"Little House on the Prairie": The beloved books are back on screen

It's maybe not by accident that a new adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's semi-autobiographical book series, "Little House on the Prairie," returns to screens this summer, the 250th anniversary of the country's founding. "A lot of people consider them children's literature, but I really do think they're really about sort of how America became America," said writer and showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine.

The new series, a joint Netflix-CBS Studios production, follows the trials and tribulations of the Ingalls family. Sonnenshine says "Little House on the Prairie" is about our country's big dreams: "It's all about myth-making. Our culture is really wrapped up in the stories we tell about ourselves. And the Ingalls, in the books, they told stories all the time, and they sing songs that tell stories."

Asked what music means to the Ingalls family, Crosby Fitzgerald (who plays the mother, Caroline), replied, "It's, like, one of the only things they have."

"Other than each other!" said Skywalker Hughes, who plays Mary Ingalls.

"They couldn't really do a lot on the prairie," said Alice Halsey, who plays Laura Ingalls. "There weren't a lot of available activities, other than go farming!"

"And that's the tradition," said Fitzgerald. "These songs have been passed down. It reminds them of the home they left. It is something they probably taught the girls."

"Music gives them hope," said Hughes.

And Luke Bracey (who plays Charles, the father), adds, "It's one thing that can't be taken away from them."

You could say hope for a better life drives the Ingalls family by covered wagon on their perilous journey from Wisconsin to the West, to what was then Osage territory.

Fans of the beloved 1970s television show with Michael Landon might not remember how much actual danger and suffering the family experienced. The new show was shot in Manitoba, Canda, which provides the big sky – and the raging rivers.

"Laura's in a life-or-death situation every single day," said Halsey. "She helps and protects her family every day. And in those times, in that century – as a girl, too – it's hard, but she stays strong throughout it. And I think a lot of people admire her for that. And I think that's part of the reason that all the books are so popular."

Joy Gorman Wettels, the show's executive producer, rediscovered the books while reading them with her family during the pandemic. She says a Wilder quote – "All that I told is true, but it is not the whole truth" – became her North Star. "There's so much to piece together that Laura lived through, that could never have been covered completely in the books, and could never have been covered in the original series," she said. "There's so many characters who didn't have a voice in the originals, that could now."

The show brings us into the lives of characters from the books that weren't fully explored, like Dr. Tann, the book's Black doctor. Their neighbor, Mr. Edwards, is a battle-scarred Civil War veteran. The Ingalls' other neighbors, who strike fear in Ma, are an Osage family.

And while some critical voices might wail that the show is "woke," Wettels is not concerned that it may become fodder for culture wars. "I knew that there would be controversy around how this is done," she said. "I just think that it doesn't help us to look back and erase the literature, or erase the mistakes. It helps us to look at them through a new lens in a way that welcomes new readers and welcomes new viewers."

And it's that kind of expansive feeling of community that Alice Halsey says "Little House" is all about: "Sometimes adventure doesn't just come in easy forms," she said. "Sometimes you have to face a lot of danger, but you'll be rewarded at the end with new friends, new family that you didn't know would be there at the start."

That hopeful sentiment – epitomized by Charles Ingalls' insistence that "Hope is everything" – strikes at the heart of this "Little House."

"The thing I love about Charles is, he's always asking the question: What if it's great?" said Bracey. "And that's a wonderful way to look at life. And that's what he thinks of when he thinks of his family. He wants the best for them. He just wants to sit there and go, 'Imagine if this is great. My family's having a great time, and my family's happy and my family's hopeful.'"

Maybe better put in the girls' favorite song from the show, "Always Hope":

Always hope
And I come to you my love
Always hope
And I come to you my love

To watch a trailer for "Little House on the Prairie," click on the video player below:

For more info:

• "Little House on the Prairie" premieres July 9 on Netflix

     
Story produced by Anthony Laudato. Editor: Jason Schmidt.