A beloved Western series is being rebooted by Netflix. Western series have long been a staple of television, providing some of the medium's biggest hits. Typically historical dramas set in the American West, they can embody a number of different subgenres, including action-adventure (like the iconic Gunsmoke, which ran for 20 seasons between 1955 and 1975), comedy (like 1957's Maverick, which starred future Oscar nominee James Garner), and family drama (like the 2018 neo-Western Yellowstone, which was co-created by Taylor Sheridan).

Although Netflix original shows take on a wide variety of different genres, the popular streaming platform has largely dabbled in producing feature-length Westerns rather than original series. This includes 2021's The Harder They Fall, which starred Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, and Danielle Deadwyler, and has a Certified Fresh 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Other Netflix Western movies include the Coen Brothers' The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog.

A Little House On The Prairie Reboot Is Being Made

Netflix Is Behind The Project

Little House on the Prairie is returning to the airwaves. The semi-autobiographical children's book series was written by Laura Ingalls Wilder about the trials and tribulations of her family's life in an early settlement in the Midwest in the late 1800s. The Little House on the Prairie true story was further adapted into an iconic, long-running television show, which ran for nine seasons between 1974 and 1983 and featured an ensemble cast that included Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert (as Laura herself), Melissa Sue Anderson, and Dean Butler.

Per Deadline, Netflix has ordered a reboot of Little House on the Prairie. The Boys and Vampire Diaries' Rebecca Sonnenshine will be the executive producer and showrunner for the project. The other executive producers on the project include Joy Gorman Wettels, Dana Fox, Susanna Fogel, and Trip Friendly. This follows the revelation from Nielsen that the original series racked up over 13 billion minutes of viewing on Peacock in 2024.

Season 1 is set to adapt the third book in the series, 1935's Little House on the Prairie, and follow parents Charles and Caroline bringing their children Laura and Mary from Wisconsin to Independence, Kansas. The official synopsis describes it as "part family drama, part survival tale, and part origin story." See Netflix's announcement of the series on X, which teases that "the series will offer a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the American West," below:

Trip Friendly, of Friendly Family Productions, is the son of original Little House on the Prairie executive producer Ed Friendly, who died in 2007. Read Trip Friendly's official statement about the show below:

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. I am thrilled by our talented creative team led by Rebecca Sonnenshine who are bringing these beloved stories about family, community, and survival to longtime fans and new generations.

Read Sonnenshine's statement about the show below:

I fell deeply in love with these books when I was five years old. 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.

What This Means For Little House On The Prairie

Some Cameos Could Happen

Netflix's reboot will mark the first major project to bring the iconic Western series to the screen in a new form. However, that does not mean that the surviving of the original Little House on the Prairie cast will be left out. While they are no longer of the right age to play their original roles, cast including Gilbert, Anderson, Karen Grassle, Alison Arngrim, and Matthew Labyorteaux are still alive and continued working long after the end of the series, meaning they could potentially make cameo appearances in the new show.

Source: Deadline & Netflix/X