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Bonanza 

TV-PG | | Western | TV Series (1959–1973)
Episode Guide
430 episodes
Bonanza Poster
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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 | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
Popularity
631 ( 5)

Episodes

Seasons

Years


14   13   12   11   10   9   8   7   6   … See all »
1973   1972   1971   1970   1969   1968   … See all »
Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 9 wins & 14 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

See all 2 videos  »

Photos

See all 878 photos »
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Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Lorne Greene ...  Ben Cartwright / ... 430 episodes, 1959-1973
Michael Landon ...  Joseph 'Little Joe' Cartwright / ... 427 episodes, 1959-1973
Dan Blocker ...  Eric 'Hoss' Cartwright / ... 415 episodes, 1959-1972
Pernell Roberts ...  Adam Cartwright 200 episodes, 1959-1965
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

The Cartwright's one-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. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

apache territory | apache | apache indian | arizona territory | arizona | See All (89) »

Genres:

Western

Certificate:

TV-PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 1959 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Ponderosa See more »

Filming Locations:

Virginia City Western Street backlot, Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Broadcasting Company (NBC) See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

(430 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to David Dortort, Michael Landon grew difficult during the last five seasons of the show: "Nearly every line, every scene, every set up, everything would halt for endless story conferences on the set, it got increasingly bitter toward the end." See more »

Goofs

The story of Bonanza starts in 1859 Nevada but the clothing worn by the cast is invariably 20th century . For example belt loops did not appear on men's trousers and jeans until many decades later. See more »

Quotes

[running gag]
Ben Cartwright: Hey, Joe, do you know the difference between a table and an ottoman?
Joseph 'Little Joe' Cartwright: Sure I do.
Ben Cartwright: Then take your feet off the table!
[Hoss rolls his eyes]
Eric 'Hoss' Cartwright: He'll never learn to do that.
See more »

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. See more »

Alternate Versions

Many television broadcasts and DVDs of public domain episodes currently in circulation replace the famous title theme music with generic music. Only official videos and DVDs from Artisan/Republic are uncut and contain the music as intended. See more »

Connections

Featured in Michael Landon: Memories with Laughter and Love (1991) See more »

Soundtracks

Bonanza
Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Did Bonanza have a proper series finale to end the show?
Q: Little Joe's middle name
Q: What were the reasons for Pernell Roberts abrupt departure from the series?
See more »

User Reviews

Facts about the show "Bonanza"
17 December 2007 | by rcj5365 – See all my reviews

1. The series produced an astounding 431 episodes-all filmed in full color. "Bonanza" became the second longest-running western in television history right next to "Gunsmoke" which lasted more than 20 years on the air.

2. Ran for 14 years on NBC-TV from September 12,1959 until the final episode on January 16,1973. Executive Producer and Creator of this series was David Dortort. Episode 1:"A Rose For Lotta"(Airdate:9-12-59). Episode 431:"The Hunter"(Airdate:1-16-1973,the final episode of the series).

3. It was schedule during seasons 1-2 on Saturday nights from September 12,1959 until June 3,1961.

The show moved to Sunday nights during seasons 3-13 from September 24,1961 until April 11,1971. It was here between 1961-1967,that the show was within the top ten of the Nielsens.

The show moved to Wednesday nights for its last two seasons 13-14 from September 19,1971 until the final episode of the series on January 16,1973.

4. Only actors Lorne Greene,Michael Landon,Dan Blocker,Ray Teal and Victor Sen-Yung remained throughout the show's astounding 14-year run. Pernell Roberts remained with the show during seasons 1-6 with Roberts' last episode of the series "Patchwork Man"(Episode No. 202)which aired May 23,1965.

*David Canary played "Candy Canaday"(Seasons 9-11 and 14)[1967-1973],

*Mitch Vogel played Jamie Hunter Cartwright(Seasons 12-14)[1970-1973],

*Tim Matheson played hired hand Griff King(Seasons 13-14)[1971-1973],

*Lou Frizzell played hired hand Dusty Rhodes (Seasons 12-13)[1970-1972],

The original episodes:Seasons 1-6 from 1959-1965. The lost episodes Seasons 7-14 from 1965-1973.
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