Netflix is sending a “we’re good” signal following last Friday’s stunning Warner Bros. Discovery sale U-turn when the David Zaslav-led company broke its merger agreement with Netflix and signed one with Paramount after the latter submitted a higher bid and the former declined to raise theirs.
This morning, Netflix announced an early Season 2 renewal for Little House on the Prairie, its long-awaited reboot of the classic TV series based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. It comes from Paramount-owned CBS Studios, marking the first public transaction between the two companies since Paramount on Friday wrote a $2.8B check to Netflix for the WBD termination fee.
This is not unprecedented — Netflix, as well as other streamers, are known to give early renewals to shows they believe in to help narrow the gap between seasons. Still, the timing is intriguing because there was no pressing reason to do the pickup this week, more than four months ahead of Little House On the Prairie‘s July 9 debut.
While the timing may have been surprising, the actual renewal is not. Netflix executives have been speaking highly about the show in informal conversations for months, even more so after production on Season 1 wrapped in the fall.
In a promising sign, a pre-greenlight writers room opened at the end of 2025, around the time Netflix won the initial round of bidding for WBD over Paramount, I hear.
The renewal was sealed after Netflix executives got the chance to see the first season — with sources calling it “fantastic” and “special” in its interpretation of the original material — and to hear the Season 2 pitch from the reboot’s writing-producing team led by showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine.
While Netflix and Paramount were locking horns publicly over the last few weeks after the latter re-entered the WBD fight, accusing each other of “disinformation” and other alleged transgressions, it was largely business as usual on the Little House On the Prairie front, which landed an official Season 2 green light after the warm internal reception of Season 1. A full-fledged writers room is continuing to work on the new installment, which I hear may include a version of a classic character that is not in Season 1, Nellie Oleson.
“We are delighted to renew this beautiful reimagining of Little House on the Prairie for a second season ahead of its Netflix debut,” Jinny Howe, Netflix’s head of U.S. and Canada scripted series said today in announcing the pickup. “The exceptional work by Rebecca Sonnenshine and the entire cast and crew on Season 1 has established a rich foundation of storytelling for years to come. With its hopeful spirit and emotional authenticity, we’re confident that Little House will deliver even more of what fans truly love.”
At Netflix, Little House On the Prairie, which had been in development for a long time before it was ordered to series in January 2025, falls into the comfort food, feel-good programming area that the streamer has been growing over the past few years.
The family drama, which tells the origin story of the American West, stars Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls, Skywalker Hughes as Laura’s older sister Mary, Luke Bracey as Pa, and Crosby Fitzgerald as Ma.
The series is produced by CBS Studios and Anonymous Content. Sonnenshine executive produces alongside Joy Gorman Wettels for Joy Coalition, Trip Friendly for Friendly Family Productions, Dana Fox and Susanna Fogel.
English (US) ·