Folks, I’ve been working my way through this one for the last several days since it actually showed up on my doorstep, because this one is a doozy. The folks out at Lions Gate sent over Little House on the Prairie. All of it. Yes, that’s right, the full nine seasons of it, a monster fifty five disc box set of frontier living and good family television to last most anyone several hours. And how did it turn out? Better than you might expect.

Little House on the Prairie The Complete Nine Season Set takes us out to the frontier, as the Ingalls family makes its westward progression, setting out to settle the wild and vast frontier before them. Setting up camp on a parcel of land near Plum Creek, not too far from the tiny town of Walnut Grove, Minnesota, the Ingalls family builds a house, a farm, and a life on the harsh, unforgiving territory. They’ll have a lot of adventures, deal with a whole lot of different things, see their family grow and change, and eventually it will all come to an end.

Personally, I enjoy Little House on the Prairie. It’s a deceptively relaxing show; the combination of the realistic portrayal of the frontier lifestyle coupled with the excellent performances of the cast is one that seldom fails to mellow me out. And considering how extensive this collection was, chances are you’re going to find at least a couple episodes you’ll really enjoy. Of course, by like token, you’ll also find a few you absolutely can’t stand.

Special note here: if you were really fond of the books, and expect the series to behave like a big adaptation, don’t. Just stop right now. The best you’re going to do is get something based loosely on the books, and very loosely at that. Still though, Little House on the Prairie is a surprisingly relaxing show, almost disturbingly so, really, but it does do a wonderful job there. Plus, it’s excellent family viewing. You’ll find next to nothing objectionable in here; this was regarded as family fare back in the seventies when it first emerged, and it’s a safe bet that people haven’t gotten more sensitive now in terms of objectionable content, so you have a reasonably safe bet that this will be good for family viewing now.

Simple plotlines, a nigh-total lack of objectionable content and solid performances make the Little House series one you’ll absolutely want to watch. And the Screenhead Ten Scale responds accordingly by giving Little House on the Prairie The Complete Nine Season Set an eight out of ten. It’s not going to be for everyone–many will be bored here–but for those who like it a little on the calmer side, this is going to be a great trip into the wild.