Two classic shows

Who Knew? 'Little House On The Prairie' Borrowed This From 'Bonanza'

Jason Bateman, Michael Landon and Missy Francis

Little House on the Prairie was one of the great series of the 1970s and '80s and found immense popularity worldwide. But did you know that the show copied some small details from the equally popular series Bonanza — and it wasn't just actor Michael Landon?

'Little House on the Prairie' was a popular show
It turns out it borrowed something from 'Bonanza'
Learn more about it here

Little House on the Prairie dominated the TV world from 1974 to 1984 and is still one of the most popular series of all time. The classic production was broadcast for almost 10 years and attracted millions of fans around the world.

Little House on the Prairie borrowed this from Bonanza

The Little House actors became absolute superstars, among them Michael Landon. But he wasn't a newcomer at the time. He previously acted in the equally popular Western series Bonanza, which was an absolute hit in the 1960s and early '70s.

Michael Landon as "Charles Ingalls".

Did you know Little House on the Prairie not only brought the popular actor onto the show but also borrowed other details from the earlier Western series?

For example, the instantly recognizable theme music from the end of Little House, a work by the composer David Rose, was actually written for an episode in a later Bonanza season.

Old scripts were also taken up again. For example, Bonanza episodes "A Matter of Circumstance" and "A Dream to Dream" were rewritten as Little House episodes "A Matter of Faith" from season 2 and "Someone Please Love Me" from season 5.

So, the shows may have had more in common that you thought. You can also click here to see all the actors who appeared on both of the two shows!