"Bonanza" (1959)TV series 1959-1973

Creators:

David Dortort
Fred Hamilton

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

Release Date:

12 September 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

1860s | Widower | Frontier | Nevada | Ranch

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 12 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 27	7:00 AM	TVLAND	A Dime's Worth of Glory	#6.7
Sun. July 27	2:00 PM	TVLAND	A Dime's Worth of Glory	#6.7

Cast

Lorne Greene	...	Ben Cartwright / ... (409 episodes, 1959-1973)
Michael Landon	...	Joseph 'Little Joe' Cartwright / ... (394 episodes, 1959-1973)
Dan Blocker	...	Eric 'Hoss' Cartwright / ... (387 episodes, 1959-1972)
Pernell Roberts	...	Adam Cartwright (173 episodes, 1959-1965)

Also Known As:

Ponderosa (USA) (rerun title)

Runtime:

60 min (430 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-11 (DVD) (2006) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Trivia:

Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon sang a lyric version of this famous instrumental theme for the pilot, but it never aired.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: 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.

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.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-04-18)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Bonanza

Special meanings

I lost my father at a very young age.So young in fact,that I have no recollection of him.Over the years I have learned many things about him. One of those things was that he loved westerns,and watching Bonanza every Sunday evening was an absolute ritual for him.I,myself, remember the tail end of the series' run,having been 8 years old when the show ceased production in 1973.Watching this show over the years somehow makes me closer to my long ago lost father.It has all the right elements to make a show successful;laughter,tears,edge of your seat suspense,and it even angered you at times.My most vivid memory of the show's original run,came shortly after the death of our beloved "Hoss" Cartwright,Dan Blocker.One particular episode,and the end of the closing credits, flashed a picture of Blocker,and faded to black,and I can also recall my oldest sister with a tear in her eye at the sight of this.I can remember this as though it were yesterday.On behalf of my late father, who is not here to say so himself,we love Bonanza.Long live the Cartwrights.