Little House on the Prairie, a cherished and all-around wholesome series that enchanted
and delighted audiences for years, transported us to the late 19th century and introduced
us to the resilient Ingalls family.
Led by the talented Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls, alongside Karen Grassle as his beloved
wife Caroline, and Melissa Sue Anderson, Melissa Gilbert, and Rachel Lindsay Greenbush (later
replaced by her twin Sidney) as their daughters Mary, Laura, and Carrie, the show painted
a vivid picture of life on the American frontier.
But even in the idyllic world of Walnut Grove, where the Ingalls faced their daily trials
and triumphs, more than a few mistakes and bloopers found their way onto the screen.
Today, we invite you to join us on a journey where we uncover the most hilarious, intriguing,
and downright entertaining bloopers and mistakes from this iconic series.
As eagle-eyed viewers, we've stumbled upon a treasure trove of blunders and goofs that
will likely have you scratching your head.
From oddly placed props to unexpected mishaps, these behind-the-scenes moments offer a glimpse
into the lighter side of Little House on the Prairie.
Get ready to laugh, learn, and rediscover the magic of this beloved series as we explore
its funniest and most captivating bloopers.
Facts Verse Presents: This Scene Wasn't Edited, Look Closer at the Little House on the Prairie
Bloopers
Laura’s Long Pregnancy
One of the funniest bloopers in the show is the obvious - at least in hindsight - inconsistency
of Laura's pregnancy.
According to Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura, and Lennon Parker, who runs a fan website,
Laura was pregnant for an extended period amounting to a little over a year.
She first announced her pregnancy in a warm season, but by the following summer, she was
still expecting.
Colonel Sanders’ Cameo
Another hilarious oversight is the appearance of Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky
Fried Chicken, in a season 8 episode titled "Wave of the Future."
In this episode, Nellie's restaurant is turned into a franchise called Mrs. Sullivan's, but
she soon regrets it and tries to get out of the contract.
Charles and Nels help her by opening a competing restaurant.
Colonel Sanders then offers Harriet a deal to open her own chicken franchise.
However, this is an anachronism because Colonel Sanders was not born until 1890, and Kentucky
Fried Chicken was not founded until 1952.
In case you forgot, the show is supposed to be set in the 1870s and 1880s.
The Missing Coats
A third blooper that is hard to miss is the lack of coats in the middle of winter.
In an episode titled “Bless All the Dear Children”, Laura’s baby is kidnapped around
Christmas in Minneapolis.
This time of year in Minneapolis is usually very cold, but everyone is walking around
without coats.
Gilbert explains that this may have been a result of filming the show in Tucson, Arizona
during the summer.
Peculiar Prop Sighting
In the episode titled "The Odyssey" from Season 5, an intense moment unfolds as an unknown
assailant attempts to throw Albert off a moving train.
However, our ever-resilient heroine, Laura, swiftly springs into action and intervenes
just in time, shoving the man off the train before he can cause harm to Albert.
Yet, amidst the gripping scene, an amusing blooper emerges.
As the dramatic sequence plays out, keen-eyed viewers can spot a peculiar sight.
A dummy, instead of a living being, is hurled from the train, landing gracefully in the
grass.
Meanwhile, the fearless stuntman gracefully rolls down the hill, surpassing the stationary
dummy in a comical contrast.
On-Set Shenanigans
Amidst the earnestness of the Little House on the Prairie set, laughter and hijinks often
found their way into the lives of the cast members.
One such purveyor of pranks was none other than the talented Michael Landon, as was later
revealed by Rachel Greenbush, who portrayed the youngest Ingalls sibling, Carrie.
During an interview she gave several years ago, Greenbush shared, with a bit of a twinkle
in her eye, that Landon "was a big practical joker."
The mischievous duo of Greenbush and her on-screen sister, Melissa Gilbert (Laura), would venture
off to the creek during breaks, embarking on frog-catching escapades.
With their tiny amphibian friends in tow, they would return to the set to deliver their
slimy surprises to Landon.
In a gleeful act of deception, Landon would take the unsuspecting amphibians and place
them in his mouth, approaching fellow cast and crew members.
With a mischievous grin, he would open his mouth, allowing the frog to spring forth and
send those around him into fits of startled panic.
Oh, how we wish such hilarious antics had made their way into the Little House on the
Prairie blooper reel, forever preserved for our amusement.
The Restless Tree Branches
A subtle but noticeable blooper in the show is the presence of noisy tree branches outside
the front upstairs window, next to the girls' bed.
In at least two episodes ("The Monster of Walnut Grove" and "The Music Box"), the branches
can be seen and heard moving and rustling, as if there is a strong wind outside.
However, there is no such tree near the house in any other scene of the show.
This is likely a result of using stock footage or a sound effect to create some atmosphere.
The Traveling Quilt
A curious mistake that some observant fans have noticed is the family quilt that seems
to magically change its location.
It can be seen on the Olsens' bed, Charles' parents' bed, and even on the bed of other
characters throughout the series.
The quilt is mostly white with small blocks forming a design similar to the double wedding
ring quilt.
Other quilts also appear in different locations, suggesting that the show reused some props
and costumes.
The Anachronistic Clothing
A common blooper that affects many historical shows is the anachronism of clothing and hairstyles.
Some characters on Little House on the Prairie wear clothes or have hairstyles that are not
appropriate for the 1870s and 1880s.
For example, in some episodes, Caroline can be seen wearing a bra, which was not invented
until 1912.
Additionally, some of the women have perms or curls that are more typical of the 1970s
than the 1880s.
Melissa Gilbert herself acknowledges that her hair was often too long and too modern
for her character.
Albert’s Fate
In the realm of continuity mistakes, one particular case has stood out among fans of Little House
on the Prairie on the show’s sub-Reddit page.
Gorgeous_Saurus_Rex, a Reddit user, fondly recalled their all-time favorite character,
Albert, and highlighted a perplexing inconsistency.
In the made-for-TV movie, the story implied that Albert met his demise.
However, in another episode, it was stated that he grew up to become the esteemed doctor
of Walnut Grove.
This discrepancy had always bothered fans, including Gorgeous_Saurus_Rex, who had apparently
mentioned it more than a few times to their boyfriend.
As a remarkable anniversary surprise, their thoughtful partner arranged for Melissa Gilbert,
the actress who portrayed Laura Ingalls, to send a personalized video message addressing
the continuity confusion and providing her own unique explanation.
In her response, Gilbert acknowledged the perplexing situation and shared a delightful,
tongue-in-cheek explanation for the apparent contradiction.
At the time, nobody seemed concerned about the conflicting stories, and Gilbert humorously
suggested her own imaginative twist.
She proposed that Albert did indeed meet his fate in the movie, but in a whimsical turn,
he returned to the town as... a zombie!
Yes, that's right—an undead doctor who served Walnut Grove, both as a dedicated healthcare
professional and a member of the undead.
A Timeless Mistake
In the grand finale of Little House on the Prairie, aptly titled "The Last Farewell,"
a notable continuity mistake catches the observant eye.
The episode is set in 1901, over a decade after the events depicted in the final season.
Logically speaking, most of the adults who graced the screens in the earlier seasons
would have aged into their 60s and 70s by this time.
In fact, the real-life Charles Ingalls sadly passed away just a year later in 1902.
Furthermore, the children who appeared in the final seasons, including Carrie, Jenny,
Nancy, James, and Cassandra, would have grown into young adults during this span of time.
Yet, curiously, nobody on the show seems to have aged significantly.
It's as if time stood still, freezing the characters in a perpetual state of youthfulness.
This inconsistency is particularly evident when we consider Laura's voice-over in the
Season 9 premiere, where she mentions that it is the spring of 1887, a full fourteen
years prior to the events in "The Last Farewell."
However, despite the passage of such a significant duration, it feels as though only a couple
of years have elapsed in the lives of the characters.
Cabinet Confusion
In Season 3's episode "Little Girl Lost," an oversight by the editors resulted in another
continuity error.
Mary is seen closing a cabinet, but when the camera shifts to Laura, the same cabinet is
mysteriously open.
In response to such mistakes, Melissa Gilbert, in a lighthearted manner, once joked about
the possibility of the house being haunted.
The Invisible Microphone
A technical blooper that is easy to spot is the occasional appearance of a microphone
on the screen.
In episodes like "The Handyman" and "The Wolves," a microphone can be seen hanging from the
ceiling or poking out from behind a curtain.
This is a clear indication that the show was filmed on a sound stage and not in a real
house.
The Mysterious Bullet
A puzzling blooper is the disappearance of the bullet from Charles' chest.
In the episode "The Hunters," Charles is accidentally shot by a young boy while hunting.
Despite the bullet being too close to his heart to be removed, he manages to make it
back home.
However, in a later episode called "Mortal Mission," Charles is bitten by a rabid raccoon
and needs an experimental vaccine injected directly into his heart.
Doc Baker performs the injection without any mention of the bullet that was supposed to
be there.
This inconsistency leaves viewers wondering what happened to the bullet.
Modern Cars
A glaring historical blooper is the presence of modern cars in some scenes.
In episodes like "The Lord Is My Shepherd" and "The Collection," cars can be seen driving
in the background or parked on the side of the road.
These cars clearly belong to the 1970s when the show was filmed, not the 1870s or 1880s
when the story is set.
This discrepancy suggests that the show was not filmed in a real town but on a set or
a location near a highway.
Thank you for joining us on this journey through some of the amusing bloopers in the beloved
TV series, Little House on the Prairie.
We hope you've had a good laugh and enjoyed reminiscing about these on-screen mishaps.
Now, we want to hear from you!
Did we miss any of your favorite bloopers from the show?
We'd love for you to share them in the comments below.
Let's keep the conversation going and relive those hilarious moments together.