Best known for its life-affirming lessons and heartwarming adventures, "LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE" made its TV debut in 1974 and significantly altered the landscape of television. Loyal fans will relive these exciting and touching adventures, while new viewers will discover the Ingalls’ unconquerable courage to build a new way of life. The series, nominated for 17 Emmy Awards and 3 Golden Globes, has become a TV milestone.
The Complete Eighth Season – 1981-1982 - Nellie and Percival must move to New York and the Oleson’s adopt Nancy - Dr. Ledoux moves to Walnut Grove and proves, beyond a doubt, that he deserves the community’s respect – Charles and Nels become concerned when the children of the town are influenced by a daredevil to attempt dangerous stunts - Mr. Edwards loses his son and enlists the aid of Charles to investigate the real circumstances behind his death – The Ingalls and the Wilders share cherished memories when they are snowed in at Christmas – Charles and Caroline risk losing James and Cassandra when an uncle files for custody of the children – Laura and Almanzo’s budding marriage faces serious difficulties following Almanzo’s terrible stroke - When James is shot and lapses into a coma, Charles turns to his faith in order to save his adopted son - These and many other exciting adventures from the entire eighth season are presented in this Special Collector’s Edition!
Special Features:Exclusive interviews with Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder) and Dabbs Greer (Reverend Alden) Laura’s Long Winters, an exclusive documentary describing the hardship of a prairie winter, Interactive Quiz: Test your knowledge of Season 8, - This Special Collector’s Edition has been restored using state-of-the-art color correction, picture enhancement and noise reduction technologies.
Season 8 (1981-1982)
22 episodes
| # | Airdate | Prod. Code | Title | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160 | October 5, 1981 | 8402 | The Reincarnation of Nellie (Part 1) | Nellie and Percival move to New
York City to take over Percival's father's store
upon his death. Adam and Mary also move there so
Adam can work at his father's law firm. Mrs. Oleson
becomes very depressed, and to cheer her up, Nels
agrees to go to an orphanage to find a little girl
to adopt. Trouble is, Harriet wants someone who is
just like Nellie, and that girl is nowhere to be
found. Never say never, and soon, the Olesons have
adopted a brat named Nancy. Nancy quickly causes
trouble in Walnut Grove, and her shenanigans quickly
far become far worse than what Nellie ever did.
|
| 161 | October 12, 1981 | 8403 | The Reincarnation of Nellie (Part 2) | Nancy tricks her new brother, Willie, into locking a classroom rival named Belinda Stevens in an ice shed, so she could play the lead role in an upcoming musical. Laura later learns that a sob story that Nancy had told the class – that she had been abandoned by her mother – was untrue; Nancy's mother died while giving birth, and she had been forced to move from orphanage to orphanage because of her increasingly uncontrollable behavior. Eventually, Laura – with some help from Belinda – trick Nancy into being the "queen of the dunk tank" at Walnut Grove's upcoming town festival. |
| 162 | October 9, 1981 | 8401 | Growin' Pains | James becomes very insecure about living in Albert's shadow, and annoys him by emulating him. After he is caught stealing a razor blade from the Mercantile (after having broken Albert's original blade), James decides to run away. Albert searches for his brother and – in a bit of reverse psychology – tells him he's running away too. During a severe thunderstorm, the two take refuge in a large house, where the two bond. |
| 163 | October 26, 1981 | 8405 | Dark Sage | Doc Baker hires a university-trained doctor named Caleb Ledoux. However, Dr. Ledoux is black and – with the exception of the Ingalls – finds very little work because of his skin color. Even Doc Baker is prejudiced and gives his new assistant menial tasks. Later, when Doc Baker is unavailable for a call, Dr. Ledoux is called on to save a pregnant mother having complications during childbirth. He saves her life by performing an emergency cesarean section, and Doc Baker realizes the doctor had training he does not possess. An angry Dr. Ledoux threatens to leave, but only upon Doc Baker's impassioned plea does he decide to stay. The residents of Walnut Grove decide to welcome Dr. Ledoux. |
| 164 | November 2, 1981 | 8404 | A Wiser Heart | Laura attends a writing seminar in Arizona, but things don't go very smoothly at all, thanks to a less than honorable professor. |
| 165 | November 9, 1981 | 8406 | Gambini The Great | Albert, Willie, and the other schoolchildren are taken in by the stunts of an aging daredevil, and try to replicate them. Only after a tragedy occurs when the daredevil is unable to perform one of his stunts do they learn a lesson about hero worship. |
| 166 | November 16, 1981 | 8407 | The Legend of Black Jake | Nels is kidnapped by a pair of bumbling criminals who demand a $100 ransom. However, tightwad Mrs. Oleson refuses to pay the ransom, leaving Nels to plot his own revenge. |
| 167 | November 23, 1981 | 8411 | Chicago | Charles visits grief-stricken Mr. Edwards in Chicago after John, Jr. died in an apparent street accident. However, suspicions quickly arise over the circumstances of John, Jr.'s death once his boss reveals he was investigating business corruption and was about to go public with his findings. It soon becomes clear that John, Jr. was murdered, and it is up to Charles and Edwards to uncover the truth. |
| 168 | November 30, 1981 | 8408 | For The Love of Nancy | An overweight boy named Elmer is mercilessly teased by his new classmates, but quickly catches Nancy's eye. Of course, Nancy has plenty of cruel tricks up her sleeve, as she uses Elmer to get her way. |
| 169 | December 7, 1981 | 8409 | Wave of the Future | Mrs. Oleson, believing business
to be slow at Nellie's Restaurant, is drawn into the
world of restaurant franchising. Nellie's restaurant
is renamed "Mrs. Sullivan's" and, directed by the
franchising agent with whom Harriet has signed a
contract, the business is restructured to make it
more profitable. Unfortunately, the business becomes
so busy that Caroline, Hester-Sue and Mrs. Oleson
have no time or energy for anything else, leading
Charles and Nels to respond by opening their own
restaurant as part of a plan to release Mrs. Oleson
from her contract. The new restaurant's success,
plus the demands of the franchiser, conspire to do
in Mrs. Oleson's restaurant, and it isn't long
before it reverts back to Nellie's.
|
| 170 | December 21, 1981 | 8410 | A Christmas They Never Forgot | Adam and Mary return to Walnut
Grove for Christmas, and arrive at the Ingalls just
ahead of a fierce blizzard. The Ingalls – along with
their friend, Hester Sue, spend the snowy Christmas
Eve recalling favorite holiday memories.
|
| 171 | January 4, 1982 | 8412 | No Beast So Fierce | James makes friends with Gideon, a young boy who stutters. Behind his friend's back, James joins in the teasing, and a distraught Gideon runs away. While Caroline searches for Gideon (to persuade him to come home), Charles invites James along on a shipping trip to Mankato. Along the way, a feral dog tags along and ends up playing a key role in resolving James' and Gideon's differences. |
| 172 | January 18, 1982 | 8413 | Stone Soup | Laura has a heart-to-heart talk with Willie about responsibility and being a good example to younger students. It's a talk Willie takes seriously, particularly after a pregnant Laura – overwhelmed by managing Almanzo's orchard in his absence – collapses from heat stroke. Willie runs to get Doc Baker, and winds up saving Laura's life. Then, after hearing Caroline read "Stone Soup" at school, Willie commissions his classmates to help local farmers deal with the drought (starting with Laura's orchard) until Almanzo returns. |
| 173 | January 25, 1982 | 8414 | The Legacy | In a flashforward to 1982, a couple is purchasing an antique table branded with a large "CI." In flashback, we learn that the table was a patent Charles created. Charles had gone to a factory to have the tables produced, but a crooked businessman decides to steal the plans and make a fortune for himself, and succeeds. In the end, Charles decides after all that his greatest legacy is his family. |
| 174 | February 1, 1982 | 8415 | Uncle Jed | Just as Charles and Caroline are about to formally adopt James and Cassandra, Uncle Jed shows up wanting custody. |
| 175 | February 8, 1982 | 8416 | Second Chance | Hester Sue's ex-husband Sam Terhune comes to Walnut Grove, claiming he has reformed himself from his drinking and gambling and wants a second chance. Hester Sue believes him and it isn't long before they plan to get re-married. But on the wedding day, a surprise visitor shows up--who turns out to be Sam's wife Naomi saying she will divorce Sam--and it becomes clear that he does not deserve a second chance. |
| 176 | February 15, 1982 | 8417 | Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow (Part 1; 90-minute episode) | When Almanzo becomes ill, he begins worrying about the condition of his crops. During a hailstorm, he rushes outside but begins to go numb. He suffers a stroke and becomes bitterly resigned to life as a cripple. |
| 177 | February 22, 1982 | 8418 | Days of Sunshine, Days of Shadow (Part 2) | Almanzo grows more and more
depressed after his stroke. He refuses to take
therapy and even the birth of his daughter, Rose,
doesn't help matters. Making things worse is
meddlesome Eliza Jane, who plans to care for her
brother and get him a "less stressful job" in
Minneapolis. Only after Laura is injured when a
tornado levels their home, and she too becomes
embittered and wrapped in self-pity, does Almanzo
decide to change his grim outlook on life.
|
| 178 | March 1, 1982 | 8419 | A Promise To Keep | Mr. Edwards returns to Walnut Grove, harboring some devastating secrets. Namely, his alcoholism – fueled by his grief over John, Jr.'s violent death – has caused his marriage to fall apart. He goes to great lengths to obtain alcohol. While in Sleepy Eye, a drunken Edwards causes another accident that nearly kills Albert. An angry Charles orders Edwards to leave and never come near the family again, leaving Laura as his last hope. Laura takes Edwards in and helps him sober up, until he receives a letter from Grace telling him that she has filed for divorce. A desperate Edwards tries to break into the Mercantile to steal some alcoholic beverages, but eventually walks into the church and begs God for forgiveness and guidance. He becomes godfather to Laura's daughter Rose and is converted to Christianity. |
| 179 | March 8, 1982 | 8420 | A Faraway Cry | Caroline accompanies Doc Baker to a mining camp where an influenza virus has felled many of its residents and where Caroline's childhood friend is pregnant and desperately ill. Caroline vows to give the baby a good home after its mother dies shortly after giving birth. |
| 180 | May 3, 1982 | 8421 | He Was Only Twelve (Part 1) | Charles, Albert, James, and Mr. Edwards travel to Sleepy Eye on business. James – wanting to open a savings account with his birthday check from Uncle Jed – walks into the bank as it is being robbed. James is shot and critically wounded. When the doctor tells Charles that the injuries are potentially fatal, he and Mr. Edwards – and eventually Albert, who joins against Charles' orders – go on a hunt for the robbers. |
| 181 | May 10, 1982 | 8422 | He Was Only Twelve (Part 2) | James remains comatose after
being wounded during a robbery. Charles refuses to
believe that James' injuries are fatal and begins
shunning his friends and verbally abusing his
family. Eventually, Charles leaves with James, and
builds an altar in the woods. Charles prays to God
for a miracle.
|
