“Little House on the Prairie” actor Dean Butler, 69, candidly opened up about his time on the show, revealing the one episode that left him in disbelief.
During an appearance on actor Patrick Labyorteaux’s eponymous podcast, Butler explained how Season 9, Episode 20, titled “For the Love of Blanche,” strayed from the narrative, leaving him confused about why production included the storyline.
The show’s episode featured actor Victor French as Isaiah Edwards, who assured a dying traveler that he would take care of their baby. It was later revealed that the “baby” was actually an orangutan named Blanche.
Dean Butler Says ‘We Jumped This Huge Shark With This Orangutan’
Butler explained on the podcast that “we jumped this huge shark with this orangutan,” adding, “It’s like, ‘Where does this come from?’ And of course, Mr. Edwards adopts the orangutan.”
He continued, “And we never see the orangutan again. This was a … you go through this whole moment, and you never see it again.”
Dean Butler Reveals BTS Details of ‘Little House on the Prairie’
GettyLabyorteaux, who starred alongside Butler in “Little House on the Prairie,” also asked the actor to describe what his first day on set was like, leading him to elaborate on the shock and awe he felt when he realized the intricate details of how each scene was filmed.
“I was so blown away by the scale of the production. I think that’s the thing that I completely remember,” he shared of Big Sky Ranch, the show’s primary filming location in Simi Valley, Calif.
Butler continued, “So, I just had never seen anything like this before. So when I saw all this, and there were probably, you know, between vans and trucks and all the animals and the wagons and, you know, there were 30 or 40 vehicles there, this was like a major thing. I absolutely loved it. I knew I was in for something fun.”
While Butler joined the series during Season 6, his leading role remained central until the very end, when he was cast in its spinoff “Little House: A New Beginning,” as well as its subsequent TV movies: “Little House: Look Back to Yesterday,” “Little House: Bless All the Dear Children” and “Little House: The Last Farewell.”
Despite the franchise ending production in 1983, “Little House on the Prairie” remains one of the most successful Western dramas and still airs daily on Hallmark Family.
