TV Movie. Little House On The Prairie - Pilot Movie  

First aired: 3/30/1974

When the Big Woods of Wisconsin becomes a difficult spot for hunting, Charles Ingalls reluctantly decides to move his family to Kansas's more open and fertile land. Leaving their beloved relatives proves to be devastating, but the resiliency of the Ingalls spirit reigns supreme as they head out in their covered wagon. Along the way, Charles falls in love with the lush openness of the Indian Territory, and he quickly settles there with his wife and three young daughters. A kindly man named Isaiah Edwards helps Charles build a house, and Laura develops an instant fondness for him, but Caroline takes longer to accept his gruff nature. Joyous times are mixed with sad ones as the family deals with wolves, Christmas celebrations, Indian encounters, new births, fires, and above all, the unnerving realization that maintaining a stable, permanent homestead is not as easy as it looks, especially when they have decided to place their footprints on Native American soil.

1. A Harvest of Friends  

First aired: 9/11/1974    Production Code: 1002

This groundbreaking television series begins with Charles Ingalls' decision to locate his family to Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Upon building a house and settling his wife and three children on the banks of Plum Creek, Charles quickly begins acquainting himself with the generally friendly townspeople. Although the kindly Lars Hanson gives him a position immediately at the mill, Charles is forced to temporarily double his workload and get his farm on its feet. When Charles is involved in an accident and cannot work, everything he's built stands to be destroyed--but as their new neighbors step in to help, this man and his family get a pleasant taste of the friendship and camaraderie-centered community that is now their home.

2. Country Girls  

First aired: 9/18/1974    Production Code: 1001

Laura and Mary are nervous about their first day of school in Walnut Grove, but they are quickly put at ease by the genuine kindness of their new teacher and the majority of their classmates. Laura quickly clashes with the mean-spirited Nellie Oleson, but Laura--who has never been to school before and cannot read yet--approaches her schoolwork with particular deliberation. She has difficulty completing an essay project for school, but when all the parents arrive to hear these compositions, a strong-willed Laura still manages to surprise everyone with her own little plan of attack.

3. 100 Mile Walk  

First aired: 9/25/1974    Production Code: 1003

Delighted with his beautiful new wheat crop, Charles is in a position to buy new dresses for his daughters, a warm coat for Caroline, and maybe even some new boots for himself--not to mention an ideal team of horses that the family's newfound financial position can now afford. It all sounds like a dream come true, but the Ingalls receive a shocking wakeup call when a harsh hailstorm destroys the entire crop. Determined to make it through this difficult time, Charles heads off to find some work, and along the way he encounters two fellow husbands and fathers in the same situation as he. While Caroline, the girls, and the other women of Walnut Grove do some important work of their own in Walnut Grove, Charles and his new friends accept jobs that offer good pay and dangerous consequences.

4. Mr. Edwards' Homecoming  

First aired: 10/2/1974    Production Code: 1004

While Charles is traveling in Mankato, he meets up with a drunken Mr. Edwards and encourages his longtime friend to return with him to Walnut Grove. Isaiah adjusts quickly with the Ingalls, bunks in the barn, and even lands a job at the mill. Caroline has the "opposites attract" theory in mind when she sets him up with the shy and reserved Grace Snider, and sure enough the two develop a quick fondness for one another. The whirlwind romance is soon threatened, however, when Grace discovers a painful truth about her new love interest.

5. The Love of Johnny Johnson  

First aired: 10/9/1974    Production Code: 1005

When a new boy named Johnny Johnson arrives at school for the first time, Laura is immediately smitten. Johnny is a friendly boy--if not a bit scatterbrained--and although he is oblivious to Laura's crush on him, he certainly makes it clear that he is interested in Mary. Even though Mary does not share the same feelings, the "love triangle" is enough to cause tension between the sisters.

6. If I Should Wake Before I Die  

First aired: 10/23/1974    Production Code: 1006

Elderly Walnut Grove resident Miss Amy--who is hurt and angered over the fact that her family never visits--concocts a plan after attending the funeral of her close friend. Confident that her death would get their attention, she convinces a very reluctant Charles and Doc Baker to help her stage her own funeral. Caroline and the girls also participate, and surprisingly they manage to pull the whole thing off. Everything seems to be going smoothly with the "funeral" at first, but what will happen when Amy's family finally arrives?

7. Town Party, Country Party  

First aired: 10/30/1974    Production Code: 1007

The schoolchildren are initially oblivious to the plight of Olga Nordstrom--a sweet, shy young girl who was born with a short leg. However, she and Laura connect when they are both ostracized at Nellie's lavish birthday party, and their budding friendship prompts Charles to offer his help to the girl's family. Olga's bitter widowed father abruptly refuses Charles' reasonable suggestion, but when another special person in Olga's life steps forward, will the little girl finally get the assistance she needs for a happier, more fulfilling life.

8. Ma's Holiday  

First aired: 11/6/1974    Production Code: 1010

When Charles announces that he is going on a business trip to Mankato, he surprises Caroline with the suggestion that they go together and turn it into a second honeymoon. Everything is in place until Grace Snider gets sick and cannot stay with the children, and rather than allow their parents' special vacation to be spoiled, the girls convince Mr. Edwards to take care of them. Unfortunately, Charles and Caroline's own little private getaway is doomed from the start as Caroline worries incessantly about the kids, and Mr. Edwards has more than a few problems as he struggles to watch over three little girls.

9. School Mom  

First aired: 11/13/1974    Production Code: 1011

Caroline agrees to substitute in the Walnut Grove school for Miss Beadle, who has sprained her ankle in a carriage accident. The students give Caroline a tough time at first, but although they eventually warm up to her, she questions her competency as a teacher when Abel--who started school late in his life and does not know how to read--runs out of class one day. Caroline convinces the boy to return, and with the help of the other children, he begins to thrive in his reading skills--that is, until a certain townsperson interferes.

10. The Raccoon  

First aired: 11/20/1974    Production Code: 1013

Feeling guilty for accidentally breaking Laura's beloved china doll, Mary brings home a baby raccoon to smooth things over with her sister. Charles is hesitant to allow Laura to keep the animal, but he decides that it would be all right to make a temporary adoption. After being caged for an extended period, "Jasper" runs away--but not before biting both Laura and Jack. Laura begs Mary not to tell anyone, but the secret cannot be kept after Charles discovers that the raccoon was rabid. The family experiences fear and turmoil as they anxiously await Laura's fate.

11. The Voice of Tinker Jones  

First aired: 12/4/1974    Production Code: 1012

Reverend Alden feels that a brand-new bell would be a perfect addition to the building, and he proposes a special Church collection for the cause. Then Mrs. Oleson, who insists on fully financing the purchase, insists on a plaque in her name to flaunt her donation. Trouble begins when the hotheaded Mr. Kennedy fiercely opposes this idea, and before long everyone is arguing and taking sides. As the adults' fighting and hatred deepens, their children suffer emotionally and begin lashing out at one another. Impacted by this friction, Tinker Jones--a mute craftsman with incredible talent--enlists in the children's help in finding a proper solution. Determined to bring peace back to Walnut Grove, the children work secretly with Tinker to create a special surprise for everyone.

12. The Award  

First aired: 12/11/1974    Production Code: 1014

While studying for an optional history examination in the barn one night, Mary accidentally knocks over a reading lamp. After narrowly putting out the fire, a furious Caroline yells at her daughter and forbids her from taking the special test. Tempers are cooled by the next day, but Caroline is heartbroken to discover that her daughter is essentially afraid of her. She is tempted to remove the punishment, Caroline is urged by Reverend Alden to hold her ground. Meanwhile, Mary takes a job at the mercantile to pay for some items damaged in the fire and, because she is too afraid of disappointing Miss Beadle, she secretly continues studying for the exam.

13. The Lord is My Shepherd (1)  

First aired: 12/18/1974    Production Code: 1008

When Caroline announces her fourth pregnancy, nobody is more excited than Charles, who can't seem to help himself as he constantly uses words like "him" and "he" to describe the unborn child. Charles is on cloud nine when Caroline delivers a beautiful baby boy, but Laura--who has spent the past nine months praying for a girl--knows exactly what this little boy means for her own relationship with her beloved father. Angry that Charles Jr. seems to be overtaking her spot in her Pa's affections, Laura refuses to pray when the infant falls gravely ill. When fate takes an ugly turn, a guilt-stricken Laura withdraws from the family and privately contemplates a solution to the problem.

14. The Lord is My Shepherd (2)  

First aired: 12/18/1974    Production Code: 1009

Assuming responsibility for her baby brother's death, Laura runs to the mountains in the middle of the night. Atop the mountain with her is Jonathan, a kindly old man who helps her reaffirm her relationship with God as she comes to terms with her guilt. Meanwhile, Charles and Mr. Edwards search frantically for the little girl, and Charles is overwhelmed with pain as he recognizes his neglectful behavior toward Laura in recent months. Just when things are looking very dim, a miraculous sign reunites father and daughter for one of the most emotionally charged moments in the show's history.

15. Christmas at Plum Creek  

First aired: 12/25/1974    Production Code: 1015

With Christmas approaching and the Ingalls facing a very short supply of shopping money, everyone works hard to make the holidays special. While Mary begins working overtime for the town seamstress, Caroline longs silently for an expensive new stove from the mercantile. Charles raises extra money of his own by reconstructing some wagon wheels, but perhaps the biggest shock of the season comes from little Laura, whose personal sacrifice will reaffirm everyone's understanding of genuine family love.

16. Family Quarrel  

First aired: 1/15/1975    Production Code: 1017

After having a huge argument with his wife in the mercantile, Nels leaves the house and moves into a hotel room down the street. Everyone is convinced that they were reconcile quickly, but trouble flares deeper when Harriet talks about taking the children and leaving Walnut Grove. When the tireless efforts of the community fall flat, Charles and Caroline resort to the classic reverse psychology to squelch this marital conflict.

17. Doctor's Lady  

First aired: 1/22/1975    Production Code: 1016

Upon meeting Harriet Oleson's young niece, Doc Baker develops a relationship with the kind and beautiful Kate. As their feelings grow more serious and lead to a whirlwind engagement, Doc Baker is aware of their significant age difference but is too caught up with the romance to give it proper thought. Thrilled to have found a man who is so gentle and caring, Kate also denies the seriousness of this situation--until an unexpected dose of reality leaves them both with a critical choice to make.

18. Plague  

First aired: 2/5/1975    Production Code: 1019

Several people in Walnut Grove get very sick. A quarantine is set up in the church while the source of the illness is being sought.

19. Circus Man  

First aired: 1/29/1975    Production Code: 1018

The Ingalls receive a midnight visit from Will O'Hara, a traveling circusman who, with his irresistably charming demeanor, persuades Charles to let him set up in front of their home. Whether he's pulling eggs out of people's ears or proudly toting around his congrilla, O'Hara's tricks are all in good fun--until he introduces a slew of "magic powders" that supposedly heal a variety of illnesses. When O'Hara's little theory nearly costs an appendicitis-stricken Mrs. Oleson her life, Charles asks him to leave town--only to track him down again in the wake of a family crisis.

20. Child of Pain  

First aired: 2/12/1975    Production Code: 1020

When a young boy named Graham Stewart arrives at school every day with various bruises, nobody has the courage to do anything until his alcoholic father almost kills him in a drunken rage. The Walnut Grove community is reluctant to help, but Caroline encourages them to do it for the child's sake. While Graham boards with Caroline and the girls, Charles moves in with John to help him become sober. Information is gathered from both sides about John's genuine (and somewhat unconscious) feelings for his son.

21. Money Crop  

First aired: 2/19/1975    Production Code: 1021

A college-educated farmer named Joe Coulter moves to Walnut Grove with his wife, who is expecting a child. Joe tells the Walnut Grove-area farmers of a new hybrid of corn that would produce good crops, to which the farmers are very enthused, and he even agrees to collect everyone's money and take the trip out to Mankato to purchase the corn for everyone. After a fateful accident on the way home, Joe is unable to return on time, and while several of the men in town turn against both Joe and his emotionally strained wife, each member of the Ingalls family does their part to defend the Coulters' honor in the face of such confusion.

22. Survival  

First aired: 2/26/1975    Production Code: 1022

Charles decides to bring Caroline and the children along for a springtime trip to Mankato, but on the way back, they must seek shelter from a vicious blizzard. They locate a deserted cabin that allows them to build a fire and shack up for the time being, but problems ensue when Charles must go hunting to feed his family. The unforgiving weather threatens Charles' life, but just as he is near death, he finds help from a very unlikely source. Back at the cabin, Caroline and the girls receive a surprise visit from an American marshall, whose deep-rooted hatred has him on a vengeful mission.

23. To See the World  

First aired: 3/5/1975    Production Code: 1023

Johnny Johnson leaves to "see the world" and Mr. Edwards goes along with him to keep him out of trouble. Johnny meets up with a girl who is able to trick him out of a lot of money. Mr. Edwards talks to this girl to try to have her convince Johnny to go back home.

24. Founder's Day  

First aired: 5/7/1975    Production Code: 1024

With a Founder's Day event approaching for Walnut Grove, everyone prepares for a celebration complete with games and heated competition. In addition to pairing up with Mary for the three legged race, Laura looks forward to facing off against Nellie Oleson in a hula hoop contest, and even Caroline gets in the spirit by participating in the pie baking contest. Although Charles initially plans to be a spectator, he finds a rare nemesis in Jim Tyler, an aging man who has worked hard all his life and thrives on his former reputation as the "Bull of the Woods." As the log-splitting contest begins, Charles' younger and stronger body is poised to win the event--until Mrs. Tyler confronts him with a moral request.