Bonanza (TV series)
| Bonanza | |
|---|---|
The Bonanza title screen
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| Genre | Western |
| Created by | David Dortort |
| Starring |
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| Theme music composer |
Ray Evans Jay Livingston |
| Opening theme | "Bonanza" |
| Ending theme | "Bonanza" |
| Composer(s) |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 14 |
| No. of episodes | 431 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | David Dortort Mark Roberts |
| Producer(s) | Fred Hamilton |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company(s) | NBC |
| Distributor |
NBC Films (1963–1973) National Telefilm Associates (1973–1986) Republic Pictures (1986-1997) Worldvision Enterprises (1997–1999) Paramount Domestic Television (1999-2006) CBS Paramount Domestic Television (2006-2007) CBS Television Distribution (2007-present) |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | NTSC |
| Audio format | Mono |
| First shown in | United States |
| Original release | September 12, 1959 – January 16, 1973 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Ponderosa |
Bonanza is an NBC television western series that ran from 1959 to 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, Bonanza is NBC's longest-running western, and ranks overall as the second-longest-running western series on U.S. network television (behind CBS's Gunsmoke), and within the top 10 longest-running, live-action American series. The show continues to air in syndication. The show is set around the 1860s and it centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the area of Virginia City, Nevada, bordering Lake Tahoe. The series stars Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, Pernell Roberts (who left after six seasons), and later David Canary and Mitch Vogel. The show is known for presenting moral dilemmas.
The title "Bonanza" is a term used by miners in regard to a large vein or deposit of ore, and commonly refers to the 1859 revelation of the discovery, not far from the fictional Ponderosa Ranch that the Cartwright family operated. The show's theme song itself called Bonanza, became a hit song in its own right. Only instrumental renditions, absent Ray Evan's words, were ever used during the series' long run.
In 2002, Bonanza was ranked No. 43 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, and in 2013 TV Guide included it in its list of The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time. The time period for the television series is roughly between 1861 (Season 1) to 1867 (Season 13) during and shortly after the American Civil War.
During the summer of 1972, NBC aired reruns of episodes from the 1967–1970 period in prime time on Tuesday evening under the title Ponderosa.
The show chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, headed by the thrice-widowed patriarch Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene). He had three sons, each by a different wife: the eldest was the urbane architect Adam Cartwright (Pernell Roberts) who built the ranch house; the second was the warm and lovable giant Eric "Hoss" Cartwright (Dan Blocker); and the youngest was the hotheaded and impetuous Joseph or "Little Joe" (Michael Landon). Via exposition (S01:E01 – "Rose for Lotta") and flashback episodes, each wife was accorded a different ancestry: English (S02:E65 – "Elizabeth My Love"), Swedish (S03:E95 – "Inger My Love") and French Creole (S04:E120 – "Marie My Love") respectively. The family's cook was the Chinese immigrant Hop Sing (Victor Sen Yung). Greene, Roberts, Blocker, and Landon were billed equally. The opening credits would alternate the order among the four stars.
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