If you’ve always thought Little House on the Prairie was a flawless portrayal of 19th-century life, think again! While this beloved family drama continues to charm audiences with its heartwarming stories and moral lessons, it turns out the show wasn’t immune to its fair share of bloopers, historical inaccuracies, and behind-the-scenes drama.
From wigs and time-traveling cameos to off-screen tensions among cast members, Little House on the Prairie has more secrets than you might expect. Let’s dive into some of the most surprising and laughable revelations that every fan needs to know.
1. Laura Ingalls’ ‘Endless’ Pregnancy
A peculiar timeline inconsistency occurs when Laura announces her pregnancy during a warm, blooming prairie season in Season 7. Yet, by the following summer, she’s still expecting! Fans couldn’t help but wonder—how long is a prairie pregnancy supposed to last? This storyline oversight highlights the occasional disconnect between the writers and the production team.
2. Nellie Oleson’s Wig Was the Real Star
Alison Arngrim’s portrayal of the scheming Nellie Oleson is unforgettable, but did you know those signature golden curls weren’t real? The actress wore a wig held in place by metal pins to save her scalp from the torturous curling process. Nellie’s larger role in the series, compared to the books, shows just how much audiences loved to hate her mischievous antics.
3. Colonel Sanders Cameo—A Time-Traveling Blooper
One of the funniest and most glaring historical inaccuracies involves the appearance of Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC, in a Season 8 episode titled Wave of the Future. The story revolves around Nellie’s restaurant turning into a franchise, and hilariously, Colonel Sanders himself appears to strike a deal. The problem? KFC wasn’t founded until 1952, while the show is set in the 1870s and 1880s.
4. Winter Without Coats
In the episode Bless All the Dear Children, set in a frigid Minneapolis winter, characters are seen strolling around coatless! While the episode conveys the festive atmosphere of Christmas, the lack of winter attire might have been due to the show’s filming location—sunny Tucson, Arizona.
5. Fashion Faux Pas: Bras and Hairstyles
Although Little House on the Prairie aimed for historical accuracy, modern influences occasionally slipped through. Caroline Ingalls is spotted wearing a bra in some episodes—quite the anachronism, as bras weren’t invented until 1912. Similarly, perms and hairstyles more suited to the 1970s than the 1870s made frequent appearances.
6. The Traveling Quilt
Keen-eyed fans have noticed the Ingalls’ family quilt popping up in unexpected places. This charming white quilt with a double wedding ring pattern graces various characters’ beds throughout the series. It’s one of the many props reused to maintain budget efficiency.
7. Michael Landon’s Frog Prank
Michael Landon, who played Charles Ingalls, was infamous for his on-set pranks. One of his funniest tricks involved popping live frogs into his mouth and surprising the cast and crew by letting the frogs leap out.
8. The Rift Between Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon
While the cast often felt like a real family, Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls) experienced a falling out with Michael Landon after discovering his on-set affair with Cindy Clerico, the show’s makeup artist. Gilbert later admitted in her memoir that the news shattered her perception of Landon, whom she had looked up to as a father figure.
9. Albert’s Mysterious Fate
Albert Ingalls, portrayed by Matthew Labyorteaux, is diagnosed with leukemia in the TV movie Little House: Look Back to Yesterday. While his death is heavily implied, the episode leaves his fate ambiguous, sparking debates among fans.
10. The Final Oversight: A Timeless Ending
In The Last Farewell, the show’s finale, the characters appear to have barely aged, despite the timeline jumping to 1901. Historically, most of the characters should have been much older by then, but the series opted to keep them looking as youthful as ever.