When the updated version of the classic family drama Little House on the Prairie debuts on Netflix this summer, one of the most famous characters from the original series will seem a little different than he did in the original series that aired from 1974 to 1983. In fact, he will even have a different name.
A New Mr. Edwards is On the Agenda
Fans of the original series know Isaiah Edwards as the troubled but affable Ingalls family friend who added both comic relief and compelling emotional drama to the show. Played by the late Victor French in 57 episodes of the series, per IMDb, Mr. Edwards would come and go from the story through the years, but would always be welcomed back with open arms whenever he’d appear.
The character was a smaller part of the Little House series of children’s books by Laura Ingalls Wilder that both the original series and the new series are based on, but he had a much more outsized role on NBC than he did in print. Mr. Edwards was introduced to TV audiences as the alcoholic widowed friend of Charles Ingalls (Michael Landon), who had lost his wife and children to illness. Eventually, he remarried a woman named Grace (Bonnie Bartlett) and adopted her three children before moving from Walnut Grove.
Sadly, Mr. Edwards turned to alcohol after Grace’s son was killed, which spelled the end of the marriage. He moved back to Walnut Grove, where he once again served as the Ingalls family friend.
Melissa Gilbert, who played young Laura, remembered French with fondness in a social media post last year, saying, per Parade, “To me, he was basically a beloved uncle. I learned so much from him as an actor for sure, but also how to live life fully and deeply. He made me laugh until I peed. He was gentle, generous and incredibly supportive. I miss him.”
In the new series, the character is played by Warren Christie, whose credits include the TV movies Holiday Road, Home Turf, and A Royal Montana Christmas, according to IMDb. And instead of being known as Isaiah Edwards, this new version of the character will be John Edwards, a troubled Civil War veteran who befriends the Ingalls clan upon their move to Kansas.
“He’s surviving, not thriving,” show creator Rebecca Sonnenshine said, according to TV Insider. “You’re talking about a man who’s been through a lot of trauma. He’s at least looking for some semblance of hope in the world.”
You can meet the new Mr. Edwards, as well as the rest of the reimagined version of the Ingalls family, when the new series drops on July 9.
