More than four decades after the initial series ended its nine-season run on NBC, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved semi-autobiographical novels have been adapted to television once again. Created by Rebecca Sonnenshine and executive produced by Trip Friendly, son of original series producer Ed Friendly, Netflix’s “Little House on the Prairie” is part family drama, part adventure tale. The story follows the Ingalls family in the shadow of the American Civil War, determined to make a new life and place for themselves in a country still figuring out what it wants to be. Though the show is slightly slow at the start, the childlike whimsy and robust themes are as resounding today as they were 150 years ago.
The series begins with 8-year-old Laura (a wonderfully cast Alice Halsey) as she reflects on her family’s massive quest to the West. Her family consists of her mother, Caroline (Crosby Fitzgerald), her father, Charles (Luke Bracey), and her older sister, Mary (Skywalker Hughes). Having left their farm and loved ones behind, Laura describes the Ingalls’ near 800-mile journey West as one rife with excitement and new delights. However, as the foursome nears their stopping point in Independence, Kansas, things take a dangerous turn. A chaotic, life-threatening river crossing immediately showcases how physically dangerous treks like these could be.
