The Little House On The Prairie has historically been seen as one of the more wholesome television shows in history. However, there is one episode which lives in infamy.
The family-friendly drama – which had a recent hazing controversy – had an episode air in December 1976 titled ‘Bully Boys’ where three men arrive in Walnut Grove, Minnesota to ravage the townspeople.
Former castmembers Alison Arngrim and Dean Butler along with co-host Pamela Bob discussed the episode on their Little House 50 Podcast.
Bob discussed how ‘crazy’ it was to have so much woman beating in the episode.
Arngrim, 63, replied: ‘They target the women. They’re cowards. They don’t want to fight the men. They wanted to attack the girls.’
Arngrim called the two men and one male teenager ‘creepy and disturbing’ as she said the group was reminiscent of 1974 horror flick Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The Little House On The Prairie has historically been seen as one of the more wholesome television shows in history, however, there is one episode which lives in infamy (Michel LeClair as Bubba is pictured left, Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls is pictured right)
Butler, 69, said: ‘This plot is very simple. It’s really about how much will people take.’
They went on to detail a particularly shocking scene in which Michael Leclair’s character Bubba attacked Melissa Sue Anderson’s character Mary.
Bob said: ‘This was the craziest scene ever when he, out of the blue, punches Mary in the face.’
Bubba purposely knocked a girl down with a dodgeball then when Mary demanded that he stop being mean he punches her.
Bob commented: ‘It is jarring to say the least as a viewer watching this.’
Arngrim’s character Nellie eventually tries to be the girlfriend of Bubba as the actress who played her calls it ‘reprehensible.’
She said: ‘She sees him beating women, and she’s cool with it.’
The town then hit its breaking point when Karen Grassle’s character Caroline ‘Ma’ Ingalls is attacked by the two older men from the Galenders brothers when she walks into the area to sell eggs.
The historical drama – which had a recent hazing controversy – had an episode air in December 1976 titled ‘Bully Boys’ where three men arrive in Walnut Grove, Minnesota to ravage the townspeople
Former castmembers Alison Arngrim and Dean Butler (pictured in November 2003) along with co-host Pamela Bob discussed the episode on their Little House 50 Podcast
They went on to detail a particularly shocking scene in which Michael Leclair’s character Bubba attacked Melissa Sue Anderson’s character Mary (pictured right)
Bob commented: ‘It is jarring to say the least as a viewer watching this’ (LeClair and Gilbert are pictured)
Bob commented: ‘It’s all sexual innuendo. It’s horrible. It’s horrific.’
Arngrim agreed that it was ‘really bad’ as the men leered at Caroline and touched her face.
She begs them to let her go, however, they grab her basket and break all the eggs. Luckily Caroline is able to get away from them and run home.
Butler called this scene: ‘Probably as overtly a menacing scene as . . . has ever been shot on the show.
‘And this is Caroline. I mean, viewers had to have gone, “Oh my god, that’s your mom.”‘
Arngrim pulled no punches as she called the scene clearly an ‘assault’ and praised the actress Grassle for her performance in telling Michael Landon’s character Charles ‘Pa’ Ingalls.
She said: ‘Her portrayal of trauma from sexual assault is so dead on.
‘The desperation to say it wasn’t that.’
Arngrim’s (pictured in Paris back in April 2024) character Nellie eventually tries to be the girlfriend of Bubba as the actress who played her calls it ‘reprehensible’
The town then hit its breaking point when Karen Grassle’s character Caroline ‘Ma’ Ingalls (pictured) is attacked by the two older men from the Galenders brothers when she walks into the area to sell eggs
Things ultimately end up working out on the episode, however, Bob added that it is ‘still shocking’ to this day.
Little House On The Prairie aired from 1974 until 1983 and starred Michael Landon, Karen Grassle and Melissa Sue Anderson in the main roles.
Based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s series of Little House books, this drama series revolved around the 1870s adventures of the Ingalls family who owned a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota.
In January, Netflix announced a reboot of the iconic Western drama—42 years after the original show wrapped up in 1983.
The new series is described as ‘part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West,’ according to the streaming giant.
However, it seems the original cast won’t be making an appearance.
The aforementioned Arngrim, portrayed the notorious Nellie Oleson from 1974 to 1982, confirmed that she and her fellow OG cast members won’t be part of the reboot.
‘None of us, as far as I know, our gang, are in at this point,’ she revealed in an interview with ReMIND in January.
Still, the actress isn’t ruling it out, joking, ‘I have been joking for years that I’m finally old enough to play Mrs. Oleson, so call me!’
Arngrim went on to explain how the new show will differ from the original series, which ran for nine seasons and featured iconic cast members such as Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls, Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls, Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls Wilder, Melissa Sue Anderson as Mary Ingalls, and Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush as Carrie Ingalls.
‘It’s not really like a reboot, they’re not going back to Walnut Grove,’ she explained.
‘They’re not going to have Doc Baker and Miss Beadle, and they’re certainly not going to have Al Burton and all the people who were made up for the show. It is going back to the books.’
Little House On The Prairie aired from 1974 until 1983 and starred Michael Landon, Karen Grassle and Melissa Sue Anderson in the main roles
‘This [show] is part of the Laura Ingalls Wilder multiverse,’ Arngrim continued, speaking of the author of the novel that inspired the initial adaptation.
‘So concerns that they’re going to run amok away from the books and make it into something weird — not happening.’
In a statement, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Jinny Howe, VP of Drama Series for Netflix, revealed that the reboot will be a ‘fresh take on this iconic story.’
Howe also praised showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine for bringing ’emotional depth that will delight both new and existing fans of this beloved classic.’
