Actor Says Netflix’s New ‘Little House’ Honors Books, Families
Warren Christie knows “Little House on the Prairie” viewers may approach Netflix’s new adaptation with some caution. He believes they should give it a chance.
“I understand [the concern], because truthfully, it does happen sometimes,” Christie, who plays John Edwards, told Crosswalk Talk’s Michael Foust in a podcast. “We’re based on the books, so if you’re a fan of the books, I think you’re going to be a fan of the show.”
The series, which began streaming July 9, follows Charles and Caroline Ingalls and daughters Laura, Mary and Carrie as they leave Wisconsin and seek a home on the Kansas prairie. It draws directly from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books rather than remaking the NBC drama that made Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert familiar faces in American living rooms.
READ: Original Little House series remains popular as ever
That earlier series premiered in 1974 and ran until 1983. Netflix’s version stars Luke Bracey and Crosby Fitzgerald as Charles and Caroline, with Alice Halsey playing Laura.
Showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine told People that the production sought the warmth associated with the earlier show while returning to Wilder’s story. Writers also worked with Osage consultants and scholars on the Native American characters and the Ingalls family’s presence on Osage land.
Christie said the familiar themes remain at the center.
“For the purists that loved the original, I think if you give it a chance, you’re going to really love it,” he said, pointing to the story’s emphasis on community, hope and the strength of the human spirit.
HarperCollins says Wilder began the nine-book series in 1932, drawing from her childhood as her family moved across the American heartland. Those stories have lasted for generations. Christie hopes the new show will bring several of them to the same couch.
“To be able to go a little bit old school and bring everybody around the same TV and share that moment and share that journey, I don’t think there’s enough of it,” he said. “We really hope that this hits in that way.”
–Dwight Widaman
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