Not only does Netflix’s new 8-episode series pay homage to what came before with grace and understanding, but it also improves upon aspects of the book series with the aid of primary source-led historical context that enriches the story for a new generation.

With great performances, beautiful storytelling, and an unexpected sense of depth, Little House on the Prairie is a great addition to the Netflix catalog.

The result is an undeniably heartfelt family drama that, for all its coming-of-age anxieties and sweeping vistas, also dares to ask some difficult questions about the true price of progress.

Even though the production feels like a Hallmark movie with the lessons neatly delivered and the storylines tidily resolved, the series does make good work of centering women and minorities in a way that the original didn’t. Even if its depictions simplify and whitewash real prairie life, the covered wagon journey into the past is at least an appealingly wholesome ride.

A 2005 miniseries, shown as part of “The Wonderful World of Disney,” was generally faithful to the letter and spirit of the text. The record shows that I liked it. The new “Little House,” created by Rebecca Sonnenshine and streaming on Netflix, is fairly faithful to its spirit, and less so to its letter.

Its intentions are noble, but its execution is messy, with situations and dynamics resolved via the most even-handed and comforting solutions available—a process akin to smoothing out a tablecloth’s creases.

Stymied by the need to appeal to a family audience, this Little House is merely bland. .... You won’t be able to shake the feeling that this was made for an audience with modern – ie. short – attention spans and a desire for social media likes.