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Bonanza: Season 02
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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 clich�, 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: Desert Justice
Young Billy Walker (Wesley Lau) is accused of murdering the wife of Marshal Dowd (Claude Akins). Walker's employers, the Cartwrights, hope that Billy will get a fair trial, but it soon becomes obvious that Dowd intends to kill the boy before the case can be heard. Thus it is that Adam and Hoss appoint themselves escorts when Dowd transports Walker to Los Angeles for trial. Others in the cast included Fintan Meyler as Andrea, Ron Hayes as Hurd Cutler, John Wengraf as Dr. Strasser, Bud Osborne as Charlie, and Will Wright as Bailey. Written by Donald S. Sanford, "Desert Justice" was first aired on February 20, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bonanza: Badge Without Honor
Among the most popular TV Western series ever, Bonanza starred Lorne Green as Ben Cartwright and Michael Landon, Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts as his sons Little Joe, Hoss and Adam. In the episode "Bade Without Honor," first aired in 1960, a stranger arrives in town; he says he's a Deputy Marshall and needs Jackson Blaine, a friend of the Cartwrights, to ride with him to San Francisco to testify against the Murdock Gang. Adam, however, insists on going along as he smells a rat. "Badge Without Honor" features guest star Dan Duryea; it's available on DVD in tandem with "Desert Justice," and as part of a five-episode box set. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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BONANZA-DOUBLE SIDED (DVD) DVD

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