Minnesota

‘Real Housewives' Star to Host ‘Little House on the Prairie' Marathon

As a child, Kyle Richards starred on the beloved show as Alicia Sanderson Edwards

Grab your bonnet and your riding boots this Saturday--COZI TV will be airing a "Little House on the Prairie" marathon all day long.

Kyle Richards, star of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" will host the 17-episode marathon, which will begin at 7 a.m.

Richards is well known for her role on the "Real Housewives" reality TV show. But years before she was living it up in Beverly Hills, she played Alicia Sanderson Edwards, one of the children in "Little House on the Prairie." The show first aired in 1974 on NBC. It follows the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved book series based on her childhood growing up in the Midwest.

"I was really excited," Richards told NBC about being asked to host the marathon. "It was such a fun show to be a part of."

"We cannot wait to deliver a double-dose of Kyle Richards to our loyal COZI TV fans," Meredith McGinn, Senior Vice President, COZI TV and LX.TV Productions said in a statement. "Not only will Kyle take viewers on an extended journey back to the Minnesota prairie, but they will also be catapulted into modern-day Beverly Hills and treated to a behind-the-scenes look at mansion life – led by our favorite Housewife."

Richards said she still keeps in touch with Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder, the show's main character. In an interview with NBC, she reminisced on her time on the show, which she said was like "going to camp."

From riding horses all day to sloshing around in water, Richards called the acting job an "incredible experience."

Though she said she hasn't spoken to Gilbert since she was asked to host the marathon, she said the two talk every now and then.

Richards said as she hosts the marathon, viewers can expect to hear her joke about some of the differences between "Housewives," and the TV show she starred on as child, including the way dinner parties are planned and executed.

"For parties on the prairie, you’d just boil your best dress, tuck your hair under a bonnet and pass around a bottle of sarsaparilla with a dirty rag to wipe the rim. Today, you need so much more – a theme, florist, catering truck, flowers, valet car attendants, gift bags and a charity auction – just to name a few," Richards jokes in a promo for the marathon.

But for Richards, the show wasn't just about playing her character--it's where she formed close bonds with her fellow cast members.

"It was a very fun and loving atmosphere," she said, as she talked about the cast members she worked with, like the late Michael Landon, whom she called a father figure.

And despite the fact that the series ended over 30 years ago, Richards said she still tunes in to watch it from time to time with her children.

"I like for my kids to watch it because I feel like it always has a sweet message," she said. "The way we live today in this world, it really stresses me out as a parent."

Richards jokingly added that she hopes her kids "pick up some tips" from watching the show.

"Everyone was alive and they didn't have a cellphone!" she said. 

"Little House on the Prairie" debuted on COZI TV in September, airing from 10 a.m. to noon and at 5 p.m. each day. Saturday's marathon, featuring episodes from various seasons of the show, will run until 11 p.m., with episodes like "The Long Road Home" and "Quarantine" set to air.

To watch the marathon, fans should check their local listings and tune into COZI TV, which is owned by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. Visit http://www.cozitv.com/get-cozi-tv/ to find the channel you can watch it on and enter your ZIP code.

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