Netflix is bringing back Little House on the Prairie, according to Deadline.
The streaming service has ordered a reboot of the show based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic series of children’s books, which drew on her experiences growing up in the late-19th-century Midwest. The books are controversial today because of Wilder’s depictions of Native Americans and Black people; in 2018, Wilder’s name was removed from an American Library Association award.
The original television series, premiered on NBC in 1974, with a cast that included Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, and Karen Grassle. It ran for nine seasons and was a hit with viewers, despite its sometimes dark and traumatic episodes.
The Netflix reboot will be led by showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine, known for her producing work on The Vampire Diaries and The Boys. The first season of the new show will be based on Little House on the Prairie, the third book in Wilder’s series, and, Deadline reports, will feature Osage characters.
“I fell deeply in love with these books when I was five years old,” Sonnenshine said. “They inspired me to become a writer and a filmmaker, and I am honored and thrilled to be adapting these stories for a new global audience with Netflix.”
On Instagram, Sonnenshine posted a picture of an old paperback edition of Little House on the Prairie, with a torn cover and a small strip of clear tape. “Extremely well-loved,” she wrote.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
