Bonanza is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. The show is set in the 1860s and centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada, bordering Lake Tahoe. 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. Despite the show’s success, Roberts departed the series after the 1964–65 season (202 episodes) and returned to stage productions. However, Roberts was persuaded to complete his contract, and remained through season six.
For the love of stockings
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- The Bonanza theme song opens with a blazing Ponderosa map and saddlebound Cartwrights.
- In the episode “First Born” (1962), viewers learn of Little Joe’s older, maternal half-brother Clay Stafford.
- “The Lonely Man” presents the controversial interracial marriage between the Cartwrights’ longtime Chinese chef (Hop Sing) and a white woman (Missy).
- 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.
- Early in the show’s history, Ben recalls each of his late wives in flashback episodes.
- Bonanza is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973.
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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 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.
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- 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.
- During season five Adam falls for a widow with a young daughter, while making Will Cartwright a central figure.
- Covering the time when the Cartwrights first arrived at the Ponderosa, when Adam and Hoss were teenagers and Joe a little boy, the series lasted 20 episodes and featured less gunfire and brawling than the original.
- The show is set in the 1860s and centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada, bordering Lake Tahoe.
- The melodic intro, emulating galloping horses, is one of the most recognized television scores.
- 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.
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Pernell Roberts – Adam Cartwright
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- 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.
- The series sought to illustrate the cruelty of bigotry against Asians, African Americans, Native Americans, Jews, Mormons, the disabled, and little people.
- Dortort was impressed by Canary’s talent, but the character vanished in September 1970, after Canary had a contract dispute.
- Bonanza “the official first season” was released in Scandinavia during 2010.
- Griff, in prison for nearly killing his abusive stepfather, was paroled into Ben’s custody and given a job as a ranch hand.
- Little Joe appears in all but fourteen Bonanza episodes, a total of 416 episodes.
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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. Fourteen-year-old Mitch Vogel was introduced as Bonanza City casino Jamie Hunter Cartwright in “A Matter of Faith” (season 12, episode 363). Vogel played the red-haired orphan of a roving rainmaker, whom Ben takes in and adopts later in a 1971 episode, called “A Home For Jamie”.
List of Bonanza episodes
Beginning in 1962, a foundation was being laid to include another “son”, as Pernell Roberts was displeased with his character. VE AG released the first seven seasons on DVD in Germany between 2008 and 2010. “The Lonely Man” presents the controversial interracial marriage between the Cartwrights’ longtime Chinese chef (Hop Sing) and a white woman (Missy).
Other Lorne Greene & James Neilson TV shows
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. During the first season extra horses were rented from the Idyllwild Stables in Idyllwild, also in the San Jacinto Mountains. 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. 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.