Little House on the Prairie's Melissa Gilbert claims the series was "woke" in response to Megyn Kelly's remarks about Netflix reboot

Netflix's planned reboot of Little House on the Prairie has sparked debate after Megyn Kelly warned the streaming platform against making the series too "woke" on January 30 via X (previously Twitter).

In response, Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder in the original show, dismissed Kelly’s concerns via Threads on January 31, emphasizing that the classic series had already addressed social issues that are often labeled as "woke" today.

"Apparently Megyn tweeted (I'm not on that platform) asking that Netflix not 'woke-Ify' their 'Little House' remake," Melissa Gilbert shared on Threads.

"Ummm…watch the original again. TV doesn't get too much more 'woke' than we did. We tackled: racism, addiction, nativism, antisemitism, misogyny, rape, spousal abuse and every other 'woke' topic you can think of. Thank you very much."

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Melissa Gilbert addresses Megyn Kelly's criticism

On January 30, Megyn Kelly took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her disapproval of any potential changes to Little House on the Prairie that might be "woke". She wrote,

"If you wokeify Little House on the Prairie, I will make it my singular mission to absolutely ruin your project."

Gilbert, the lead actress of the original 1974–1983 series, responded to Megyn Kelly's remarks on Threads. The actress' response has since gained attention, with many fans supporting her stance that Little House on the Prairie was already progressive for its time.

The original Little House on the Prairie was based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s autobiographical book series and followed the Ingalls family as they navigated life in the American frontier during the late 19th century. While the show was often regarded as a family-friendly drama, it did not shy away from addressing serious topics, including racism, alcoholism, child abuse, and poverty.

During its nine-season run on NBC, the series tackled numerous social issues through its storytelling. Episodes dealt with discrimination against Native Americans, antisemitism in small-town America, and the impact of substance abuse on families. Despite this, some viewers, including Megyn Kelly, fear that Netflix's reboot might push what they see as a modern political agenda.

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According to Deadline, Netflix's upcoming adaptation aims to bring a fresh perspective to the Ingalls family's story. According to the streaming platform, the new series will be "part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West."

The project is being led by Rebecca Sonnenshine, known for her work on The Boys and The Vampire Diaries, who will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Sonnenshine expressed her excitement for the adaptation, saying,

"I fell deeply in love with these books when I was five years old. They inspired me to become a writer and a filmmaker, and I am honored and thrilled to be adapting these stories for a new global audience with Netflix."

So far the details about the cast and release date for the reboot remain under wraps. However, Netflix has confirmed that the series will aim to stay true to Wilder’s original stories while reimagining them for modern audiences.