Why did Victor French leave Little House on the Prairie?

The character of Mr. Edwards was one of the most popular characters on The Little House on the Prairie television show. But he only appeared in the first three seasons before he left the television show in 1977. Why did he leave?

Victor French reportedly got into a contract dispute with NBC, the network for Little House on the Prairie and appeared in only a handful of episodes over the next few years. When he left the show, he went on to star for several years on the show Carter Country.  It wasn’t until that show was cancelled that he returned to Little House on the Prairie in 1981.

His return to the television show was celebrated in the episode The Return of Mr. Edwards in season 6, but he didn’t return full time until season 8.

After Little House on the Prairie, he starred in another television series with Michael Landon, Highway to Heaven.