1 of 3 | Luke Bracey plays Charles “Pa” Ingalls in Netflix’s “Little House on the Prairie” series. File Photo by David Becker/UPI | License Photo
Little House on the Prairie will come to life once more as a new series releasing Thursday on Netflix.
The show is based on the novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, an author who grew up in the Midwest in the 19th century. Wilder’s books recount life as a pioneer on the American frontier.
Alice Halsey stars as Laura, with Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgerald and Skywalker Hughes as Laura’s father Charles, mother Caroline and sister Mary, respectively.
Other cast members include Jocko Simms, Warren Christie, Wren Zhawenim Gotts, Meegwun Fairbrother and Alyssa Wapanatâhk.
The Netflix series is described as a “reimagining” of Wilder’s books that is “part family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West.”
“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 previously told Netflix’s 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.”
Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie was renewed for Season 2 in March ahead of its debut. Those who finish binging Season 1 can also watch four previous adaptations of Wilder’s novels.
‘Little House on the Prairie’
Wilder’s books were most famously adapted as an NBC series that had a nine-season run from 1974 to 1983.
The cast included Melissa Gilbert as Laura, Michael Landon as Charles, Karen Grassle as Caroline, Melissa Sue Anderson as Mary, and Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush as Laura’s younger sister, Carrie.
Later seasons introduced Dean Butler as Laura’s future husband, Almanzo Wilder, along with a young Jason Bateman as Laura’s adoptive brother James Cooper Ingalls and Shannen Doherty as Laura’s niece Jenny Wilder.
Little House on the Prairie inspired three TV movie sequels: Little House: Look Back to Yesterday (1983), Little House: The Last Farewell (1984) and Little House: Bless All the Dear Children.
The show is available to stream on Prime Video and Peacock.
‘Laura, the Prairie Girl’
Perhaps a lesser-known adaptation of Wilder’s books is Laura, the Prairie Girl, a Japanese anime series from Nippon Animation that aired on JNN from 1975 to 1976.
The voice cast included Kazuko Sugiyama as Laura, Shūsei Nakamura as Charles, Eiko Masuyama as Caroline, Masako Sugaya as Mary and Yoneko Matsukane as Carrie.
Laura, the Prairie Girl consisted of 26 episodes and can be found on YouTube.
‘Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder’
CBS released two TV movies inspired by Wilder’s novels, Beyond the Prairie and Beyond the Prairie II, in 2000 and 2002, respectively.
Starring Meredith Monroe as Laura, Richard Thomas as Charles, Lindsay Crouse as Caroline, Barbara Jane Reams as Mary, Haley McCormick as Carrie and Walton Goggins as Almanzo, the films adapted later titles in Wilder’s book series.
Beyond the Prairie can be found on YouTube and DVD.
‘Little House on the Prairie’
Wilder’s books were again brought to life as a 2005 miniseries that aired on ABC.
The cast included Kyle Chavarria as Laura, Cameron Bancroft as Charles, Erin Cottrell as Caroline and Danielle Chuchran as Mary.
Little House on the Prairie consisted of six episodes and can be found on YouTube and DVD.
