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“I just can’t watch it… I don’t want them to ruin what’s already been” is a direct quote from my 60-year-old mother when I told her that Netflix was set to re-adapt the Western family drama classic, Little House on the Prairie.
The tales of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s real-life childhood have always held a distinct sense of importance in my household. As a child, my mum raced through the original book series — and encouraged me to do the same when I was old enough — and voraciously watched all nine seasons of the 1974 TV show when she was 12.
As with any classic story that’s being readapted for the umpteenth time without much in the way of explanation as to why, there was always going to be a valid sense of trepidation around bringing the Ingalls family back to life. But as an initial skeptic, my mind has been changed after watching all eight episodes.
Sure, it resembles the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart a little too much for my liking (and has a lot of underlying issues surrounding how it looks, but more on that later). But watching Laura Ingalls (Alice Halsey) navigate moving to a new town reminded me how important it is to be brought back to the core things that matter in life.
We so often get lost in overhyped marketing, complicated lore, and visual effects that the core components of storytelling no longer have merit on their own. There’s no big dramatic narrative in Little House on the Prairie, just family, feelings, and a strained sense of love.
TV is stripped as far back as the Ingalls’ bare wooden house, and I think 2026 viewers will really benefit from the show’s no-frills style of storytelling. That being said, there’s a lot left to be desired in the bigger picture.
Little House on the Prairie still serves purpose in 2026 — even if nothing really happens
Interestingly, Little House on the Prairie neither feels like gripping, unforgettable television, nor does it feel like placid, put-on-in-the-background streaming. Your mind can go blissfully numb while watching, but subconsciously, you’re being recalibrated.
It’s not perfect, but empathy, understanding, and a childlike sense of wonder are bursting from the seams here. Seeing life through Laura’s eyes automatically realigns us to what’s important in life — respect, understanding and a willingness to grow. Halsey is a knockout in the role, and you want to strive to be a better person just by watching her open heart expand even further.
Frankly, our child actors are running rings around the adult cast in general. Together, they carry the weight and heart of the show and have more chemistry between them than any of the parental figures, including dad Charles (Luke Bracey) and mum Caroline (Crosby Fitzgerald).
Youngest Osage member Good Eagle (Wren Zhawenim Gotts) is another standout and a testament to the suitable level of sensitivity when it comes to navigating Native American history. This could have so easily backfired or been grossly overlooked, but instead feels evenly tempered.
You couldn’t pay me $1000 to pick Little House on the Prairie episodes out of a Netflix lineup
I’m honestly sick of complaining about this, but the biggest drawback of Little House on the Prairie is undoubtedly its look. This means that episodes look exactly like any other period drama or Western content that Netflix has ever made. But who is surprised?
Once again, this takes me back to my ongoing argument that the streamer uses the same lighting, visual style, and effects to mold its content into one, homogenised, cookie-cutter preset. Why? I still haven’t figured that out. But if it’s to brand Netflix content into a signature style, the result falls flat.
Netflix likens the new series to pre-existing hits such as Virgin River and Ransom Canyon, and if you took away the bonnets, you’d have a difficult time knowing which show was which. I yearn for a sense of individual creativity when it comes to this aspect of the streamer’s creations, and it looks like I won’t be stopping anytime soon.
This is also the closest Netflix has come to straying into Hallmark territory in its original content. What I mean by this is that the drama is often so twee that you’d expect someone to randomly burst into song like it’s a production of Oklahoma!
It can be grating, but if you look past the form, the content is meaningful. Season 2 has already been renewed, and unexpectedly, I’m already looking forward to it.
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jasmine.valentine@futurenet.com (Jasmine Valentine)
