The Netflix Little House on the Prairie reboot is accurate, as this iconic TV classic returns with a new cast.
Based on the Little House on the Prairie book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the original TV drama aired from 1974 to 1983, telling the story of the Ingalls family as they navigated farm life in 1800s Minnesota.
Rumors of a reboot of the series have swirled for years, and it is finally happening, thanks to Netflix. The new take on the TV classic will come to life through showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Boys and The Vampire Diaries) with no official release information being made public yet.
This series will add to Netflix's already stacked lineup, joining the likes of The Electric State and Back in Action.
Meet the Characters of Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Reboot
As a part of Netflix's official announcement of the new Little House on the Prairie reboot, fans got a taste of the characters set to appear in the upcoming streaming series.
This included mention of five key characters from Little House lore, including "Laura, Mary, Ma, Pa, and the whole Ingalls family." Check below for a breakdown of the Little House on the Prairie reboot cast:
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Known as the de facto protagonist of the Little House on the Prairie series, Laura Ingalls Wilder is the second of five children born to the Ingalls pioneer family. She is known for being the family's tomboy, instead going out to fish and hunt rather than staying inside and learning to cook or sew.
Early in her life, Laura crosses paths with the mischievous Nellie Oleson, with whom she becomes embroiled in a heated rivalry. The two eventually make amends as they grow older and become young adults.
Mary Ingalls Kendall
Played by Melissa Sue Anderson in the original series, Mary Ingalls Kendall is the eldest of the Ingalls daughters. She is several years older than her sister, already a preteen when Laura entered childhood proper.
Mary is known for being the intellectual of the Ingalls kids, spending much of her time studying rather than playing on the farm. At 15, she notably went blind. She was sent to school for the visually impaired, as the local school could no longer be of much help to her.
Ma / Caroline Ingalls
Caroline Ingalls (better known by most as Ma) is the matriarch of the Ingalls family. She is the biological mother of five children, including Mary and Laura, and throughout the series, she becomes the adoptive mother of three more (Albert Quinn, James, and Cassandra Cooper).
Caroline is the epitome of what a classic TV mom should be. She is kind, gentle, honest, and faithful, often avoiding conflict everywhere she can—something that can come back to bite her if she is not too careful.
Pa / Charles Ingalls
Standing on the other side of the Ingalls family tree from Caroline is her steadfast husband, Charles Ingall (aka Pa). While stern when necessary, Charles breaks the mold of the stereotypical 1800s man. He is soft-spoken and more in touch with his emotional side than typical of the period.
Even when he did need to raise his voice, though, it was always from a place of love, usually coming at the situation from the angle of teaching a lesson rather than scolding someone for their transgression.
Carrie Ingalls
The youngest of the three original Ingalls daughters is the adorable Carrie. Known as the baby of the family, she is seen early on spending more time with Ma than the other two girls as she is too young to go to school during the days.
Carrie becomes the heart of the series, learning alongside her sisters what it means to grow up in the heartland as a pioneer farm family. In the original series, she was portrayed by a set of identical twins (Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush). It is unknown if that will also be the case in the reboot.
Will the Original Little House on the Prairie Actors Return?
Currently, none of the former cast members of the original Little House on the Prarie series are attached to return for Netflix's reboot.
Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson Dalton on the original show, clarified to Remind that as of now, the former cast is not planning on making appearances in future episodes:
“None of us, as far as I know, our gang, are in at this point.”
She did leave the door open for a potential return though, saying that she would be willing to come back in a new role:
“I have been joking for years that I’m finally old enough to play Mrs. Oleson, so call me.”
As the show seems to still be early on in development, there is still an opportunity for former Walnut Grove dwellers to find new ways to return.
While certain performers like the late Michael Landon will sadly be unable to take part, Netflix may be able to bring back the likes of Karen Grassle, Melissa Gilbert, or Dean Butler through all-new characters.
The Netflix Little House on the Prairie reboot has no public release timeline.
One of the original Little House on the Prairie TV series stars, Pamela Roylance, can now be seen on ABC's High Potential.
