Bonanza

This article is about the television program. For other uses, see Bonanza (disambiguation).

Bonanza
File:Bonanzalogo.jpg
Starring	Lorne 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 episodes	430
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	1959 – 1973

Bonanza was an American western/cowboy television series which aired on the NBC television network from September 12, 1959 until January 16, 1973. 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". Bonanza was the first hour-long network television series filmed in color. 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 were particularly well-known.

From 1961 to 1972 Bonanza aired on Sunday nights at 9:00 PM throughout most of the United States. This time slot was crucial to the success of the show: 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.

The "Bonanza" name

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.

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 biological sons, each by a different wife: the oldest was the urbane architect Adam Cartwright (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 the three disimilar half-brothers, and how they cared for their father, each other, 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 developement, it also gave all four actors more free time.

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. A Cartwright's love interest, therefore, lasted about as long as a baked ham in front of Hoss.

The Cast

The Cast of Bonanza

The cast was 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.

Like Greene, Pernell Roberts 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.

File:BONZACAST.jpg

Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, Lorne Greene in Bonanza. Photo:Howard Frank Archives.

A young Michael Landon began to develop his skills in writing and directing episodes of Bonanza, starting with the episode "The Gamble." Some of the episodes he directed are considered to be some of the best 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.

File:Daviddortortcard.jpg

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.

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:

• Lorne Greene did three short-lived series Griff, Battlestar Galactica and Code Red, as well as narrating a wild life series and a starring role as the first slave owner of Kunta Kinte in the Mini-Series Roots. Lorne Greene died from prostate cancer in 1987, a few weeks after signing to appear in Bonanza: The Next Generation.
• Michael Landon became an industry "mover" as actor, writer, director and producer of two successful series, Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven. Landon died from pancreatic cancer in 1991.
• David Canary, who started in Peyton Place, went back to the soap genre and (to date) has won five emmys for his dual portrayal of twins Adam and Stuart Chandler on All My Children.
• Pernell Roberts, the lone survivor of the original cast, found renewed fame in the 1970s with Trapper John, M.D., and later narrated FBI: The Untold Stories.
• Victor Sen Yung died a mysterious death in his home in 1980. The actor's achievements were greatly overlooked. On a To Tell the Truth episode in 1975, no one on the panel chose him as the actor who contributed to the Charlie Chan films, Rodgers and Hammerstein's, Flower Drum Song and the 14 year run of Bonanza. Pernell Roberts, a champion for minority rights, did the eulogy at Yung's funeral. With few available roles for Asian actors at the time, Yung had been reduced to selling cookware.

TV Movies

Bonanza was brought back for three made-for-TV movies featuring the Cartwrights' offspring. These include Bonanza: The Next Generation (1988), Bonanza: The Return (1993) and Bonanza: Under Attack (1995).

The Prequel

In 2001, there was an attempt to revive the series' ideas 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 Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, 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.

Although the Bonanza theme is one of the best known pieces of made-for-television music, it was not used for the entire run of the series. In 1968, a new arrangement of the original theme was introduced, having a bright, marching band-type feel; 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 new arrangement of the original theme returned for the 14th and final season.

The Little House on the Prairie theme (also by Rose), can be 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".

Set

The program's Nevada set, the Ponderosa Ranch house, was recreated in Incline Village, Nevada, in 1967, and remained a popular 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.

Trivia

• In 1968, Dan Blocker began wearing a toupe 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 prefered not wearing his, even to rehersals/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 pony tail.
• On an episode of Cheers, one of the patrons sings the words to the "Bonanza" theme.
• All four Cartwrights did a cameo appearance in a Jerry Lewis movie.
• On an episode of The Simpsons, two of the characters playing the Indians put on a show at the Springfield mall, and one of them makes a joke about how they always tried to kill the Cartwrights but "it looks like Father Time did our work for us!". They then start doing an embarrassed jig to the theme tune, and Homer has to drag Marge away as she wonders "weren't there three Indians last year?"
• On an episode of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, the theme tune was played when then-host Mark Lamarr jokingly compared Bill Bailey's efforts to recreate a completely different song, much to Lamarr's delight.
• On The Simpsons episode, Rome-old and Juli-eh the Bonanza opening scene is parodied in the couch gag.
• An animated version of the Cartwrights (as the "Cartrocks") appear on The Flintstones whereby they manage save Fred and Barney from the Slatery Brothers in "Sheriff for a Day" (Season 5, Episode 21).
• The cast was featured in a cross-promotional magazine ad campaign for RCA color television sets in the mid-'60s (RCA was a corporate sibling of Bonanza's network, NBC).
• On the A-team episode, (Sheriffs of Rivertown)Murdock is talking to BA. "This reminds me of those brothers on that show Bonanza. Can I call you Hoss?

See also

• Ponderosa Ranch
• 1959 in television

External links

• Bonanza at IMDb
• Bonanza at EpisodeWorld.com
• Bonanza at the Encyclopedia of Television
• The dictionary definition of Bonanza at m-w.com that was cited above.
• Bonanza on TVLand.com
• Bonanza at Fiftiesweb.com
• The Bear Family boxed set of the albums recorded by the cast of the show and its companion CD of various recordings of the theme song, Michael Landon recordings, and songs inspired by the show in various languages.

Fan Sites

• Vote Bonanza into the TV Hall of Fame
• Bonanza Legacy, one of several fan websites sanctioned by Bonanza Ventures, Inc. and affiliated with the official magazine "Bonanza Gold."
• Bonanaza World, lots of info and photos in a pleasant interface.
• Bonanza Brand fansite
• Bonanza1.com the oldest fan tribute website
• Bonanza: Scenery of The Ponderosa, another fan website.