The TV series "Little House on the Prairie" (1974 - 1982) followed the Ingalls family and their struggle to make ends meet during the American frontier period of the late 19th century. Through the perspective of their daughter Laura, an existence characterised by strong family unity, social problems and the harsh life on the prairie is depicted.
Now a remake is coming to Netflix, adapted for 2026.
It's hard to see it without "MAGA glasses", but there are also very soft, nice values about protecting nature and family, even if everything is about taking care of yourself, says Caroline Hainer.
The religious elements of the original series have been toned down, and encounters with indigenous people are depicted in a more nuanced way than in the 1970s.
Stripping away the complexity
The original books were published between 1932 and 1943, and the fact that author Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter Rose Wilder Lane was one of the first American libertarians had a huge influence. The small town of Independence is "lawless but free" and doesn't even have a sheriff. But despite the gun romance and "do-it-yourself" ideology, the new "Little House on the Prairie" tackles social issues like women's suffrage.
It's perhaps easier to talk about issues of justice there. It's not 'should you be allowed to marry more than two?'. They try to strip away a lot of the complexity that exists in our time, says film journalist Karin Svensson.
She believes that the idea behind "Little House on the Prairie" captures a desirable aspect beyond politics, culture wars, and the constant surveillance of the internet.
"Nature is so central. We long for these vast spaces where we can think about who we are in peace and quiet," says Karin Svensson.
Instagram-friendly
After years of masculine Western series like “Yellowstone” – and its various spinoffs – more femininely coded works have been successful. Like the bestselling books “Yesteryear” – about a “trad wife” influencer who is sent back to the 19th century, or the newsstand novel “Lost and lassoed” about a romance between a single cowboy dad and his sister’s best friend. The new “Little House on the Prairie” is significantly more family-oriented than macho.
Caroline Hainer emphasizes how important aesthetics are in “Little House on the Prairie.” It looks ultra cozy to eat cornbread in a snow-covered cabin and dress in prairie dresses:
Both what they wear, but also their small cabins and the wooden interior. Everything is totally Instagram-friendly.
The books about "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder were published from 1932 to 1943 and have sold over 60 million copies worldwide. The TV series was broadcast from 1974 to 1983 and reached a global audience of millions, with a Swedish premiere on SVT in 1979. The story depicts the harsh conditions of settler life in the 19th century and was partly autobiographical.
There was also a strong political drive behind the books. Laura's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, was one of the founders of American libertarianism. During the American economic crisis of the 1930s, mother and daughter shaped the story as a protest against government intervention. By celebrating hyper-individualism and absolute self-sufficiency, they wanted to show that hard work, not government subsidies, was the path to success.
In Sweden, the series was a huge success. The environments in Minnesota and Dakota were areas to which the Swedish audience's own ancestors had emigrated. The series offered a safe and nostalgic escapism amidst the rapid modernization of the Swedish public school system.
"Little House on the Prairie" 2026 premieres July 9 on Netflix.
