Little House on the Prairie is a beloved classic that takes viewers back to life on the prairie in the late 1800s with the strong and loving Ingalls family. While the show is cherished for its timeless stories and wholesome themes, fans with keen eyes can spot a number of funny mistakes and goofs that slipped past the editors.
One well-known blunder is Laura Ingalls’ pregnancy timeline. She announces she’s expecting late in season seven during spring, but the following summer she’s still pregnant, leaving viewers wondering how long this prairie pregnancy was meant to last. It seems the writers and production didn’t quite sync up the story.
Nellie Oleson, the famous troublemaker played by Alison Arngrim, didn’t actually have her real hair styled into those iconic curls. Instead, she wore a wig held in place with metal hairpins and a comb, because curling her hair with old-fashioned irons was painful and time-consuming.
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A hilarious historical error happens in season eight, when Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC, makes a cameo offering a fried chicken franchise deal. Since Colonel Sanders wasn’t even born until 1890 and KFC started in 1952, this time-traveling moment doesn’t quite fit the 1870s setting. Interestingly, the fried chicken on the show reportedly came from KFC anyway, so maybe the cameo wasn’t so far off after all.
Fans might also notice the absence of winter coats during cold scenes, especially around Christmas in Minneapolis. Everyone appears without coats despite freezing weather, likely because the show was filmed in Arizona’s summer heat.
Another small but humorous slip is seeing Caroline’s bra during some scenes despite the fact that bras weren’t invented until 1912—decades after the show’s timeline. Some hairstyles and the mostly clean-shaven faces of the men don’t quite match the fashion and grooming of the 1800s either.
In one dramatic train rescue scene, eagle-eyed viewers spot a visible dummy being thrown off the train before the stuntman appears—a clear behind-the-scenes blooper.
The cast had fun off-screen too. Michael Landon, who directed and starred in the series, was known for pulling pranks, like putting live frogs in his mouth to startle co-stars. Despite the drama on screen, the cast shared many laughs together.
Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon’s relationship had its ups and downs, especially after Landon’s affair with the show’s makeup artist came to light, a revelation that deeply affected Gilbert and the young cast.
The iconic family quilt also made unexpected appearances in different scenes and locations, seeming to have a life of its own.
In later seasons, Dean Butler’s first scene driving a horse-drawn wagon went nearly wrong when the horses ran wild after he dropped the reins chasing his hat.
And fans still debate the fate of Albert Quinn Ingalls, who was diagnosed with leukemia but whose death was left ambiguous in the show.
The series finale The Last Farewell contains some timeline slips: set in 1901, the characters appear barely aged despite the real historical timeline and the Ingalls family’s move to Missouri.
Also, Katherine MacGregor, who played Harriet Oleson, was absent from the final episode reportedly due to her pilgrimage to India and tensions with Michael Landon.
These unexpected mistakes and behind-the-scenes stories add a fun layer to the enduring charm of Little House on the Prairie. They remind us that even classic shows have their quirks and bloopers, making them all the more lovable.
