You’re Totally Sleeping On Little House On The Prairie

I first saw him in clips on my TikTok For You page. A handsome, long-haired man wearing suspenders, visible dirt, and a button-up shirt (often undone at the top from, you know, farm work). Swoon. Obviously, I had to investigate further.

It was Michael Landon’s character Charles “Pa” Ingalls from the 1970s series Little House on the Prairie, which no one ever informed me had such attractive — I mean, compelling — characters. In the TikToks’ comment sections, a small but spirited community of Little House stans comes to life: viewers oscillating between fond memories of watching the show as children, and their realization of why their moms and grandmas were so obsessed in the first place.

As one user put it, “I get it now.”

But thirst isn’t the only reason to start Little House on the Prairie. Since I’ve started streaming it myself (bless Peacock!), it’s become not only a comforting balm, but a surprisingly fitting complement to my favorite TV romances and historical dramas.

It’s Super Swoony

Based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s novels of the same name, Little House on the Prairie follows the Ingalls family — Charles and Caroline (Pa and Ma) and their daughters, Mary, Laura, and Carrie — as they travel to build a new life in rural Kansas, and then Minnesota, in the late 19th century.

That endeavor requires lots of chopping, plowing, and navigating tricky terrain in a covered wagon, and, yes, Pa looks great doing it! But what’s most attractive is how he defies toxic masculinity at every moment. He cries, he admits when he gets it wrong, and he adores his wife and family.

Anti-hero shows have definitely had a moment this century. But once in a while, it’s refreshing to fall for a character who’s just a lovely person.

You’ll Sob

Throughout its nine seasons, Little House remains so earnest that even its simplest storylines tug on your heartstrings. The hardest I cried over a TV show this year was when Ma bought expensive, blue fabric to make herself a dress — only to stay up all night and make dresses for her daughters instead, since they had a big presentation at school the next day.

Reflecting on it now, my reaction sounds slightly ridiculous. But when you’re swept up in this world, your brain switches to a different frequency, and you’re attuned to all the little ways people can care for each other. When Pa tells his wife, “You’re quite a woman,” with tears in his eyes following her sartorial sacrifice? TV just doesn’t get better!

Pair It With Other Period Dramas

Little House on the Prairie takes place in the 1870s — which means it’s roughly contemporaneous with modern period dramas like The Gilded Age and The Buccaneers. If you watch all the period dramas at once, it’s fun to picture Gilded Age’s Bertha and George Russell trying to wine and dine their way into New York’s high society while Ma and Pa are, like, worried about their daughter’s pet raccoon turning rabid.

But more than that, Little House highlights a different existence, too. It might seem pretty low-stakes, but the family is starting fresh in a new land. So when a hailstorm destroys their crops, or a wildfire threatens to tear down their tiny home, the drama feels pressingly real.

Still, for those who are drawn to the pastoral charm of the West but are too soft for the Yellowstone world, this 50-year-old series might be just what you need.