Facing backlash over alleged "woke" changes, Netflix's Little House on the Prairie has defended its vision. The last adaptation of Little House on the Prairie aired in 1984, so Netflix's announcement of a new adaptation in 2026 was met with both excitement and criticism. However, showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine stood strong against the allegations surrounding the series. It was her vision for adapting Laura Ingalls Wilder's novel that journalist and attorney Megyn Kelly questioned.

She accused the show of being "woke." But now that the series has premiered on the streaming platform despite the backlash, Sonnenshine has finally opened up about the criticism and pointed to fear as the reason.

Soon after the announcement of Netflix’s adaptation of Little House on the Prairie, Megyn Kelly took to her X and claimed that if they “woke-ify' the show, she would try to “ruin” it. Now, after the premiere, showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine explained that she does not understand the woke allegations. She further added that the reason for the allegations is the fear of the people who think that they will not like the show.

“I think it’s just become a catch-all word for things that I don’t quite understand. If I had to sum it up, what people are afraid of is that something from their childhood will be portrayed in a way that scares them,” she told Variety. 

The adaptation also faced another wave of criticism, with some accusing it of promoting the "tradwife" ideology. Speaking to Variety, showrunner Sonnenshine said she hopes audiences will simply appreciate the show without interpreting it as an endorsement of the tradwife movement. She further added that while she enjoys crafts and hobbies like embroidery, that does not make her a tradwife.

"You’re pickling vegetables, you’re making jam, you’re doing all these things that I don’t feel like should be like cornered by tradwives. I like to do all those things. I’m a great knitter, I’m a great embroiderer,” she said.

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As for the show, it received immense support from Netflix, which has also confirmed season 2.

Little House on the Prairie premiered on July 9, 2026. However, Netflix had already renewed the series for a second season before its debut. Such an early renewal is relatively rare for the streaming platform, which typically waits to gauge a show's performance before confirming another season.

The decision clearly reflects Netflix's confidence in the adaptation. Netflix executives have also spoken highly of the show's potential. They described the first season as "special" and said that while the renewal may have seemed unusually early, the series was always expected to receive a second season. That naturally raises expectations for the adaptation.

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What do you think about Megyn Kelly's allegations and showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine's opinion? Let us know in the comments.