How true to the Little House books do you think the TV series was?

Question

I think in the first seasons, maybe the first two, the books were followed more closely. But, I always say anyway that movies and series can only be loosely based on the books, anyway.

Answer 1

I've heard Laura Ingalls Wilder worked closely on the show with the actors and director. Even possibly as a charachter on the show. I could be wrong but from what I've heard the show is pretty close to the book. Although you have to wonder what would happen if the show ran out of material. At some point they would have to just start making stuff up.

Answer 2

The series was only loosely based on the book series.

On TV the Ingalls family stayed "on the prairie" long enough for the girls to grow up and get married. In reality, they didn't stay anywhere for much more than a couple of years. The actual "Little House on the Prairie" that Wilder wrote about was in Kansas, about 20 miles southeast of Independence. They lived there about two years before discovering that the land they homesteaded still officially belonged to the Indians and decided to pack up and go back north.

By the way, for the answerer who thought that Wilder may have helped with the series, she had long since passed away by the time Michael Landon developed the show.

Answer 3

First off Laura Ingalls Wilder died many years before Micheal Landon did the series.( Feb 10, 1957) For maybe the first year or 2 he did follow the books. Then after that about the only thing to follow the books was the title. Micheal Landon started writing and producing them to make a statement and reflect morals of how people should be.

Answer 4

Read the books, then watch the shows and find out. I don't care if the shows followed the books accurately or not, I think Little House on the Prairie was one of the best series to ever be on television.