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It’s been a while since our last visit with the Ingalls family, though perhaps not as long as you might think: while the Melissa Gilbert/Michael Landon series ended in 1984 after a series of TV movies, there have been a couple of live-action adaptations, a stage musical, and an anime series in the years since. Still, none have been as high profile as Netflix’s new take on the classic Laura Ingalls Wilder books. It has quickly become one of the biggest shows on streaming despite some controversy over certain plot elements.
Uncharacteristically for Netflix, Little House‘s second season is already in production, but if you’ve already binged the entire thing and are eager for more downhome historical drama, consider these 10 streamalikes.
Anne With an E (2017 – 2019)
Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic historical novel Anne of Green Gables kicked off a long series of similarly family-friendly works, eventually leading to a beloved 1970s television series. Sound familiar? This particular story is entirely fictional, but hits similar notes in its exploration of the childhood of a precocious girl growing up in a rural 19th-century setting. As the series begins in 1896, a couple of elderly and unmarried siblings on Prince Edward Island, Canada, have sent away for an orphan boy to help on the farm, but instead find themselves with a girl: chatty Anne Shirley (Amybeth McNulty), who has to fight to prove herself to her prospective parents, as well as to others in the town who judge her alternately for being a useless girl or for being a poor orphan. The reboot revisits the novel and mines its text (and subtext) for new ideas without betraying the spirit of the work. Stream Anne With an E on Netflix.
Little Women (2017)
At approximately the same time that Laura Ingalls Wilder and family were leaving Wisconsin for the broader Midwest of the author’s recollections, Louisa May Alcott was writing and publishing her groundbreaking first novel, set in a Civil War-era New England in which women have largely been left behind by the men in their lives. Though overshadowed by the (excellent) Greta Gerwig film version’s arrival two years later, this BBC adaptation is a bit more faithful to the text without ever feeling stuffy. The book takes place over a period of years, and the miniseries format does a better job of capturing the passage of time, which is so critical to the story. Emily Watson plays the stolid Marmee with an appropriate twinkle, and Angela Lansbury (in her final TV role) is perfect as the snide, snippy Aunt March. Stream Little Women on Peacock, Tubi, and Netflix.
The Other Bennet Sister (2026)
A bit of a ratings blockbuster on the BBC, this miniseries revisits the events of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of Lizzy Bennet’s bookish, altogether dorkier sister. Her ruddy complexion, penchant for grammatical correctness, and (dear lord) spectacles make Mary entirely unsuitable for marriage and unfit for much other than genteel spinsterhood. That all begins to change when Mary sets off on her own to become a governess for the Gardiner family in London, and manages to forge a life and a future for herself away from the parents and siblings who see her as not much more than a piece of furniture. Pemberley and its environs are a world (an ocean, at least) away from the rural world of Little House, but both shows offer clever and forthright young women doing their best to find their place. Stream The Other Bennet Sister on Britbox.
All Creatures Great and Small (2020 – )
An update of a venerable British franchise based on a series of autobiographical novels from writer James Alfred Wight (aka James Herriot), All Creatures takes us back to the rural Yorkshire Dales of the 1930s, with a Scottish vet moving to the small farming town of Darrowby to take up a job as a veterinary assistant. First among the local eccentrics is Helen Alderson (Rachel Shenton), a practical and hard-working farmer faced with some big choices in life. Though you need to be willing to witness animals in jeopardy, the big-hearted show only rarely goes for a gut punch. Mostly, it’s charming domestic drama amid a bucolic landscape, with frequent guest appearances by baby cows. Stream All Creatures Great and Small on PBS or buy it from Prime Video.
Anne Shirley (2025 – )
Returning for a moment to the world of Anne of Green Gables—though Little House is about an American family and Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novels are about a Canadian orphan (who finds a family), they’re both about smart, adventurous young women growing up in a challenging, rural frontier. This beautifully animated anime adaptation (not the first Japanese take on the Anne stories) is faithful to the source material while adding some stylistic flourishes (a schoolhouse fight over a chalkboard is drawn, briefly, as a battle sequence). Stream Anne Shirley on Crunchyroll.
Heartland (2007 – )
Based on a popular book series from Linda Chapman and Beth Chambers (who write under the pseudonym Lauren Brooke), this series follows the lives of a family of horse ranchers in western Canada led by sisters Amy and Lou (Amber Marshall and Michelle Morgan). Though it’s set in modern-day western Alberta, the frontier feel and family drama don’t feel far removed from the lives of the Ingalls. If you’re new to the show, there’s a lot to catch up on: It’s coming up on its 20th season. Stream Heartland on Netflix.
What do you think so far?
1883 (2021 – 2022)
The first of the Yellowstone spin-offs, 1883 gives us a bit of Dutton family prehistory. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill play the first generation of the family to make the trip from Texas to Montana on a dangerous wagon train led by Sam Elliott. This is a grittier take on westward expansion that doesn’t have nearly the same family-friendly Little House vibes—but it does place Isabel May’s 17-year-old Elsa Dutton at the heart of the story; she starts as an adventurous young woman before becoming hardened by her experiences. Stream 1883 on Paramount+.
Lark Rise to Candleford (2008 – 2011)
Once again we’re a world away from the American frontier of the Ingalls family, but nevertheless following a young woman’s coming of age in the 19th century in a story drawn from a series of semi-autobiographical novels (by Flora Thompson). Country girl Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan) sets out looking for work in the wealthier, modestly more metropolitan neighboring town of Candleford. She manages to find a job at the post office, befriended and mentored by her mother’s cousin, Dorcas (Julia Sawalha). Not everyone in Candleford is so welcoming of the rube from the countryside, especially when Laura is forced to choose between the demands of her job and the needs of the family she left behind. Stream Lark Rise to Candleford on Peacock.
When Calls the Heart (2014 – )
This (very) Hallmark-y series, based on a Janette Oke novels, begins in 1910 and follows young teacher Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow) as she leaves her relatively wealthy family to take a job in a rural Canadian mining town. Luckily, there’s hot mountie Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing) to help her make the adjustment. There’s romance, drama, and triumph among the woman-led cast, with the gentle tone and big heart that you might expect, given the title. The show has lasted 13 seasons and counting, and, Yellowstone-like, has already generated two spin-offs, When Hope Calls and Hope Valley: 1874. Stream When Calls the Heart on Hallmark+ via Prime Video.
Little House on the Prairie (1974 – 1984)
This almost certainly goes without saying, but there are nine seasons of classic Little House and three follow-up movies to plow through (pun intended). The show quickly outgrew its early reputation as a Waltons clone to become a fan and critical favorite with an expansive cast of characters and a strong social conscience, in large part due to the influence of executive producer and star Michael Landon. Melissa Gilbert plays Laura, while Alison Arngrim (who has a cameo in the new series) frequently steals the show as nasty neighbor Nellie Oleson. It’s weirder, more dramatic, and a bit less interested in staying true to the books than is the current series, but arguably it’s the reason Little House remains in the zeitgeist—even more so than the novels. Stream Little House on the Prairie on Peacock and Prime Video.
