Little House On The Prairie: Then & Now

Little House on the Prairie is one of those shows you’ve definitely heard about, even if you haven’t seen it. The western drama series set in Minnesota was one of the most popular and successful shows of the ‘70s and ‘80s. It originally aired on NBC, and the program ran for a total of nine seasons and over 200 episodes.

Fans Identified With The Show

The show made stars of many of its considerable cast members, and because it was autobiographical it struck a chord with a lot of people. Little House on the Prairie explored many themes that weren’t present on television much at that time, including alcoholism and prejudice. Many big-name celebrities made guest appearances on the show early in their careers. Let’s take a look at what the cast looked like then and what they look like now…

Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls

When she landed the role of Mama Ingalls, Karen must have thought her career was going places. She played matriarch Caroline Ingalls for the entirety of the show’s run. After watching her on TV you probably thought she’d been acting her whole life; however, it was her first proper acting role. She was an absolute gem of a discovery for the Little House casting directors. The role of Caroline was one that required a strong actress with a lot of range, and for many years she was the glue that held the show together. During the show’s run, Karen also appeared in other programs. She starred in an episode of Gunsmoke and appeared in the comedy film Harry’s War.