Netflix’s new western debuts today with season 2 already greenlit

Heads up if you're a Netflix subscriber with a soft spot for old-school Westerns (or period dramas with a bit more bite than the usual prairie fluff). There's a new show in town – literally – as the streaming giant drops its take on 'Little House on the Prairie'. Yes, that 'Little House', the one you might remember from the 1970s family series or the original books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Except this time, Netflix has given it a modern spin – both in look and in keeping with, shall we say, current sensibilities about history.

What You Actually Get With Netflix's 'Little House'

The setup is classic: the Ingalls family heads west, hoping for the oft-quoted 'new forever' home just beyond the dusty edges of Kansas. But, while there's plenty of wholesome corn-fed drama (fevers, fires, wolves, and a dog named Jack), this isn't just hearts and check dresses. Netflix leans heavily into the grit. You get the usual struggles against nature – crops failing, wild animals making a nuisance of themselves, and the general misery of 19th-century medicine – but this version also strips away the curtain between the settlers and those already living on the land: the Osage people.

There's a clear effort to show both sides of the frontier story. It's not just "brave white homesteaders battle the wilderness", but a look at what happens to Indigenous communities when settlers start planting fences and founding towns. Julie O'Keefe, brought in as Osage cultural consultant, pretty much nailed the show's ethos, saying:

'If you're going to tell the story, then you need to tell both sides.'

So, expect far more tension and moral ambiguity than the older versions ever bothered with.

Cast and Who's Doing What

The new Laura Ingalls is played by Alice Halsey, taking over the role of the girl who spends most of her time being surprisingly resourceful — or just dirty. Laura's dad (that's Charles Ingalls if you know your prairie lore) is played by Luke Bracey. And, for anyone still mentally scarred by the original Nellie Oleson's relentless pettiness, prepare for round two: Willa Dunn is stepping into the iconic antagonist's shoes, but you won’t see her until season two.

Speaking of which – yes, you read that right: Netflix has already renewed the show for a second series before the first has properly landed. Guess they’re confident. Season two will also add Charlotte Sullivan as Margaret Oleson (Nellie's mother and one of the great passive-aggressives in classic TV), while Rachelle Lefevre picks up the role of the wholesome schoolteacher Eva Beadle.

Behind the Scenes: The Brains Behind the Bonnet

• Rebecca Sonnenshine is running the show – writing, showrunning, and executive producing. If her work on supernatural dramas is anything to go by, expect this to be more than just a costume parade.
• The executive production team also includes Joy Gorman Wettels, Dana Fox, Susanna Fogel, and Trip Friendy. Yes, that's a lot of producers.

All told, if you're after a bit of nostalgia with a harder edge – or just want to see if Netflix can manage a Western that doesn't look like a detergent advert – 'Little House on the Prairie' might be worth a click. Either way, there's already a second season barreling down the track. Make of that what you will.