The first week of "Little House on the Prairie," an actor fainted and Karen Grassle wondered if she would make it through the show.

Karen Grassle talked about what it was like for her to work on Little House on the Prairie. Some of the things that went on behind the scenes were told by Grassle. She says it was hard to film the first week of the show. Here's why she thought twice at first about being in the show.

"Little House on the Prairie" was made under the direction of Michael Landon.

On the set of Little House on the Prairie, Michael Landon did more than one thing. Landon did more than just act on the show. He was also the show's executive producer, director, and writer.

 Grassle says that as the show's leader, he was under a lot of pressure. She said that the things he had to do were "formidable." There were guest directors at the start of the show, but they didn't stay for long.

 In her book Bright Lights, Prairie Dust, Grassle says that Landon had a plan for how he wanted the show to go, and none of the guest directors were the right fit. She said that "they couldn't make Mike happy." Karen Grassle says an actor passed out during filming, and she wasn't sure if she could keep going. Grassle said that the first week of making Little House on the Prairie was hard.

 She says that the first few days on the set, which was in Simi Valley, California, were very hot. They were filming outside, where it was very hot. To play Caroline Ingalls, Grassle had to wear a thick, heavy outfit, which made her sweat a lot. She says that her black, custom-made boots made her feet "boil."

 Grassle says that Landon didn't seem to mind how hot it was. She said it looked like he "thrived" in the heat. Grassle was worried about how well she would be able to "hold up" in the weather. She says she was afraid she might not be able to keep doing the show. 

Grassle says that it got so hot that Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson, passed out. She also says that ice packs were given to the director so he could put them around his neck to cool off. Because of the weather on set, Grassle wasn't sure if she could finish the show.

A relief from the weather

The bad weather didn't last long, thank goodness. A break in the weather was very welcome. The weather got cooler over the weekend, which was good news for Grassle. She was glad to hear that the unbearable heat was caused by a heat wave. At first, she thought it would always be that hot in Simi Valley, but that wasn't the case. She knew that she would "make it" in the end.

 Even though the extreme heat was only there for a short time, most days on the set were still warm. Not much was helped by the bright lights.

 Grassle says that it was hard for her to act after a big meal. The heat, dust, and bright lights on the set made it hard for her to stay awake.

Grassle said that the job was physically exhausting because she had to work under bright lights for 12 hours a day in the hot California weather.

 She also had a two-hour drive to and from work. Grassle was worried that her work and schedule would wear her down in the long run, so she talked to producer Kent McCray.

 He solved the problem by making sure she had a driver on the days they were shooting on location. Grassle went on to be the main character on the show Little House on the Prairie for eight years.