Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of “Little House on the Prairie” is betting that one of America’s most beloved stories still has something vital to say about family, perseverance, community and the power of uplifting storytelling.
Ahead of the series’ July 9 premiere, stars Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgerald, Skywalker Hughes, Alice Halsey and Jocko Sims told The Christian Post that while the new series honors the spirit of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, it also seeks to present a more expansive portrait of the people who shaped the American frontier.
Based on the semi-autobiographical books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, first published between 1932 and 1943 and chronicling her family’s life on the American frontier, the series follows the Ingalls family’s journey from Wisconsin to Independence, Kansas, as they confront the hardships of frontier life. Netflix has already renewed the series, developed by showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine, for a second season ahead of its debut.
“I think [‘Little House on the Prairie’] resonates with people because she wrote about her family that went through these things, and everyone kind of goes through what they go through in a way,” Bracey, who portrays Charles “Pa” Ingalls, told CP.
“Maybe we don’t go through the same scenarios, but the same experiences of family and community, and wanting to be a good member of a family and a good member of a community,” Bracey said. “I think that’s what people really resonate with, and that’s why it’s timeless.”
The Little House on the Prairie books have sold more than 73 million copies worldwide and spawned the TV adaptation starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, which aired for nine seasons from 1974 to 1984.
According to Bracey, audiences continue returning to the Ingalls family, who throughout the books attended church and memorized Scripture, because they represent people striving to do the right thing, even when they fall short.
“I think it’s really nice. People want to see good people,” he said. “They don’t get everything right all the time, but they value doing the right thing and learning and growing.”
“At the end of the day, a story and things like that are really just mirrors for the audience,” Bracey said. “People can see themselves in each one of the characters in different aspects of the characters. … These family stories and these books are a great mirror for people wanting to see themselves and wanting to see the kind of people they hope to be.”
Crosby Fitzgerald, who plays Caroline “Ma” Ingalls, told CP that the Netflix iteration of “Little House on the Prairie” emphasizes the pivotal role Ma played on the frontier. She’s a complicated and compelling woman who birthed five children, including one who died in infancy, while tackling the challenges of life on the frontier.
“When I first read that I was going in for a part like this, I thought, ‘I don’t know if I can do this,'” Fitzgerald recalled. “She’s so buttoned up, she’s so practical, and I don’t feel like I’m that.”
“I loved how in the script she’s a real person. She has lots of flaws. She doubts herself, but ultimately, she’s also very fierce,” Fitzgerald said. “She does all of these crazy things, all the same things that Charles is doing, but meanwhile she’s pregnant.”
“She has this arc of growth and change, where she has a whole perspective shift that I think is really powerful,” she said. “I just loved getting to portray a real person in that way.”
For Alice Halsey and Skywalker Hughes, who portray Laura and Mary Ingalls, preserving the bond between the sisters was crucial. The series follows the sisters as they navigate life on the frontier, helping their parents adapt to Kansas and confronting dangers ranging from illness to wolves and fire.
“I think their connection and their overall absolute adoration and love for each other was really, really important for both of us,” Hughes said.
Halsey, who immersed herself in Wilder’s writings and historical accounts, said she felt “honored” to bring one of American literature’s most beloved heroines to the screen.
“Laura is a person that deserves to be honored,” Halsey said. “I think she has such a legacy, and there are so many people who just admire her so much. She’s beloved to generations and generations. … I read the books a lot, I listened to podcasts, I read Prairie Fires just to figure out who Laura really was and who I wanted her to be. She’s a very complex character.”
The new adaptation also shines a light on historical figures sometimes overlooked in traditional Western storytelling, including Dr. George Tann, the real-life black physician who treated the Ingalls family during a devastating malaria outbreak in Kansas.
Jocko Sims, best known for portraying Dr. Floyd Reynolds on NBC’s “New Amsterdam,” said he initially didn’t realize that “Little House on the Prairie” was based on real people.
“I went into this thinking that this was a reboot of the old show, which it definitely is not,” Sims said. “It wasn’t until after I booked the role of Dr. Tann that I learned that he was a real person.”
“To learn that he saved the lives of the Ingalls family when they all got malaria, he delivered baby Carrie, and it’s all there in the books. … I’m very thankful to Netflix and CBS Studios, who are bringing Dr. Tann’s story to the screen,” he said.
Sims said that portraying a black physician and Civil War veteran living in 1869 required revisiting The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and imagining the kinds of experiences and literature that might have shaped the physician’s worldview.
“The writers kept telling me that he was a very kind man, very beloved, always smiling and had a great bedside manner,” Sims said. “But as I looked at the time period, I’m like, this man fought in the Civil War. He took care of people who had casualties and saw a lot of trauma.”
Sims emphasized that the family values at the heart of “Little House on the Prairie,” from the kindness of Dr. Tann to the commitment the Ingalls have to one another, is why the story continues to resonate with audiences nearly 100 years after Wilder first published her books.
“It’s those things that many of us value, which are family values, loyalty, commitment,” he said. “Commitment was a theme that I found watching the show that was very prevalent.”
“Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote the books during the Great Depression to give people hope, and it did inspire people,” Sims added. “It gave them hope, something to hang on to, reminding people of unity and community.”
“And it’s interesting in the time where we are so divided as a nation that the show has resurfaced and come back around. Hopefully, much like her books, this will be a reminder to people to love one another and to really value community and unity.”
“Little House on the Prairie” hits Netflix on July 9.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]
Continue reading
