With the premiere of Netflix’s “Little House on the Prairie” finally here, viewers are discovering how this new version compares to the beloved TV series that ran from 1974 to 1983.
In fact, the key differences between the original series and this new reboot are detailed in the Netflix synopsis, which reads, “Part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West, this fresh adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic semi-autobiographical ‘Little House’ books offers a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier.”
Charles and Caroline Ingalls’ Love Shines in ‘Little House’
The overriding theme within the new series is love shared by parents Charles and Caroline Ingalls (played by Luke Bracey and Crosby Fitzgerald) and their daughters, Laura (Alice Halsey, taking on the role played by Melissa Gilbert in the original series) and Mary (Skywalker Hughes).
When the cast appeared at a recent panel for the Television Critics Association, Bracey and Fitzgerald discussed the relationship between their characters.
“One of the things we connected on early on was like, this is the couple that you strive to be, the parents you kind of strive to be where, you know, they have hardships. They disagree. They fight,” said Fitzgerald. “But the love is always the strongest thing, and always the thing they come back to. There’s no question as to whether or not, you know, they’re gonna falter. Although sometimes you’re like, ‘Uh-oh, are they gonna make it? I don’t know.’
The Ingalls are Spouses, Lovers and ‘Teammates’
According to Bracey, there’s another more practical aspect within the relationship of a couple enduring the harsh realities frontier life during the 1870s.
“Another thing that Crosby and I, we really wanted their partnership to be one of mutual respect, and kind of like teammates through this,” he explained. “They go through so much, and every day for the Ingalls family is a challenge. There’s so much to do, and they go through a lot through all of it. And Crosby and I always wanted them to be teammates. And then the respect that they have for each other, and the love on top of that … The teammate aspect of it was something that we thought could really elevate it from just loving each other to people that love each other and love their family and want the best for it … We really enjoyed the whole process of creating their connection.”
Star Crosby Fitzgerald is a Lifelong ‘Little House’ Fan
For Fitzgerald, portraying Caroline Ingalls is far more than just another acting job. “I grew up reading the books,” she recalled. “My mom is a huge fan of the books. She collected a few box sets, like just even during my audition process that she still has. She promised she would return them if I didn’t get the part.”
Of course, she did get the part, which proved to be “a huge, huge deal, I think, for me and and my whole family for sure.”
The first season of “Little House on the Prairie” is currently streaming on Netflix.
