An Interview with Ray Ellin, Host of ‘Wild Nights on the Prairie with Ray Ellin’

Key Art for ‘Wild Nights on the Prairie with Ray Ellin’ Courtesy of Ray Ellin.

Ray Ellin is an accomplished comedian that also happens to be a huge fan of Little House on the Prairie. In fact, the show means so much to Ray and he’s found so much value within its structure that he recently started a podcast entitled, Wild Nights on the Prairie with Ray Ellin, to break down the central themes present in the show, with a guest no less. And we had the distinct honor of sitting down with Ray to discuss his new show and all things Little House on the Prairie.
 
John Betancourt: I’d like to know… how you came to fall in love with Little House on the Prairie.
 
Ray Ellin: I grew up with all older sisters. So, whatever my sisters were into, came into my field of view. And Little House on the Prairie was one of them. I was so young, that I watched a little bit of it when I was a little boy. But I really then revisited the show and got more into it when it was on reruns. And eventually, I own every episode that you could possibly have. They're stored in this little replica of the iconic Little House. But it's just such a great show. And I, you know, I can still talk about it with my… my sister and I laugh about the show now. And you can never stop learning from Little House for sure.
 
John Betancourt: Now what I find fascinating about your show, is that… well some folks could say that this classic series is bit more on the fluffier side. But you and your guests go deep, which I genuinely appreciate, so… how did you uncover such depth?
 
Ray Ellin: Oh, thank you, you know, it just sort of it's -- I think everybody has gone through some hard stuff in their lives, right. And when you watch the show, if you really think about it, it's like, they have a wonderful family, they have wonderful sense of community. I mean, it's things that I sometimes have in my life, I certainly wish I had all the time, the way they do. It's such a warm feeling on that show. But the level of persistence and perseverance, I mean, they really had a tough life. I mean, you think about it, like you're spending the day, preparing whatever you're gonna eat at night, or you're spending much of the day, washing your clothes, never mind going out and plowing your field or tending to your animals, to your cattle. I mean, it's just a lot. It was a hard life. But everyone pulled together and they were able to do it together.
 
And then you look at the things like for example, that episode “Injun Kid”, where that young boy who's half Native American, and how the terrible experiences he had with his own family, and other school children, you know, who made his life very difficult. So, you know, I saw a parallel between that, and my guest, who's my friend and fellow comedian, Jaye McBride. And, you know, we were able to use that episode as a launching pad to get into her experiences transitioning and, and what her experiences were like, as a comedian, and her childhood as well. Because that was, you know, that's a lot to deal with. So, I just think that constantly, every episode of Little House, there's something you can draw from that into your own life. I mean, you know, there's an episode, where there's a horrible tornado, and the crops are destroyed, and the barn is damaged, and the house is damaged. And when Charles Ingalls says to his friend, Isaiah, you know, “I'm leaving,” and Isaiah says to him, he goes, “No, you know, don't leave you know, I know how you feel.” And Charles quickly says, through tears, he says, “You know, you don't know how I feel. You're my friend, but you don't know how I feel.” And immediately just clicked to me.
 
I'm like, sure how many times have we had an experience where someone is giving you sympathy or empathy. But they don't actually, they're trying, they're your friend. They're trying, but they don't really know how you feel. So, I just think that you can find a lot of the deeper meaning in the show. And particularly with the relationships I mean, look, you didn't have a lot of options on the prairie back then. And you know, Harriet and Neals Olson, they're together and could I ever imagine being with somebody like Harriet Olson? Impossible, no way. That will be a four-minute date, and I'm out the door, never mind getting married and having a business with them and having kids with them. (Laughter) It's insane. But this is what happened back then. You know, you got who you got. And you're sort of stuck with them. So, if you can look at those relationships and how did they overcome their obstacles and in some of those, it's like, you got no choice, that's the way it's gonna be… so.
 
John Betanocut: So, let’s talk a little bit about what inspired the creation of this podcast.
 
Ray Ellin: Well, I always found myself just getting caught up in conversations about the show. Often I would initiate them with some of my friends. It's one of the three shows that I would ever DVR. And the other one was a sports program. The other one is Family Guy. So, it's a pretty big mix -- and also Scared Straight, the show. So, I have a pretty wide range of stuff I watch. But my sister Abby had said to me a long time ago, “You should totally do this as a podcast.” And then other friends of mine also were like, “How are you not doing this? How are you not talking about this show?” Because it does seem like it's an odd pairing. Me with Little House. So, I just thought it could work. And I've always wanted to do a podcast. But I wanted to find something that I thought was an interesting or unique angle. And I am passionate about the show.
 
John Betancourt: I’m curious as to why you think the show has been able to endure for as long as it has.
 
Ray Ellin: I think it is a great escape. I think that life is hard. I think it is a beautiful place to sort of disappear to. It's just… the setting is calm and peaceful. And beautiful. I do think that sense of community and family. And also look, some of them, they had serious stuff. They had plague and they had, you know, tornadoes and that sort of thing. But they also have, you know, the county fair, and some of the squabbles that townspeople have, make your own worries, very insignificant, and I think it's a nice escape to get lost into, you know, some people like to watch reality TV shows and look at other people who are sort of like a train wreck. And that is their distraction. I would prefer just to watch these people in Walnut Grove as my distraction.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, you know, this is a show, that means a lot to you. Something that you really love talking about, love diving into, what does it mean to you not to have this podcast out there and people, you know, sharing your passion?
 
Ray Ellin: Well, I'm excited about it, I really waited a while to get it going. And it feels good. You know, kind of going over episodes, in both a serious and funny way. I mean, you know, every once in a while I hear myself calling somebody a “Rube.” (Laughter) You know, because like they're, you know, they they're afraid to get on an elevator. You know, it's like they're big, tough strapping guys, and they're afraid to get on an elevator. Yeah, I find that, you know, I get a kick out of that. But so, it's good to look at the show from both a fun standpoint and a serious standpoint. And it's and all my guests -- they're having a better time than I think they thought they would. So, I feel really good about that. They get a kick out of out of talking about the show with me, even if they don't know anything about the show, which is good. So, I'm very pleased with the episodes so far.
 
John Betancourt: Now you’ve already had some amazing guests on the show, and more amazing ones are on the horizon. But I’d be foolish to not ask, are there any plans to get some of the original cast members onto the show?
 
Ray Ellin: Yes, I actually, I would certainly like to get Alison Arngrim on the show who played Nellie Oleson. And Matthew Labyorteaux who played Albert. About 10 years ago, I was at a voiceover audition. And I happen to look at the sign in sheet, everyone writes their name on the sign in sheet. And I saw it said Matthew Labyorteaux. And it's really funny. I started really, I was kind of start shaking, like oh my god, like you would think, you know, Paul McCartney was in the room, and I see him sitting there. And he played Albert. And I sat next to him. And we ended up talking a little bit and he was very nice. And I would like to have him as a guest so I can get into it more. But the one takeaway from him was that I said, “How was it being a child actor on this huge show at the time?” It was really big. And he said, “You know what? Some people say being a child actor is terrible. It's amazing. You’re making a lot of money. You're treated really well. You have lots of friends, you have a fun time.” He said, “My only regret is that I had that experience when I was a child. I wish I had that experience now,” because it was such a big, massive, wonderful thing to happen. And I think that's maybe where child actors go in a bad direction -- he did not --- but they go in a bad direction. Because they peaked at 11. You know?
 
John Betancourt:  Last question that I have for you today. What do you ultimately hope this podcast accomplishes?
 
Ray Ellin: Well, I hope that… people find my conversations to be interesting and informative. Maybe it'll improve their life in some way, if they hear my guests and I talking about our own relationships, or something that maybe we that we overcame, that my guest overcame, that I overcame in our own life. And certainly, if they ended up getting turned on to the show, Little House in the Prairie that would also that's also a bonus as well, for sure. That'd be fun. If the show got some more fans.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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