The beloved series Little House on the Prairie is getting a new adaptation on Netflix, and the original cast celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Melissa Gilbert, who played the original Laura Ingalls in the show was happy to have “passed the baton” to Alice Halsey, who is now in her role. Halsey, 11, is known for her role in the Apple TV+ series, Lessons in Chemistry and now joins the new adaptation of Little House on the Prairie.
The 50th anniversary was celebrated in a three-day fan event at Strathearn Historical Park in Simi Valley where the exciting news was shared with fans, including the actress playing the new Laura Ingalls. Halsey received the blessing of the original Laura with excitement.
Then vs. Now: Take a trip down memory lane with the Little House on the Prairie cast! See how your favorite stars have changed over the years. 🌾📺 #LittleHouse #ThenAndNow #ClassicTV pic.twitter.com/wGWwAoR5Hy
— Little House on the Prairie® (@LHPrairie) March 11, 2025
Gilbert played Laura in the original nine-season series, running from 1974 to 1983 and according to Rebecca Friendly, who spoke in one of the event’s Q&A panels, is more than excited to “pass the baton” to Halsey. When Melissa and Alice met at the event and spoke about the iconic role.
“She just turned 11 years old, and she is so mature, so talented,” Friendly said of Halsey. “She just has really fully embraced the character of Laura.”
Meanwhile, Trip Friendly, the son of the original producer, Ed Friendly, and executive producer of the new series spoke about auditions for the role. He explained that the team auditioned several potential Lauras, but on seeing Halsey’s performance in Lessons in Chemistry, he knew she would be perfect in the role.
Many fans of the original series may be concerned about the reboot of the beloved show, but Trip explained that the Netflix version is “a new adaptation of the original books” rather than a reboot of the 1970s show. He said the series will stay closer to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s semi-autobiographical novels. Moreover, it will incorporate more historic context from the 1860s-1880s frontier era.
Speaking to People, Gilbert said the reimagination of the series will focus on stories and characters from Wilder’s original writings, rather than creating new storylines. “There’s plenty of people in the Little House world that still haven’t been talked about on our version of the show,” she said.
As to the rest of the cast, Skywalker Hughes is set to play Mary Ingalls, Luke Bracey will star as Charles Ingalls, and Crosby Fitzgerald will be in the role of Caroline Ingalls. Meanwhile, the series showrunner is Rebecca Sonnenshine, who has previously worked on The Vampire Diaries and The Boys.
Other original cast members who attended the weekend reunion include Alison Arngrim, Karen Grassle, Charlotte Stewart, Dean Butler, Rachel and Sidney Greenbush, and Patrick Labyorteaux, among others. Fans of the beloved show enjoyed meet-and-greets and holiday photo opportunities, as well as screenings of classic episodes and the premier of a new documentary, Little House Homecoming.
For those who grew up watching and loving Little House on the Prairie, seeing Gilbert passing on the baton to a new generation is both exciting and bittersweet. The original show attracted new audiences on streaming on Peacock, with more than 13 billion minutes in 2024 alone.
