Bonanza TV Series 1959-1973

After his wife’s death, he and his son traveled to Illinois, where he married his second wife, Inger Borgstrom, and continued west. Ben and his sons then continued west, reaching Nevada, and through much hard work established the Ponderosa Ranch. Teal was a bit-part player in western films for several years before landing a substantial role in Northwest Passage (1940) starring Spencer Tracy. However, the unexpected death of Blocker in 1972 left a bigger hole, and Bonanza ended one season later.

Bonanza (

{
• As producer, Dortort ensured that the episode re-aired during the summer rerun seasons, though two TV stations in the South refused to air it.

|}{

• Starting in September 2009, CBS Home Entertainment (distributed by Paramount) has to date released the first eleven seasons on DVD in Region 1.

|}

• Griff, in prison for nearly killing his abusive stepfather, was paroled into Ben’s custody and given a job as a ranch hand.
• Though not familiar stars in 1959, the cast quickly became favorites of the first television generation.

{

• The vast size of the Cartwrights’ land was quietly revised to “half a million acres” (2,000 km2) in Lorne Greene’s 1964 song, “Saga of the Ponderosa”.

|}

• Bonanza creator David Dortort approved PAX TV (now Ion TV)’s decision to hire Beth Sullivan, formerly of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, which some believe gave the series more depth as well as a softer edge.

The series sought to illustrate the cruelty of bigotry against Asians, African Americans, Native Americans, Jews, Mormons, the disabled, and little people. Though not familiar stars in 1959, the cast quickly became favorites of the first television generation.

Episodes

A standard practice with most westerns was to introduce some romance but avoid matrimony. The time period for the television series is roughly between 1861 (Season 1) to 1867 (Season 13) during and shortly after the American Civil War. In 1968, a slightly revamped horn and percussion-heavy arrangement of the original score introduced the series, which was used until 1970. Finally, a faster rendition of the original music returned for the 14th and final season, along Bonanza City casino with action shots of the cast (sans Dan Blocker, who had died by this point). Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
{

• The first Virginia City set was used on the show until 1970 and was located on a backlot at Paramount and featured in episodes of Have Gun – Will Travel, Mannix and The Brady Bunch.

{

• The series initially starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon and later featured (at various times) Guy Williams, David Canary, Mitch Vogel and Tim Matheson.

|}

• Bonanza “the official first season” was released in Scandinavia during 2010.

{

• Before the pilot aired (on September 12, 1959), the song sequence, deemed too campy, was edited out of the scene and instead the Cartwrights headed back to the ranch whooping and howling.

|}{

• Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

|}

• The Bonanza theme song opens with a blazing Ponderosa map and saddlebound Cartwrights.

|}

Episode list

Little Joe appears in all but fourteen Bonanza episodes, a total of 416 episodes. Early in the show’s history, Ben recalls each of his late wives in flashback episodes. Any time one of the Cartwrights seriously courted a woman, she died from a malady, was abruptly slain, or left with someone else.

{
• Only instrumental renditions, without Ray Evans’s lyrics, were used during the series’s long run.

|}

• He appeared in more than 200 movies and some 90 television programs during his 37-year career.
• In 1968, a slightly revamped horn and percussion-heavy arrangement of the original score introduced the series, which was used until 1970.

{

• The opening scene for the first season was shot at Lake Hemet, a reservoir in the San Jacinto Mountains, Riverside County, California, and later moved to Lake Tahoe.

|}

• Many fans, as well as both Landon and Greene, felt that the character of Hoss was essential, as he was a nurturing, empathetic soul who rounded out the all-male cast.

{

• At the beginning of the episode, Adam is shown to be outraged at the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott v. Sandford decision (placing the time as 1857), which he discusses with his father.

|}

Season 10 (1968–

The character departed in that same episode, but left an opportunity for a return if needed. In the 1963 flashback episode “Marie, My Love”, his father was Jean De’Marigny. Little Joe had a son named Benjamin ‘Benj’ Cartwright who was played by Landon’s real-life son and seen in all three Bonanza TV movies.

Season 14 (1972–

Creator David Dortort introduced a storyline that would keep the character of Adam in the mix, but with a lighter schedule. During season five Adam falls for a widow with a young daughter, while making Will Cartwright a central figure. Early in the show’s history, he recalls each of his late wives in flashback episodes.