Bonanza season 11
| Bonanza | |
|---|---|
| Season 11 | |
 Cast of Bonanza in 1959 | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 28 |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 14, 1969 – April 19, 1970 |
| Season chronology | |
The eleventh season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 14, 1969, with the final episode airing April 19, 1970.[1] The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season eleven starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 28 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color.[2] Season eleven was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It was #3 in the Nielsen ratings, behind #2 Gunsmoke.[3]
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 (Lorne Greene) and his three sons (each by a different wife), Adam (Pernell Roberts), Eric "Hoss" (Dan Blocker), and Joseph (Michael Landon). Veteran actor Victor Sen Yung played the ranch cook, Hop Sing. In 1964, Pernell Roberts began expressing a desire to leave the series, and so prospective replacements were introduced via Barry Coe as Little Joe's wayward maternal half-brother Clay, and Guy Williams as Ben's nephew Will Cartwright. However, Roberts was persuaded to complete his contract, and remained through season six. The characters of Clay and Will were discontinued. In the ninth season, David Canary was added to the cast as ranch hand/foreman Candy Canady.
Cast and characters
Main cast
- Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
- Dan Blocker as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright
- Michael Landon as Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright
- David Canary as "Candy" Canaday
Recurring
- Victor Sen Yung as Hop Sing
- Ray Teal as Sheriff Roy Coffee
- Bing Russell as Deputy Clem Foster
- Lou Frizzell as Dusty Rhodes
Guest cast
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 334 | 1 | "Another Windmill to Go" | James B. Clark | Story by : Palmer Thompson Teleplay by : Palmer Thompson | September 14, 1969 |
| 335 | 2 | "The Witness" | Don Richardson | Joel Murcott | September 21, 1969 |
| 336 | 3 | "The Silence at Stillwater" | Joseph Lejtes | Preston Wood | September 28, 1969 |
| 337 | 4 | "A Lawman's Lot is Not a Happy One" | Don Richardson | Vincent Wright | October 5, 1969 |
| 338 | 5 | "Anatomy of a Lynching" | William Wiard | Preston Wood | October 12, 1969 |
| 339 | 6 | "To Stop a War" | Leon Benson | Carey Wilber | October 19, 1969 |
| 340 | 7 | "The Medal" | Lewis Allen | Frank Chase | October 26, 1969 |
| 341 | 8 | "The Stalker" | Robert L. Friend | D. C. Fontana | November 2, 1969 |
| 342 | 9 | "Meena" | Herschel Daugherty | Jack B. Sowards | November 16, 1969 |
| 342 | 10 | "A Darker Shadow" | Don Richardson | John Hawkins, Jonathon Knopf | November 23, 1969 |
| 343 | 11 | "Dead Wrong" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | December 7, 1969 |
| 345 | 12 | "Old Friends" | Leon Benson | Barney Slater | December 14, 1969 |
| 346 | 13 | "Abner Willoughby's Return" | Herschel Daugherty | Jack B. Sowards | December 21, 1969 |
| 347 | 14 | "It's a Small World" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | January 1, 1970 |
| 348 | 15 | "Danger Road" | William F. Claxton | Milton S. Gelman | January 11, 1970 |
| 349 | 16 | "The Big Jackpot" | Herschel Daugherty | John Hawkins | January 18, 1970 |
| 350 | 17 | "The Trouble with Amy" | Leon Benson | Jack Miller, John Hawkins | January 25, 1970 |
| 351 | 18 | "The Lady and the Mark" | Leon Benson | Preston Wood | February 1, 1970 |
| 352 | 19 | "Is There Any Man Here" | Don Richardson | B. W. Sandefur | February 8, 1970 |
| 353 | 20 | "The Law and Billy Burgess" | William F. Claxton | Stanley Roberts | February 15, 1970 |
| 354 | 21 | "Long Way to Ogden" | Lewis Allen | Joel Murcott | February 22, 1970 |
| 355 | 22 | "Return Engagement" | Don Richardson | Stanley Roberts | March 1, 1970 |
| 356 | 23 | "The Gold Mine" | Leon Benson | Preston Wood, Robert Bruckner | March 8, 1970 |
| 357 | 24 | "Decision at Los Robles" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | March 22, 1970 |
| 358 | 25 | "Caution, Easter Bunny Crossing" | Bruce Bilson | Larry Markes | March 29, 1970 |
| 359 | 26 | "The Horse Traders" | Herschel Daugherty | Jack B. Sowards | April 5, 1970 |
| 360 | 27 | "What are Pardners For?" | William F. Claxton | Jack B. Sowards | April 12, 1970 |
| 361 | 28 | "A Matter of Circumstance" | William F. Claxton | B. W. Sandefur | April 19, 1970 |
Release
Season eleven aired on Sundays from 9:00 pm–10:00 pm on NBC.[4]
Reception
Season eleven was number 3 in the Nielsen ratings, coming in behind Gunsmoke at number 2.[3]
References
Footnotes
- ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 141, 145.
- ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
- ^ a b "TV Ratings: 1969–1970". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
Bibliography
- Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
- Greenland, David R. (2010). Bonanza: A Viewer's Guide to the TV Legend. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-62933-722-7.
- Greenland, David R. (2015). Michael Landon: The Career and Artistry of a Television Genius. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-59393-785-0.
- Leiby, Bruce R.; Leiby, Linda F. (2015). A Reference Guide to Television's Bonanza: Episodes, Personnel, and Broadcast History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 9781476600758.
- McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
- Shapiro, Melany (1997). Bonanza: The Definitive Ponderosa Companion. Cyclone Books. ISBN 978-1-890723-18-7.