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.
- Any time one of the Cartwrights seriously courted a woman, she died from a malady, was abruptly slain, or left with someone else.
- VE AG released the first seven seasons on DVD in Germany between 2008 and 2010.
- 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.
- All episodes have been digitally remastered from original 35 mm film elements to yield the best picture and sound quality possible with current technology.
- The melodic intro, emulating galloping horses, is one of the most recognized television scores.
- Fourteen-year-old Mitch Vogel was introduced as Jamie Hunter Cartwright in “A Matter of Faith” (season 12, episode 363).
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Cast
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. David Canary returned to his former role of Candy (to offset Hoss’ absence), and a new character named Griff King (played by Tim Matheson) was added in an attempt to lure younger viewers. Griff, in prison for nearly killing his abusive stepfather, was paroled into Ben’s custody and given a job as a ranch hand. Several episodes were built around his character, one that Matheson never had a chance to fully develop before the show was abruptly cancelled in November 1972 (with the final episode airing January 16, 1973). Many fans, as well as both Landon and Greene, felt that the character of Hoss was essential, as he was a nurturing, empathetic soul who rounded out the Bonanza City casino all-male cast.
The series sought to illustrate the cruelty of bigotry against Asians, African Americans, Native Americans, Jews, Mormons, the disabled, and little people. Though not familiar stars in 1959, the cast quickly became favorites of the first television generation.
Recurring cast
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. In the ninth season, David Canary was added to the cast as ranch hand/foreman Candy Canady. After four years with the series, Canary left due to a contract dispute. In the twelfth season, Mitch Vogel joined the cast as Jamie Hunter, a teenage orphan who is adopted by Ben Cartwright.
Bonanza
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.
Streaming details for Bonanza on Plex
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). His first wife was Abel’s daughter Elizabeth, and they had one son, Adam.
Pernell Roberts – Adam Cartwright
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- Griff, in prison for nearly killing his abusive stepfather, was paroled into Ben’s custody and given a job as a ranch hand.
- 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.
- Jamie Hunter was introduced in “A Matter of Faith” (season 12, episode 2).
- Though not familiar stars in 1959, the cast quickly became favorites of the first television generation.
- Bonanza creator David Dortort approved PAX TV (now Ion TV)’s decision to hire Beth Sullivan, formerly of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, which some believe gave the series more depth as well as a softer edge.
- Little Joe appears in all but fourteen Bonanza episodes, a total of 416 episodes.
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The character departed in that same episode, but left an opportunity for a return if needed. In the 1963 flashback episode “Marie, My Love”, his father was Jean De’Marigny. 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.
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Other Lorne Greene & James Neilson TV shows
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- He appeared in more than 200 movies and some 90 television programs during his 37-year career.
- In 1968, a slightly revamped horn and percussion-heavy arrangement of the original score introduced the series, which was used until 1970.
- Many fans, as well as both Landon and Greene, felt that the character of Hoss was essential, as he was a nurturing, empathetic soul who rounded out the all-male cast.
- Only instrumental renditions, without Ray Evans’s lyrics, were used during the series’s long run.
- The vast size of the Cartwrights’ land was quietly revised to “half a million acres” (2,000 km2) in Lorne Greene’s 1964 song, “Saga of the Ponderosa”.
- Starting in September 2009, CBS Home Entertainment (distributed by Paramount) has to date released the first eleven seasons on DVD in Region 1.
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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. 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. 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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S1.E8 ∙ The Philip Diedesheimer Story
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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.