories, and adventurous spirit, wasn’t without its share of slip-ups.
Despite its seemingly flawless appearance, a myriad of bloopers and mistakes somehow made it past the editing room.
I still can’t help but get lost in reruns of Little House on the Prairie, just like my parents did back in the day. It’s as if the show has a magical power to transport us straight to the late 1800s, where we meet the Ingalls family, whose resilience and heart remain timeless. Watching the episodes now, it’s impossible to ignore how the show’s core messages—respect, honesty, and the importance of family and friends—continue to resonate deeply.
But if you watch closely, you’ll notice a hidden gem of blunders and goofs that are sure to make you do a double-take—and maybe even crack a smile.
Take Laura’s “mystic pregnancy,” for example. In season seven, she announces she’s expecting during the vibrant, flower-filled warmth of spring. But when summer rolls around, she’s still very much pregnant, leaving fans scratching their heads and wondering just how long this prairie pregnancy was actually meant to last!
Honestly, it felt like there was a major disconnect between the writers and the rest of the team—just a classic case of sloppy story management that left us scratching our heads.
Then there’s Nellie Oleson, the ultimate troublemaker of Little House on the Prairie, expertly played by Alison Arngrim. But did you know that Nellie’s role in the show was actually much more prominent than in the original books? Her expanded presence speaks volumes about how much viewers loved to hate this cunning villain, especially when she was scheming alongside her equally conniving mother, Harriet.
While we all remember Nellie’s unforgettable blonde curls, achieving that iconic look was no walk in the park. Alison Arngrim’s own hair was transformed into those signature ringlets using a vintage curling iron that had to be heated in an oven—talk about a painful process! It took a lot of time and patience to get those perfect curls, but the end result was well worth it.
The solution to Nellie’s iconic curls? A wig. And to make sure it stayed put through all the drama, they used a large metal comb along with dozens of long, straight metal hairpins—talk about commitment to that hairstyle!
But perhaps one of the most hilarious moments in Little House on the Prairie comes from an unexpected cameo: Colonel Sanders, the legendary founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, makes a surprise appearance in a season eight episode titled “Wave of the Future.” In this episode, Nellie’s restaurant undergoes a transformation into a franchise, but, as expected, things don’t go quite as planned. Nellie soon regrets the whole endeavor and, determined to escape the contract, teams up with Charles and Nels to open a rival restaurant.
And then, in a truly bizarre twist, Colonel Sanders himself walks in, offering Harriet a deal to start her own chicken franchise. It’s a moment that left viewers both bewildered and amused—talk about an unexpected crossover!
Here’s where the hilarity really kicks in: Colonel Sanders, the beloved founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, made a surprise cameo in Little House on the Prairie—but here’s the kicker: he wasn’t even born until 1890, and KFC didn’t come into existence until 1952! Meanwhile, the show is set in the 1870s and 1880s, making this a classic case of time-traveling entrepreneurship.
And here’s a little extra flavor for you—whenever fried chicken appeared in any meal on the show, rumors suggest it came straight from KFC. So, maybe Colonel Sanders’ cameo wasn’t that outlandish after all.
Now, onto something I’ve always wondered: the glaring absence of winter coats in freezing temperatures. In the episode “Bless All the Dear Children,” Laura’s baby is kidnapped around Christmas in Minneapolis, but despite the bitter December cold, everyone is strolling around without a coat! If you’re familiar with Minneapolis in December, you know how freezing it can get. The reason for this, however, could lie in the fact that the show was filmed in Tucson, Arizona, during the summer months, which likely made the cold-weather wardrobe a little less of a priority.
Speaking of fashion slip-ups, you can occasionally spot Caroline’s bra peeking out in some episodes. Considering the show is set in the 1870s and 1880s, this is a bit of an anachronism—since bras weren’t even invented until 1912! You’ll also catch some of the women sporting hairstyles with perms or curls, a look more in line with the 1970s than the 1880s. And let’s not forget the men—most of them are clean-shaven, a stark contrast to the facial hair that was all the rage during the era. In reality, adult men in the 19th century were known for sporting full beards, including Charles Ingalls himself!
In the season five episode “The Odyssey,” an intense moment unfolds when an unknown assailant attempts to throw Albert off a moving train. Laura heroically saves him, but sharp-eyed viewers can spot a hilarious blooper: a dummy is thrown from the train, landing awkwardly in the grass, while a stuntman rolls down the hill in a much more dramatic fashion. It’s a funny contrast that totally breaks the tension of the scene!
Now, on to something a bit juicier behind the scenes—Melissa Sue Anderson, who portrayed the beautiful Mary Ingalls, often came across as “cold and aloof” to her co-stars. Both Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim shared in their autobiographies that Melissa Sue Anderson, nicknamed “Missy” on set, had a tendency to keep to herself during her time on the show. Rumors swirled that her overprotective mother contributed to her reserved nature. Still, when you see photos of the cast together, it’s hard to believe there was any distance between them.
And then there’s the surprising friendship that bloomed off-screen: Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson) and Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls), despite their onscreen rivalry, became the best of friends. When the cameras stopped rolling, they were like sisters, sharing laughs and pulling pranks on unsuspecting co-stars. Their off-screen bond was so much fun that it practically turned their fierce on-screen rivalry into a distant memory.
Finally, Little House on the Prairie was known for its emotional and heartbreaking moments, and “My Ellen” was certainly one of the most memorable. The episode deals with the tragic drowning of Ellen Taylor, a close friend of Laura and Mary. After a skinny-dipping mishap, Ellen gets trapped underwater and tragically dies. The aftermath of Ellen’s death is devastating, and her grief-stricken mother, in her sorrow, places the blame on Laura. The episode left viewers heartbroken, showcasing the powerful impact of grief and loss in a way only Little House on the Prairie could.
During Ellen’s funeral, the grief-stricken mother lashes out at Laura, accusing her with a gut-wrenching “YOU did this!” It’s a powerful, emotional moment that shakes Laura to her core, especially since she already feels a deep sense of guilt. But what’s even more striking is how the adults around them react. Instead of stepping in to defend Laura or offering comfort, they exchange uneasy glances and allow her to suffer in silence.
It’s a confusing moment for viewers. With so many adults present—Reverend Alden, Doc Baker, and others—you’d expect at least one of them to step forward to reassure Laura that she isn’t to blame. But instead, they stand by, leaving her to process the harsh accusation on her own. In “My Ellen,” the emotional weight of the episode is undeniable, yet there’s a sense of disjointed storytelling as the adults’ lack of intervention adds an uncomfortable layer to the scene.
Speaking of pranks on set, Michael Landon was known for his playful antics, often leading the charge with his hilarious tricks. One such prank was revealed by Rachel Greenbush, who portrayed Carrie Ingalls. During breaks, she and her on-screen sister, Melissa Gilbert, would sneak off to the creek to catch frogs. When they returned to set with their slimy catches, they had a plan for Landon.
In a playful twist, Landon would take the frogs from them and pop them into his mouth. Then, he’d stroll over to the cast and crew, opening his mouth to let the frogs jump out, causing everyone around him to jump in startled laughter and mild panic. It was a hilarious and lighthearted way to break up the tension between takes.
However, not all was playful on set. The cast had incredible chemistry, which made their on-screen bond feel like a real family. But things weren’t always smooth behind the scenes, and one major incident caused a lasting rift between Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon. The fracture in their relationship began when Melissa discovered that Landon, while married to his second wife, Marjorie Lynn Noe, had begun an affair with Cindy Clerico, the much younger makeup artist and stand-in on Little House. This revelation forever altered Melissa’s view of Landon, and the tension between them would linger for years to come.
Gilbert recalls noticing how close Landon and Cindy Clerico were becoming on set, but she dismissed the thought, not wanting to believe that Landon, whom she viewed as a father figure, would cheat on his wife.
“It was nothing untoward; they weren’t ever in a closed-off room, not that I saw,” she wrote in her memoir. “But Mike would walk around holding her puppy, and she was a pretty young thing who wore stylish tight jeans, leotards, and high-heel boots.”
But the affair became undeniable, and soon, the cast—including Gilbert—discovered what had been happening behind the scenes. They were devastated by the actions of the man they had looked up to so much.
“For us, as kids, it was a real blow,” Melissa Sue Anderson recalled in her autobiography. “Although we knew he could be difficult at times and had his flaws, we never dreamed he was capable of inflicting that kind of pain on his real family.”
She added, “For me personally, I had held him up to a higher moral standard. He had really let me down.”
On a lighter note, there’s the infamous traveling quilt that sharp-eyed fans have spotted throughout Little House. It seems this elusive quilt has a mind of its own, popping up in various locations—on the Olsens’ bed, Charles and Caroline’s bed, and even in other characters’ homes. Mostly white with a charming double wedding ring design, it’s clear that some props were reused for efficiency, creating a funny little continuity goof.
And if you’ve ever noticed the Ingalls children’s ever-changing route to school, you’re not imagining things! Their journey seems to change from episode to episode—sometimes they cross the bridge and stroll past the sawmill, while other times, they mysteriously appear on the road behind it, making you wonder if they took a shortcut that no one else noticed.
Dean Butler, who joined the cast as Laura Ingalls’ husband, Almanzo Wilder, had a particularly memorable (and terrifying) introduction to the show. Just days after his college graduation, Butler found himself on the set of Little House, where his first scene involved driving a horse-drawn wagon 200 yards down a hill. He had never driven a wagon before, and when Michael Landon yelled “action,” things didn’t go as planned. The breeze picked up Butler’s hat, and as he reached for it, he accidentally dropped the reins. Without control, the horses bolted off the road and charged toward an oak tree. It was a close call—one that could have been much worse if not for quick thinking and some luck.
It’s understandable that fans are still confused about Albert’s fate. In Little House: Look Back to Yesterday (1983), Albert is diagnosed with leukemia, a heartbreaking moment for the character and the audience alike. However, the film ends on a bit of a cliffhanger regarding his survival.
The movie doesn’t give a clear answer as to whether Albert dies or survives the illness. While it strongly implies that his chances are slim, it stops short of explicitly stating his death, leaving his fate unresolved. In true Little House fashion, it’s a story left open-ended, allowing viewers to form their own conclusions about what happened to Albert.
Matthew Labyorteaux, who portrayed Albert, mentioned in interviews that even he wasn’t given definitive details about Albert’s future beyond the TV movie. Fans have long debated the outcome, but ultimately, the lack of a concrete answer is part of what keeps the mystery alive.
Despite the tragic nature of Albert’s storyline, the show continued to focus on other characters after his departure, which makes the ambiguity around his fate even more intriguing. Wouldn’t it have been something if they had given a clear conclusion?
Katherine MacGregor’s absence from The Last Farewell indeed raised a lot of questions. While the official story is that she went on a pilgrimage to India due to her spiritual journey into Hinduism, there were rumors that her departure was also related to personal and professional tensions on set.
MacGregor’s dissatisfaction with her role on Little House on the Prairie reportedly grew over time, particularly with how her character, Harriet Oleson, was being used. Harriet, while an iconic part of the series, was often cast as the villain and didn’t undergo much character development. MacGregor herself felt that her talent wasn’t being fully realized, and there were issues with her salary, which may have contributed to her decision to leave during the filming of the finale.
Her decision to go on a spiritual pilgrimage, however, may have provided a more positive reason for her absence in the final episodes. Still, it’s one of those behind-the-scenes mysteries that only the people involved could truly explain.
It’s fascinating how the show, especially in its later years, had so many hidden stories and tensions beneath the surface that impacted the overall production.
As we wrap up our journey through the bloopers and mistakes of Little House on the Prairie, we hope you’ve enjoyed this lighthearted look behind the scenes of Walnut Grove.
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