Michael Landon’s son 'wouldn’t touch perfection’ of original 'Little House on the Prairie’

Michael Landon’s children aren’t signing up for the reboot of their father’s legendary show, “Little House on the Prairie.”

“I wouldn't touch that series myself,” Michael Landon Jr. told The National News Desk-Entertainment team in an interview with his sister, Leslie Landon Matthews.

He continued, “Personally, I wish them the best of luck, because it's family entertainment, and it potentially could be great storytelling. But I personally loved what my father did. I know Leslie does too, and, yeah, I wouldn't touch perfection.”

Production on the reboot for Netflix begins this month, with Luke Bracey as Charles Ingalls, Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline Ingalls, Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls, and Skywalker Hughes as Mary Ingalls.

The original ran on NBC between 1974 and 1983 and starred Landon as Charles, aka Pa, Karen Grassle as Caroline, and Melissa Gilbert as Laura, aka “Half Pint.”

Landon also served as an executive producer, writer, and director on the series, helping shape its enduring legacy for the past 50 years.

Leslie actually acted in several episodes, first as a guest star and later as a regular, and has “incredible memories throughout many, many years” of working with her father.

“My dad created an environment on that set that felt like family, and you had people that had been working together for umpteen years, because there was no reason to leave that particular crew, because everyone just worked so well together and took care of each other,” she said. “And it was a special cast. Melissa Gilbert was at our house all the time. Our families traveled together. We just, we were all very, very close. It was, it was a very special, special place to be.”

She added she and Gilbert are still friends and recently texted each other about buying rooster pajamas to match the chickens at Gilbert’s home.

Gilbert also appears in Michael Jr’s Hallmark series, “When Calls the Heart,” an exciting full circle moment for the whole family.

Sadly, Landon passed away in 1991 from pancreatic cancer, just a few months after his diagnosis.

But the siblings have turned some of their grief towards helping others by working with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), which leads the charge in funding critical research, advocating for patients, and working toward better outcomes.

“They do, you know, building community, sharing knowledge, advocating for patients, research and it's very well run,” Michael said. “They've all been affected by pancreatic cancer, and we just love supporting them.”

According to PanCan, 67,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2025, and it’s the 10th most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S.

The survival rate is currently at 13% after five years but was sadly lower around the time Landon was diagnosed.

“I think one of the biggest things that I think has been extraordinary is the screening abilities,” Leslie said of the changes she’s seen over the years. She said she and her siblings have all undergone prescreen for pancreatic and other cancers.

She continued, “I think having that early opportunity to be able to have early diagnosis that wasn't around. My dad could have had pancreatic cancer in his body for 10 years, and he never would have known it.”

Michael added, “And it is all about early detection, just like other cancers, but especially with pancreatic cancer. I mean, when it metastasize[s], you've got about a 3% chance of five-year survival. So it's, it's very grim news when it metastasize[s]. So what Leslie is saying [screening] is key, key to this cancer.”