Like they used to make 'em
By David Bianculli
New York Daily News



Danielle and Kyle Chavarria


It's not as satisfying or artistic as TV's "Anne of 
Green Gables" or the recent adaptation of "Pollyanna," 
but the new Disney miniseries version of "Little House 
on the Prairie" is, nonetheless, a fine family drama 
with a young female protagonist. 

"Little House," of course, was mounted successfully 
before, as a 1974-83 NBC series produced by and starring 
Michael Landon. This new one, a total of six hours long, 
is presented under ABC's "Wonderful World of Disney" 
umbrella and premieres Saturday night at 8 with a two-
hour installment. Subsequent one-hour episodes air weekly 
in the same Saturday time slot. 

Laura Ingalls Wilder's original "Little House on the 
Prairie" book, published in 1935, was the third in her 
series of childhood memoirs. The "Little House" that 
Landon built ran out of original source material early 
on but kept going, adding new situations and characters. 

Landon played Charles Ingalls, the proud pa who moved 
his family from wintry Wisconsin to a Kansas homestead. 
Melissa Gilbert played young Laura, and Melissa Sue 
Anderson played sister Mary. 

The regular cast, over the years, included "Malcolm in 
the Middle" creator Linwood Boomer as Adam Kendall, 
"Arrested Development" star Jason Bateman as James Cooper 
Ingalls and Shannen Doherty, most recently of "North 
Shore," as Jenny Wilder. 

The Disney version, adapted by "Miss Congeniality" 
screenwriter Katie Ford, starts out as a much less 
populated affair. Saturday's premiere covers less than 
half the book, ending with a cliff-hanger in which Laura 
and Mary's mother, Caroline (Erin Cottrell), is confronted 
by Indians. 

Filmed on location in Canada - specifically, the beautiful, 
isolated countryside around Calgary - this first "Little 
House" entry makes the most of the tough trip by covered 
wagon. 

Bad weather, thin ice, deep water, hungry wolves and a 
lame horse all figure into the drama, and director David 
L. Cunningham films most of it from Laura's point of view. 

Kyle Chavarria makes an adorable and believable Laura, 
and Danielle Ryan Chuchran matches her as Mary. 

This type of family drama is as quaint and rare now as 
a log cabin, but children will enjoy the miniseries a lot, 
and parents will like watching it with them. The music is 
syrupy enough to drench Ma's pancakes, but that's the 
only irritant in an otherwise soothing and welcome 
"Wonderful World of Disney" entry - the kind they made in 
the old days.