It’s interesting sometimes to see how certain programs stand the test of time. There are some shows that come and go without really leaving an impact while others have an almost evergreen quality to them. The art of television, when crafted with passion and care, can pass long from generation to generation. Such is the case apparently, with “Little House on the Prairie.” Surprisingly enough the show has gained a strong following while streaming on Peacock. That interest has been enough to trigger Netflix to order a reboot.
The origins of “Little House on the Prairie” date back to the 1930s when author Laura Ingalls Wilder created a series of children’s novels partially based on her life growing up in the late 1800s countryside. The books were quite popular and were being read by the children of two key figures at NBC in the early 1970s. One was producer Ed Friendly the other was “Gunsmoke” star, Michael Landon. A pilot movie, creative differences, and series order later, Landon was the star and creative force behind a prolific television series.
The themes of family, community, and overcoming adversity are pretty consistent throughout the series, something that probably rings true to a lot of people watching the show today. Not surprising then that Netflix is looking to air a reboot with Friendly’s son, Trip Friendly attached to produce. Rebecca Sonnenshine will service as the showrunner and executive producer. Trip stated, “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.”
This new series will actually have a lot of fresh ground to work with. One of the creative differences with the original series revolved around how closely the series should stick to the books. Landon felt the series should divert in order to have more creative room for a potentially long-running series. Friendly was more invested in staying with the novels, which seems to be the direction this new series will be taking.
Side-note here from the author as I recall the first time I watched an episode of the show. I was about 9 years old, it was a day off from school, and my mother saw an episode was about to start. She told me about how she used to watch the show growing up and how it was very wholesome and sweet. The episode we proceeded to watch was called, “Plague” and featured the terrible deaths of several citizens of Walnut Grove, including a child or two from typhus. Nothing more wholesome and sweet than a typhus outbreak. Thanks, Mom.
We look forward to bringing you more information on the reboot as it becomes available.
