Trivia / Little House On the Prairie S 5 E 4 There's No Place Like Home

• The Character Died with Him: Karl Swenson, who played the beloved Lars Hanson – town founder and operator of the mill – died about three months after this episode was filmed. In Laura's post-episode epilogue, she explains that Mr. Hanson passed away not long after the events of this episode, knowing the town was in good hands. Not surprisingly, this episode was dedicated in Swenson's memory.
• Keep Circulating the Tapes: Because the second half of this two-part episode was 90 minutes, it's rarely shown in syndication (as stations and networks usally only air episodes whose run times are in multiples of 60 minutes).
• Written-In Infirmity: Viewers will notice that Karl Swenson is noticeably frail and ill in what turned out to be his final appearance. When this episode was filmed in early July 1978, the expectation was that, because of Swenson's declining health, he would not be returning; as such, it was decided Mr. Hanson would suffer a massive stroke, the result of severe depression and the collapse of his once-beloved town, and that off-screen, the character would pass away with the knowledge that his friends would be rebuilding the town and they would keep it in good hands.