Netflix's 'Little House' Receives Mixed Reviews and Surprising Links
WHO:
USA Today - Martin Donovan plays Mr. Ingalls, the father of Pa (Luke Bracey) in "Little House on the Prairie."
Forbes - The cast of Netflix's "Little House on the Prairie" includes Luke Bracey as Charles Ingalls, Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls, Skywalker Hughes as Mary Ingalls, and Warren Christie as John Edwards.
USA Today - Alison Arngrim, known for her role as Nellie Oleson in the original series, and Megan Follows, star of the 1985 PBS series "Anne of Green Gables," appear in the Netflix reboot.
WHAT:
Forbes - "Little House on the Prairie" debuted at #2 in viewership, higher than "I Will Find You," "Sullivan’s Crossing," and "Dark Winds."
Forbes - The Rotten Tomatoes score for "Little House on the Prairie" is currently 77% among critics and 61% among audiences, with a small number of audience reviews logged.
Forbes - "Little House on the Prairie" debuted on Netflix at #2 in viewership, behind "Worst Neighbor Ever True Crime."
Forbes - The Rotten Tomatoes score for "Little House on the Prairie" is 77% among critics and 61% among audiences.
USA Today - Megan Follows plays the grandmother to Laura Ingalls in a fever dream sequence.
USA Today - Alison Arngrim plays a character named Ida, a forest drifter, in the series.
WHERE:
USA Today - The filming of "Little House on the Prairie" took place in Winnipeg.
WHEN:
Forbes - The original "Little House on the Prairie" series aired from 1974 to 1983.
USA Today - Alison Arngrim received a call to join the cast with "maybe two weeks’ notice."
WHY:
USA Today - Executive producer Rebecca Sonnenshine wanted to include Alison Arngrim in the series to address viewer disappointment over the absence of the Nellie character in Season 1.
USA Today - Executive producer Rebecca Sonnenshine wanted to include Alison Arngrim in the series to please viewers who would be disappointed by the absence of the Nellie character in Season 1.
HOW:
USA Today - Arngrim's character, Ida, is described as a "crazy lady in the woods" who interacts with the Ingalls girls.
Forbes - The series features a cast of mostly unknown actors to help keep production costs down.
USA Today - Arngrim's character was designed to be a "crazy lady in the woods" who interacts with the Ingalls girls.
(UPDATED July 12, 2026 04:13 UTC)
In a notable casting choice for "Little House on the Prairie," Martin Donovan plays Mr. Ingalls, the father of Pa, portrayed by Luke Bracey. The show has made a strong debut, ranking at number two in viewership, surpassing other series like "I Will Find You," and it currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 77% from critics and 61% from audiences. To address viewer disappointment over the absence of the beloved Nellie character in Season 1, executive producer Rebecca Sonnenshine has included Alison Arngrim, who will portray Ida, described as a "crazy lady in the woods" interacting with the Ingalls girls.
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(UPDATED July 12, 2026 02:55 UTC)
The new Netflix reboot of "Little House on the Prairie" features a cast that includes Luke Bracey as Charles Ingalls, Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls, and Alison Arngrim, who reprises her role in a new character named Ida, a forest drifter. The series debuted at #2 in viewership on Netflix, just behind "Worst Neighbor Ever True Crime," and has received a Rotten Tomatoes score of 77% from critics and 61% from audiences. Filmed in Winnipeg, the show also includes Megan Follows as Laura's grandmother in a fever dream sequence, and Arngrim's character is described as a "crazy lady in the woods" who interacts with the Ingalls girls.