Melissa Gilbert weighs in on debate about Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie, historical inaccuracies

“Maybe some day, someone will do a version that is word for word and scene for scene the books Laura [Ingalls Wilder] wrote,” Gilbert said.

Original Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert is pushing back on the criticism being leveled against the Netflix reboot.

Even before the series launched in early July, the new Little House adaptation has been met with backlash regarding its approach to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s semi-autobiographical books, which follow the Ingalls family’s journey to start a homestead outside of Independence, Kansas. Fans of Wilder’s work have questioned the historical accuracy of the new series, which purports to be a fresh adaptation adhering more closely to the books than previous versions.

But if you ask Gilbert, the show is just taking advantage of its “dramatic license.”

In a post shared to her personal Substack, Gilbert acknowledged that she has “remained silent since the release of the new version of Little House on the Prairie“ explaining that she doubted her ability to be “fully objective because I am too deeply involved to weigh in without emotion” and did not feel that it was her “place” to sway the audience by offering a take.

“All of that said, I do want to speak to an issue I am seeing run rampant on social media and in articles,” she wrote. “That is whether or not the new Little House and the original version are historically accurate. The short answer is no, neither are entirely accurate to the times nor the books.”

Gilbert then went on to list a few of those inaccuracies, pointing to small details, beloved characters and popular plotlines from the OG show.

“Mary Ingalls never married. Carrie Ingalls was born in August, not on Christmas Day. There was no Albert Ingalls, or James or Cassandra for that matter,” she wrote. “There was also no Jenny Wilder. Charles Ingalls’ brother did not fight or die in the Civil War. Nellie Olsen didn’t marry a Jewish man and give birth to twins. This list can go on and on.”

She continued, “My hope is that folks realize that these are all perfect examples of dramatic license. Even the real Laura took dramatic license in writing her books. For example, in the book, Little House on the Prairie, all three Ingalls girls are older than they were in real life.”

Gilbert then encouraged fans to accept the new series for what it is rather than getting caught up on the historical inaccuracies.

“Maybe just sit back and go for the ride the creative minds behind these shows want to take you on,” she wrote. “If you like it, stick with it. If you don’t, you don’t have to watch.”

She also pointed out that for those — like herself — who want the real story, there is a PBS documentary from Emmy-winner Mary Murphy available on streaming called Laura Ingalls Wilder; From the Prairie to the Page.

“I hope this helps to clarify things a bit. I truly believe there is lots and lots of room for many stories to come out of the Little House universe for decades to come,” Gilbert added. “Maybe some day, someone will do a version that is word for word and scene for scene the books Laura wrote. Maybe someone will take the whole thing in a different direction and in a different timeline. Who knows.”

Gilbert previously voiced support from the reboot back in 2025. “I think there’s room in the Little House universe for all different kinds of stories to be told,” Gilbert told Entertainment Weekly at the time. “Just like there was always room in the Little Women universe to keep retelling that story.”

The actress is not alone. The show also got love from her former costar Dean Butler, who portrayed Laura Ingalls’ eventual husband, Almanzo Wilder,  on the NBC series over its last four seasons, from 1979 to 1983.

In a video posted to Instagram on July 17, Butler said, “Something that I love about the program that I think would have been really fun in the original, which we did not do, other than in church. But something that I think is really wonderful about this is the family singing that is going on.

He added, “Writers have rolled in songs that Pa played on his fiddle and the family is singing along, and they really are doing it beautifully.”