It does appear as though this movie was made as a pilot for a possible TV series, and in some ways it's too bad it didn't get a chance. The premise was good, and the potential for good future stories was laid out well --- including the discovery little Helen Hunt made of those strange rocks in the water bed. The basic story presents an element of realism that was missing in many of the western television shows from those days, and the idea that a woman with two children could successfully run a farm by herself was a subject unheard of. Perhaps William Shatner's brief appearance was meant only as way to get people to watch... as for me, I enjoyed seeing him looking young again and in a roll other than James T. Kirk. Maybe someday another producer will consider doing an updated version of this story, and that would be a plus.
Review of Pioneer Woman
