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Bonanza season 2

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Bonanza
Season 2
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Starring
No. of episodes34
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 10, 1960 (1960-09-10) –
June 3, 1961 (1961-06-03)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 1
Next →
Season 3
List of episodes

The second season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 10, 1960, with the final episode airing June 3, 1961.[1] The series was developed and produced by David Dortort, and season two starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of the series's total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color.[2] It aired on Saturdays from 7:30 pm–8:30 pm on NBC[3] and placed at number 17 in the Nielsen ratings.[4]

Synopsis

Bonanza is set around the Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City, Nevada and chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, consisting of Ben Cartwright and his three sons (each by a different wife), Adam, Eric ("Hoss"), and Joseph ("Little Joe"). A regular character is their ranch cook, Hop Sing. A new recurring character is added, sheriff Roy Coffee.

Cast and characters

See also: List of Bonanza characters

Main cast

Recurring

Guest stars

Production

Being in the same timeslot as Perry Mason, it took some time for the show to catch on. NBC saw improvement in the ratings toward the end of the premiere season and so renewed the series for another season.[5]

Episode 34, "Sam Hill", was the pilot episode for an unsold spinoff.[6]

Casting

Ray Teal was added as recurring character Sheriff Roy Coffee.[7]

Filming

Episode 8 of the season, "The Abduction", was filmed entirely on a Paramount soundstage.[8] Location shooting for episode 12, "The Savage", took place at Franklin lake in Hollywood and Iverson's Movie Ranch.[9] Iverson's Movie Ranch was also used for episode 23, "The Rescue".[10] Red Rock Canyon was used for episode 24, "The Dark Gate" and episode 27, "The Gift".[11] Episode 30, "Thunderhead Swindle", was filmed at Bronson Canyon.[12]

Episodes

See also: List of Bonanza episodes
Bonanza, season 2 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
331"Showdown"Lewis AllenDean RiesnerSeptember 10, 1960 (1960-09-10)
342"The Mission"James NeilsonRobert E. ThompsonSeptember 17, 1960 (1960-09-17)
353"Badge Without Honor"Arthur LubinJohn TwistSeptember 24, 1960 (1960-09-24)
364"The Mill"John RichHalsted WellesOctober 1, 1960 (1960-10-01)
375"The Hopefuls"James NeilsonE. Jack NeumanOctober 8, 1960 (1960-10-08)
386"Denver McKee"Jacques TourneurFred Freiberger and Steve McNeilOctober 15, 1960 (1960-10-15)
397"Day of Reckoning"Richard H. BartlettStory by : Leonard Heideman
Teleplay by : Leonard Heideman and R. Harner Norris		October 22, 1960 (1960-10-22)
408"The Abduction"Charles HaasHerman GrovesOctober 29, 1960 (1960-10-29)
419"Breed of Violence"Johnny FloreaDavid LangNovember 5, 1960 (1960-11-05)
4210"The Last Viking"Johnny FloreaAnthony LawrenceNovember 12, 1960 (1960-11-12)
4311"The Trail Gang"John RichCarey WilberNovember 26, 1960 (1960-11-26)
4412"The Savage"James NeilsonJoseph Stone and Paul KingDecember 3, 1960 (1960-12-03)
4513"Silent Thunder"Robert AltmanJohn Furia Jr.December 10, 1960 (1960-12-10)
4614"The Ape"James P. YarbroughGene L. CoonDecember 17, 1960 (1960-12-17)
4715"The Blood Line"Lewis AllenWilliam Raynor and Myles WilderDecember 31, 1960 (1960-12-31)
4816"The Courtship"James P. YarbroughRichard MorganJanuary 7, 1961 (1961-01-07)
4917"The Spitfire"William D. FarallaWard HawkinsJanuary 14, 1961 (1961-01-14)
5018"The Bride"Alvin GanzerRichard NewmanJanuary 21, 1961 (1961-01-21)
5119"Bank Run"Robert AltmanN.B. Stone Jr.January 28, 1961 (1961-01-28)
5220"The Fugitive"Lewis AllenRichard H. LandauFebruary 4, 1961 (1961-02-04)
5321"Vengeance"Dick ModerMarion ParsonnetFebruary 11, 1961 (1961-02-11)
5422"Tax Collector"William WitneyArnold BelgardFebruary 18, 1961 (1961-02-18)
5523"The Rescue"William D. FarallaSteve McNeilFebruary 25, 1961 (1961-02-25)
5624"The Dark Gate"Robert GordonWard HawkinsMarch 4, 1961 (1961-03-04)
5725"The Duke"Robert AltmanStory by : Theodore & Mathilde Ferro
Teleplay by : William R. Cox		March 11, 1961 (1961-03-11)
5826"Cutthroat Junction"Dick ModerNat TanchuckMarch 18, 1961 (1961-03-18)
5927"The Gift"William WitneyDenne Bart Petitclerc and Thomas ThompsonApril 1, 1961 (1961-04-01)
6028"The Rival"Robert AltmanAnthony LawrenceApril 15, 1961 (1961-04-15)
6129"The Infernal Machine"William WitneyWard HawkinsApril 22, 1961 (1961-04-22)
6230"The Thunderhead Swindle"Dick ModerGene L. CoonApril 29, 1961 (1961-04-29)
6331"The Secret"Robert AltmanJohn HawkinsMay 6, 1961 (1961-05-06)
6432"The Dream Riders"Robert AltmanJames Van Wagoner and Jack McClainMay 20, 1961 (1961-05-20)
6533"Elizabeth, My Love"Lewis AllenAnthony LawrenceMay 27, 1961 (1961-05-27)
6634"Sam Hill"Robert AltmanDavid DortortJune 3, 1961 (1961-06-03)

Release

The season aired on Saturdays from 7:30 pm–8:30 pm on NBC.[3] The timeslot was deliberate. It was a time when many people were shopping in department stores, and they could see the show displayed on color televisions at period when color television sets had not yet been widely adopted.[13] However, many people watching at home were still tuning in to Perry Mason in that timeslot.[13]

Reception

Variety gave the first episode of the season a better review than the previous season, writing that the acting and direction "were up to pro standards", and that the show "appears to have a good workable concept riding for it".[7]

Season two finished at number 17 in the Nielsen ratings.[4]

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 71, 75.
  2. ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
  3. ^ a b Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
  4. ^ a b "TV Ratings: 1960–1961". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  5. ^ Greenland 2015.
  6. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 51.
  7. ^ a b Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 40.
  8. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 42.
  9. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 44.
  10. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 48.
  11. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 49.
  12. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 50.
  13. ^ a b Shapiro 1997, p. 5.

Bibliography

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