Bonanza

Information about Bonanza

This article is about the television program. For other uses, see Bonanza (disambiguation).
Bonanza
StarringLorne Greene
Pernell Roberts
Dan Blocker
Michael Landon
Victor Sen Young
David Canary
Mitch Vogel
Ray Teal
Bing Russell
Tim Matheson
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes430
Production
Running time60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channelNBC
Original run1959 – 1973


Bonanza was an American western/cowboy television series which aired on the NBC television network from September 12, 1959 until January 16, 1973. From 1964 through 1967, the show was #1 in the yearly Nielsen ratings. In terms of longevity, the show remains NBC's second longest-running series, after Law & Order. Bonanza was also the first hour-long network television series filmed in color.

Origins

Bonanza got its name from the Comstock Lode which was "an exceptionally large and rich mineral deposit" of silver. Virginia City was founded directly over the lode and was mined for 19 years. Ponderosa was an alternative title of the series, often used for the broadcast of syndicated reruns in the 1970s and 1980s.

The pilot episode was written by David Dortort, who also produced the series. Dortort's other creations include The Restless Gun, The High Chaparral, The Cowboys, and the Bonanza prequel, Ponderosa. For most of its 430 episode run, the main sponsor of Bonanza was Chevrolet and the stars occasionally appeared in commercials endorsing Chevrolet automobiles. All of the regular cast members had appeared in numerous stage, television and film productions before Bonanza, but none was particularly well-known.

In 1959, the series was aired on Saturday evenings. Bonanaza was one of the first series to be filmed and broadcast in color. RCA owned NBC (and the series) and wanted to use it to spur sales of color receivers. Many department stores stayed open early Saturday evenings and RCA believed the Lake Tahoe exterior shots would show off color television to best advantage. However, Saturday night ratings were disappointing and ''Bonanza" was soon targeted for cancellation, but given one last chance. A move to Sunday nights at 9:00 PM, caused the series to soar, and it remained high on the Nielsen ratings until Autumn 1972.

Premise

The show chronicled the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, headed by wise, widowed patriarch Ben Cartwright (played by Lorne Greene). He had three sons, each by a different wife: the oldest was the urbane architect Adam Cartwright played by (Pernell Roberts) who built the ranch house; the second was the warm and lovable giant Eric, better known by his nickname: "Hoss" (Dan Blocker); and the youngest was the hotheaded and impetuous Joseph or "Little Joe" (Michael Landon). The family's cook was the Chinese immigrant Hop Sing (Victor Sen Yung). "Bonanza" was considered an atypical western for its time, as the core of the storylines dealt with Ben and his three dissimilar sons, how they cared for one another, their neighbors and their land.

The family lived on a thousand-square-mile ranch called "The Ponderosa", on the shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada; the name refers to the Ponderosa Pine, common in the West. The nearest town to the Ponderosa was Virginia City, where the Cartwrights would go to converse with Sheriff Roy Coffee (played by veteran actor Ray Teal), or his deputy Clem Foster (Bing Russell). Greene, Roberts, Blocker, and Landon were equal stars. The opening credits rotated among four versions, with each of the four being shown first in one version (in the order above). As the series advanced, writers began to showcase one or two Cartwrights in each episode. The others would be seen briefly in the prologue and epilogue. Not only did this provide for more thorough character development, it also gave all four actors more free time.

Originally, the Cartwright family tended to be depicted as hostile to visitors. However, Greene pointed out to the producers that given the immense size of the Ponderosa ranch, the Cartwrights were actually one of the most wealthy families in the region and a major business interest. Therefore, they would be of interest to numerous people for economic and political reasons and the Cartwrights should treat them sociably, well aware of their importance. The producers agreed with this observation and changed the series premise accordingly.

Early in the show's history, the thrice widowed Ben Cartwright, recalls each wife in flashback episodes. A running gag (which also occurs in the TV western The Big Valley), was that every time one of the Cartwrights became seriously involved with a woman, she died from a malady, was slain, or left with someone else. As with all hit programs, disturbing a successful formula could be a major blunder.

The Cast

The cast became very popular with viewers. Lorne Greene, known as the "Voice of Canada," was a fairly successful announcer, actor and drama coach in his native land. Ben Cartwright, as Greene once described him, was "suede leather," as he was both a strong and soft patriarch. Greene recorded several record albums in character as Ben Cartwright, scoring a #1 hit with his dramatic spoken word performance of "Ringo." He also recorded a version of the Bonanza theme, with lyrics.

Georgia-born Pernell Roberts, like Greene, also recorded an album of folk ballads entitled "Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies". He left the series in 1965 after a long running dispute with series writers and creator David Dortort. Attempts to replace him were made by introducing Ben's stepson, Clay, (played briefly by Barry Coe) and a nephew Will (played by Zorro star Guy Williams), but neither lasted. Williams was set to replace Pernell Roberts and his storyline overlapped the other character's, but at the last minute Roberts decided to stay for one more season so Williams' character wound up leaving the series with the woman Adam Cartwright was originally slated to marry. Williams moved on to Lost in Space and never revived the Will Cartwright role.
Enlarge picture
Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, Lorne Greene in Bonanza. Photo:Howard Frank Archives.
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Three hundred pound Dan Blocker was born in Texas. A teacher, Blocker was the most educated member of the cast, having graduated with a Masters in Theatre before becoming Hoss. Hoss had a tender heart and a penchant for lost causes. But, as might be expected, it was young Michael Landon who received the most fan mail. In addition to acting, Landon began to develop his skills in writing and directing Bonanza episodes, starting with "The Gamble." Some of the episodes he directed are considered to be the most moving and socially relevant of the series ("The Wish").

In 1967, David Canary joined the cast as "Candy" Canaday, a confident army-brat turned cowboy, who became the Cartwrights' foreman. The character vanished in 1970 after Canary himself had a contract dispute with Dortort.

In 1970, 14-year-old Mitch Vogel joined the series as Jamie Hunter, the orphaned son of a rainmaker. Ben adopted Jamie in a 1971 episode.

In 1972, after the sudden death of Dan Blocker from a post-op blood-clot, the show was moved to Tuesday nights against a new CBS sitcom, Maude. Both events signaled the end of the program. Canary returned to his former role of Candy (to make up for Blocker's absence), and a new character named Griff King (played by Tim Matheson) was added. Griff, accused of killing his heavy-handed stepfather, was paroled into Ben's custody and got a job as a ranch hand. Several episodes were built around his character, one Matheson never had a chance to fully develop before the show's sudden demise in January 1973. Many fans felt that the Hoss character was essential, as he was a nurturing, empathetic soul who rounded-out the all-male cast.

From the third season on, the Cartwrights and nearly every other recurring character on the show wore the same clothing in almost every episode. This was done to cut the cost of refilming action shots (such as riding clips in-between scenes), as previously-shot stock footage could be reused.
  • Ben Cartwright: Taupe shirt, Brown leather vest, gray pants, creme colored hat, occasional green scarf
  • Adam Cartwright: Black Shirt, Black Pants, Black hat. Occasional yellow trail coat.
  • Hoss Cartwright: White shirt, brown suede vest, brown pants, distinctive 10-gallon hat.
  • Little Joe Cartwright: Gray shirt, green corduroy jacket, tan pants, Tan hat. Black leather gloves from 10th season on.
  • Candy Canaday: Crimson shirt, black pants, black leather vest and hat, green scarf.
Enlarge picture
Bonanza's credits were names superimposed over charcoal drawings. This card was a rendition of creator/producer David Dortort, portrayed here as an overseer in mines.


In 1968, Dan Blocker began wearing a toupee on the series as he was approaching forty and losing hair. He joined the ranks of his fellow co-stars Pernell Roberts and Lorne Greene, both of whom began the series with hairpieces (Greene wore his modest frontal piece in private life too, whereas Roberts preferred not wearing his, even to rehearsals/blocking). Michael Landon was the only original cast member to be wig-free throughout the series, as even Victor Sen Yung's Hop Sing wore an attached queue (pony tail).

After cancellation

For 14 years, the Cartwrights were the premier western family on American television and have been immensely popular on cable networks such as TV Land, ION (formerly PAX), and the Hallmark Channel. In the UK the show is aired on the Bonanza channel on skyTV.

Following the program's cancellation:

TV Movies

Bonanza was brought back for three made-for-TV movies featuring the Cartwrights' offspring. These include (1988), (1993) and (1995). Michael Landon, Jr., who bore no resemblance to his father, played Little Joe's son while Dirk Blocker, who looks and sounds exactly like his father, briefly portrayed an unrelated newspaper reporter in a small role, although clips of his appearance were heavily used in the advertisements before the film's broadcast.

The Prequel

In 2001, there was an attempt to revive the series' concept with a prequel, Ponderosa, with a pilot directed by Kevin James Dobson and filmed in Australia. Covering the time when the Cartwrights first arrived at the Ponderosa, it lasted 20 episodes. The prequel had less gunfire and brawling than the original. Bonanza creator David Dortort approved PAX TV's decision to hire Beth Sullivan, a producer from , which some believe gave the series a softer edge.

Theme Song

Bonanza also featured a memorable theme song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans that is often parodied. Lorne Greene and the cast recorded versions of the song with lyrics.

Well known American country singer Johnny Cash recorded a version of the theme song, released on his sixteenth album: "", in 1963.

The Bonanza theme is one of the best known pieces of made-for-television music, and variations of it were used for twelve seasons of the series. In 1968, a new percussion-heavy arrangement of the original theme was introduced; the new version was used until 1970. A new theme song, called "The Big Bonanza" was written in 1970 by episode scorer David Rose, and was used from 1970-1972. A faster rendition of the original theme returned for the 14th and final season.

The Little House on the Prairie theme (also by Rose), was heard first in a 1971 episode of "Bonanza". The overture for The High Chaparral composed by Harry Sukman can be heard briefly at the start of the 1966 episode "Four Sisters from Boston".

Michael Richards as Stanley Spadowski in UHF sang a bit of the theme song while being held hostage by Channel 8's thugs.

Set

The program's Nevada set, the Ponderosa Ranch house, was recreated in Incline Village, Nevada, in 1967, and remained a tourist attraction world-wide until its sale in September 2004.

Bonanza on VHS and DVD

A handful of episodes of the series are in the public domain, and some TV showings of these episodes on low-budget stations and networks (and also on low-budget public domain DVDs and VHS tapes) substitute the familiar theme music for generic music.

In 1973, NBC licensed the syndication rights to the series to National Telefilm Associates, which changed its name to Republic Pictures in the 1980s (by then part of the Spelling Entertainment organization). Select episodes ("The Best of Bonanza") were officially released in North America in 2003 on DVD via then-Republic video licensee Artisan Entertainment (which was later purchased by Lionsgate Home Entertainment). Republic still retains the syndication distribution rights to the series, and lately the series is distributed world-wide via CBS Paramount Television, which owns the Republic Library. DVD distribution details are currently under on-going negotiation, but CBS DVD is now the home video rights holder.

Bonanza Ventures, Inc. grants merchandising and licensing rights worldwide. One of its licensees is the magazine, Bonanza Gold, which features detailed information about the show, including interviews with actors and other production personnel, articles about historical events and people depicted in the series, fan clubs and fan fiction.

See also

External links

Fan Sites

Bonanza is the name of a number of places:
  • Bonanza, Arkansas, USA
  • Bonanza, Colorado, USA
  • Bonanza Creek, a tributary of the Klondike River in the Yukon Territory in Canada
  • Bonanza, Georgia, USA
  • Bonanza, Idaho, USA
  • Bonanza, Oregon, USA

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For the Fox News Channel reporter, see .
Lorne Hyman Greene O.C., LL.D. (February 12, 1915 – September 11, 1987) was a Canadian actor, best known in the United States for his roles on two American television programs: the long-running western
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Pernell Roberts

Birth name Pernell Elvin Roberts
Born May 18 1928 (1928--) (age 79)
Waycross, Georgia, U.S.
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Dan Blocker

Dan Blocker as Hoss Cartwright, his most memorable role in Bonanza
Birth name B. Dan D. Blocker
Born December 10, 1928
DeKalb, Texas, USA
Died May 13 1972 (aged 45)
Los Angeles, California, USA


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Michael Landon

Birth name Eugene Maurice Orowitz
Born September 31 1936(1936--)
Forest Hills, New York, USA
Died July 1 1991
Malibu, California, USA

Other name(s)
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Victor Sen Yung (揚森, pinyin: Yáng Sēn) (born October 18, 1915 in San Francisco, California – died November 9, 1980 in North Hollywood, California) was an American character actor.
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David Hoyt Canary

Born July 25 1938 (1938--) (age 69)
Elwood, Indiana, U.S.
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Ray Teal (b. 12 January 1902, Grand Rapids, Michigan - d. 2 April 1976, Santa Monica, California) was an actor who appeared in more than 250 movies and over 90 television programs in his 37 year career.
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Bing Russell

Birth name Neil Russell
Born May 5 1926(1926--)
Brattleboro, Vermont, U.S.A.
Died March 8 2003 (aged 78)
Thousand Oaks, California, U.S.A.
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Tim Matheson

Birth name Timothy Lewis Matthieson
Born November 31 1947 (1947--) (age 61)
Glendale, California
Died

Awards

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Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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National Broadcasting Company

Type Broadcast television network
Country  United States
Availability    United States, also distributed in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean
Founder David Sarnoff
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-1959- 1960 1961 1962  1963 .  1964 .  1965 .  1966  . 1967  . 1968  . 1969 

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-1973- 1974 1975 1976  1977 .  1978 .  1979 .  1980  . 1981  . 1982  . 1983 
In home video: 1970 1971 1972 -1973- 1974 1975 1976     
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Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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Western is a fiction genre seen in film, television, radio, literature, painting and other visual arts. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the later half of the 19th century in what became the Western United States (known as the American Old West or Wild
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cowboy (Spanish: vaquero) tends cattle and horses on cattle ranches in North and South America. The cowboy is normally an animal herder most commonly in charge of the horses and/or cattle, whereas the wrangler's work is more specific to horses.
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Television (often abbreviated to TV, T.V., or more recently, tv; sometimes called telly, the tube, boob tube, or idiot box in British English) is a widely used telecommunication system for broadcasting and receiving moving pictures
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National Broadcasting Company

Type Broadcast television network
Country  United States
Availability    United States, also distributed in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean
Founder David Sarnoff
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September 12 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events


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20th century - 21st century
1920s  1930s  1940s  - 1950s -  1960s  1970s  1980s
1956 1957 1958 - 1959 - 1960 1961 1962

Year 1959 (MCMLIX
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January 16 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events


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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1940s  1950s  1960s  - 1970s -  1980s  1990s  2000s
1970 1971 1972 - 1973 - 1974 1975 1976
For the song by James Blunt, see .

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Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. Nielsen Ratings are offered in over forty countries.
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Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf. It has been broadcast on NBC since its debut on September 13, 1990.
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Film tinting was a process in which either the emulsion or the film base is dyed, giving the image a uniform monochromatic color. This process was popular during the 1920s, with specific colors employed for certain narrative effects (red for scenes with fire or firelight, blue for
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The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. deposit of silver ore, discovered under what is now Virginia City, Nevada on the eastern slope of Mt. Davidson, a peak in the Virginia range.
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Silver (IPA: /ˈsɪlvə(ɹ)/) is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (Latin: argentum) and atomic number 47.
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Virginia City is a city located in Storey County, Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of approximately 1,500. Virginia City is the only city in Storey County and is not incorporated.
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worldwide view of the subject.
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Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein, or (coal) seam.
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