“Little House on the Prairie” is returning for modern audiences thanks to a reboot being done by Netflix more than 40 years after the end of the original show in 1983. Like the original, the reboot series is based on the book series of the same name by Laura Ingalls Wilder, but the reboot specifically begins with the first season being based on the third book.
Following the Ingalls family, “Little House on the Prairie” is a story of community, family, and new beginnings as the Ingalls move West in search of new opportunities. Set in the late 1800s, the series shows the struggles of those who were among the first to settle on the frontier. While the frontier offers its settlers the chance to define the area and be independent, it also makes those settlers rely on each other to survive in ways to form a strong sense of community.
Compared to the original series, the reboot is following the content of the books more closely. It’s also going to expand beyond the perspectives of the Ingalls, including more stories including the Osage, as the reboot considers them as important to the overall narrative as any of the other characters around the Ingalls. In the original, the Osage were featured sporadically, and they’re a source of controversy due to their portrayal.
The Cast Bringing ‘Little House on the Prairie’ to Life
NetflixNetflix has put together a cast of actors that you might’ve seen in other shows or movies and placed them under the direction of showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine—who was a producer for “The Boys” and “The Vampire Diaries.” Sonnenshine told PEOPLE that she considers herself to be the biggest fan of Wilders’ novels and the original series, which inspires hope that the adaptation will honor both sources.
For the Ingalls family, you have Alice Halsey (“Lessons in Chemistry” and “Days of Our Lives”) as Laura, Skywalker Hughes (“Joe Pickett” and “I, Object”) as Mary, Crosby Fitzgerald (“Abbott Elementary” and “Palm Royale”) as Caroline, and Luke Bracey (“Little Fires Everywhere” and “Hacksaw Ridge”) as Charles.
In the reboot, the cast also includes an Osage family that’s meant to bring the perspective closer to the show as opposed to the distant way the Osage were included in the original show. For this, the creative team created the Mitchells. Meegwun Fairbrother (“Outlander” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender”) plays William Mitchell, with Alyssa Wapanatâhk (“Riverdale” and “Peter Pan and Wendy”) playing his wife, White Sun, and Wren Zhawenim Gotts (“Echo”) as their daughter, Good Eagle.
‘Little House on the Prairie’ is Already Renewed for Season 2
Netflix has renewed its reboot of “Little House on the Prairie” before the first season has even aired, meaning that viewers are able to look forward to more content when they go into the show, which isn’t always the case for Netflix original shows.
In the meantime, the first season includes eight episodes that run for roughly 50 minutes each to kick off this reimagined version of the Ingalls’ family story as they enjoy the beauty and possibility of the frontier and contend with the dangers that lurk there.
