To Live With Fear: Part One

Night Train to Rochester!; or The Betrayal of Ebenezer Sprague (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: To Live With Fear, Part One Airdate: February 14, 1977 Written by B.W. Sandefur Directed by William F. Claxton SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: It’s the one where Mary gets kicked by the horse. RECAP: Mary Stories are always occasionsContinue reading “To Live With Fear: Part One”

Quarantine

A Nightmare in Elmsville; or How Many Poison-Ivy Pandemics Can One Town Bear? (a recap by Will Kaiser) TITLE: Quarantine AIRDATE: January 17, 1977 Written by John Hawkins Directed by Victor French SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Southwest Minnesota reels from a twin outbreak of mountain fever and poison ivy. RECAP: We watched this episode outContinue reading “Quarantine”

Blizzard

You Can Tell There’s Going to Be a Big Body Count in This One; or My Smurf is Coming Loose! (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Blizzard Airdate: January 3, 1976 Written by Paul W. Cooper Directed by William F. Claxton SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: On Christmas Eve, Miss Beadle finally snaps and attempts toContinue reading “Blizzard”

The Bully Boys

Nice to Beat You; or What is This, Straw Dogs? (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: The Bully Boys Airdate: December 6, 1976 Written by B.W. Sandefur Directed by Victor French SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: When a new family comes to town, Mary and Pa are brutalized, and Ma is molested in the street. ButContinue reading “The Bully Boys”

Little Girl Lost

Caaaaarrriiiiiieeeeeeeee!; or She’s Fine, She Can Barely Speak, Same as Always (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Little Girl Lost Airdate: October 18, 1976 Written by Paul W. Cooper Directed by Michael Landon SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: It’s the one where Carrie falls in the well. Meanwhile, Mr. Hanson battles an old enemy for theContinue reading “Little Girl Lost”

EXTRA: The 1976 Walnut Groovy Awards

Well, who’da believed it, another season come and gone in the blink of an eye. (Actually, I thought we’d be much further along by now, but oh well.) As you may know, between seasons, we like to revisit the Walnut Groovy Awards . . . to my knowledge the only awards franchise in history thatContinue reading “EXTRA: The 1976 Walnut Groovy Awards”

Centennial

An Ingall in Time; or Who Wrote This One, Jimmy Carter? (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Centennial Airdate: March 17, 1976 Written by John Hawkins Directed by William F. Claxton SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL:  An immigrant tries to help people understand what America is really all about. And because it is a fictional story,Continue reading “Centennial”

For My Lady

Widow House on the Prairie; or Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Widow Lies (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: For My Lady Airdate: March 10, 1976 Written by B.W. Sandefur Directed by William F. Claxton SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL:  WILL: So in this one, Charles does handyman work for a hot woman so heContinue reading “For My Lady”

Troublemaker

Bye Bye Beadie; or Crab-Apple-pocalypse Now (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: Troublemaker Airdate: February 25, 1976 Written by John Hawkins Directed by Victor French SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: After the Bead loses a no-confidence vote, a psychopath takes her place. RECAP: Well, after the momentum of “The Runaway Caboose,” our run of good storiesContinue reading “Troublemaker”

The Pride of Walnut Grove

The Crochet One; or Is This Rated Thirteen-Plus Because Charles Has Sex With Mrs. Whipple? (a recap by Will Kaiser) Title: The Pride of Walnut Grove Airdate: January 28, 1976 Written by Arthur Heinemann Directed by William F. Claxton SUMMARY IN A NUTSHELL: Mary is sent to a math competition in Minneapolis, where she experiencesContinue reading “The Pride of Walnut Grove”