Bonanza: Season 02
Part of Series:
Bonanza [TV Series]
The first hour-long network Western series telecast in color, Bonanza was also the granddaddy of all "property" Westerns, future examples of which included The Virginian, The Big Valley, and The High Chaparral. The series took place during and after the Civil War in Virginia City, NV. Lorne Greene starred as Ben Cartwright, silver-haired owner of the fabulous, half-million-acre Ponderosa Ranch. The industrious, independent Cartwright had been widowed three times, each of his wives providing him with a single son. Pernell Roberts played eldest son Adam, the brooding, intellectual offspring of Ben's first wife Elizabeth; Dan Blocker played middle son Hoss, the beefy, affable issue of Ben's second wife Inger; and Michael Landon played youngest son Little Joe, a hotheaded, temperamental lad who took after his mother, Ben's third wife Marie. The four Cartwrights comprised the principal cast during the series' first six seasons, with occasional appearances by Victor Sen Yung as the Ponderosa's Chinese cook Hop Sing; Ray Teal as Virginia City's taciturn lawman, Sheriff Roy Coffee; and Bing Russell (father of Kurt Russell) as deputy Clem Foster. When Pernell Roberts left the series at the outset of season seven, it was explained that Adam had gone to Europe to complete his education. Several attempts were made to replace Adam in the hearts and minds of the viewing public: Guy Williams of Zorro fame was seen briefly as cousin Will Cartwright; David Canary appeared as ranch foreman Canady (aka Candy) during seasons nine through 11, then again during season 14, Lou Frizzell showed up as Ben's friend Dusty Rhoades beginning in season 12, as did Mitch Vogel as Dusty's ward Jamie Hunter, a teenaged orphan; and during the series' final year, Tim Matheson weaved through the proceedings as ex-convict Griff King, whom Ben tried to give a second chance by taking him on as a ranch hand. Making its NBC debut on September 12, 1959, Bonanza spent its first two seasons on Saturday evenings, opposite CBS' Perry Mason.
Ratings improved tremendously when Bonanza shifted to Sunday evenings at 9 PM (EST) beginning in the 1961-1962 season; in fact, the series was America's number one show for three seasons in a row, from 1964 through 1967. It might have run forever had it not been for two calamitous events during the 1972-1973 season: the decision by NBC to reschedule the show to Tuesdays, and the unexpected death of longtime regular Dan Blocker. With ratings plummeting precipitously, the show was canceled on January 16, 1973 -- a rather ignominious climax for a classic Western series that was second only to Gunsmoke in longevity. Since that time, a number of attempts have been made to revive Bonanza, notably a trio of made-for-TV movies produced in 1988, 1993, and 1995; the latter two appearing after the deaths of Lorne Greene and Michael Landon. And during the 2001-2002 season, the PAX network aired the prequel series Ponderosa, which detailed the adventures of the four Cartwrights in the years before Bonanza took place. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Includes Seasons:
Bonanza: Season 01
Not many media pundits gave Bonanza much of a chance when the hour-long Western series inaugurated its first season in the fall of 1959. Sure, it was filmed in beautiful color; and yes, the acting was superb, the writing terrific, the production values first-rate. But how could NBC hope to compete against Bonanza's principal Saturday night competition, CBS' indomitable Perry Mason? The first episode, "A Rose for Lotta" offers a special treat for Bonanza enthusiasts: a full-blooded, a cappella performance of the series' theme song (yes, there were lyrics!) by stars Lorne Greene (Ben Cartwright), Pernell Roberts (Adam Cartwright), Dan Blocker (Hoss Cartwright), and Michael Landon (Little Joe Cartwright). "A Rose for Lotta" also guest-stars Yvonne de Carlo as fabled entertainer Lotta Crabtree, one of several real historical characters who would cross paths with the Cartwrights over the next 14 seasons: other season one examples include humorist Sam "Mark Twain" Clemens (Howard Duff), financier Henry Comstock (Jack Carson), and actress Adah Isaacs Menken (Ruth Roman). One of the season's final episodes, "The Avenger," is essentially a showcase for guest star Vic Morrow as a man named Lassiter, whose heightened sense of justice was forged years earlier when his parents were lynched. "The Avenger" was clearly intended as the pilot for a spin-off series, but nothing came of it; Morrow would have to wait two years before landing his own weekly program, Combat. The predictions of industry Cassandras seemed to come true when Bonanza failed to make a dent in Perry Mason's ratings; indeed, Bonanza wasn't even able to crack the Top 30 shows. However, its sponsor, RCA Victor, could not help but notice the upsurge in the sale of color TV sets during Bonanza's freshman season, thus the show was renewed for a second year on the air. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: Season 02
Although Bonanza had failed to make much of a dent in the ratings of its CBS competition during its first season on NBC, the full-color Western series returned to its Saturday night "death slot" opposite Mason for its second season. Evidently, NBC's persistence paid off: by the end of season two, Bonanza had climbed to 17th place in the overall ratings -- just under Perry Mason. Undoubtedly this upsurge in viewers was the principal motivating factor for NBC to switch the show to Dinah Shore's former Sunday night berth at the outset of season three -- and the rest, to use a hackneyed cliché, was history. The second season opener "Showdown" was a typically tough and terse entry, with young Joe Cartwright (Michael Landon) smelling a rat when a group of suspicious-looking ranch hands sign on at the Ponderosa ranch, owned by Joe's father, Ben (Lorne Greene); this episode also marked the first series appearance by Ray Teal as Roy Coffee, sheriff of Virginia City. A later episode, "The Last Viking," featured Neville Brand in the role of Gunnar Borgstrom, the brother of Ben's second wife Inger, the late mother of Ben's son Hoss (Dan Blocker). And speaking of former wives, Ben's ill-fated first wife Elizabeth (Geraldine Brooks) -- mother of Ben's eldest son Adam (Pernell Roberts) -- is seen in an extended flashback in the classic season two episode "Elizabeth, My Love." As a final note for film buffs, several of this season's episodes were directed by no less than Robert Altman, including the season finale "Sam Hill," which had been intended as the pilot for a spin-off series starring Claude Akins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Includes Episodes:
Bonanza: The Spanish Grant
Patricia Medina guest-stars as Rosita Morales, a former cabaret dancer. A pair of con artists, Luga (Sebastian Cabot) and Sanchez (Paul Picerni), hire Rosita to pose as Spanish noblewoman Isabella Marie Inez de la Cuesta. It is the first step in a scheme to claim the valuable De La Cuesta Land Grant -- which includes a generous portion of the Ponderosa. Written by David Dortort and Leonard Heideman, "The Spanish Grant" was originally telecast on February 6, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: Blood on the Land
Crooked sheepherder Jeb Drummond (Everett Sloane) is caught trying to graze his flock on the Ponderosa without permission. Ben Cartwright orders Jeb and his sons Billy (Ray Daley) and Burton (Tom Reese) to get out and stay out. But Jeb has other plans -- and he kidnaps Ben's son Adam to make sure those plans are carried out. First telecast on February 13, 1960, "Blood on the Land" was written by Robert E. Thompson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: The Gunmen
At the height of the bloody feud between the McFaddens and the Hadfields, Alonzo McFadden (Douglas Spencer) hires the dreaded Slade brothers to kill Anse Hadfield (Jonathan Gilmore). As it happens, the Slades bear a remarkable resemblance to Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright. A strong supporting cast includes Henry Hull as B. Bannerman Brown, Ellen Corby as Lorna Doone, and George Mitchell as Jubal. Written by W. Carey Wilbur, "The Gunmen" first aired on January 23, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: The Fear Merchants
The ugly consequences of bigotry are examined in this episode of Bonanza. Gene Evans plays Andrew Fulmer, who runs for mayor of Virginia City on a "hate all outsiders" platform. Backed up by hired thugs, Fulmer targets the town's Chinese population for his most violent persecution. The hostility reaches a fever pitch when, after trying to protect Sally Ridley (Pat Michon) from being mauled by two of Fulmer's hooligans (Ray Stricklyn, Christopher Dark), Jimmy Chong (Guy Lee) is accused of assaulting -- and then killing -- the girl. Helen Westcott co-stars as Amanda Ridley. First broadcast on January 30, 1960, "The Fear Merchants" was written by Fred Unger and Thomas Thompson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: Bitter Water
The Cartwrights object to Todd McKaren's (Don Dubbins) plan to sell his family's land to ruthless miner Len Keith (Robert Simon), pointing out that the region's water supply will be polluted. McKaren's father Andy (Rhys Williams) likewise opposes the sale, if only to break up the romance between Todd and Keith's daughter Virginia (Merry Anders). Taking advantage of the situation, Keith tries to force the sale by stirring up bad blood between the the McKarens and the Cartwrights, beginning with planting diseased cattle among the Ponderosa livestock. First telecast April 9, 1960, "Bitter Water" was written by Harold Jack Bloom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: San Francisco Holiday
At the end of a cattle drive, the Cartwrights and their cowhands look forward to rest and relaxation in San Francisco, Instead, two of Ben's gullible drovers are shanghaied on a boat bound for Hong Kong. While searching for his missing employees, Ben is himself shanghaied, forcing Hoss and Joe to go to the rescue. Featured in the cast are Murvyn Vye as Cut-Rate Joe, Robert Nichols as Johnny and O.Z. Whitehead. Written by Thomas Thompson, "San Francisco Holiday" (aka "San Francisco") first aired on April 2, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: Feet of Clay
David Ladd, the son of movie idol Alan Ladd (and a future film executive in his own right) guest-stars as young Billy Allen, left all alone in the world by the death of his mother. Hoping to snap Billy out of his melancholy, Hoss Cartwright becomes close friends with the boy. Billy's loyalties and emotions are rent asunder when his outlaw father Vance (Logan Field) breaks out of jail and commits cold-blooded murder-forcing Hoss to shoot Vance down. Also appearing is Robert Tetrick as Pike. Written by John Furia Jr., "Feet of Clay" was first seen on April 16, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: Dark Star
Considered to be a witch, gypsy girl Tirza (Susan Harrison) has been condemned to death by her own tribe. Taking refuge on the Ponderosa, Tirza falls in love with Joe Cartwright, who is determined to prove to one and all that the girl is not the sorceress she appears to be. Cult film director Hugo Haas appears as tribal leader Zirka, with Arthur Batanides as Spiro and Lily Valenty as Bruja. Originally broadcast on April 23, 1960, "Dark Star" was written by Anthony Lawrence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: The Courtship
Julie Adams guest-stars as Helen, the widow of Ben Cartwright's old friend Josh Layton. As beautiful as she is charming, Helen has a fatal flaw: She is a chronic gambler, one who tends to drag her lovers down into her own bottomless pit of debt and despair. Now Helen has caught the eye of Hoss-much to Ben's dismay. Marshall Reed and Lyle Talbot also appear in this episode, which was written by Richard N. Morgan. "The Courtship" first aired on January 7, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: The Savage
En route to Virginia City, Adam Cartwright bears witness as Chief Chato (Hal Jon Norman) kills two white trappers who have dared to venture upon a Shoshone burial ground. But Chato refuses to scalp the corpses, eliciting the name "White Buffalo Woman" as he walks off. Later on, Adam rescues the selfsame Woman (Anna-Lisa), a white Shoshone captive long believed to be a spirit woman, capable of healing the sick. Unfortunately, the Indians have discovered that White Buffalo Woman possesses no recuperative powers, and have condemned her to death. She is afforded a rare opportunity to redeem herself when Adam is seriously wounded. Cowritten by Joe Stone and Paul King, "The Savage" originally aired on December 3, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Cast
Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright
Dan Blocker as Hoss Cartwright
Michael Landon as Joe Cartwright
| Crew
n/a |
Bonanza: Season 02
(not reviewed)
General Specifications: | | Language Options: | English | | Subtitle Options: | | | Sound Processing: | DD2: Dolby Digital Stereo
| | Additional Features: | | | DVD Aspect Ratio: | 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard
| | MPAA Rating: | | | DVD Discs Included: | 2 | | DVD Sides: | 3 | | DVD DVD Region Code: | All | | Content Length: | 540 min | | | |
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