Why Netflix's Little House On The Prairie Isn't Landing With Some Old School Fans

Netflix's new adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved children's book series "Little House on the Prairie" debuted last week to a decent 77% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. It also landed at No. 2 on the streamer's Top 10 most-watched TV shows chart. However, despite a promising start, the reboot didn't get the most glowing reception from viewers and hardcore fans. Those who grew up loving the original series have laid out what they believe the new take gets wrong. "Little House On The Prairie (Netflix) is REALLY bad but not for any interesting reasons," as one unhappy X user stressed. "It reads like it was written by the screenwriter of Hallmark's Leprechaun Love Story and was filmed by the worst D-team on a weird 2000s telenovela." That's one way to put it. 

They felt the reboot suffers from awkward dialogue and "random shots" that don't seem to add anything to the story. Furthermore, they argued that the show features too much singing, making it less like a family drama and more like a musical, "but soulless." Other disappointed viewers had similar takes, with one arguing, "They were dirt poor yet their clothing was amazing and perfectly laundered. I couldn't stand it," adding that the CGI wolf scene was the "final straw" that made them completely lose interest in the series. "Soulless. That is the perfect description," another agreed. "I'm bored out of my mind." But not everyone thought the adaptation was a total flop. 

And yet, there were some who found Netflix's version of "Little House on the Prairie" surprisingly enjoyable, and who couldn't wait for Season 2. "Wholesome. Beautifully filmed. And more action packed than the original," enthused one such fan. "Hoping there'll be more seasons to come."

During its development, Netflix's "Little House on the Prairie" sparked initial concerns from avid fans who feared that the new adaptation would be "too woke." Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly led the backlash by issuing a threat to Netflix on X, warning, "If you wokeify Little House on the Prairie I will make it my singular mission to absolutely ruin your project." Actor Melissa Gilbert, who was a key part of the original "Little House on the Prairie" cast and was reportedly close to her onscreen father, the late Michael Landon, responded to Kelly directly by urging her to rewatch the previous episodes (See also: Stars from "Little House on the Prairie" you didn't know have died). "TV doesn't get too much more 'woke' than we did," she argued on Threads. "We tackled: racism, addiction, nativism, antisemitism, misogyny, rape, spousal abuse and every other 'woke' topic you can think of."

Since its July 9, 2026 release, Netflix's new "Little House on the Prairie" adaptation has earned tons of backlash for casting Black actors and going in a decidedly more progressive direction than its forebear. Showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine defended the show against the "woke" allegations in an interview with Variety published just in time for its premiere. "If I had to sum it up, what people are afraid of is that something from their childhood will be portrayed in a way that scares them," she opined. However, Sonnenshine stood by her vision and sounded pretty confident that fans would love the reboot. "I think people just are afraid of whatever they're afraid of, and that's OK," she noted. "But I honestly think that there's nothing to be afraid of and it's a story that will really resonate with everybody."