Netflix’s New 8-Part Western Is One of the Biggest Hits on Streaming

Published Jul 30, 2026, 9:36 PM EDT Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features, reviews, recaps, and conducts interviews. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His novella, The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain, was released in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family. Folks looking for something unashamedly Western in style but a bit more family-friendly than your usual shoot-'em-up in substance should look no further than Netflix's latest hit, Little House on the Prairie. Based loosely on the novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the reboot series debuted with an impressive 6.4 million views in only the first three days, captivating audiences with its nuanced take on the Ingalls' pioneer journey. While perhaps not as cozy as the original Little House or as true to the novel as the 2005 miniseries, Netflix's adaptation has already been making waves on the streaming platform. 'Little House on the Prairie' Has Already Been a Big Hit for Netflix As Charles (Luke Bracey) and Caroline Ingalls (Crosby Fitzgerald) settle outside the newly established Independence, Kansas, with their two girls, Mary (Skywalker Hughes) and Laura (Alice Halsey), things don't always go smoothly. Their troubles on the open trail are only a preamble to other issues they'll be forced to overcome, though it never dissuades them from pressing on. Not long after they arrive in Kansas, the Ingalls encounter members of the Osage tribe, who have long been settled on the land. The series meditates on the shared hardships of the American West by chronicling not just the Ingalls' travels westward from their former Wisconsin home, but also how everything from wolves and fever to wildfires and greedy railroad companies shaped how the frontier was settled. It's a robust (though refreshingly not bleak) picture of the era that speaks to the youthful spirit behind the novels themselves, and it's no wonder that Netflix subscribers have flocked to the series. The series is largely told through the perspective of young Laura, whose hopeful outlook and desire to make friends with the Osage stand in contrast to how many in her day would have viewed both westward expansion and indigenous peoples. Indeed, her view of the Osage stands apart from that of her mother and sister, who see the people as a potential threat to their livelihood. Members of the Osage, as is the case in the novel, do come uninvited into the Ingalls home and steal their hard-earned belongings — but a few bad apples are not the entire bunch, and it isn't long before this transgression is rectified by those within the Osage looking to make friends with the new homesteaders. Aside from the Osage, Little House on the Prairie also reimagines characters from Wilder's original novel, such as Dr. George Tann (Jocko Sims) and Mr. John Edwards (Warren Christie), the latter of whom is the breakout of this rendition. Tann never quite got his due in other adaptations, so it's nice to see that he's not just window dressing here but rather a complete character on his own. Likewise, Edwards has been given a makeover to explain his lone wanderings across the west and why he gravitates so firmly toward the Ingalls family. Christie plays the part with ease, proving himself both charming and tortured, often in the same breath. With characters like these, Netflix's version of Little House on the Prairie feels bigger than the Ingalls themselves. Although 'Little House' Departs From the Book, the Reboot Has Attracted an Impressive Audience Admittedly, Netflix's latest rendition of Little House is quite different from the original series to bear the title, but, to be fair, the Michael Landon show was also a pretty vast departure from Wilder's novels too. Yet, where both succeeded was in compiling a compelling modern take on the characters that largely captures the same heart behind the books. You could watch any episode of the Netflix series and still know exactly who these characters are meant to be, even if some things are adjusted here and there. As one of the biggest hits on Netflix this summer (with 100 million hours total viewed), it's no wonder the streamer has already renewed Little House on the Prairie for a second season. This was a bold move on Netflix's part, but considering the outcome thus far, it was a well-placed bet. The streamer has always done well with Westerns and other frontier-era tales, and so this Midwestern family drama certainly fits within its brand of cozy entertainment. With the Ingalls now moving on from Independence to (likely) Walnut Grove, we can't wait to see what the next season brings for our favorite bunch of pioneers.