Bonanza
A Western series about the Cartwright family's moral dilemmas.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Bonanza was an American Western television series broadcast on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. It ran for 14 seasons and 431 episodes, making it NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western on American network television (after CBS's *Gunsmoke*), and one of the longest-running live-action American series. The show still airs in syndication. Set in the 1860s, it follows the wealthy Cartwright family, who live near Virginia City, Nevada, on the shore of Lake Tahoe. The original cast included Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon, with later additions such as Guy Williams, David Canary, Mitch Vogel, and Tim Matheson. The series was known for tackling moral dilemmas.
The title "Bonanza" comes from a miners' term for a large vein or deposit of silver ore, derived from the Spanish *bonanza* (rich ore body), and refers to the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode beneath Virginia City, near the fictional Ponderosa Ranch. The show's theme song, also called "Bonanza," became a hit, though only instrumental
- network
- NBC
- first_aired
- September 12, 1959
- last_aired
- January 16, 1973
- seasons
- 14
- episodes
- 431
- genre
- Western
- setting
- 1860s, Virginia City, Nevada
Lore & Background
The show chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, headed by thrice-widowed patriarch Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene). He had three sons, each by a different wife: eldest Adam (Pernell Roberts), second Eric 'Hoss' (Dan Blocker), and youngest Joseph 'Little Joe' (Michael Landon). The family's cook was Chinese immigrant Hop Sing (Victor Sen Yung). The family lived on a thousand-square-mile ranch called the Ponderosa on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe. The title 'Bonanza' refers to a large vein of silver ore, from the Spanish bonanza, and references the 1859 Comstock Lode near Virginia City.
Reader's Guide
Bonanza was a period drama that attempted to confront contemporary social issues, a difficult task for television at the time. The show's theme song, also titled 'Bonanza', became a hit song, though only instrumental renditions were used during the series' run. In 2002, Bonanza was ranked No. 43 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, and in 2013 TV Guide included it in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time. The series continues to air in syndication. The show's legacy includes its pioneering focus on family dynamics in a Western setting, influencing later television dramas.
Did You Know?
- The show's theme song, 'Bonanza', was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and orchestrated by David Rose.
- The opening scene for the first season was shot at Lake Hemet in Riverside County, California, later moving to Lake Tahoe.
- During the summer of 1972, NBC aired reruns of episodes from 1967–1970 under the title Ponderosa.
- The Cartwrights and nearly every other recurring character wore the same clothing in almost every episode starting in the third season.
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