Understanding the Assignment: Netflix's Little House on the Prairie

We've all been anticipating the launch of the first season of the 2026 version of Little House on the Prairie on Netflix. Was it going to be like the 1970s Michael Landon show? Would it adhere closely to the book series, or would it deviate? How would they depict the Osage Native Americans? What would be added — or subtracted — to complete their vision?

Land of Laura invited Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer Pamela Smith Hill along with The Wilder Life author Wendy McClure to come to the studio and offer their reactions to the 8 episodes of the first season.

From Hallmark to the Civil War to Days of Heaven, Pamela and Wendy, along with host Sandra Hume, discuss influences, oversights, inspiration, and what the showrunners got exactly right.

Mentioned in the episode:

Days of Heaven (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_Heaven)

Pioneer Girl website (www.pioneergirl.com)

Laura Ingalls Gunn (https://decortoadore.net/)

Pioneer Girl, Wilder's autobiography (https://www.sdhspress.com/books/pioneer-girl-the-annotated-autobiography)

Wendy McClure (www. wendymcclure.net)

Pamela Smith Hill (www.pamelasmithhill.com)