The long-awaited Netflix reboot of “Little House on the Prairie” has arrived, recounting the frontier exploits of the Ingalls family in the late 1800s.
For fans of the Hallmark Channel, the series features a familiar face in Warren Christie, who plays family friend John Edwards in the new series.
For the Hallmark veteran, who’s been a fixture on the network since making his first Christmas movie back in 2008, “Little House on the Prairie” represents the kind of show that’s become a rarity in today’s television landscape.
Made for Family Viewing
In a recent interview with GodTube, Christie explained why he believes the new series is a unique television experience.
“I think it’s a really special show,” he said. “I think it can bring … families together in front of the TV and spending time together. Multi-generational viewing, as I call it, with kids and parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles …”
As a parent himself, Christie admitted he’s encountered a distinct lack of television that parents and children can watch together and enjoy equally.
“I know what it’s like … as a parent, to be perfectly honest, we’re either watching a show with our kids that we don’t love — but you have to — or we’re watching a show that maybe they can’t see,” he added.
“But to be able to go a little bit old school, and bring everybody around the same TV, and share that moment, and share that journey … I don’t think there’s enough of it, and I really hope that [‘Little House on the Prairie’] hits in that way, where people want to sit around together and share that moment.”
He Identified the Show’s ‘Ace in the Hole
As the interview continued, Christie conceded that he totally understood apprehension about remaking a TV series as iconic as “Little House on the Prairie.”
However, he also reminded that the new Netflix series is remaining faithful to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic series of books — which the Michael Landon-starring series departed from as the seasons passed.
“Our ace in the hole is Rebecca Sonnenshine, our showrunner,” he explained. “She loves these books, she’s loved them her entire life. She’s so passionate about them — she just also happens to be brilliant, and knows how to make great television.”
The New Show Remains True to the Original Source Material
NetflixRecognizing the enduring love that people still hold for the “Little House” books and original TV series, Christie pointed out that he, his co-stars and everyone involved felt the responsibility to produce a show that is as good as it absolutely can be — while remaining true to the “Little House” themes and values.
“It wasn’t done kind of willy-nilly,” Christie noted, pointing out the original debuted more than 50 years ago.
In fact, he’s confident that even the most diehard fans who balked at the notion of the beloved series being remade will realize their fears are unfounded.
“So those kind of purists who loved the original, I think if you give it a chance you’re going to really love it,” he advised.
“I think it’s sweeping, I think it’s beautiful, I think it’s stunning,” he added. “And I think, more importantly, the themes that you loved — whether it be with the books or the original show — of community, hope, strength in human spirit, people coming together, all that different stuff, they’re absolutely core to this [show].”
