If you think Little House on the Prairie was perfect in every detail, you should take a closer look!
This much-loved classic TV series, known for its warmth, heart-warming stories and spirit of adventure, wasn’t without its slip-ups either.
Despite the impression of an almost flawless production, a host of bloopers and errors somehow still slipped through the editing room.
I can still get completely absorbed in reruns of Little House on the Prairie, just as my parents once did. From the very first minutes, the series seems to transport us to the late 19th century and introduces us to the strong, resilient Ingalls family.
Today, when rewatching the episodes, it becomes particularly clear that the show’s message still resonates powerfully — to respect others, to be honest, and to value family and friends.
But keen-eyed viewers have long since spotted a whole host of errors and odd moments in the series, which make you want to watch the scene again — and sometimes even make you smile.
Laura’s Mysterious Pregnancy
Laura first announced her pregnancy towards the end of the seventh series — during the warmer months, when everything was in bloom and the prairie looked particularly beautiful.
But by the following summer she was still pregnant, and fans began to wonder: just how long were the writers intending this ‘prairie’ pregnancy to last?
To be honest, it looked as though the scriptwriters and the rest of the team simply weren’t on the same page. A clear example of a sloppily handled storyline.
Nellie Oleason wore a wig
Everyone remembers the main little troublemaker from Little House on the Prairie — Nellie Oleason, played by Alison Arngrim. But did you know that Nellie’s role in the TV series was much larger than in the original books?
This character’s expanded presence only goes to show just how much viewers loved to hate this mischievous villain – especially when she teamed up with her equally cunning on-screen mother, Harriet.
Many will no doubt remember Nelly’s iconic blonde curls, but creating this look was far from easy. Alison Arngrim’s own hair was transformed into her signature curls using an old-fashioned curling iron, which had to be heated in the oven. The process was painful, time-consuming and required immense patience.
In the end, a wig was the solution. To ensure it stayed securely in place, a large metal comb and dozens of long, straight metal pins were used.
Colonel Sanders’ Cameo
One of the funniest bloopers in Little House on the Prairie is the unexpected appearance of Colonel Sanders, the legendary founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, in an episode of the eighth series entitled ‘The Wave of the Future’. In the episode, Nelly’s restaurant is turned into a franchise.
But, as you might expect, things don’t go to plan at all, and Nelly soon begins to regret the whole venture. To get out of the contract, she teams up with Charles and Nels and opens a rival establishment.
And then there’s a completely bizarre twist: Colonel Sanders himself turns up and offers Harriet a deal to launch her own chicken franchise.
And this is where it gets really funny: the real Colonel Sanders wasn’t even born until 1890, and KFC didn’t appear until 1952. Yet the action in Little House on the Prairie takes place in the 1870s and 1880s! A true time-travelling entrepreneur.
And here’s another intriguing detail: rumour has it that whenever fried chicken appeared on the table in the series, it was actually from KFC. So perhaps Colonel Sanders’ cameo wasn’t quite so coincidental after all.
The missing coats
This has always struck me as odd — the obvious absence of winter coats in freezing weather. In the episode ‘Bless All the Dear Children’, Laura’s child is abducted around Christmas time in Minneapolis.
Anyone even slightly familiar with Minneapolis in December knows it can be incredibly cold there. Yet the characters stroll about without coats, a fact that Gilbert also pointed out.
Most likely, this oversight is down to the fact that the series was filmed in Tucson, Arizona, during the summer months.
A fashion faux pas
In some scenes, if Caroline moves at a certain angle, you can see her bra. Given that the series is set in the 1870s and 1880s, this is a clear anachronism — after all, bras did not appear until 1912.
Some of the women on set also sport permed or curly hairstyles that are far more reminiscent of 1970s fashion than that of the 1880s.
The situation is similar with the men: you may have noticed that most of the male characters in the series are clean-shaven, although historical photographs from that era tell a very different story. In reality, most adult men at that time had moustaches or beards — facial hair was very popular. What’s more, Charles Ingalls himself wore a beard for most of his adult life. It seems that decisions regarding the characters’ appearances did not always align with the actual fashions of the time.