Netflix isn’t backing down from this fight. Little House on the Prairie boss Rebecca Sonnenshine addresses the show’s ongoing “woke” backlash.
Rebecca Sonnenshine responds to ‘woke’ criticism of Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine addressed conservative backlash against the Netflix reboot in an interview with TheWrap. The series faced criticism from figures including Megyn Kelly before its premiere.
Sonnenshine pushed back on the use of the term “woke” in relation to the show. “The standard definition of ‘woke,’ as it had been for many years, was to be aware of social justice and inequality — I think that is a good thing,” Sonnenshine said. She added that the term has become a “catch-all for things people don’t like.”
Sonnenshine also defended the portrayal of Dr. George Tan, a Black doctor who was the Ingalls’ closest neighbor. She noted his presence in Independence is historically documented. “It’s interesting to me that that’s so far-fetched for people … it was a more egalitarian place than I think people maybe realize,” Sonnenshine said. The showrunner acknowledged some “guesswork” was involved in depicting racial dynamics in 1870s Kansas.
Additionally, Sonnenshine expanded the role of the Osage people beyond their limited presence in the original books. She pitched an Osage family living alongside the Ingalls to represent their perspective during westward expansion. “It’s 2026 — it’s time to reckon with some of the things that are in the books that have been problematic for people,” Sonnenshine said. She emphasized that reckoning with the source material does not mean discarding it entirely.
Meanwhile, Sonnenshine revealed that Season 2 will follow the Ingalls to Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Production is already underway as the team aims for an annual release schedule. “A part of my pitch was that we were going to follow the ebbs and flows of the books, and they are fairly nomadic for quite some time,” Sonnenshine said.
