March 13, 2025 • 46 mins
We are beyond excited for this long-awaited episode—one that fans have been anticipating for decades! Today, we welcome the one and only Todd Bridges, who shares incredible insights into his standout Little House on the Prairie episode, The Wisdom of Solomon.
This powerful episode has stood the test of time, gaining even more popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic—so much so that Snoop Dogg himself posted about it! (Yes, Snoop Dogg is a Bonnethead.) Todd takes us on a deep dive into his experience filming this serious and impactful story, his audition process, his understanding of the material, and his belief that a similar episode likely wouldn’t be made for TV today.
We discuss why Little House has endured compared to modern television, and why tackling tough topics—like those explored in The Wisdom of Solomon—is crucial for sparking important conversations, understanding history, and learning how we can be better because of it.
Todd also shares insights into his unexpected breakout role on Diff’rent Strokes, what it was like to be part of the child-actor scene in the ’70s and ’80s, and his exciting upcoming projects—including a new show in development and his podcast with his wife, Dang!. The podcast explores those jaw-dropping moments in life that make you say, “DANG!”—whether good or bad.
Then join Pamela, Dean and Alison on Patreon where we further discuss this episode, and give some sneak peeks into the NEW adaptation of Little House on Netflix!
Don’t forget to subscribe, comment, leave a review, and share this episode with fellow Bonnetheads.
Links and Resources:
Haven’t signed up for Patreon yet? Link is below!PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/LittleHousePodcast
www.LittleHouse50Podcast.com to connect with our hosts and link to their websites.The merch shop is under renovation - we will keep you posted on the status!
www.LivinOnaPrairieTV.com Check out the award-winning series created by Pamela Bob, with special guest stars Alison Arngrim and Charlotte Stewart.
Prairie Legacy Productions - the place to go for info about all new Little House events!
Little House 50th Anniversary Bus Tours - www.SimiValleyChamber.org select Little House 50th Anniversary and then Bus Tickets
Facebook/Instagram/TikTok:Dean Butler @officialdeanbutlerAlison Arngrim @alisonarngrimPamela Bob @thepamelabob, @prairietv
Todd Bridges Podcast: DANG! https://www.dangpodcast.com/
Social Media Team: Joy Correa and Christine Nunez
https://www.paclanticcreative.com/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/little-house-fifty-for-50-podcast--6055242/support.
This powerful episode has stood the test of time, gaining even more popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic—so much so that Snoop Dogg himself posted about it! (Yes, Snoop Dogg is a Bonnethead.) Todd takes us on a deep dive into his experience filming this serious and impactful story, his audition process, his understanding of the material, and his belief that a similar episode likely wouldn’t be made for TV today.
We discuss why Little House has endured compared to modern television, and why tackling tough topics—like those explored in The Wisdom of Solomon—is crucial for sparking important conversations, understanding history, and learning how we can be better because of it.
Todd also shares insights into his unexpected breakout role on Diff’rent Strokes, what it was like to be part of the child-actor scene in the ’70s and ’80s, and his exciting upcoming projects—including a new show in development and his podcast with his wife, Dang!. The podcast explores those jaw-dropping moments in life that make you say, “DANG!”—whether good or bad.
Then join Pamela, Dean and Alison on Patreon where we further discuss this episode, and give some sneak peeks into the NEW adaptation of Little House on Netflix!
Don’t forget to subscribe, comment, leave a review, and share this episode with fellow Bonnetheads.
Links and Resources:
Haven’t signed up for Patreon yet? Link is below!PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/LittleHousePodcast
www.LittleHouse50Podcast.com to connect with our hosts and link to their websites.The merch shop is under renovation - we will keep you posted on the status!
www.LivinOnaPrairieTV.com Check out the award-winning series created by Pamela Bob, with special guest stars Alison Arngrim and Charlotte Stewart.
Prairie Legacy Productions - the place to go for info about all new Little House events!
Little House 50th Anniversary Bus Tours - www.SimiValleyChamber.org select Little House 50th Anniversary and then Bus Tickets
Facebook/Instagram/TikTok:Dean Butler @officialdeanbutlerAlison Arngrim @alisonarngrimPamela Bob @thepamelabob, @prairietv
Todd Bridges Podcast: DANG! https://www.dangpodcast.com/
Social Media Team: Joy Correa and Christine Nunez
https://www.paclanticcreative.com/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/little-house-fifty-for-50-podcast--6055242/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
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(01:28):
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Speaker 4 (01:41):
Discover the charm of Semi Valley, California, the home.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
Of the Prairie.
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Visit Simi Valley, where adventure meets history and the spirit
of the Prairie comes alive. Explore the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library,
step aboard Air Force One, enjoy stuffing hikes, and savor
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(02:10):
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Speaker 6 (02:31):
Hello, Hello, Hello bonnet heads Hell are you? I am
Pamela Bob, your host, creator of Living on a prairie
and I am here as always with our favorite prairie bitch.
That's right, it's Alison Aringram.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Hello, scary face, scary face.
Speaker 6 (02:44):
I am also here with our hashtag imaginary boy friend
you all know and love him. That's right, Dean Butler.
Hell are you Dean Almonzo Almonzo?
Speaker 5 (02:52):
Yeah, well, yes, thank you, Pamela, and.
Speaker 7 (02:59):
Nice to see you both.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Nice to see you both too.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
Now had to be here. Yes, it's an early morning
for us.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Well it's not for me hala.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
Oh well yeah, but it's an early morning for.
Speaker 8 (03:10):
It is for you guys, I know.
Speaker 6 (03:12):
Anyway, We're going to keep this intro short and sweet
because today we have we have such an exciting guest
and it's one that the fans have been asking for,
I think for decades quite frankly, and yes, and we've
got them here today and we're so excited for one
of the most profound episodes of the entire Little House series.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
So from I'll get right to it. Let's do it.
Speaker 6 (03:36):
From the studios of you Bion Go in Bourbon, California.
This is the Little House fiftieth anniversary podcast.
Speaker 8 (03:42):
Let's do this thing, Okay.
Speaker 6 (04:02):
Dean do you want to say what episode and season
we are recapping today.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Yeah, so this is what we're talking The episode that
we're going to talk about today is I think really
one of those very defining episodes of the entire Little
House series in terms of its ability to talk about difficult,
(04:29):
difficult issues with heart and with empathy, and so it
makes it one of the most beloved episodes in the
history of the series. Today, from season three, episode eighteen,
we are talking about the Wisdom of Solomon, premiered on
March seventh, nineteen seventy seven, written by Scott Swanton, directed
(04:52):
by William F. Claxton Bill, a wonderful director. Here's the synopsis.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Alson tell Us synopsis of this incredible episode is yearning
to escape the hard life that sent his father to
an early grave. The young son of Mississippi sharecroppers makes
his way to Walnut Grove. Wait, not all the way
from Mississippi. They'd moved to Mancato. Okay, didn't go from
Mississippi to Waltgrove, form mississipp shagro It makes his way
to Walnut Grove. It offers to sell himself to the
(05:20):
Ingles family in exchange for an education m hm.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
This episode reaches out and grabs you from the second
it begins. This is there's really no wind up. We
are right into this, so let's let's bring.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Our guest all right.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
This episode had an unforgettable guest star playing the role
of Solomon, and he's.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Here with us today. We are so happy to welcome
Todd Ridges.
Speaker 7 (05:50):
Hi, Tod Bridges, Hello, everybody, how you guys?
Speaker 6 (05:54):
Hey, Todd Hey, thrilled, absolutely thrilled.
Speaker 7 (05:57):
Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I remember when
I first came on the set. I remember that how
I thought Allison was so mean because watching her character,
you know what I mean, I was like, gess, fucking
I don't want to talk to that girl. She's mean.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yes, yes, yes, I did my job.
Speaker 7 (06:17):
You did? You did your job? Well, you made us
think that you were mean.
Speaker 8 (06:23):
Give you a good welcome to the set?
Speaker 7 (06:24):
Did we Yes? You did? You did? You did?
Speaker 8 (06:26):
Yes?
Speaker 7 (06:27):
And I wasn't nervous anymore to that. But then as
soon as they said.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Action, she was like, well, look I give you when
you first walk into the school. Yes, look, yes, I
am like the most just evil thing, just like I think.
Speaker 7 (06:41):
My favorite line though in that movie was from your Lady.
He played your mother when when mister Ingle says, he says,
oh no, this is from my previous marriage, and then
she goes off one of my favorite lines in that show.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
You also called it a because.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
It was like, I was always soo cinematic, but yeah,
someone in particular, it really was like it could have
been a standalone movie.
Speaker 7 (07:08):
It definitely could have been. It was good. It was
really good. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
How old were you when you did this episode?
Speaker 7 (07:15):
What it was nineteen when you said nineteen seventy seven. Yeah, yeah,
I think I was twelve. Maybe you're eleven, maybe nine.
I don't see. That's a long time ago. I would
have the calculating. Now, my brain's not gonna work that way.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
I'm curious, Todd, how you go about preparing for something
like this because this is a well, what we're talking
about in the episode, we're talking about emancipation, slavery, and
the coming of the coming of rights, the deprivation of
rights for African Americans at that point. You know, we
(07:53):
were talking before we came on that. You know, there
was a lot of television A Good Time was on
and you know the Red Fox Show, Samperton's on, and
there was a different approach to how all these issues
were being talked about, but it was done enough sort
of you know the humor. Yeah, humor was the way
(08:14):
of hiding all the pains. Yeah, this put the pain
frame once. Oh yeah, right in your face. Oh yeah,
right in your face.
Speaker 7 (08:24):
Oh yeah, it was. It was definitely right in your
face for sure.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
So how do you what's what's the process for you?
Or are you just allowing that show?
Speaker 7 (08:36):
For me? I think I was a dramatic actor by nature,
so that came pretty easy to me. I think my
favorite line in this show was when I said, answer
me something, sir, I said, would you like to be black?
And lived to be one hundred or white? And lived
to be fifteen? And that means they put in and
Mike was like, Nope, bottom won't be black. I'm sure
he's figured out.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
What did we say before came what we're talking about?
Then she said David Rose. We said, we said Dave,
David Rose is the devil David Rose. That music made
you and I can't stand it.
Speaker 8 (09:09):
I can't and.
Speaker 6 (09:10):
You Yeah, the title card the episode when that comes
up and that that's sad haunting piano.
Speaker 7 (09:18):
Oh yeah, he had moritten for that show for sure,
for sure.
Speaker 6 (09:23):
But then your beautiful angelic face with those beautiful sparkling eyes,
you just you.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Just captivated all of us. And there is not a
false phony moment in the entire.
Speaker 7 (09:35):
No, it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
You're so good starts from the first second.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I mean, that was the thing got me. I thought, Okay,
I forgot less. I watched it last night. The second
the second you appear on screen and the first words
seting around, you're like, oh no, this board child owt
and it's like extraordinarily painful, and then it doesn't stop.
Speaker 7 (09:55):
It and going up, how did you cheap that? It's
like I said, I was fully aware because my mom
was my had taught me how to be an actor,
and everything I had done up to that point was
all dramatic. I had done no comedy shows before that.
It was dramatic. I think my first comedy show after
that was Fish. I was on Fish for three seasons
(10:17):
and then and the only reason why Dad got canceled
because back then Ate Figoda wanted more money, and you
know they didn't give you more money back then, They
just canceled the show. Wow, But lucky that happened because
I ended up going in and meeting with Robert Brooklyatti
for Different Strokes. And and what was weird was I
was telling somebody this the other night. I had actually
(10:37):
had three shows. It was weird. I had got different strokes.
I had got The Mickey Mouse Club, and I had
got was Oh it wasn't called Mark and Mindy. It
was called Mark from Orc. And yeah, that was the
original name of the title of the show. And Mark
lived in the attic of this black kid lived with
his grandmother. Who lucky I made the right choice because
(11:02):
those shows Mork and Mindy Mark from Orc change to
Mork and Mindy And where the Little House People? You know,
you know what I mean, I mean not Little House People?
Where are the Mickey mouse Club? So that was so
I made a great choice. That was a great, great choice. Yeah,
that was a great score. Definitely.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Can I ask you, do you remember your audition for
this episode?
Speaker 7 (11:24):
Uh? Yeah, I do remember my audition When I went
in and read for that, I think it was a
lady I was reading for and yeah, I had everyone crying.
So yeah, I was definitely I could definitely bring the tears.
I can bring them.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
Well, the thing is that? What was what you brought?
Speaker 7 (11:46):
But I will tell you this little house so strange. Yes,
but little house messed up just just so you know,
little house messed up my vocabulary, just so you know. Yes,
I was straight a student, had a great vocabulary. My
mom had to teach me how to talk bad.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Eighteen hundred sharecroppers.
Speaker 7 (12:07):
Rocious grammar I could give. I could give the little
House for changing my grammar.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Tolerful.
Speaker 7 (12:14):
Oh god, it's okay, but it was funny though.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Have you met the actors that played your mother and
your brother?
Speaker 7 (12:21):
Yeah? I had known them. They were only played my mother. Yes,
I didn't know the one that played my brother, but
the one played with my mother, I'd worked with her
on a few shows.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Oh god, she was wonderful too.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Yeah, yeah, okay, okay, we're still crying from last night.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
I know we're still not over it. Every time I
see this episode.
Speaker 7 (12:41):
Oh yeah, it's it's it's it's a tear jerker. You
can't get away from it. And the crazy part about
it is it falls into line of what's going on today.
It really does, it really does.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Were you aware that during the pandemic, Snoop Dog was
tweeting about this episode in twenty twelve.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Fresh Explosion.
Speaker 7 (13:03):
Yeah. Yeah, because I do a lot of stuff. I
always see Snoop Dogg and he always comes out. I
love that episode. You were the best, you know. So
he always tells me that, so cause me he's a
little brother. But of course he's my little brother because
I'm older than him. So yeah, we are not getting
any younger.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
Right yet? The older Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yeah, I would like to say that. No, it's great,
You're so wise and now it's it's tough getting older.
Speaker 7 (13:36):
My mom was absolutely right. I lost my mom last
year and yeah, but she was like very instrumental in
my career as far as me being the actor that
I was. And and it's interesting because now finding things
are being I'm starting to move forward again a lot
and things that in my career again. And you know,
(13:56):
it took a little time. So I was glad that
I had enough of a break, especially years to spend
time with my mom. She she live with me and
my wife in Arizona for two years. It was good.
But now we're all moving forward again doing things, which
is great. And like I said, I was coming down
here to work with the pastor in New Orleans, and
and I just had to go to the Super Bowl,
could not not go. My team was in it.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
You're done good.
Speaker 7 (14:19):
And let me tell you, boyd, all these the chief
fans were leaving early early when after the third quarter,
a lot of them, right. I was like, wow, I
was like, go ahead and leave. I'm staying. Yeah, yeah, right,
God is he the confetti?
Speaker 5 (14:35):
Yeah? I'm just curious, Todd. Uh, Well, we're talking about
the current day, you know, Little House. We've got this
information a couple of weeks ago. The Little House in
twenty twenty four streamed thirteen point twenty five billion million.
Speaker 7 (14:53):
Wow. That's a lot.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
So the equivalent the equivalent of twenty five thousand years streaming.
Speaker 7 (14:58):
Wow, that's crazy.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
Yeah, in streaming content. Interesting statistic on this, given that
we're talking to you, seventeen percent of that audience as
African American. And of course, you know, with streaming you
can know it's it's no longer a guess. You can
know exactly who's who's watching.
Speaker 7 (15:21):
Oh wow, Okay, you know, so.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
It's interesting that that the series. I'm just wondering from
your perspective, why you think the series well touches every
it's aired and loved all over the world. But it's
interesting because it's because it's never been cool, you know.
Speaker 7 (15:41):
It's it's well. I think what makes it so wonderful
is that it's a show about family. And this is
what all the new comedy shows are missing. There is
no show about family, you know what I mean. It's
just not there anymore. And people are craving to see families.
They're craving they see families with problems, families with things
(16:02):
that fix problems, family that love each other, you know.
And I think that's in television today. That's what we're missing.
We are missing family because we all have these unique
families now, and the problem is you don't see it
anywhere else. You see to look at these shows, and
those families are about you know, other stuff, not about
really family, or it shows that your children can watch.
(16:23):
You can't let your children watch almost ninety eight pers
I'm saying almost ninety nine percent of the shows on
TV because they have little things in there that you know,
not good for kids. So I think that Little House
was probably the reason streams so much that people want
to see family and they want something good enough, but
they don't have to worry about having to to watch
them watch the show.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Why do you think that, Why do you think that is?
Speaker 7 (16:46):
You have an opinion about it? Well, yeah, I think
that the the reality shows have kind of taken over.
But the problem with reality shows, which you're now finding out,
is there's no longevity in it. No one's gonna restream
Survivor for that many hours because you know, you know
who won. You're like, we know who won. Man, I
ain't want to watch that again. But you know, shows
(17:07):
like Little House and and and the shows that I
was on, you can rewatch those shows over again because
they're funny. They're fun But you know, even though you
may know what's the end of the show, you still
get to watch the acting. You get, you get to
get the emotions to get there. And I think that's
what people are missing.
Speaker 5 (17:22):
Well I think it was. I think what you're what
you're touching on. How I interpret that is the shows,
these kinds of shows that we're talking about were about something.
Speaker 7 (17:32):
Yes that was real. Yeah, there was there.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Was a foundation of reality, real reality in them.
Speaker 7 (17:40):
That It's one of the.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Reasons we always talk about little Houses being this great
safe place because there's something truthful, but there there is
this there is a gauzy veneer around little house that
makes it comfortable step into. It's not in your face.
(18:03):
There's love and decency, there's kindness, there's grace, there's an
attempt at there's an attempt at making people want to
get along with each other.
Speaker 7 (18:13):
That's right, that's right, yes, that's uh.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
I mean, look, we have our characters that don't want
to get along, but but that's in strong contrast always with.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
The Ingles family.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
Oh yeah, oh yeah, that the symbol of connected this,
oh yeah, of all of those things.
Speaker 7 (18:31):
Yeah, because it was the fact that my episode, you know,
Michael Landon's character, you know, mister Engeles, he was gonna
let you know, Solomon live there. He was all about it.
He did not care about anything. He wanted Solomon to
stay there. But you know, had that he had that hit,
He had that hidden secret that he didn't want tell
anybody that he had. He had a mother. When he
realized that life wasn't fair, he was pissed in he
(18:53):
was like, oh, you know when he realized that the
guy was a doctor, but he was a doctor only
on the Indian reservation part.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
Yeah, yeah, you know, I would say, though, Dean with
you saying, and it's true that little House sort of
was this.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
He's sort of had this soft filter.
Speaker 6 (19:09):
I think, except kind of for this episode. I think, yeah,
the only episode that doesn't end with a happy ending.
Speaker 5 (19:17):
It's not a happy end.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
It's not a happy ending.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
It's a it's a it's a necessary ending. Yes, and
needs to go back, yes to his family. But yeah,
it's not the ending. Well in a sense it is.
But nothing's changed, I guess, is really what I mean.
Something's changed because Solomon has grown. Solomon has become more
(19:41):
aware of the world. That's exactly right, something of what
he wanted and maybe you can take that home.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
Right, But does he end up going to school and
becoming something?
Speaker 7 (19:55):
I think it comes to what he had to with
his with his mother and brother, right, Oh.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah, feeling that because of what he experienced with the
angles and that he did get to go to school
for a little bit and start learning to read, that
he might somehow he does learn to read in the
future and maybe maybe.
Speaker 7 (20:10):
Someone said he was then someone said that Solomon was
the inventor of the cotton gym machine.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I'm kidding, sure, I'll go with that amazed me too
about this episode. I mean, okay, we see missus Olsen
and pretty much represents how everybody fell back, you know,
and and pau saying, no, no, no, no, it's post Civil
War Lincoln.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Yes, it's this, but it's.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Still only the eighteen seventies and in a small tent
and oh no no. Most people are still full on
missus Olsen about it at that point, and in the
look on my face, Nelly really were just like vile.
But it's kind of shocking because Pauw is being so like, sure,
oh yeah, no, you can stay here.
Speaker 8 (20:49):
Yeah, oh heck, will adopt you.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Reality is that that probably would not have been legal
really when he says, oh, my former marriage, and I'm
sitting there going that would have been a felony because
you could not have married his mother living with her
because that was against law. So Paul's jumping right ahead,
but he's jumping ahead like fifty sixty years. I mean,
(21:12):
he's going for it, which he would do, which we believe,
We get it. But it's intense because one of the
things I found that maybe even more slap me in
the face painful is your performance. And then Paul is
being so nice, but every time he says we can
do this, we can do this, I'm going, oh god,
no you can't, Oh my god, you can't.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
It's all aspiration.
Speaker 7 (21:33):
But what I thought was also another good scene was
when I'm sorry, I mean was when your when I
could I started reading better than your brother. You hit him.
You're like, yes, so.
Speaker 8 (21:47):
Look to Willie.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Is your dumber than him?
Speaker 7 (21:51):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (21:51):
You do not underderstand? How about this is really yeah.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
I was watching this last night with my six year
old daughter and it was this. You know, it was
one of the school room scenes, the classroom scenes, and
all the kids are just looking at you like you're
an alien, which also must have been strange to film
as well. I mean you might have had those experience
actually in real life.
Speaker 7 (22:12):
I have had.
Speaker 6 (22:12):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. But my six year old just
looked up and she looked up at me and she said,
why are they all treating him like an animal?
Speaker 7 (22:23):
And it's interesting.
Speaker 6 (22:24):
I just sort of and I sort of had to
explain things to her, but she just was like.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
What, why are they treating him like an animal?
Speaker 7 (22:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Wow, out of the mouth of babes to get it.
And that's why this episode.
Speaker 6 (22:37):
Also, I mean, listen, we all know that there's some
Little House episodes that are just purely more for a
kid audience, family friendly, sweet kind you know, gentle, this
one is not that.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
However, the babies get it.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
They get it, and how important is it for them
to see that, to experience that. And that's why this
episode also has a lasting gripping. It just grips you
for the rest of your life.
Speaker 7 (23:06):
You're good.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
It stays forever. It's an awesome episode. You're so good
at it. I'm just gonna say that, Pamela.
Speaker 5 (23:19):
Let's take a quick break.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
All right, We're gonna take a quick break. Everyone, We'll
be back with Todd Bridges.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
When you visit Seemy Valley, California, you're stepping into the
pages of history.
Speaker 9 (23:29):
Go from the pioneers to the President's explore beautiful wildflowers,
hike through iconic Hollywood locations, and injurr Day, aboard the
actual Air Force one at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
and Museum. Throughout the summer, take the Little House fiftieth
Anniversary Tour at Big Sky Movie Ranch less than fifteen
(23:50):
minutes from Los Angeles and thirty minutes from Universal Studios.
Seem Valley has small town charm with big jime history.
Go to visit ce Valley dot com for more information.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
We are so grateful to visit seemi Valley dot com
for their commitment to presenting The Little House fiftieth Anniversary podcast.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
And we're back with Todd Bridges. Okay, where do we
want to stay? I mean we're sort of I want to.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
Know how he felt about working with you know, how
what the experience was for him as a eleven twelve
year old boy working with Michael Landon.
Speaker 7 (24:23):
I yeah, it was. I think the most incredible thing
was how good Michael Lennon was with kids. He was
good with me, and he treated me like I was
just a part of the team. I wasn't really. I
don't think I've had any bad experience as a kid,
except for one with an adult. But everyone, everyone that
(24:48):
I've worked with, including you know. Yeah, I'm gonna tell
I'll tell you what it is in a minute. Conrad
Vaine was great. Eight Forgoda was great. Let's see, Michael
Lennon was great. You know the other shows from the Waltzes,
they were great. The only person was I did a
commercial in nineteen seventy six a Bysontino commercial with Henry Fonda.
(25:12):
Let me tell you the story. So you've heard a
lot of things about Henry Fonda, but you didn't know
what was quite true. So there's a bunch of seven
and eight year olds and we're you know, it was
a Bysontino commercial, and first of all, I was gonna
be the kid beating the drum, and they go, no, no,
let's give the black kid the flag. We can't have
him beating the drum. It's gonna be too stereotypical. So
that's how the commercial started. So I ended up carrying
(25:35):
the flag and we're walking down this hill. Now at
seven eight year olds walking down a hill, just imagine,
So that means that if I was I was eight,
that means I was nine on little House. That's what
it means. Now I was nine on the Hoss. So
walking down this hill, walking down this hill, and there's
cow patties there were, so we're falling, you know, and
he just turns around and goes, you mother, for kids,
(25:56):
you better would write I don't want to be a
dam day. And we all go we star crying. We
start crying, right, We're just bowling eyes and my mother,
our mother comes in there like we're taking our kids home.
We're not a little MORKU to me man and they go, no, no, no,
because they have already spent like a million dollars give
our shold or like we've got to get this done
today with these kids. So they looked at it. You know,
(26:17):
they told them you have to go and apologize. He
goes fine, he goes sorry, sorry, sorry, and we're like,
he's on me, he will hear me. The meanest man
the kids. He did not like you. And I remember
Jane Fox. Yeah, I remember Jane Fonda, you know, said
(26:38):
that he was tough. And you know, there you go,
there you go, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Don't work with children, animals. There's people who aren't work kids.
Speaker 7 (26:46):
Right. That's what they say is you have to have
a lot of patience when you're working with kids. Let
me tell you, I got remarried and I now have
a eleven year old, thirteen year old, nine, seventeen, and
twenty and my oldest kids are twenty seven, twenty eight,
twenty nine, twenty eight. I had to learn relearn patience
because it is the truth. You think that you have patience, right,
(27:09):
and then you got this eleven year old dunce in
the money, and you're like you want to yeop, but
you can't because you know, you're like sit, sit down,
you know, and you're like, oh my gosh. And then
I had to think back in my head. I'm like,
oh my gosh, I was the same way to eleven
years old. It's all over the place. You know, I
had so much energy. I've learned not to give him
(27:30):
sugar at night. You give him sugar. He he's like
a wind up toy. Give him sugar. He's like, you know,
in and out of the room. I can sleep. You
can sleep because you had sugar, you know. Wow. And
and mom Pamela going yeah, yeah exactly. And then and
then I really because I have a daughter but she's older,
I forgot what it was like to have a daughter.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Yeah, oh my gosh.
Speaker 7 (27:54):
So many emotions.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
What's it like to have a DG?
Speaker 7 (27:58):
So many emotions that I didn't realize. It's always something,
and it is just I could be.
Speaker 6 (28:06):
Sitting there like, yeah, they're born that way.
Speaker 7 (28:10):
I'm sitting there.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
I have a boy and a girl. Yeah, it's like
the difference is insane.
Speaker 7 (28:14):
Yes, I have said so many yes, so many times
I've said, what is wrong today? This person said this
to me. I'm like, oh, I'm like, can we just
And I say, can we just have one day when
nobody upset drama? You know, they wake up in the morning,
(28:36):
You're like, good morning, They're like, like, what is it
not a good morning? To something bad happened? I guess
they woke up and it was bad, you know.
Speaker 6 (28:46):
And speaking of kids, Todd, how was it working with
all the kids on the set? I mean, yes, there's
Melissa Gilbert and but even like those scenes are and
you're in the schoolroom and they're all looking at you
like an animal, like.
Speaker 8 (28:59):
What was that?
Speaker 7 (29:00):
It's because everybody we were all good friends. So it
was okay because we were all you know, I mean
they were everybody was just doing their job, you know
what I mean. So that was different. But I will
take I have not seen Melissa Sue Anderson forever. I
seen Melissa Gilbert all the time. I talked to her
all the time. But oh my gosh, I'm the most embarrassing. Formalously,
I don't know if I should say this or not.
I guess I could say it. Gilbert, listen, Sue Anderson.
(29:22):
We were doing something for NBC, a big thing for NBC,
and we were walking out. I'm walking down, she's walking down,
and she just unfortunately falls down the stairs and we're like,
and this is live TV.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Oh wow.
Speaker 7 (29:43):
We had to pick her up. I felt so bad.
She started crying. I felt so horrible. She just fell
down on National TV. It was terrible and I felt
so bad and and I love her though. They were all,
like I said, we've there were only a certain amount
of kids in the business at that time, and you
knew every body because that's all there wasn't. Yeah, yeah,
(30:06):
of a community because we did yes all the time
at different things, different events for the networks. And it's
because I was on networks on different shows, and so
I was always at some one of them because I
was on a show that was dealing with something. So,
you know, so I always saw all the kids from
the Little House and you know, and it was just
it was just crazy. You know, it was a crazy
(30:27):
fun time where you know, it was just kids. You know,
we just were being kids and we had to enjoy
ourselves because you know, I didn't know though, that you
grow up fast. And that's what I'm trying to tell
my kids is that it comes fast. You just don't
You just don't get it. It's going to come fast,
and you're going to grow up.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
M How was how was the industry? If you have
a sense of comparison, todd for you, how the industry
has changed?
Speaker 7 (30:57):
Well, I think, first of all, you make a hell
of a lot more money now. You know some of
the moneys people are making. You're like, he's making what
you know. And and with the thing of like social
media and all that stuff, you get a good show.
You know, network don't want to pay you, like I
don't need you. I got eighty million followers. I'm good,
(31:18):
you know what I mean. And then they're like we
we we we, you know what I mean. So the
bargaining power is better for us now today than it
was yesterday, you know, because because you know, I've seen
people doing five and six series. They got shows run
some I'm sure running over here, some sure running over here,
some sure running over there, some sure running over there.
(31:39):
As long as they don't run against each other, it's fine.
Nobody cares anymore. It's just all about shows that are.
Speaker 6 (31:43):
Good, you know, right, Because for you guys, if you
were on contract.
Speaker 7 (31:47):
That's that was it. You weren't. It was like, I
can't tell you how many times I had offers for
other shows once I was on Different Strugs.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Caln't do them?
Speaker 5 (31:58):
Yes, yeah, how many episodes of Different Strokes?
Speaker 7 (32:02):
Oh my gosh. We did eight years of it, but
we would have done more. It was okay. The thing
is the show should have gone were we got canceled
a top ten show which never happens. Never happens because
of because of Gary, Gary's people know Gary's people. Gary's
people drove the network nuts. They wanted more and more
(32:24):
and more and more and a numbers like, hey, we're
giving you a lot, let's just stay there. But then,
but here's the interesting part. But then I found out
what shorder Ricky Schroeder was making and we were like, wow,
he should have been getting a lot more. Sure had
(32:45):
a piece of his show and Silver Spoons was not
Top of Different Strokes, way below. So you know what
what was interesting was the show that made that they
had to pay the actors most money, which was our
show between me, Gary and Conrad. So we never got
(33:08):
to travel like Facts of Life went to like Hawaii.
They went to France and Europe. We didn't get to
go to France. They were like, you're gonna go to
Universal Studios, which is the same lot we're were shooting on.
So it was like, so, but it's today you could
just make so much more out of something. You know,
(33:31):
you can make something much more popular from just social
media alone.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think that's that. That's a huge differentiation.
Speaker 7 (33:38):
Yeah there.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
Now the other thing is it's interesting, Okay, you're talking
about you did eight years, so there's twenty two episodes
of years you're doing eight doing.
Speaker 7 (33:48):
Our thing, it was twenty eight episodes.
Speaker 5 (33:50):
Yeah wow, so yeah done, you did one hundred and
ninety two hundred episodes.
Speaker 7 (33:54):
Yeah something.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
Right. So now today, interestingly, if you're doing if you're
in a series that's really successful, maybe you're going to
do eight or ten episodes, which razy which you could
go out there and do.
Speaker 7 (34:09):
Yes, you get like four Yeah. Well now they want
you to do other things now whether you do it
because they want you to beca say as popular as
you can for your show, right, that's the thing now.
Yeah yeah, And it's like you know, then as long
and I think they say, as long as shows are
not competing each other. It's fine, they don't care what
(34:30):
you do.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
What's interesting, though, is that, and we were saying this
before we started rolling, is that I don't think an
episode like The Wisdom of Solomon would be aired today.
Speaker 7 (34:40):
You wouldn't be No, I don't think so. And the
word you can make the word the word, Yeah, the word.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
And this is an example of how the word is
so important to hear. Yeah, yes, it's a lesson.
Speaker 7 (34:54):
It's especially with what's going on today in our world.
It's crazy. It's crazy, especially you know, the what's so sad.
I don't like to get political, but the whole de
I think that they're stopping everywhere a lot of places.
It's gonna hurt women more than it hurts anybody. I
don't think they realize that, you know, because you know
how some of these men are. If they don't have
(35:14):
to hire women, they won't and and and look at
it this way. If Kamala Harris would have been a dude,
she'd be in office right now.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Agreed, Well, because.
Speaker 7 (35:26):
Eighty six percent of black men voted against her too.
They just couldn't handle women.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
And dishabled people.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
People forget the disabled.
Speaker 8 (35:33):
Yeah, yes, yes, and.
Speaker 7 (35:35):
Not just that, so is veterans. Veterans are in d I.
So it's like you're shooting a foot of a whole
bunch of people. Man, and and and it's unfortunate, you know.
We The sad part about it is we don't know
where we're heading, but we know where we're gonna go
to because everybody's about to fix this. We can't go
keep going this direction. It's nuts.
Speaker 6 (35:54):
Yeah, And it's also the way I'm sorry, Alison, I
was just gonna say it in terms of why this
episode wouldn't happen now, it's all so the white the
attempt to whitewash history.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
And you know, if we teach kids.
Speaker 6 (36:05):
This then makes people look bad, and we don't see
people look bad, and we're not gonna have the hard
hitting issues and we're all of the core of it.
And and what they're missing is just how important this is.
What they're missing is the six year old girl watching
this episode, go this guy like an animal.
Speaker 7 (36:22):
Right, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
There's people want to sugarcoat things, But it's the questions.
How many questions were asked in households when that was on. Hey,
I don't understand why are being horrible. What does that mean? Well,
what does that mean? What do they mean they own?
Speaker 7 (36:37):
What does that mean mean?
Speaker 1 (36:38):
That had to have been just an explosion in people's households.
What killed me during the show watching last night was
how many times in the show Oh, no, things are different. Now,
things are going to change. It'll be different in the future,
and I'm going to.
Speaker 7 (36:56):
Different.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Yeah, painful, wonderful.
Speaker 5 (36:59):
Moment the end of TODB where you talk about maybe
in one hundred years it'll be different. Of course we
are living yes, yes, years and you know everybody understands. Yeah,
it's very powerful to what do you do? What are
you working on?
Speaker 7 (37:15):
Now?
Speaker 5 (37:16):
You live in PHOENI how long have you lived.
Speaker 7 (37:17):
I've lived in Phoenix for the last two years, so
three years going on three years because I've been married
almost three years. Yeah, I got remarried. And my kids
live in my house in La in the San Fernanda Valley,
and I live in Arizona, my wife in another house,
and I have I go, but I go to see
my kids, my older kids all the time, and I'm
going next week to see my older kids. But it's
(37:40):
what makes it amazing is the fact that Arizona. It's
so interesting. The police don't give you a second glance.
In Arizona. It is hot. But I'm gonna tell you something.
I don't have any problems in Arizona. Nobody cares in Arizona.
And the biggest thing that has has to do with
(38:00):
is this. Everyone can carry a gun in Arizona. I'm
not gonna say that's good for California, But in Arizona,
nobody wants to start any trouble. Everybody's like, I'm good
in you walk away because you know, trouble can lead
somebody getting shot. You know, nobody wants to hang out
with you know. The police just don't give you any mind.
I haven't been pulled over once in Arizona. In La,
(38:24):
I get pulled over all the time. In Arizona, No,
it just doesn't happen that way. They you know, they
drive by and they look at you and they're like,
as long as you ain't starting no big trouble you
all right? You know what I mean? But it is hot.
Speaker 5 (38:43):
You have that I've never had.
Speaker 7 (38:45):
Yeah, yeah, well see, people remember I was talking about
this when I was a kid, and people thought it
was me. I had been telling everyone the whole time
how bad the police force was in Elia, and no
one believed me. They were all like, oh, that's just
him causing trouble, blah blah blah. He's a troublemaker actor
that that that, And then you know, now with the
videos of things, people are like, okay, well I guess
he was telling the truth.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Yeah, I grew up in a lad this.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
We do have a reputation for way more pulling people
over for is that an expired tag? Is that tailight
out there in a lot of places.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
It's weird.
Speaker 7 (39:15):
You wouldn't pay l a being like that.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
It's right is And I remember in the eighties in
the nineties, I had a couple of friends said, I
was gonna come to your party, but I can't come
to your neighborhood. And I said, and he said, yeah,
neighborhood is apparently illegal driving while black. And they said
living and they don't drive well black neighbor And it
was like, yeah, I can't what and well, yeah.
Speaker 8 (39:38):
It's okay, it's a thing.
Speaker 7 (39:39):
Yeah. Yeah, we were told not to go to see
me Valley. You know, I remember being a kid. See Okay,
people wonder why those police officers got not guilty out there,
see me, valley is full of police officers, police officers, families,
police officers wives, And you know that's why. So of
course the whole jury, that's why they wanted to move
it there. The whole jury is going to be police officer.
Course they're gonna get an guilty. But the interesting part.
(40:00):
But what I do know about LA now is that
we can speak up more. Now we can film you
making you making stupid mistakes, You're gonna get in trouble.
And now with certain people they don't want any issues
with like me. You know, they don't want any issues
with me in LA because it's bad because I'm gonna
get on TV and be like doing my little housepression.
(40:21):
I've been sober years. I'm doing right. But they just
meet me. I couldn't believe it, you know what I mean.
It'll be like pay that man, pay.
Speaker 6 (40:28):
That man, Tod, do you have any do you want
to be in the d I mean, do you want
to be I.
Speaker 7 (40:34):
Am right now working right now, my management team, my
agents were working with Sony right now on a new show,
working on a new show. That's it looks like it's
really close. We just got our final piece yesterday, which
is great. We's got our final piece. We we met
with him yesterday. I was in the car. We're having
(40:56):
a meeting, a really serious meeting. I'm in the car
and the phone's like you know, and he said, well,
give me some time. He called back within like an
hour and says, I want to be on the part
of the show. And he's the studio is really excited
about him. So that's gonna help us a lot.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
You're so beloved, I know, Thank you.
Speaker 7 (41:14):
What we want to go back to, like I said,
we want to go back to television where that makes sense.
We're feminies can watch it again. We got to get
back to that because it's it's what we're dealing with now,
and it's just a bunch of heartaches in our country now.
We're dealing with a bunch of stuff. We need something
to go back to. Like all of our shows were
that people when they had a bad day, they can
go watch her show and go, oh, I feel better now,
(41:35):
you know what I mean? Yes, yes, yes, yes, And
I also have a podcast too, it's called Dang and
with my wife. Yeah, it's comes on it It comes
out every Tuesday. Yeah, yeah, it's launch comes out every Tuesday. Yeah,
that's a fun one because my wife is yo. Yeah,
I'm on it with her. Yeah, I'm gonna get you
guys on it. Don't worry. Yes, I'm gonna get you
(41:56):
guys on it. My wife is Mormon, which is interesting.
I'm not Mormon who she is. Her family is all Mormon,
which which is hilarious because people think that Mormons are
like this cult people, but they're not. They actually believe
in Jesus Christ and like everyone else does, you know.
But it's just hilarious because I always tease them because
you know, you can't if you're Mormon in religion, you
can't drink coffee. And I'm like, well, I guess I
ain't doing And because I love coffee, I'll never get it.
(42:19):
You can't be on a set with no coffee. I'm like,
that's a deal breaker for me, I said, I love
the guys a deal breaker.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
This is so exciting thought.
Speaker 5 (42:30):
So good for you, Todd. Interesting. Speaking of new shows,
it's been announced that Netflix has picked up a reimagining
of Little House.
Speaker 7 (42:40):
What do you really think.
Speaker 1 (42:41):
They wow it back to the books in it yet.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
To the books.
Speaker 5 (42:51):
Beginning?
Speaker 7 (42:53):
Yeah, Yeah, well I think it'll work. That ought to
be quite interesting. I think it'll work. I do think
it'll work. It definitely will.
Speaker 5 (43:01):
There's a there's a lot of negativity online people with
people saying it's so perfect, don't screw around with this.
Speaker 7 (43:08):
Well, that is the other problem. You could possibly ruin
you know, what the show was.
Speaker 6 (43:15):
But I think that's also because all that all of
the headlines were misleading because they said it was a
reboot of this series and it's not.
Speaker 7 (43:23):
It's a totally Wait was that little black guy was
it was the black character in the in the book. No,
I didn't think.
Speaker 1 (43:31):
That doctor Tam the black doctor doctor who works in
the restaurant. He is in the book is a great bird,
says her lives. He shaves these lives. But you know,
there's no Solomon. There's no Solomon.
Speaker 7 (43:45):
There's no Solomon. I know. You know.
Speaker 6 (43:49):
That's why I'm just a little house person. I can't
I need Solomon in my life.
Speaker 7 (43:55):
That's right, that's that's interest. Yeah, they can see that.
That's the thing about it is that, you know that
type of show, you're trying to recreate all the characters
that could hurt the show for what it or make
your show a lot more successful on people streaming it,
be that one.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
Or the other, right exactly?
Speaker 5 (44:15):
I think I say that it's a long bar and
there's room for everybody.
Speaker 7 (44:20):
How many seasons a Little House go? Again? How many
seasons it was?
Speaker 5 (44:23):
It was nine full seasons in an abbreviated TENSEE.
Speaker 7 (44:26):
Okay, So that means that, well, you don't have to worry.
Netflix only goes four seasons. And as usually, I'll tell
you something interesting though about our show, so we should have.
I ran into one of the vice presidents of NBC
a few years ago and asked him what happened? You know,
I was the show canceled, and that's what he told us.
He said that Gary's people just driving the crazy. So
(44:48):
we got canceled and went to ABC. But on NBC
I was told by Brandon Toatarcoff and all those guys
that we would have gone probably fourteen fifteen years. They
would have gave us a great period of like five years,
six years, wow, because we saved the network from going under.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
Would you have wanted to have done that?
Speaker 7 (45:05):
Oh? I would have done that because the amount of
because you know, after a certain amount of time on
a show, the money you make. It's just so easy.
It's like by secondhand nature. You just get up, you
go to your job, you do your thing, and you leave,
you know what I mean. So it's it's really really easy.
Speaker 5 (45:20):
It's it's life. It's life making.
Speaker 7 (45:23):
Yeah that you are your life. Yeah, it's really becomes sure. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (45:26):
Yeah, it's very powerful. It's very powerful. Uh, listen, we
are chasing the clock here.
Speaker 7 (45:33):
Okay, so much fun.
Speaker 5 (45:34):
Wow man, thank you so appreciate.
Speaker 2 (45:37):
Having me the wisdom of Solomon again.
Speaker 6 (45:39):
It endures, it will continue to endure and make such
an impact in this world.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
And we're just so grateful for you and for it.
Speaker 7 (45:46):
Thank you so much. I enjoying good, good.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Good stuff. Anyway, we will see you next time. Join
us on Patreons. We'll be here and uh we'll see Yeah, Bob,
go get the wake.
Speaker 6 (45:56):
Let's flynn Hika Bucos Volto Malodon be a minisotopia guy,
you know
If you've been enjoying our podcast as much as we
have and hope that we continue past fifty episodes, here's
your chance.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
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Speaker 3 (00:24):
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(01:28):
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Speaker 4 (01:41):
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(02:10):
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Your adventurer waits in Seami Valley.
Speaker 6 (02:31):
Hello, Hello, Hello bonnet heads Hell are you? I am
Pamela Bob, your host, creator of Living on a prairie
and I am here as always with our favorite prairie bitch.
That's right, it's Alison Aringram.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Hello, scary face, scary face.
Speaker 6 (02:44):
I am also here with our hashtag imaginary boy friend
you all know and love him. That's right, Dean Butler.
Hell are you Dean Almonzo Almonzo?
Speaker 5 (02:52):
Yeah, well, yes, thank you, Pamela, and.
Speaker 7 (02:59):
Nice to see you both.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Nice to see you both too.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
Now had to be here. Yes, it's an early morning
for us.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Well it's not for me hala.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
Oh well yeah, but it's an early morning for.
Speaker 8 (03:10):
It is for you guys, I know.
Speaker 6 (03:12):
Anyway, We're going to keep this intro short and sweet
because today we have we have such an exciting guest
and it's one that the fans have been asking for,
I think for decades quite frankly, and yes, and we've
got them here today and we're so excited for one
of the most profound episodes of the entire Little House series.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
So from I'll get right to it. Let's do it.
Speaker 6 (03:36):
From the studios of you Bion Go in Bourbon, California.
This is the Little House fiftieth anniversary podcast.
Speaker 8 (03:42):
Let's do this thing, Okay.
Speaker 6 (04:02):
Dean do you want to say what episode and season
we are recapping today.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Yeah, so this is what we're talking The episode that
we're going to talk about today is I think really
one of those very defining episodes of the entire Little
House series in terms of its ability to talk about difficult,
(04:29):
difficult issues with heart and with empathy, and so it
makes it one of the most beloved episodes in the
history of the series. Today, from season three, episode eighteen,
we are talking about the Wisdom of Solomon, premiered on
March seventh, nineteen seventy seven, written by Scott Swanton, directed
(04:52):
by William F. Claxton Bill, a wonderful director. Here's the synopsis.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Alson tell Us synopsis of this incredible episode is yearning
to escape the hard life that sent his father to
an early grave. The young son of Mississippi sharecroppers makes
his way to Walnut Grove. Wait, not all the way
from Mississippi. They'd moved to Mancato. Okay, didn't go from
Mississippi to Waltgrove, form mississipp shagro It makes his way
to Walnut Grove. It offers to sell himself to the
(05:20):
Ingles family in exchange for an education m hm.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
This episode reaches out and grabs you from the second
it begins. This is there's really no wind up. We
are right into this, so let's let's bring.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Our guest all right.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
This episode had an unforgettable guest star playing the role
of Solomon, and he's.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Here with us today. We are so happy to welcome
Todd Ridges.
Speaker 7 (05:50):
Hi, Tod Bridges, Hello, everybody, how you guys?
Speaker 6 (05:54):
Hey, Todd Hey, thrilled, absolutely thrilled.
Speaker 7 (05:57):
Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I remember when
I first came on the set. I remember that how
I thought Allison was so mean because watching her character,
you know what I mean, I was like, gess, fucking
I don't want to talk to that girl. She's mean.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yes, yes, yes, I did my job.
Speaker 7 (06:17):
You did? You did your job? Well, you made us
think that you were mean.
Speaker 8 (06:23):
Give you a good welcome to the set?
Speaker 7 (06:24):
Did we Yes? You did? You did? You did?
Speaker 8 (06:26):
Yes?
Speaker 7 (06:27):
And I wasn't nervous anymore to that. But then as
soon as they said.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Action, she was like, well, look I give you when
you first walk into the school. Yes, look, yes, I
am like the most just evil thing, just like I think.
Speaker 7 (06:41):
My favorite line though in that movie was from your Lady.
He played your mother when when mister Ingle says, he says,
oh no, this is from my previous marriage, and then
she goes off one of my favorite lines in that show.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
You also called it a because.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
It was like, I was always soo cinematic, but yeah,
someone in particular, it really was like it could have
been a standalone movie.
Speaker 7 (07:08):
It definitely could have been. It was good. It was
really good. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
How old were you when you did this episode?
Speaker 7 (07:15):
What it was nineteen when you said nineteen seventy seven. Yeah, yeah,
I think I was twelve. Maybe you're eleven, maybe nine.
I don't see. That's a long time ago. I would
have the calculating. Now, my brain's not gonna work that way.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
I'm curious, Todd, how you go about preparing for something
like this because this is a well, what we're talking
about in the episode, we're talking about emancipation, slavery, and
the coming of the coming of rights, the deprivation of
rights for African Americans at that point. You know, we
(07:53):
were talking before we came on that. You know, there
was a lot of television A Good Time was on
and you know the Red Fox Show, Samperton's on, and
there was a different approach to how all these issues
were being talked about, but it was done enough sort
of you know the humor. Yeah, humor was the way
(08:14):
of hiding all the pains. Yeah, this put the pain
frame once. Oh yeah, right in your face. Oh yeah,
right in your face.
Speaker 7 (08:24):
Oh yeah, it was. It was definitely right in your
face for sure.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
So how do you what's what's the process for you?
Or are you just allowing that show?
Speaker 7 (08:36):
For me? I think I was a dramatic actor by nature,
so that came pretty easy to me. I think my
favorite line in this show was when I said, answer
me something, sir, I said, would you like to be black?
And lived to be one hundred or white? And lived
to be fifteen? And that means they put in and
Mike was like, Nope, bottom won't be black. I'm sure
he's figured out.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
What did we say before came what we're talking about?
Then she said David Rose. We said, we said Dave,
David Rose is the devil David Rose. That music made
you and I can't stand it.
Speaker 8 (09:09):
I can't and.
Speaker 6 (09:10):
You Yeah, the title card the episode when that comes
up and that that's sad haunting piano.
Speaker 7 (09:18):
Oh yeah, he had moritten for that show for sure,
for sure.
Speaker 6 (09:23):
But then your beautiful angelic face with those beautiful sparkling eyes,
you just you.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Just captivated all of us. And there is not a
false phony moment in the entire.
Speaker 7 (09:35):
No, it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
You're so good starts from the first second.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I mean, that was the thing got me. I thought, Okay,
I forgot less. I watched it last night. The second
the second you appear on screen and the first words
seting around, you're like, oh no, this board child owt
and it's like extraordinarily painful, and then it doesn't stop.
Speaker 7 (09:55):
It and going up, how did you cheap that? It's
like I said, I was fully aware because my mom
was my had taught me how to be an actor,
and everything I had done up to that point was
all dramatic. I had done no comedy shows before that.
It was dramatic. I think my first comedy show after
that was Fish. I was on Fish for three seasons
(10:17):
and then and the only reason why Dad got canceled
because back then Ate Figoda wanted more money, and you
know they didn't give you more money back then, They
just canceled the show. Wow, But lucky that happened because
I ended up going in and meeting with Robert Brooklyatti
for Different Strokes. And and what was weird was I
was telling somebody this the other night. I had actually
(10:37):
had three shows. It was weird. I had got different strokes.
I had got The Mickey Mouse Club, and I had
got was Oh it wasn't called Mark and Mindy. It
was called Mark from Orc. And yeah, that was the
original name of the title of the show. And Mark
lived in the attic of this black kid lived with
his grandmother. Who lucky I made the right choice because
(11:02):
those shows Mork and Mindy Mark from Orc change to
Mork and Mindy And where the Little House People? You know,
you know what I mean, I mean not Little House People?
Where are the Mickey mouse Club? So that was so
I made a great choice. That was a great, great choice. Yeah,
that was a great score. Definitely.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Can I ask you, do you remember your audition for
this episode?
Speaker 7 (11:24):
Uh? Yeah, I do remember my audition When I went
in and read for that, I think it was a
lady I was reading for and yeah, I had everyone crying.
So yeah, I was definitely I could definitely bring the tears.
I can bring them.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
Well, the thing is that? What was what you brought?
Speaker 7 (11:46):
But I will tell you this little house so strange. Yes,
but little house messed up just just so you know,
little house messed up my vocabulary, just so you know. Yes,
I was straight a student, had a great vocabulary. My
mom had to teach me how to talk bad.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Eighteen hundred sharecroppers.
Speaker 7 (12:07):
Rocious grammar I could give. I could give the little
House for changing my grammar.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Tolerful.
Speaker 7 (12:14):
Oh god, it's okay, but it was funny though.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Have you met the actors that played your mother and
your brother?
Speaker 7 (12:21):
Yeah? I had known them. They were only played my mother. Yes,
I didn't know the one that played my brother, but
the one played with my mother, I'd worked with her
on a few shows.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Oh god, she was wonderful too.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Yeah, yeah, okay, okay, we're still crying from last night.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
I know we're still not over it. Every time I
see this episode.
Speaker 7 (12:41):
Oh yeah, it's it's it's it's a tear jerker. You
can't get away from it. And the crazy part about
it is it falls into line of what's going on today.
It really does, it really does.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Were you aware that during the pandemic, Snoop Dog was
tweeting about this episode in twenty twelve.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Fresh Explosion.
Speaker 7 (13:03):
Yeah. Yeah, because I do a lot of stuff. I
always see Snoop Dogg and he always comes out. I
love that episode. You were the best, you know. So
he always tells me that, so cause me he's a
little brother. But of course he's my little brother because
I'm older than him. So yeah, we are not getting
any younger.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
Right yet? The older Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yeah, I would like to say that. No, it's great,
You're so wise and now it's it's tough getting older.
Speaker 7 (13:36):
My mom was absolutely right. I lost my mom last
year and yeah, but she was like very instrumental in
my career as far as me being the actor that
I was. And and it's interesting because now finding things
are being I'm starting to move forward again a lot
and things that in my career again. And you know,
(13:56):
it took a little time. So I was glad that
I had enough of a break, especially years to spend
time with my mom. She she live with me and
my wife in Arizona for two years. It was good.
But now we're all moving forward again doing things, which
is great. And like I said, I was coming down
here to work with the pastor in New Orleans, and
and I just had to go to the Super Bowl,
could not not go. My team was in it.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
You're done good.
Speaker 7 (14:19):
And let me tell you, boyd, all these the chief
fans were leaving early early when after the third quarter,
a lot of them, right. I was like, wow, I
was like, go ahead and leave. I'm staying. Yeah, yeah, right,
God is he the confetti?
Speaker 5 (14:35):
Yeah? I'm just curious, Todd. Uh, Well, we're talking about
the current day, you know, Little House. We've got this
information a couple of weeks ago. The Little House in
twenty twenty four streamed thirteen point twenty five billion million.
Speaker 7 (14:53):
Wow. That's a lot.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
So the equivalent the equivalent of twenty five thousand years streaming.
Speaker 7 (14:58):
Wow, that's crazy.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
Yeah, in streaming content. Interesting statistic on this, given that
we're talking to you, seventeen percent of that audience as
African American. And of course, you know, with streaming you
can know it's it's no longer a guess. You can
know exactly who's who's watching.
Speaker 7 (15:21):
Oh wow, Okay, you know, so.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
It's interesting that that the series. I'm just wondering from
your perspective, why you think the series well touches every
it's aired and loved all over the world. But it's
interesting because it's because it's never been cool, you know.
Speaker 7 (15:41):
It's it's well. I think what makes it so wonderful
is that it's a show about family. And this is
what all the new comedy shows are missing. There is
no show about family, you know what I mean. It's
just not there anymore. And people are craving to see families.
They're craving they see families with problems, families with things
(16:02):
that fix problems, family that love each other, you know.
And I think that's in television today. That's what we're missing.
We are missing family because we all have these unique
families now, and the problem is you don't see it
anywhere else. You see to look at these shows, and
those families are about you know, other stuff, not about
really family, or it shows that your children can watch.
(16:23):
You can't let your children watch almost ninety eight pers
I'm saying almost ninety nine percent of the shows on
TV because they have little things in there that you know,
not good for kids. So I think that Little House
was probably the reason streams so much that people want
to see family and they want something good enough, but
they don't have to worry about having to to watch
them watch the show.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Why do you think that, Why do you think that is?
Speaker 7 (16:46):
You have an opinion about it? Well, yeah, I think
that the the reality shows have kind of taken over.
But the problem with reality shows, which you're now finding out,
is there's no longevity in it. No one's gonna restream
Survivor for that many hours because you know, you know
who won. You're like, we know who won. Man, I
ain't want to watch that again. But you know, shows
(17:07):
like Little House and and and the shows that I
was on, you can rewatch those shows over again because
they're funny. They're fun But you know, even though you
may know what's the end of the show, you still
get to watch the acting. You get, you get to
get the emotions to get there. And I think that's
what people are missing.
Speaker 5 (17:22):
Well I think it was. I think what you're what
you're touching on. How I interpret that is the shows,
these kinds of shows that we're talking about were about something.
Speaker 7 (17:32):
Yes that was real. Yeah, there was there.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Was a foundation of reality, real reality in them.
Speaker 7 (17:40):
That It's one of the.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Reasons we always talk about little Houses being this great
safe place because there's something truthful, but there there is
this there is a gauzy veneer around little house that
makes it comfortable step into. It's not in your face.
(18:03):
There's love and decency, there's kindness, there's grace, there's an
attempt at there's an attempt at making people want to
get along with each other.
Speaker 7 (18:13):
That's right, that's right, yes, that's uh.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
I mean, look, we have our characters that don't want
to get along, but but that's in strong contrast always with.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
The Ingles family.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
Oh yeah, oh yeah, that the symbol of connected this,
oh yeah, of all of those things.
Speaker 7 (18:31):
Yeah, because it was the fact that my episode, you know,
Michael Landon's character, you know, mister Engeles, he was gonna
let you know, Solomon live there. He was all about it.
He did not care about anything. He wanted Solomon to
stay there. But you know, had that he had that hit,
He had that hidden secret that he didn't want tell
anybody that he had. He had a mother. When he
realized that life wasn't fair, he was pissed in he
(18:53):
was like, oh, you know when he realized that the
guy was a doctor, but he was a doctor only
on the Indian reservation part.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
Yeah, yeah, you know, I would say, though, Dean with
you saying, and it's true that little House sort of
was this.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
He's sort of had this soft filter.
Speaker 6 (19:09):
I think, except kind of for this episode. I think, yeah,
the only episode that doesn't end with a happy ending.
Speaker 5 (19:17):
It's not a happy end.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
It's not a happy ending.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
It's a it's a it's a necessary ending. Yes, and
needs to go back, yes to his family. But yeah,
it's not the ending. Well in a sense it is.
But nothing's changed, I guess, is really what I mean.
Something's changed because Solomon has grown. Solomon has become more
(19:41):
aware of the world. That's exactly right, something of what
he wanted and maybe you can take that home.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
Right, But does he end up going to school and
becoming something?
Speaker 7 (19:55):
I think it comes to what he had to with
his with his mother and brother, right, Oh.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah, feeling that because of what he experienced with the
angles and that he did get to go to school
for a little bit and start learning to read, that
he might somehow he does learn to read in the
future and maybe maybe.
Speaker 7 (20:10):
Someone said he was then someone said that Solomon was
the inventor of the cotton gym machine.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I'm kidding, sure, I'll go with that amazed me too
about this episode. I mean, okay, we see missus Olsen
and pretty much represents how everybody fell back, you know,
and and pau saying, no, no, no, no, it's post Civil
War Lincoln.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Yes, it's this, but it's.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Still only the eighteen seventies and in a small tent
and oh no no. Most people are still full on
missus Olsen about it at that point, and in the
look on my face, Nelly really were just like vile.
But it's kind of shocking because Pauw is being so like, sure,
oh yeah, no, you can stay here.
Speaker 8 (20:49):
Yeah, oh heck, will adopt you.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Reality is that that probably would not have been legal
really when he says, oh, my former marriage, and I'm
sitting there going that would have been a felony because
you could not have married his mother living with her
because that was against law. So Paul's jumping right ahead,
but he's jumping ahead like fifty sixty years. I mean,
(21:12):
he's going for it, which he would do, which we believe,
We get it. But it's intense because one of the
things I found that maybe even more slap me in
the face painful is your performance. And then Paul is
being so nice, but every time he says we can
do this, we can do this, I'm going, oh god,
no you can't, Oh my god, you can't.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
It's all aspiration.
Speaker 7 (21:33):
But what I thought was also another good scene was
when I'm sorry, I mean was when your when I
could I started reading better than your brother. You hit him.
You're like, yes, so.
Speaker 8 (21:47):
Look to Willie.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Is your dumber than him?
Speaker 7 (21:51):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (21:51):
You do not underderstand? How about this is really yeah.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
I was watching this last night with my six year
old daughter and it was this. You know, it was
one of the school room scenes, the classroom scenes, and
all the kids are just looking at you like you're
an alien, which also must have been strange to film
as well. I mean you might have had those experience
actually in real life.
Speaker 7 (22:12):
I have had.
Speaker 6 (22:12):
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. But my six year old just
looked up and she looked up at me and she said,
why are they all treating him like an animal?
Speaker 7 (22:23):
And it's interesting.
Speaker 6 (22:24):
I just sort of and I sort of had to
explain things to her, but she just was like.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
What, why are they treating him like an animal?
Speaker 7 (22:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Wow, out of the mouth of babes to get it.
And that's why this episode.
Speaker 6 (22:37):
Also, I mean, listen, we all know that there's some
Little House episodes that are just purely more for a
kid audience, family friendly, sweet kind you know, gentle, this
one is not that.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
However, the babies get it.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
They get it, and how important is it for them
to see that, to experience that. And that's why this
episode also has a lasting gripping. It just grips you
for the rest of your life.
Speaker 7 (23:06):
You're good.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
It stays forever. It's an awesome episode. You're so good
at it. I'm just gonna say that, Pamela.
Speaker 5 (23:19):
Let's take a quick break.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
All right, We're gonna take a quick break. Everyone, We'll
be back with Todd Bridges.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
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pages of history.
Speaker 9 (23:29):
Go from the pioneers to the President's explore beautiful wildflowers,
hike through iconic Hollywood locations, and injurr Day, aboard the
actual Air Force one at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
and Museum. Throughout the summer, take the Little House fiftieth
Anniversary Tour at Big Sky Movie Ranch less than fifteen
(23:50):
minutes from Los Angeles and thirty minutes from Universal Studios.
Seem Valley has small town charm with big jime history.
Go to visit ce Valley dot com for more information.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
We are so grateful to visit seemi Valley dot com
for their commitment to presenting The Little House fiftieth Anniversary podcast.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
And we're back with Todd Bridges. Okay, where do we
want to stay? I mean we're sort of I want to.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
Know how he felt about working with you know, how
what the experience was for him as a eleven twelve
year old boy working with Michael Landon.
Speaker 7 (24:23):
I yeah, it was. I think the most incredible thing
was how good Michael Lennon was with kids. He was
good with me, and he treated me like I was
just a part of the team. I wasn't really. I
don't think I've had any bad experience as a kid,
except for one with an adult. But everyone, everyone that
(24:48):
I've worked with, including you know. Yeah, I'm gonna tell
I'll tell you what it is in a minute. Conrad
Vaine was great. Eight Forgoda was great. Let's see, Michael
Lennon was great. You know the other shows from the Waltzes,
they were great. The only person was I did a
commercial in nineteen seventy six a Bysontino commercial with Henry Fonda.
(25:12):
Let me tell you the story. So you've heard a
lot of things about Henry Fonda, but you didn't know
what was quite true. So there's a bunch of seven
and eight year olds and we're you know, it was
a Bysontino commercial, and first of all, I was gonna
be the kid beating the drum, and they go, no, no,
let's give the black kid the flag. We can't have
him beating the drum. It's gonna be too stereotypical. So
that's how the commercial started. So I ended up carrying
(25:35):
the flag and we're walking down this hill. Now at
seven eight year olds walking down a hill, just imagine,
So that means that if I was I was eight,
that means I was nine on little House. That's what
it means. Now I was nine on the Hoss. So
walking down this hill, walking down this hill, and there's
cow patties there were, so we're falling, you know, and
he just turns around and goes, you mother, for kids,
(25:56):
you better would write I don't want to be a
dam day. And we all go we star crying. We
start crying, right, We're just bowling eyes and my mother,
our mother comes in there like we're taking our kids home.
We're not a little MORKU to me man and they go, no, no, no,
because they have already spent like a million dollars give
our shold or like we've got to get this done
today with these kids. So they looked at it. You know,
(26:17):
they told them you have to go and apologize. He
goes fine, he goes sorry, sorry, sorry, and we're like,
he's on me, he will hear me. The meanest man
the kids. He did not like you. And I remember
Jane Fox. Yeah, I remember Jane Fonda, you know, said
(26:38):
that he was tough. And you know, there you go,
there you go, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Don't work with children, animals. There's people who aren't work kids.
Speaker 7 (26:46):
Right. That's what they say is you have to have
a lot of patience when you're working with kids. Let
me tell you, I got remarried and I now have
a eleven year old, thirteen year old, nine, seventeen, and
twenty and my oldest kids are twenty seven, twenty eight,
twenty nine, twenty eight. I had to learn relearn patience
because it is the truth. You think that you have patience, right,
(27:09):
and then you got this eleven year old dunce in
the money, and you're like you want to yeop, but
you can't because you know, you're like sit, sit down,
you know, and you're like, oh my gosh. And then
I had to think back in my head. I'm like,
oh my gosh, I was the same way to eleven
years old. It's all over the place. You know, I
had so much energy. I've learned not to give him
(27:30):
sugar at night. You give him sugar. He he's like
a wind up toy. Give him sugar. He's like, you know,
in and out of the room. I can sleep. You
can sleep because you had sugar, you know. Wow. And
and mom Pamela going yeah, yeah exactly. And then and
then I really because I have a daughter but she's older,
I forgot what it was like to have a daughter.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Yeah, oh my gosh.
Speaker 7 (27:54):
So many emotions.
Speaker 5 (27:56):
What's it like to have a DG?
Speaker 7 (27:58):
So many emotions that I didn't realize. It's always something,
and it is just I could be.
Speaker 6 (28:06):
Sitting there like, yeah, they're born that way.
Speaker 7 (28:10):
I'm sitting there.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
I have a boy and a girl. Yeah, it's like
the difference is insane.
Speaker 7 (28:14):
Yes, I have said so many yes, so many times
I've said, what is wrong today? This person said this
to me. I'm like, oh, I'm like, can we just
And I say, can we just have one day when
nobody upset drama? You know, they wake up in the morning,
(28:36):
You're like, good morning, They're like, like, what is it
not a good morning? To something bad happened? I guess
they woke up and it was bad, you know.
Speaker 6 (28:46):
And speaking of kids, Todd, how was it working with
all the kids on the set? I mean, yes, there's
Melissa Gilbert and but even like those scenes are and
you're in the schoolroom and they're all looking at you
like an animal, like.
Speaker 8 (28:59):
What was that?
Speaker 7 (29:00):
It's because everybody we were all good friends. So it
was okay because we were all you know, I mean
they were everybody was just doing their job, you know
what I mean. So that was different. But I will
take I have not seen Melissa Sue Anderson forever. I
seen Melissa Gilbert all the time. I talked to her
all the time. But oh my gosh, I'm the most embarrassing. Formalously,
I don't know if I should say this or not.
I guess I could say it. Gilbert, listen, Sue Anderson.
(29:22):
We were doing something for NBC, a big thing for NBC,
and we were walking out. I'm walking down, she's walking down,
and she just unfortunately falls down the stairs and we're like,
and this is live TV.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Oh wow.
Speaker 7 (29:43):
We had to pick her up. I felt so bad.
She started crying. I felt so horrible. She just fell
down on National TV. It was terrible and I felt
so bad and and I love her though. They were all,
like I said, we've there were only a certain amount
of kids in the business at that time, and you
knew every body because that's all there wasn't. Yeah, yeah,
(30:06):
of a community because we did yes all the time
at different things, different events for the networks. And it's
because I was on networks on different shows, and so
I was always at some one of them because I
was on a show that was dealing with something. So,
you know, so I always saw all the kids from
the Little House and you know, and it was just
it was just crazy. You know, it was a crazy
(30:27):
fun time where you know, it was just kids. You know,
we just were being kids and we had to enjoy
ourselves because you know, I didn't know though, that you
grow up fast. And that's what I'm trying to tell
my kids is that it comes fast. You just don't
You just don't get it. It's going to come fast,
and you're going to grow up.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
M How was how was the industry? If you have
a sense of comparison, todd for you, how the industry
has changed?
Speaker 7 (30:57):
Well, I think, first of all, you make a hell
of a lot more money now. You know some of
the moneys people are making. You're like, he's making what
you know. And and with the thing of like social
media and all that stuff, you get a good show.
You know, network don't want to pay you, like I
don't need you. I got eighty million followers. I'm good,
(31:18):
you know what I mean. And then they're like we
we we we, you know what I mean. So the
bargaining power is better for us now today than it
was yesterday, you know, because because you know, I've seen
people doing five and six series. They got shows run
some I'm sure running over here, some sure running over here,
some sure running over there, some sure running over there.
(31:39):
As long as they don't run against each other, it's fine.
Nobody cares anymore. It's just all about shows that are.
Speaker 6 (31:43):
Good, you know, right, Because for you guys, if you
were on contract.
Speaker 7 (31:47):
That's that was it. You weren't. It was like, I
can't tell you how many times I had offers for
other shows once I was on Different Strugs.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Caln't do them?
Speaker 5 (31:58):
Yes, yeah, how many episodes of Different Strokes?
Speaker 7 (32:02):
Oh my gosh. We did eight years of it, but
we would have done more. It was okay. The thing
is the show should have gone were we got canceled
a top ten show which never happens. Never happens because
of because of Gary, Gary's people know Gary's people. Gary's
people drove the network nuts. They wanted more and more
(32:24):
and more and more and a numbers like, hey, we're
giving you a lot, let's just stay there. But then,
but here's the interesting part. But then I found out
what shorder Ricky Schroeder was making and we were like, wow,
he should have been getting a lot more. Sure had
(32:45):
a piece of his show and Silver Spoons was not
Top of Different Strokes, way below. So you know what
what was interesting was the show that made that they
had to pay the actors most money, which was our
show between me, Gary and Conrad. So we never got
(33:08):
to travel like Facts of Life went to like Hawaii.
They went to France and Europe. We didn't get to
go to France. They were like, you're gonna go to
Universal Studios, which is the same lot we're were shooting on.
So it was like, so, but it's today you could
just make so much more out of something. You know,
(33:31):
you can make something much more popular from just social
media alone.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think that's that. That's a huge differentiation.
Speaker 7 (33:38):
Yeah there.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
Now the other thing is it's interesting, Okay, you're talking
about you did eight years, so there's twenty two episodes
of years you're doing eight doing.
Speaker 7 (33:48):
Our thing, it was twenty eight episodes.
Speaker 5 (33:50):
Yeah wow, so yeah done, you did one hundred and
ninety two hundred episodes.
Speaker 7 (33:54):
Yeah something.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
Right. So now today, interestingly, if you're doing if you're
in a series that's really successful, maybe you're going to
do eight or ten episodes, which razy which you could
go out there and do.
Speaker 7 (34:09):
Yes, you get like four Yeah. Well now they want
you to do other things now whether you do it
because they want you to beca say as popular as
you can for your show, right, that's the thing now.
Yeah yeah, And it's like you know, then as long
and I think they say, as long as shows are
not competing each other. It's fine, they don't care what
(34:30):
you do.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
What's interesting, though, is that, and we were saying this
before we started rolling, is that I don't think an
episode like The Wisdom of Solomon would be aired today.
Speaker 7 (34:40):
You wouldn't be No, I don't think so. And the
word you can make the word the word, Yeah, the word.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
And this is an example of how the word is
so important to hear. Yeah, yes, it's a lesson.
Speaker 7 (34:54):
It's especially with what's going on today in our world.
It's crazy. It's crazy, especially you know, the what's so sad.
I don't like to get political, but the whole de
I think that they're stopping everywhere a lot of places.
It's gonna hurt women more than it hurts anybody. I
don't think they realize that, you know, because you know
how some of these men are. If they don't have
(35:14):
to hire women, they won't and and and look at
it this way. If Kamala Harris would have been a dude,
she'd be in office right now.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Agreed, Well, because.
Speaker 7 (35:26):
Eighty six percent of black men voted against her too.
They just couldn't handle women.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
And dishabled people.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
People forget the disabled.
Speaker 8 (35:33):
Yeah, yes, yes, and.
Speaker 7 (35:35):
Not just that, so is veterans. Veterans are in d I.
So it's like you're shooting a foot of a whole
bunch of people. Man, and and and it's unfortunate, you know.
We The sad part about it is we don't know
where we're heading, but we know where we're gonna go
to because everybody's about to fix this. We can't go
keep going this direction. It's nuts.
Speaker 6 (35:54):
Yeah, And it's also the way I'm sorry, Alison, I
was just gonna say it in terms of why this
episode wouldn't happen now, it's all so the white the
attempt to whitewash history.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
And you know, if we teach kids.
Speaker 6 (36:05):
This then makes people look bad, and we don't see
people look bad, and we're not gonna have the hard
hitting issues and we're all of the core of it.
And and what they're missing is just how important this is.
What they're missing is the six year old girl watching
this episode, go this guy like an animal.
Speaker 7 (36:22):
Right, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
There's people want to sugarcoat things, But it's the questions.
How many questions were asked in households when that was on. Hey,
I don't understand why are being horrible. What does that mean? Well,
what does that mean? What do they mean they own?
Speaker 7 (36:37):
What does that mean mean?
Speaker 1 (36:38):
That had to have been just an explosion in people's households.
What killed me during the show watching last night was
how many times in the show Oh, no, things are different. Now,
things are going to change. It'll be different in the future,
and I'm going to.
Speaker 7 (36:56):
Different.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Yeah, painful, wonderful.
Speaker 5 (36:59):
Moment the end of TODB where you talk about maybe
in one hundred years it'll be different. Of course we
are living yes, yes, years and you know everybody understands. Yeah,
it's very powerful to what do you do? What are
you working on?
Speaker 7 (37:15):
Now?
Speaker 5 (37:16):
You live in PHOENI how long have you lived.
Speaker 7 (37:17):
I've lived in Phoenix for the last two years, so
three years going on three years because I've been married
almost three years. Yeah, I got remarried. And my kids
live in my house in La in the San Fernanda Valley,
and I live in Arizona, my wife in another house,
and I have I go, but I go to see
my kids, my older kids all the time, and I'm
going next week to see my older kids. But it's
(37:40):
what makes it amazing is the fact that Arizona. It's
so interesting. The police don't give you a second glance.
In Arizona. It is hot. But I'm gonna tell you something.
I don't have any problems in Arizona. Nobody cares in Arizona.
And the biggest thing that has has to do with
(38:00):
is this. Everyone can carry a gun in Arizona. I'm
not gonna say that's good for California, But in Arizona,
nobody wants to start any trouble. Everybody's like, I'm good
in you walk away because you know, trouble can lead
somebody getting shot. You know, nobody wants to hang out
with you know. The police just don't give you any mind.
I haven't been pulled over once in Arizona. In La,
(38:24):
I get pulled over all the time. In Arizona, No,
it just doesn't happen that way. They you know, they
drive by and they look at you and they're like,
as long as you ain't starting no big trouble you
all right? You know what I mean? But it is hot.
Speaker 5 (38:43):
You have that I've never had.
Speaker 7 (38:45):
Yeah, yeah, well see, people remember I was talking about
this when I was a kid, and people thought it
was me. I had been telling everyone the whole time
how bad the police force was in Elia, and no
one believed me. They were all like, oh, that's just
him causing trouble, blah blah blah. He's a troublemaker actor
that that that, And then you know, now with the
videos of things, people are like, okay, well I guess
he was telling the truth.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Yeah, I grew up in a lad this.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
We do have a reputation for way more pulling people
over for is that an expired tag? Is that tailight
out there in a lot of places.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
It's weird.
Speaker 7 (39:15):
You wouldn't pay l a being like that.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
It's right is And I remember in the eighties in
the nineties, I had a couple of friends said, I
was gonna come to your party, but I can't come
to your neighborhood. And I said, and he said, yeah,
neighborhood is apparently illegal driving while black. And they said
living and they don't drive well black neighbor And it
was like, yeah, I can't what and well, yeah.
Speaker 8 (39:38):
It's okay, it's a thing.
Speaker 7 (39:39):
Yeah. Yeah, we were told not to go to see
me Valley. You know, I remember being a kid. See Okay,
people wonder why those police officers got not guilty out there,
see me, valley is full of police officers, police officers, families,
police officers wives, And you know that's why. So of
course the whole jury, that's why they wanted to move
it there. The whole jury is going to be police officer.
Course they're gonna get an guilty. But the interesting part.
(40:00):
But what I do know about LA now is that
we can speak up more. Now we can film you
making you making stupid mistakes, You're gonna get in trouble.
And now with certain people they don't want any issues
with like me. You know, they don't want any issues
with me in LA because it's bad because I'm gonna
get on TV and be like doing my little housepression.
(40:21):
I've been sober years. I'm doing right. But they just
meet me. I couldn't believe it, you know what I mean.
It'll be like pay that man, pay.
Speaker 6 (40:28):
That man, Tod, do you have any do you want
to be in the d I mean, do you want
to be I.
Speaker 7 (40:34):
Am right now working right now, my management team, my
agents were working with Sony right now on a new show,
working on a new show. That's it looks like it's
really close. We just got our final piece yesterday, which
is great. We's got our final piece. We we met
with him yesterday. I was in the car. We're having
(40:56):
a meeting, a really serious meeting. I'm in the car
and the phone's like you know, and he said, well,
give me some time. He called back within like an
hour and says, I want to be on the part
of the show. And he's the studio is really excited
about him. So that's gonna help us a lot.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
You're so beloved, I know, Thank you.
Speaker 7 (41:14):
What we want to go back to, like I said,
we want to go back to television where that makes sense.
We're feminies can watch it again. We got to get
back to that because it's it's what we're dealing with now,
and it's just a bunch of heartaches in our country now.
We're dealing with a bunch of stuff. We need something
to go back to. Like all of our shows were
that people when they had a bad day, they can
go watch her show and go, oh, I feel better now,
(41:35):
you know what I mean? Yes, yes, yes, yes, And
I also have a podcast too, it's called Dang and
with my wife. Yeah, it's comes on it It comes
out every Tuesday. Yeah, yeah, it's launch comes out every Tuesday. Yeah,
that's a fun one because my wife is yo. Yeah,
I'm on it with her. Yeah, I'm gonna get you
guys on it. Don't worry. Yes, I'm gonna get you
(41:56):
guys on it. My wife is Mormon, which is interesting.
I'm not Mormon who she is. Her family is all Mormon,
which which is hilarious because people think that Mormons are
like this cult people, but they're not. They actually believe
in Jesus Christ and like everyone else does, you know.
But it's just hilarious because I always tease them because
you know, you can't if you're Mormon in religion, you
can't drink coffee. And I'm like, well, I guess I
ain't doing And because I love coffee, I'll never get it.
(42:19):
You can't be on a set with no coffee. I'm like,
that's a deal breaker for me, I said, I love
the guys a deal breaker.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
This is so exciting thought.
Speaker 5 (42:30):
So good for you, Todd. Interesting. Speaking of new shows,
it's been announced that Netflix has picked up a reimagining
of Little House.
Speaker 7 (42:40):
What do you really think.
Speaker 1 (42:41):
They wow it back to the books in it yet.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
To the books.
Speaker 5 (42:51):
Beginning?
Speaker 7 (42:53):
Yeah, Yeah, well I think it'll work. That ought to
be quite interesting. I think it'll work. I do think
it'll work. It definitely will.
Speaker 5 (43:01):
There's a there's a lot of negativity online people with
people saying it's so perfect, don't screw around with this.
Speaker 7 (43:08):
Well, that is the other problem. You could possibly ruin
you know, what the show was.
Speaker 6 (43:15):
But I think that's also because all that all of
the headlines were misleading because they said it was a
reboot of this series and it's not.
Speaker 7 (43:23):
It's a totally Wait was that little black guy was
it was the black character in the in the book. No,
I didn't think.
Speaker 1 (43:31):
That doctor Tam the black doctor doctor who works in
the restaurant. He is in the book is a great bird,
says her lives. He shaves these lives. But you know,
there's no Solomon. There's no Solomon.
Speaker 7 (43:45):
There's no Solomon. I know. You know.
Speaker 6 (43:49):
That's why I'm just a little house person. I can't
I need Solomon in my life.
Speaker 7 (43:55):
That's right, that's that's interest. Yeah, they can see that.
That's the thing about it is that, you know that
type of show, you're trying to recreate all the characters
that could hurt the show for what it or make
your show a lot more successful on people streaming it,
be that one.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
Or the other, right exactly?
Speaker 5 (44:15):
I think I say that it's a long bar and
there's room for everybody.
Speaker 7 (44:20):
How many seasons a Little House go? Again? How many
seasons it was?
Speaker 5 (44:23):
It was nine full seasons in an abbreviated TENSEE.
Speaker 7 (44:26):
Okay, So that means that, well, you don't have to worry.
Netflix only goes four seasons. And as usually, I'll tell
you something interesting though about our show, so we should have.
I ran into one of the vice presidents of NBC
a few years ago and asked him what happened? You know,
I was the show canceled, and that's what he told us.
He said that Gary's people just driving the crazy. So
(44:48):
we got canceled and went to ABC. But on NBC
I was told by Brandon Toatarcoff and all those guys
that we would have gone probably fourteen fifteen years. They
would have gave us a great period of like five years,
six years, wow, because we saved the network from going under.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
Would you have wanted to have done that?
Speaker 7 (45:05):
Oh? I would have done that because the amount of
because you know, after a certain amount of time on
a show, the money you make. It's just so easy.
It's like by secondhand nature. You just get up, you
go to your job, you do your thing, and you leave,
you know what I mean. So it's it's really really easy.
Speaker 5 (45:20):
It's it's life. It's life making.
Speaker 7 (45:23):
Yeah that you are your life. Yeah, it's really becomes sure. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (45:26):
Yeah, it's very powerful. It's very powerful. Uh, listen, we
are chasing the clock here.
Speaker 7 (45:33):
Okay, so much fun.
Speaker 5 (45:34):
Wow man, thank you so appreciate.
Speaker 2 (45:37):
Having me the wisdom of Solomon again.
Speaker 6 (45:39):
It endures, it will continue to endure and make such
an impact in this world.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
And we're just so grateful for you and for it.
Speaker 7 (45:46):
Thank you so much. I enjoying good, good.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Good stuff. Anyway, we will see you next time. Join
us on Patreons. We'll be here and uh we'll see Yeah, Bob,
go get the wake.
Speaker 6 (45:56):
Let's flynn Hika Bucos Volto Malodon be a minisotopia guy,
you know
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