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

A new adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved "Little House on the Prairie" book series is returning to screens this summer, a launch timed with the 250th anniversary of the United States' founding.

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A lot of people consider them children's literature, but I really do think they're really about sort of how America became America

Showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine believes the books offer more than just children's literature; they delve into the very essence of how America was formed. "I really do think they're really about sort of how America became America," Sonnenshine stated. She describes the new series, a joint Netflix-CBS Studios production, as being "all about myth-making." Sonnenshine elaborated, "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."

The series stars Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline Ingalls, Luke Bracey as Charles Ingalls, Skywalker Hughes as Mary Ingalls, and Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls. The cast emphasized the importance of music and togetherness for the Ingalls family. "It's, like, one of the only things they have," said Fitzgerald, referring to music. Hughes added, "Other than each other!" Halsey noted the limited activities available on the prairie, stating, "There weren't a lot of available activities, other than go farming!"

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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.

Music provided a crucial source of hope and connection to home for the family. "Music gives them hope," Hughes explained. Bracey added that music was "one thing that can't be taken away from them." The Ingalls family's journey west was driven by a hope for a better life, facing perilous conditions from Wisconsin to what was then Osage territory.

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It's, like, one of the only things they have.

Executive producer Joy Gorman Wettels, who revisited the books during the pandemic, found inspiration in Wilder's quote, "All that I told is true, but it is not the whole truth." The new show, filmed in Manitoba, Canada, aims to portray the significant dangers and hardships the Ingalls family endured. "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."

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Other than each other!