7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
The life and adventures of the Ingalls family in the 19th century American West.
Starring: Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Melissa Gilbert (I), Melissa Sue Anderson, Lindsay GreenbushFamily | 100% |
Romance | 39% |
Western | 18% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (448 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Six-disc set (6 BDs)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Consumer (and/or viewer) interest can make a difference. I’m old enough to remember begging my father, who had taken me out to
dinner
that evening, to get me home in time to watch a spring 1968 episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 2, since it had been
revealed that an “important announcement” would be broadcast at the episode’s close, and (being the geek I was and having followed the news
about one of my favorite shows so closely) which I suspected was a renewal announcement for a third season. That turned out to be the case,
though as long time Star Trek fans know, it was only a temporary reprieve, and the Starship Enterprise’s supposed five year journey into
worlds unknown came to a premature close at the end of the 1968-69 television season. NBC’s response to a somewhat limited but still very vocal
campaign to save the series, one which evidently buried the corporate headquarters in Rockefeller Center under a mountain of fan mail, turned the
tide and allowed Gene Roddenberry’s iconic series to live for at least a little while longer. Something at least a little similar has happened with
another
vaunted NBC property, the beloved Michael Landon adaptation of the equally beloved books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the
Prairie. Lionsgate started releasing the series in 2014, and brought out new volumes of subsequent seasons every few months thereafter,
until
suddenly with the advent of the sixth season, no further announcements of upcoming Blu-ray product were made (initial press releases mentioned
only DVDs). Once again, a rather rabid (in a good way) fan base kicked into gear, and while the technology had changed (emails instead of snail
mail),
the result was the laudable decision to release the subsequent seasons as Amazon Exclusives. Interestingly (at least for those of us who work in
the
reviewing game), Lionsgate didn’t seem to be overly concerned about publicizing these final seasons, and in fact never sent screeners for official
review purposes. While fans of this series will no doubt be thrilled that they can complete their collections, sticklers may have at least a quibble or
two with some decisions that were made with regard to the final three years of the series.
Our reviews of the previous seasons of the series can be accessed by clicking on the following links:
Little House on the Prairie: Season
One
Blu-ray review
Little House on the Prairie: Season
Two
Blu-ray review
Little House on the Prairie:
Season
Three Blu-ray review
Little House on the Prairie: Season
Four Blu-ray review
Little House on the Prairie: Season
Five Blu-ray review
Little House on the Prairie: Season
Six
Blu-ray review
Little House on the Prairie:
Season
Seven Blu-ray review
Little House on the Prairie: Season
Eight Blu-ray review
Little House on the Prairie: The Ninth and Final Season is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer
in 1.36:1. This season continues the generally better if not completely excellent quality I mentioned in our Little House on the Prairie: Season Eight Blu-ray review,
though there are some intermittent quality variances, including hints of the same purplish wine color at selected moments that were reminiscent of some
of the palette issues I discussed in our Little House on the Prairie: Season Seven Blu-ray review. Detail levels are often quite good, especially in close-ups, and
when the series ventures out of doors, which it does quite often, the palette warms up noticeably, with an attendant uptick in detail levels. As with the
two previous seasons, while restoration efforts have delivered transfers devoid of any major damage, there's still fairly regular signs of minimal age related
wear and tear. Grain once again resolves well throughout the series, with (as with previous seasons) occasional moments of clumpiness, especially in
some darker moments.
Note: I recommend reading the very useful User Review published by Member chrislong2 available on the tab above on this release which
documents some missing footage
in one episode of this release.
As with the two previous seasons, this ninth season of Little House offers only a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 mix, one which does the job relatively well but which deprives the track of much force, especially in the mid and lower ranges. Dialogue still comes through perfectly well, but there's a certain lack of energy in at least some of the more action oriented moments, even if those only entail a horse drawn carriage crossing the frame.
Completists will no doubt want to have this season in their Little House collections, but I doubt even many diehard fans would count this final year as among the series' best. There are still heart tugging moments, but a lot of them seem even more overly contrived than was this show's tradition virtually from the get go. Technical merits are on a par with the eighth season, and the inclusion of the final made for television movie will no doubt be appreciated by fans.
Deluxe Remastered Edition
1974-1975
Deluxe Remastered Edition
1975-1976
Deluxe Remastered Edition
1976-1977
Deluxe Remastered Edition
1977-1978
Deluxe Remastered Edition
1978-1979
Deluxe Remastered Edition
1979-1980
Deluxe Remastered Edition
1980-1981
Deluxe Remastered Edition
1981-1982
2008
1991
55th Anniversary Edition
1960
2014
1993
1982
1987
1994
2005
2002
1991
Standard Edition
1994
1955
The Man from Snowy River II
1988
Koneko monogatari
1986
1957
2005
1993
2017
2018