(From Anthony Galloway, Burbank Bureau Producer)
I've just returned from the set of "Little House on the Prairie." I know what you're thinking - the television show went off the air more than 20 years ago (and in the final episode the people of Walnut Grove blew up the entire town.) Granted, the buildings are gone, but the prairie is still there.
Today, many of the show's cast members were there, too. They traveled back to the prairie from cities far and close for an interview with Lester Holt. (Read Lester's Blog) Many of them hadn't seen each other or been back to the prairie since the show ended. As the interview went on, I could see in their eyes how much the prairie meant to them. It wasn't just a piece of land or a temporary set built for television. To them, this was Walnut Grove - a place where some of them grew up and others grew older. As they walked around the property with Lester, certain trees, roads and obscure landmarks would bring back memories. Like the famous hillside at the beginning of each episode where the Ingalls daughters are running downhill. Rachel Lindsay Greenbush, one of the twins who played Carrie Ingalls, told us part of that "show open" was actually an accident but was left in the show because it was so genuine. There were lots of memories like these.
The actors are now involved in various endeavors. Some are still acting, others have moved away from the industry, one has become a doctor and another, a comedienne! A few have married and started families. Today the actors came together just like a family. Despite the absence of that little house, for one afternoon, they were home.
Do you have any special memories of Walnut Grove and the Ingalls family? Let us know, and don't miss Lester's visit with some of the "Little House on the Prairie" cast when it airs this Sunday on TODAY.
(Photo by Jeffery Scribner -- From L-R: Leslie Landon, Charlotte Stewart, Alison Arngrim, Dean Butler, Richard Bull, Lester Holt, Katherine MacGregor, Karen Grassle, Katlynn and Rachel Lindsay Greenbush) More Photos