27 Days, 8 Hours, 48 Minutes, 58 Seconds
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, beloved by children (and former children) of many generations, are based on her own experiences growing up in the American West in the 1800s. Written during the Great Depression and first published in the 1930s, Wilder’s stories were adapted into the hit TV series Little House on the Prairie, which ran for nearly a decade in the 1970s and into the ’80s. Now, a new generation will have its own version with Netflix’s reimagining of the treasured novels when Season 1 premieres July 9.
A transformed adaptation of Wilder’s semi-autobiographical books, the new Little House on the Prairie is part family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West. Starring Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls, the series will offer a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier.
“I always like to say that this show is a love story about a family. They’re a family you want to be with, you want to know, you want to spend time with,” showrunner and executive producer Rebecca Sonnenshine tells Tudum. “That’s really at the core of what Little House on the Prairie is about: a family that is there for each other, tells stories to each other, tells stories about themselves.”
Keep reading to step further into Laura’s world, plus get a peek at new first-look photos from the series.
Based on the third book in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series — Little House on the Prairie — Season 1 follows the Ingalls family as they establish their “new forever” outside the small but quickly developing town of Independence. The family, along with their dog Jack, faces the often harsh conditions of 1800s prairie life. It brings fever, wolves, and fire — obstacles that longtime fans will recognize from the original novels.
“It’s about people deciding who they want to be and looking for a better life,” Sonnenshine tells Tudum. “It leans into the idea that it’s never too late to do that. You always have a chance to reinvent and rediscover who you are — what means something to you, what kind of people you want to be, what kind of adventures you want to take, what kind of life you want to seek.”
But this adaptation also expands the story beyond the Ingalls family’s perspective. As they attempt to make a life on land they were told was “free,” they encounter Osage people who have long called the prairie home.
According to Julie O’Keefe, the show’s Osage cultural consultant, one message emerged early in conversations with people from the Osage Nation: “If you’re going to tell the story, then you need to tell both sides.” Through parallel family stories, the series explores the tension between the settlers’ hopes for opportunity and the devastating consequences of westward expansion on Indigenous communities.
The cast of Little House on the Prairie is:
“I’m absolutely thrilled with the brilliant cast we have assembled,” Sonnenshine says. “Each one of them brings something special to the Little House universe and will help make this story come alive for a whole new generation.”
For a deep dive into the Little House on the Prairie cast, head here.
Yes! Watch it above, and read more about it here.
Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Boys, The Vampire Diaries, Archive 81), like generations of readers and viewers before her who became engrossed in the adventures of the Ingalls family, is a lifelong fan.
“I fell deeply in love with these books when I was 5 years old,” says Sonnenshine. “They inspired me to become a writer and a filmmaker, and I am honored and thrilled to be adapting these stories for a new audience.”
While Sonnenshine leads the adaptation as writer and showrunner, executive producer Joy Gorman Wettels saw an opportunity to reimagine the beloved story for a new generation. "There are a lot of Laura Ingalls Wilder fans all over the world and all over Hollywood,” Gorman Wettels tells Tudum. “It was an exciting surprise that Sonnenshine, who was working on The Boys and had just done Archive 81 at Netflix — this kind of fearless writer — was in love with these books and was going to approach them the way she approaches a genre show: building a whole new world around a time that we didn’t live through but that was so seminal in American history.”
Along with Sonnenshine and Gorman Wettels, executive producers of the series Trip Friendly for Friendly Family Productions, Dana Fox, and Susanna Fogel. Friendly’s father, Ed Friendly, produced the 1974 Little House television films and series that were broadcast on NBC from 1974 to 1984.
“It has been a long-held dream of mine to carry on my father’s legacy and adapt Wilder’s classic American stories for a 21st-century audience in a way that brings together fans of both the books and the original television series,” says Friendly, CEO of Friendly Family Productions.
Little House on the Prairie joins Netflix’s slate of wholesome and heartwarming stories for fans to cozy up with, including Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias, My Life with the Walter Boys, and Ransom Canyon.
Since its original publication in the 1930s, the Little House book series has sold more than 73 million copies in more than 100 countries and has been translated into at least 27 languages. Although it’s been a half-century since the 1974 show first debuted, Nielsen reports that the nostalgic series garnered 13.25 billion minutes of viewing in 2024 alone. Talk about staying power!
“Little House on the Prairie has captured the hearts and imaginations of so many fans around the world, and we’re excited to share its enduring themes of hope and optimism with a fresh take on this iconic story,” says Jinny Howe, vice president, Drama Series, Netflix. “Rebecca’s vision threads the needle with an emotional depth that will delight both new and existing fans of this beloved classic.”
Yes, Laura’s story is just getting started. Little House on the Prairie has been renewed for Season 2 ahead of its Season 1 debut.
“I’m incredibly grateful to our wonderful cast and crew, who put their hearts and hard work into making our first season come alive,” Sonnenshine tells Tudum. “We can’t wait to share this new adaptation of the Little House books with the world, and we’re thrilled that Netflix is giving us the opportunity to continue the story.”
Season 2 will also introduce one of the most iconic characters from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s world: Nellie Oleson, Laura’s ultimate rival, played by Willa Dunn. Also joining the cast are Charlotte Sullivan (Law & Order: Organized Crime, FBI) as Nellie’s energetic and funny mother, Margaret Oleson, and Rachelle Lefevre (North by North, Liz Here Now) as beloved schoolteacher Eva Beadle. She quickly becomes a guiding presence for Mary and Laura.
The show debuts July 9 on Netflix. Until then, you can spend a little more time on the prairie by revisiting the previously released teaser above.
Come on home to Little House on the Prairie and keep returning to Tudum for more updates on Laura, Mary, Ma, Pa, and the rest of the Ingalls family.
