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Melissa Gilbert sounded off for the first time on Netflix’s version of Little House on the Prairie — and directly addressed concerns of historical inaccuracy.
“I have remained silent since the release of the new version of Little House on the Prairie,” Gilbert, 62, recently wrote via Substack. “Honestly, I’m afraid that I am unable to be fully objective because I am too deeply involved to weigh in without emotion.”
Gilbert noted she did not feel it was her “place” to weigh in on the new adaptation. She has since changed her mind after seeing conversations about whether the new Netflix series or the original show were “historically accurate.”
“The short answer is no, neither are entirely accurate to the times nor the books,” she wrote before listing examples such as character ages and the locations.
Based on the beloved book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie series is centered on the Ingalls family, who live on a farm on Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the late 1800s.
While Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson originated the roles, Alice Halsey, Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgerald and Skywalker Hughes took over in Netflix’s version.
“My hope is that folks realize that these are all perfect examples of dramatic license,” Gilbert continued. “Even the real Laura took dramatic license in writing her books. For example, in the book, Little House on the Prairie, all three Ingalls girls are older than they were in real life.”
Gilbert urged fans of the OG version to give the new vision a try.
“So rather than getting all twisted up in what’s real and what’s dramatized, maybe just sit back and go for the ride the creative minds behind these shows want to take you on,” she concluded. “If you like it, stick with it. If you don’t, you don’t have to watch.”
The Netflix show, which premiered earlier this month, featured some changes after the family started out in Independence, Kansas. The season finale hinted at a big shift as the Ingalls left the homestead behind for Plum Creek.
Before the show’s premiere, showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine issued a message to fans who are concerned about how their favorite show would be adapted.
“I want people to know, first of all, everybody making this show cares about the books and bringing it to life and being as authentic as we can and bringing all those details to life that people love,” she told People. “Everyone cares so much.”
Sonnenshine previewed the vision for the show.
“This series is basically told through the eyes of Laura, who’s taking all of us on this journey of discovery and joy and adventure,” she said, adding that “you needed someone who could really mine the reality of it.”
The screenwriter called the books “such an important piece of American literature” and a “window into all the complicated and good things about our country.” She assured fans that the stories will be “focused on people doing good works and being generous and kind to each other and building community.”
Little House on the Prairie is streaming now.
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