Little House on the Prairie was somewhat of an anomaly for NBC in the late 1970s. The then-struggling network had few genuine hit TV shows on the prime-time schedule, but Little House was one of the few consistent hits, if not ratings winners for the Peacock network, which at this time was battered in the ratings by ABC and CBS.
To celebrate five years, a special three-hour movie, celebrating the show's success and highlights from the best-loved episodes, was commissioned, and thus, "The Little House Years" was born. Framed around the Ingalls' Thanksgiving dinner in 1879, the family – along with Adam (Mary's husband, whom she married a year earlier) and Albert (whom began living with the family a year earlier and whom Charles and Caroline had just adopted) – share their favorite stories since moving to Walnut Grove five years ago. Those stories are from seven episodes that fans, the actors and others associated with the show considered their favorites. (Note: Many of those same episodes could be seen in full-length, as with five seasons under its belt, Little House entered syndication in the fall of 1979.)
When originally aired as a three-hour movie on November 15, 1979 (a Thursday night), "The Little House Years" was not considered an official episode, although everything is canon with the series. In fact, the episode is often not aired in syndication order, or in the very least with the rest of the series. However, many stations that do have these episodes have the option of airing "The Little House Years" as a three-part episode or as a feature-length episode. The Hallmark Channel has been one of the more notable exceptions, airing this episode in its original broadcast order (as a three-parter).
During the closing credits – simply an extended version of the show's main closing theme – Michael Landon's daughter, Shawna Landon, plays the young girl who walks into a library and picks up one of Laura Ingalls Wilder's original Little House books.
Segments of episodes seen throughout this three-hour special:
- "Harvest Of Friends"
- "100 Mile Walk"
- "The Lord Is My Shepherd"
- "At The End Of The Rainbow"
- "Bunny"
- "The Race"
- "Journey Into The Spring"
Tropes associated with this movie:
-
Milestone Celebration: In a sense, the movie was a celebration of the show's success over the previous five years, and a five-year hit on NBC's primetime schedule was a rarity at this point. - One-Steve Limit: When Laura tells the time she met Jonathan the hermit when she ran away from home, Albert thinks she's talking about "Mr. Garvey" who shares a first name with the stranger and possible Angel Unaware who took care of her until Pa and Mr. Edwards found her.
- Recap Episode: This three hour movie consists almost entirely of large segments of the series' best episodes to this point. The Ingalls sitting around the table with Albert, introducing each story and commenting on the outcome, is the only new footage for this episode.
- Very Special Episode: In its broadest sense, as this three-hour movie was a celebration of the show's success and to highlight standout episodes, some dramatic, some comedic, some touching, and others showing triumph over tragedy. Additionally, "The Little House Years" aired on a Thursday night, not in its usual Monday night slot.
