Set in the 1860’s, Bonanza follows the lives and adventures of Ben Cartwright and his three sons, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe on their ranch, the Ponderosa.
Table of Contents
Broadcast History
Related Pages
Network: NBC
Broadcast: 1959-1973
We don’t have a broadcast history for this show yet.
Cast
| Actor | Character(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lorne Greene | … | Ben Cartwright / Bradley Meredith | |
| Michael Landon, Jr. | … | Joseph “Little Joe” Cartwright / Cpl. Angus Borden / Little Jim Slade | |
| Pernell Roberts | … | Adam Cartwright | |
| Dan Blocker | … | Eric “Hoss” Cartwright |
Regulars & Guest Stars
| Actor | Character(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Sen Yung | … | Hop Sing | |
| Ray Teal | … | Sheriff Roy Coffee | |
| David Canary | … | Candy Canaday |
Theme Song / Opening Credits
Episodes
There were 14 seasons and 430 episodes of Bonanza. We have not completed an episode guide for Bonanza yet.
Trivia
Dan Blocker owned a chain of steakhouses named “Bonanza” after the show. When the restaurants changed ownership, the name was changed to “Ponderosa”.
All of the cast, with the exception of Michael Landon, were 6′ or taller. Michael Landon stood only 5’9″ and wore 4″ lifts to stand as tall as his cast mates.
When Pernell Roberts wanted to leave to challenge himself as an actor, Lorne Greene tried to persuade him to stay. Greene told him the show would make him rich. With that kind of money, he could take on any acting project he wanted, even create his own. Roberts’ career went downhill after being cast in Trapper John, M.D., while his Bonanza cast mates became rich.
Behind Gunsmoke, it was the second longest running western.
The theme song actually has lyrics and were sung by some of the characters in the unaired pilot.
Quotes
Ben Cartwright: You and your education.
Adam Cartwright: Education is progress! Now what have you got against it?
Ben Cartwright: I don’t have anything against education – as long as it doesn’t interfere with your thinking!
Websites
Bonanza Forum (Forum) – Discuss the show in our classic tv forums.
Bonanza: Scenery of the Ponderosa (Fan Site)
Photo Gallery
Merchandise
Tags: bonanza, lorne greene, pernell roberts, michael landon, dan blocker, ben cartwright, adam cartwright, hoss cartwright, little joe cartwright
Sign up and get our latest content straight to your email inbox.