Sure, we loved our lone cowboy hero, but “Bonanza” gave us a family to root for. The interactions between Ben and his sons highlighted real-life family struggles and made every episode relatable. Jamie Hunter was introduced in “A Matter of Faith” (season 12, episode 2). Beginning in 1962, a foundation was being laid to include another “son” as Pernell Roberts was displeased with his character.
Dan Blocker – Eric “Hoss” Cartwright
Ben and his sons then continued west, reaching Nevada, and through much hard work established the Ponderosa Ranch. Sheriff Coffee was occasionally the focus of a Bonanza City plot as in the episode “No Less a Man” (broadcast March 15, 1964). Teal was a bit-part player in western films for several years before landing a substantial role in Northwest Passage (1940) starring Spencer Tracy. However, the unexpected death of Blocker in 1972 left a bigger hole, and Bonanza ended one season later.
Recurring cast
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- 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.
- His first wife was Abel’s daughter Elizabeth, and they had one son, Adam.
- The character departed in that same episode, but left an opportunity for a return if needed.
- Ben and his sons then continued west, reaching Nevada, and through much hard work established the Ponderosa Ranch.
- Little Joe had a son named Benjamin ‘Benj’ Cartwright who was played by Landon’s real-life son and seen in all three Bonanza TV movies.
- Teal was a bit-part player in western films for several years before landing a substantial role in Northwest Passage (1940) starring Spencer Tracy.
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Despite the show’s success, Roberts departed the series after the 1964–65 season (202 episodes) and returned to stage productions. The Bonanza theme song opens with a blazing Ponderosa map and saddlebound Cartwrights. The melodic intro, emulating galloping horses, is one of the most recognized television scores. Although there were two official sets of lyrics (some country-western singers, avoiding royalties, substituted the copyright renditions with their own words), the series simply used an instrumental theme. Three of the cast members bellowed out the original lyrics, unaccompanied, at the close of the pilot (Pernell Roberts, the sole professional singer of the quartet, abstained and untethered the horse reins).
- All episodes have been digitally remastered from original 35 mm film elements to yield the best picture and sound quality possible with current technology.
- For nearly 14 seasons and 431 episodes, “Bonanza” was more than just a cowboy show; it became a cultural juggernaut that changed the TV landscape forever.
- As producer, Dortort ensured that the episode re-aired during the summer rerun seasons, though two TV stations in the South refused to air it.
- Bonanza is an NBC-produced television series that ran on the NBC network from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973.
- 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).
- Only instrumental renditions, without Ray Evans’s lyrics, were used during the series’s long run.
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Television movies
In the twelfth season, Mitch Vogel joined the cast as Jamie Hunter, a teenage orphan who is adopted by Ben Cartwright. Dortort was impressed by Canary’s talent, but the character vanished in September 1970, after Canary had a contract dispute. He returned two seasons later after co-star Dan Blocker’s death, reportedly having been approached by Landon.
Bonanza: The Legendary Show That Shaped TV History
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- “The Lonely Man” presents the controversial interracial marriage between the Cartwrights’ longtime Chinese chef (Hop Sing) and a white woman (Missy).
- In the ninth season, David Canary was added to the cast as ranch hand/foreman Candy Canady.
- Starting in September 2009, CBS Home Entertainment (distributed by Paramount) has to date released the first eleven seasons on DVD in Region 1.
- Creator David Dortort introduced a storyline that would keep the character of Adam in the mix, but with a lighter schedule.
- Despite the show’s success, Roberts departed the series after the 1964–65 season (202 episodes) and returned to stage productions.
- 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”.
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Only instrumental renditions, without Ray Evans’s lyrics, were used during the series’s long run. Did you know that Bonanza was one of the first television series to be shot in color? Shows like Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit or HBO’s Succession owe a huge debt of gratitude to “Bonanza” for establishing foundational storytelling principles that resonate with audiences. The Cartwrights are not just characters; they’ve left an indelible mark on our screens and our hearts. This was revolutionary at the time and led the way for shows like Game of Thrones and Lost.
Featured reviews
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 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”. Beginning in 1962, a foundation was being laid to include another “son”, as Pernell Roberts was displeased with his character.