‘Little House on the Prairie’ star Alison Arngrim says Netflix reboot can’t recreate Michael Landon’s ‘magic’
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Alison Arngrim knows you can’t recreate the original when it comes to “Little House on the Prairie.”
The actress, who famously starred as mean girl Nellie Oleson, told Fox News Digital that fans shouldn’t be worried about Netflix rebooting the classic series, which concluded after nine seasons in 1983.
Arngrim has been keeping busy attending events and reconnecting with viewers globally to celebrate “Little House” and its legacy.
Alison Arngrim starred as “nasty” Nellie Oleson on “Little House on the Prairie.” She is seen here circa 1977. (Getty Images)
“Yes, there is a deal at Netflix,” the star shared. “Even the people making it have said, ‘Oh God, don’t call it a reboot.’ They’re not trying to remake the ‘70s show. Everyone has said, ‘Obviously, we can’t recreate that. We don’t want to recreate that. That’s been done. Michael Landon did it, he achieved it and, boom, it’s good. We’re leaving that alone.”
The original “Little House on the Prairie,” led by Michael Landon, aired from 1974 to 1983. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
In January, the streaming giant confirmed that it had given a reboot of the series the green light. The original show was based on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder about growing up in the American West during the late 1800s. They were written during the Great Depression and published in the 1930s.
Netflix has called the reboot “a transformed adaptation” that will feature Rebecca Sonnenshine of “The Boys” and “The Vampire Diaries” as showrunner and executive producer.
Alison Arngrim and Patrick Labyorteaux are seen here in the episode titled “The Cheaters” from Season 5 of “Little House on the Prairie,” circa 1978. (NBC/ Courtesy: Everett Collection)
Arngrim stressed that it will be different from the original.
“They’re going back to the books – they’re going back to the beginning,” said the 63-year-old. “They’re still hiring directors and everything. It’s still very, very early, but they’re looking into the first books when Laura is a very tiny girl. They’re going back to their roots.”
According to Netflix, the new “Little House on the Prairie” is “part family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West. The series will offer a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier.” (Ted Shepherd/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)
“And here’s the thing, how many times have we made Dracula?” she chuckled. “How many times have we done Frankenstein? Or ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens? These are fantastic literary properties that were remade many times, and everyone had a different take on them. Some were brilliant. Some were terrible. And yet, we still watch them.”
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“So, what will this be like? We don’t know yet,” said Arngrim. “But they’re not trying to steal or recreate the thing. There are some characters in our show that were made up, a Michael Landon invention. Like Albert Ingalls. There was no Albert Ingalls in the books. . . . I know Nellie is based on three different girls. Timelines were changed.”
The surviving cast of “Little House on the Prairie” today. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra)
“The books were novels,” Arngrim continued. “And then Michael Landon said it would be a good idea if he added stuff and changed things for the show. But this time, they’re going back to the books. So, it will be extraordinarily different from our show.”
Before news of the reboot went public, Arngrim said the original cast members were given a call. None of the cast are expected to make a cameo appearance as of now.
Alison Arngrim (right) is seen here with her former castmate Melissa Gilbert. (Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
Arngrim admitted it won’t be easy for the new show to live up to its predecessor. “Little House on the Prairie” first premiered on NBC in 1974.
“Everyone involved agrees there was a certain lightning in a bottle that happened with Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, me, Katherine MacGregor and everyone else. It was its own thing. Michael Landon’s vision was magic. But again, how many ‘Star Treks’ are there now? I’ve watched all of them, and I lost count. Just because we don’t have Captain Kirk doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy them.”
It’s understood that none of the original cast members will make a cameo appearance. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
“I do know that the folks involved are absolute sticklers for protecting the legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder,” Arngrim added.
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Michael Landon, who played Charles Philip Ingalls, died in 1991. He was 54. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
“They are the guardians of the gates… They’re not going to do anything bad or something that is insulting to Laura Ingalls Wilder. But it will be really interesting to see what kind of mood it’s going to be. Is it going to be fast-paced, like a TV show? Is it going to be slower like a feature film? Or is it going to look like an old Western? That I don’t know.”
Arngrim does have some advice for whoever will take on the role of Oleson, one she’s still recognized for today.
“Everyone involved agrees there was a certain lightning in a bottle that happened with Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, me, Katherine MacGregor and everyone else. It was its own thing. Michael Landon’s vision was magic.
— Alison Arngrim
Michael Landon is seen here directing Dean Butler as Almanzo James Wilder and Melissa Gilbert as Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
“If they don’t like you, you’re doing your job,” she said. “Do not be liked. Don’t hold back on playing a villain or worry about people liking you. Your job is not to be liked. Did Anthony Hopkins pull back when he was playing Hannibal Lecter? Did you ever see a moment in ‘Silence of the Lambs’ where he said, ‘That’s a little much’? No – and that’s it.”
Alison Arngrim has written a memoir titled, “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated.” (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
“If you think, ‘Wow, that’s pretty terrible,’ – go there,” she shared. “You need to have a strong sense of who you are and understand this is the character. Because if you do it right, somebody will hate you, preferably everybody.”
“Yes, I did get hit in the face with an orange soda during a Christmas parade,” Arngrim continued. “So, for God’s sake, if you do it right, there will be people who will get emotionally involved, freak out and say they hate you. But you have to remember, they’re talking about the character, not you. You need to know who you are first and have a sense of self.”
Netflix confirmed that Rebecca Sonnenshine of “The Boys,” “The Vampire Diaries” and “Archive 81” will be shepherding the new series as showrunner and executive producer. (Getty Images)
The surviving cast has maintained a close bond over the years. During the coronavirus pandemic, Arngrim also hosted live readings of “Little House” books for fans.
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Alison Arngrim with Steve Tracy, her co-star who passed away in 1986 at age 34 from AIDS-related complications. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
“The ‘Little House’ books came at the height of the Great Depression, and the series premiered when we were having a terrible recession, and people couldn’t afford things,” Arngrim previously told Fox News Digital. “And when times got hard in 2020, people turned to ‘Little House’ for comfort. People started making their own bread, and all of a sudden, everyone was an Ingalls.”
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“There’s a deep connection people have to the show, and it’s truly amazing,” she noted. “It really has stood the test of time, just as Michael Landon predicted. When times get hard, there’s always ‘Little House on the Prairie.’”
