The rifts between Michael Landon and Ed Friendly
Michael Landon and Ed Friendly had significant conflicts during the production of Little House on the Prairie, primarily centered around creative differences and control over the show’s direction. Ed Friendly, a television producer who had previously worked on projects like Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, acquired the rights to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s novels in 1972 and developed the initial concept for the series. He brought Michael Landon on board to direct the pilot, with Landon also taking on the role of Charles Ingalls, the family patriarch. However, their collaboration quickly deteriorated due to clashing visions for the show.Friendly envisioned a grittier, more historically accurate portrayal of the Ingalls family, emphasizing the harsh realities of pioneer life. He wanted the characters, particularly the children, to appear impoverished—dressed in rags, barefoot, and covered in dirt—to reflect his interpretation of 19th-century rural poverty. Landon, on the other hand, favored a warmer, more family-friendly approach that aligned with his successful track record on Bonanza. He resisted Friendly’s ideas, arguing that they were impractical and unappealing for a broad television audience. For instance, Landon refused to have the child actors go barefoot while filming in the hot Simi Valley, prioritizing their comfort and safety over Friendly’s aesthetic.
Tensions escalated during the production of the pilot and the early episodes of the first season. Landon, who was not only the star but also an executive producer, felt strongly about maintaining creative control. He reportedly clashed with Friendly over these differences, with Unit Production Manager Kent McCray later recalling that Friendly’s insistence on a stark portrayal of poverty created friction. Landon saw Friendly’s approach as a potential sabotage of the show’s appeal, a sentiment he expressed in interviews. In Conversations with Michael Landon by Tom Ito, Landon stated, “I’ve had problems with only a couple of people in my life. Ed Friendly was one,” and claimed that Friendly “did his best to sabotage the show.”
The situation reached a breaking point when Landon issued an ultimatum to NBC: either Friendly would be removed from the production, or Landon would walk away from the project. Given Landon’s star power and his exclusive contract with the network following Bonanza, NBC sided with him. Friendly was ousted from active involvement after the pilot, though his name remained in the credits as an executive producer due to his initial investment and rights ownership. Despite his departure, Friendly reportedly earned around $40 million from the series’ success, a fact Landon noted with some bitterness.
Cast members like Melissa Sue Anderson, who played Mary Ingalls, later reflected on the rift in her memoir, The Way I See It. She sided with Landon, believing his vision—allowing for creative liberties beyond the books—was better suited for a long-running TV series. The conflict ultimately left Landon with full creative control, shaping Little House on the Prairie into the beloved, sentimental classic it became, rather than the bleaker depiction Friendly had championed.