CLASSIC VIDEO SHOWPLACE: Michael Landon’s Later Years
For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.
Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.
Last week we took a look at the early highs and lows in the life of classic TV star Michael Landon, who broke on to the entertainment scene with his breakout performance in “Bonanza.” This week, we will take a look at his “second act.”
After failing with the first series entrusted to him by the NBC Network, Michael Landon was approached to be the writer and director for an unusual new program–one that was based on a series of books revolving around a little girl growing up in the midwest in the 1870s.
Landon read the show’s synopsis and agreed to take the role, but with one provision…he would also portray the lead male/father character on the show. NBC initially wasn’t convinced the program would ever make it to air.
The television network’s initiative to limit or cancel virtually all “rural” programming in the early 1970s backfired. While some new programs like All In The Family, Good Times, Maude, The Jeffersons and a few others had great success, NBC and CBS came under critical fire for their decisions to cancel other popular programming based on their belief that people no longer wanted to see non-urban based shows. But with Landon agreeing to take responsibility for this new project, NBC relented and green-lighted the project.
Little House on the Prairie launched in 1973 as a two-hour movie and was an immediate hit, finishing 13th overall in the Nielsen ratings in its first year, and climbed as high as seventh overall a few years later.
When the show’s featured actress, Melissa Gilbert, lost her own father early during the show’s production, Gilbert said Landon stepped in and provided a much-needed patriarchal figure in her life–both personally and professionally.
Landon would go on to create, write and direct three additional shows — Highway To Heaven, (a Top 30 ratings show its first three seasons), the two-time Emmy nominated Where Pigeons Go To Die and the less popular Father Murphy in the 1980s, a vehicle for athlete-turned-actor Merlin Olsen, which ran for two full seasons.
Landon remained loyal throughout his projects, frequently using the same production people on all of his shows. Additionally for “Highway,“ he not only brought attention to previously discussed medical issues people were facing but also brought real-life cancer patients and disabled people to the set. His decision to work with disabled people led him to hire a couple of adults with disabilities to write episodes for him.
Tragedy struck again in 1991. CBS green-lighted a new Landon show called, Us, but before it got into full production, Michael was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April. He called a press conference revealing his condition was terminal and answered all the media’s questions. However, various media outlets and tabloid “journalists” printed outrageous stories about Michael, his wife and his family and his ordeal.
Landon succumbed to the cancer less than three months after the diagnosis. He was 54.
During his life and also posthumously, he was honored with various awards, from touching on his skills as a producer, writer, director and actor to his contributions to youth, people in need and the entertainment industry.
Keep checking back to The Showplace for interesting stories and unique accomplishments in the early years of the television and movie industries. To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.
