Bonanza (1959–1973)

The adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.

Creator:

David Dortort

Stars:

Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 7 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Lorne Greene	...	Ben Cartwright (429 episodes, 1959-1973)
Michael Landon	...	Joseph 'Little Joe' Cartwright (426 episodes, 1959-1973)
Dan Blocker	...	Eric 'Hoss' Cartwright (415 episodes, 1959-1972)
Pernell Roberts	...	Adam Cartwright (199 episodes, 1959-1965)

Storyline

The Cartwright's thousand-square-mile Ponderosa Ranch is located near Virginia City, Nevada, site of the Comstock Silver Lode, during and after the Civil War. Each of the sons was born to a different wife of Ben's; none of the mothers is still alive. Adventures are typical western ones, with lots of personal relationships/problems thrown in as well.

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Plot Keywords:

ranch | nevada | lost love | family relationships | six shooter | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ponderosa

Filming Locations:

Bourne's Meadow, Lake Tahoe, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

49 min 49 min (430 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although it got off to a rough start, by 1961 it was the #1 show on TV.

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Goofs

During the first season opening credits, the Cartwrights can be seen galloping on horses on a dirt road that contains an unmistakable set of tire tracks from the truck carrying the camera in front of them.

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Quotes

Adam Cartwright: Let's go back to the Ponderosa, Pa. This isn't any of our affair.
Ben Cartwright: We can't ignore the rest of the world. We're the only stabilizing influence in the country.

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Crazy Credits

In the opening sequence, when the actors ride on their horses towards the camera and are introduced, the order in which they are introduced is never consistent - this was most likely done to prevent a single actor from becoming the "main" star of the show.

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Connections

Referenced in Lukas: Die gekaufte Braut (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Bonanza"
Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

User Reviews

great western

This series is great for many things. The Cartwrights are righteous, hard working and well respected. They work from early in the morning until they sit down for dinner, eating meat and potatoes. Dan Blocker was Texas heaviest baby when he was born, and Little Joe (Michael Landon) always comments on how much he eats for dinner. Pernell Roberts is very cool as Adam, and Lorne Greene, playing Ben Cartwright depicts a very noble and respectable man. Under the scorching sun they meet problems like racism, indians and every other problem you could expect those days. Great entertainment. A TV-series like this will never be made again.