The letter from NY that changed Laura Ingalls Wilder's life

At age 64, Wilder received unexpected news from a New York editor: She was on her way to becoming a children’s author. The manuscript she had mailed had eventually turned into “Little House in the Big Woods.” Wilder said that upon the book’s success and reading all the letters she received from children around the country she began to think “what a wonderful childhood I had had.”

Clip Season 34 Episode 7 Length 01:49 Premiere: 12/29/20

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Preview Length 03:26 Premiere Date 12/29/20

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Season 34 Season 34 Episodes

Show Episodes

Show Clips & Previews

Keith Haring: Street Art Boy

S34 E8 Length 52:28 Premiere Date 12/04/20

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page

S34 E7 Length 1:23:02 Premiere Date 12/29/20

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S34 E3 Length 1:56:29 Premiere Date 06/23/20

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S34 E2 Length 1:23:30 Premiere Date 06/16/20

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Preview Length 03:26 Premiere Date 12/29/20

How the logs of the "Little House" cabin were stolen

Clip Length 02:08 Premiere Date 12/29/20

Disaster was looming when the Ingalls moved to Minnesota

Clip Length 02:14 Premiere Date 12/29/20

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Clip Length 02:20 Premiere Date 12/29/20

The secret mother-daughter collaboration on “Little House”

Clip Length 04:06 Premiere Date 12/29/20

The word that Laura refused to say in her wedding vows

Clip Length 03:35 Premiere Date 12/29/20

Roxane Gay and others on racist “Little House” depictions

Clip Length 02:23 Premiere Date 12/29/20

The letter from NY that changed Laura Ingalls Wilder's life

Clip Length 01:49 Premiere Date 12/29/20

"Little House" TV stars Alison Arngrim and Dean Butler

Clip Length 02:58 Premiere Date 12/29/20

Two Things That Gave Carl Reiner the Most Pleasure in Life

Clip Length 01:30 Premiere Date 06/30/20

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Preview Length 01:00 Premiere Date 06/17/20

In Memoriam: Actress Zoe Caldwell

Clip Length 01:53 Premiere Date 02/19/20

Against All Odds: Meet the Woman Behind American Masters

Clip Length 05:29 Premiere Date 03/09/18

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The letter from NY that changed Laura Ingalls Wilder's life

Recent Episodes

The Incomparable Mr. Buckley

Moynihan

HOPPER: An American love story

José Clemente Orozco: Man of Fire

José Clemente Orozco: Hombre de Fuego (En Español)

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

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Clips & Previews

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page trailer

How the logs of the "Little House" cabin were stolen

Disaster was looming when the Ingalls moved to Minnesota

Until she was an author, money was a struggle for Wilder

The secret mother-daughter collaboration on “Little House”

The word that Laura refused to say in her wedding vows

Roxane Gay and others on racist “Little House” depictions

The letter from NY that changed Laura Ingalls Wilder's life

"Little House" TV stars Alison Arngrim and Dean Butler

Two Things That Gave Carl Reiner the Most Pleasure in Life

For Your Emmy® Consideration

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Against All Odds: Meet the Woman Behind American Masters

Specials

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Jerry Seinfeld on his place in American sitcom history

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The Incomparable Mr. Buckley (ASL)

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Moynihan (ASL)

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Searching for Augusta Savage

HOPPER: An American love story (Extended Audio Description)

HOPPER: An American love story (ASL + Audio Description)

Louis Gossett, Jr. honors Maya Angelou's storytelling impact

Jerry Lewis on comedy and his bond with Sammy Davis, Jr.

Neil Young on David Geffen’s success as a media mogul

How Rita Moreno auditioned and rehearsed for West Side Story

How Billy Crystal learned to imitate Sammy Davis, Jr.

John Singleton on having Maya Angelou as a mentor

Steve Martin on how David Geffen thrived through friendships

Filmmaker Jonas Mekas on living in Andy Warhol's New York

Protactile: A Language of Touch

Protactile: A Language of Touch [Audio Description + ASL]

Protactile: A Language of Touch [Extended Audio Description]

André Leon Talley on Mae West’s impact on fashion and style

Fran Drescher on being a showrunner for the American sitcom

James Earl Jones on Sidney Poitier and acting

Lady Bunny on the echoes of Mae West in drag culture

Treat Williams on the acting process with Sidney Lumet

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Senghor Reid: Make Way For Tomorrow

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Jacques Pépin Makes Tuna Tartare

Jacques Pépin Makes Sautéed Cod with Mushrooms

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Martin Scorsese on the films of John Ford

Jacques Pépin Makes Pork Roast with Ratatouille

Jacques Pépin Makes Pasta Fagioli

Jacques Pépin Makes Pasta Primavera

Jacques Pépin Makes Spaghetti with Basil Pesto

Jacques Pépin Prepares Blueberries with Lemon and Mint

Jacques Pépin Makes Lemon Posset for Dessert

Jacques Pépin Makes Ice Cream French Toast

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Tracey Ullman on Mel Brooks' intrinsically American comedy

Baayork Lee on becoming a Broadway star at age 5

I. M. Pei on sculpture

Gloria Steinem on the legacy of Marilyn Monroe

Laura Linney on mastering acting at Juilliard

Patti Smith on Lou Reed and rock and roll

Dionne Warwick on Lena Horne and her musical influences

Herbie Hancock on jazz and Quincy Jones' influence