Reruns of the series have aired on several cable networks such as TV Land, INSP, Family Channel, the Hallmark Channel and Great American Faith & Living. The program’s Nevada set, the Ponderosa Ranch house, was recreated in Incline Village, Nevada, in 1967, and remained a tourist attraction until its sale thirty-seven years later in September 2004.

NBC (Verenigde Staten)

The nearest town to the Ponderosa was Virginia City, where the Cartwrights would go to converse with Sheriff Roy Coffee (played by veteran actor Ray Teal), or his deputy Clem Foster (Bing Russell). In the episode “Enter Thomas Bowers”, the Cartwright family helps the opera singer Thomas Bowers, an African-American freedman, after he encounters prejudice while in Virginia City to perform. At the beginning of the episode, Adam is shown to be outraged at the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott v. Sandford decision (placing the time as 1857), which he discusses with his father.42 According to David Dortort, sponsor General Motors was anxious about the episode.

Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker en Michael Landon

The first two volumes were released on October 20, 2010, and the second two volumes on April 27, 2011. Bonanza is uniquely known for having addressed racism, not typically covered on American television during the time period, from a compassionate, humanitarian point-of-view. This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in at least one season of the series. Episodes of the series have also been officially released as part-works on DVD in France and the United Kingdom.

Set and filming

The opening scene for the first season was shot at Lake Hemet, a reservoir in the San Jacinto Mountains, Riverside County, California, and later moved to Lake Tahoe. After moving to Lake Tahoe, the opening sequence with theme music was filmed on the east side of Lake Tahoe in Bourne’s meadow near Round Hill, Nevada. During the first season extra horses were rented from the Idyllwild Stables in Idyllwild, also in the San Jacinto Mountains.
In 2001, there was an attempt to revive the Bonanza concept with a prequel, Ponderosa—not to be confused with the 1972 summer reruns under the same title6—with a pilot directed by Simon Wincer and filmed in Australia. Covering the time when the Cartwrights first arrived at the Ponderosa, when Adam and Hoss were teenagers and Joe a little boy, the series lasted 20 episodes and featured less gunfire and brawling than the original. Bonanza creator David Dortort approved PAX TV (now Ion TV)’s decision to hire Beth Sullivan, formerly of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, which some believe gave the series more depth as well as a softer edge. The Hop Sing character is depicted not only as a cook but also a family counselor and herbal healer.

Cast

The scheduling change, as well as Dan Blocker’s death in May 1972, resulted in plunging ratings for the show. David Canary returned to his former role of Candy (to offset Hoss’ absence), and a new character named Griff King (played by Tim Matheson) was added in an attempt to lure younger viewers. Griff, in prison for nearly killing his abusive stepfather, was paroled into Ben’s custody and given a job as a ranch hand. Several episodes were built around his character, one that Matheson never had a chance to fully develop before the show was abruptly cancelled in November 1972 (with the final episode airing January 16, 1973). Many fans, bonanza casino as well as both Landon and Greene, felt that the character of Hoss was essential, as he was a nurturing, empathetic soul who rounded out the all-male cast. In 1968, a slightly revamped horn and percussion-heavy arrangement of the original score introduced the series, which was used until 1970.

David Dortort

A new theme song, called “The Big Bonanza” was written in 1970 by episode scorer David Rose, and was used from 1970 to 1972. Action-shot pictorials of the cast replaced the galloping trio with the order of the actors rotating from episode to episode, resulting in Blocker or Landon often getting top billing over Greene. Finally, a faster rendition of the original music returned for the 14th and final season, along with action shots of the cast (sans Dan Blocker, who had died by this point).

• VE AG released the first seven seasons on DVD in Germany between 2008 and 2010.
• Several episodes were built around his character, one that Matheson never had a chance to fully develop before the show was abruptly cancelled in November 1972 (with the final episode airing January 16, 1973).
• The ranch name refers to the Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine), common in the West.
• Action-shot pictorials of the cast replaced the galloping trio with the order of the actors rotating from episode to episode, resulting in Blocker or Landon often getting top billing over Greene.
• In the fall of 1972, NBC moved Bonanza to Tuesday nights—where reruns from the 1967–1970 period had been broadcast the previous summer under the title The Ponderosa6—opposite the All in the Family spinoff show, Maude, which was a virtual death sentence for the program.
• The program’s Nevada set, the Ponderosa Ranch house, was recreated in Incline Village, Nevada, in 1967, and remained a tourist attraction until its sale thirty-seven years later in September 2004.
• The nearest town to the Ponderosa was Virginia City, where the Cartwrights would go to converse with Sheriff Roy Coffee (played by veteran actor Ray Teal), or his deputy Clem Foster (Bing Russell).

Music

• The first Virginia City set was used on the show until 1970 and was located on a backlot at Paramount and featured in episodes of Have Gun – Will Travel, Mannix and The Brady Bunch.
• Bonanza creator David Dortort approved PAX TV (now Ion TV)’s decision to hire Beth Sullivan, formerly of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, which some believe gave the series more depth as well as a softer edge.
• In 2011, StudioCanal acquired the rights to the series and have begun re-releasing it on DVD, and all seasons have now been released but have not been remastered.
• In 2001, there was an attempt to revive the Bonanza concept with a prequel, Ponderosa—not to be confused with the 1972 summer reruns under the same title6—with a pilot directed by Simon Wincer and filmed in Australia.
• On May 23, 2023, the remaining seasons 12, 13 and 14 were released on DVD, as well as a box set of the complete series containing all 431 episodes on 112 DVDs.
• This allowed for a switch to the less expensive Warner studios from September 1970 through January 1973.

The first Virginia City set was used on the show until 1970 and was located on a backlot at Paramount and featured in episodes of Have Gun – Will Travel, Mannix and The Brady Bunch. In the 1970 premiere episode of the 12th season titled “The Night Virginia City Died”, Deputy Clem Foster’s pyromaniac fiancée levels the town in a series of fires (reflecting a real 1875 fire that destroyed three-quarters of Virginia City). This allowed for a switch to the less expensive Warner studios from September 1970 through January 1973. The script was initially written for the departing David Canary’s Candy, but was rewritten for actors Ray Teal (Sheriff Roy Coffee) and Bing Russell (Deputy Clem Foster), who rarely appeared together on the show.
The series takes place in Nevada Territory in 1849, which is actually an anachronism. The Nevada Territory did not split from the Utah Territory until 1861, meaning that until at least the 5th season (the episode “Enter Thomas Bowers” establishes that year as 1857), Bonanza is also set in what in real life would have been Utah Territory. In the fall of 1972, NBC moved Bonanza to Tuesday nights—where reruns from the 1967–1970 period had been broadcast the previous summer under the title The Ponderosa6—opposite the All in the Family spinoff show, Maude, which was a virtual death sentence for the program.