It seems as if television has abandoned family programming
these days. Even shows that I enjoy feel more geared towards adults than to
kids. Perhaps networks feel there is no hope in gathering young viewers when
they have to compete with iPads and PlayStation. It seems they also feel that
they must pander to the most basic of instincts, sex, to get viewers rather
than realize that a good storytelling will draw in everyone. What surprises me
more is their insistence to ignore the fact that family movies do so well at
the box office. The recent release of WAR ROOM, a Christian based film, stunned
Hollywood when it did so well at the box office. The same holds true for Disney
films that continue to dominate the box office when released. So why can’t they
do the same on TV? Who knows?
Until they come to their senses those seeking something
their entire family can watch can turn to the world of DVD that brings back the
shows of the past that the whole group can watch. And one of the most
successful of those shows was LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. Led by Michael
Landon both in front of and behind the camera, the series presented the Ingalls
family and their struggle to survive as settlers in the Midwest. Based on the
popular series of children’s book it was a hit that stunned the same execs that
are mystified today. Maybe they won’t learn.
Lionsgate has been offering the various seasons of the hit
show in individual sets or in one huge box set for the whole series. If your
budget is like mine the single seasons make sense. So what does season 4 offer?
Well the same things we saw in the first three seasons basically but with each
season having its own specific share of stories.
Many of the stories from this season seemed to take place on
the road. Either Charles (Landon) was trying to find work elsewhere or taking
someone to a different town or on a trip to a city like Chicago. This resulted
in a story involving a hired hand on the farm that sent tongues wagging. The
series also began to show that Mary Ingalls (Melissa Sue Anderson) was growing
up, having her take on a teaching position at a school that presented a
confrontation.
Of course Laura (Melissa Gilbert) remained the focal point
of the series with several adventures of her own. One involved finding a baby
to take care of and another had her working alongside a friend to solve a
mystery. An interest in boys for Laura wasn’t quite yet a mix in the plots but
the seeds were being sown.
The season also featured friend of the Ingalls John Garvey
(ex-football star Merlin Olsen) in several shows as well. This was his first
year on the series and he stayed on until season 7. Garvey’s son on the show
became a close friend of Laura and the possibility of young romance could have
happened. Watch subsequent seasons to see if it worked out.
Perhaps the most important thing to happen in this season
involved Mary. Working as a teacher was her goal in life. That seemed to become
a problem in the last two episodes when Mary began having problems with her
vision. Would she be able to carry on with her dream if she became blind? Fans
already know the answer to this question and what happened. If you aren’t aware
then it’s time you started watching this series.
What made this series work was that it wasn’t something that
you had to worry if your kids could watch it or not. At the same time it was
one that kids enjoyed as well. That combination of something for both adults
AND kids made it a staple for years. As I said earlier, it seems that’s not the
case these days. With less than savory hijinks on shows like GOTHAM (which
appears during what was once known as the family hour) and with political
correctness being included in THE MUPPETS new series, shows that families can
feel comfort with are rare. Perhaps it does make sense to return to the ones
you trusted in the past. This release makes that possible.
Click here to order.
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