Bonanza TV Show - Bonanza Television Show - Yahoo! TV

Bonanza...The History!

When producer David Dortort sold NBC on the idea of creating Bonanza, he thought the show would offer an interesting contrast to the sitcoms and formula Westerns that filled the TV schedule at that time. He had no idea he was creating a phenomena that would air for an incredible 14 years as a first-run show on U.S. TV, be syndicated to virtually every country around the globe, and introduce characters who would become beloved by hundred of millions of fans.

Bonanza is more than a TV Western about a man and his three sons working as a family in the rough and violent era of the Old West. It has become a piece of the fabric of American culture. Ben Cartwright and his sons Adam, Hoss and Little Joe are familiar names to people who weren't even born when the show first aired and the show’s distinctive opening theme is instantly recognized everywhere. Bonanza continues to be popular as it airs in syndicated re-runs both in the U.S. and in numerous other countries, spawning Internet fan clubs and creating new fans every time it is shown.

Dortort, a writer turned producer, wanted to create a show that he felt would counteract the image of the bumbling, inept male depicted on many TV shows in the 50’s. He wanted his characters to be strong men. He envisioned them as descendants of the Knights of the Round Table– men with a strong moral compass who would right wrongs and bring a sense of justice to an untamed land. He created Ben Cartwright as the strong patriarch, a father who would guide his three sons through both wise counsel land model behavior. Dortort gave each son unique and different characteristics. Adam was the intellectual and somewhat brooding oldest son, a man more likely to use brains rather than brawn. Hoss was the gentle giant, a man of incredible strength with a heart of gold. Little Joe was the irrepressible youngest son, impulsive and a romantic at heart. To account for the differences among the sons
Dortort gave each son a different mother, having Ben Cartwright becoming a widower three times. Instead of the mythical Camelot ,Dortort gave the Cartwrights the sprawling Ponderosa ranch, an empire of cattle, timber and mining set in the mountains of Nevada, near Lake Tahoe. Bonanza was one of the first "landed" Westerns, that is, a Western where the characters had a permanent home to defend and useas a base. Most Westerns of that era had characters who traveled from town to town, using these travels as a way to create perilous circumstances. In Bonanza, the Cartwrights dealt with a wide variety of personalities and situations that, more often than not, came to their doorstep.

Initially, NBC wanted to cast Bonanza with recognized stars, feeling that the "names" were needed to draw an audience. Dortort persuaded the network that he could make the show work with the then unknown actors he had in mind.

Dortort is quoted as telling NBC that television a rather new media at the time --- would create its own stars. His prediction was stunningly accurate.

Dortort cast Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright. Greene was best known before Bonanza for his deep, booming voice. A Canadian, Greene had been known as "TheVoice of Canada", a tag he received because of the numerous radio broadcasts in which he participated in that country. Pernell Roberts drew the role of Adam, and Dan Blocker was cast as Hoss. Michael Landon became Little Joe.

All four actors had performed in numerous small roles on American TV, but none were well known to the viewing public. That quickly changed once Bonanza hit the airways.

The first episode of Bonanza aired on September12,1959. The show was hardly an instant success. For it’s first two seasons, Bonanza struggled in the ratings, kept on the air mainly because it was filmed in color. Color TV was a new phenomena at that time, and RCA (NBC’s parent company) wanted a show that would encourage viewers to purchase the new television sets. Early episodes included many shots of the beautiful LakeTahoe area as well as sets and costumes that featured rich, dark colors. Bonanza languished on Saturday night for two years before NBC chose to move it to a Sunday night time slot.

On Sunday night, the show found an audience and became a hit. For 10 of its 14 year run, Bonanza was consistently in the top 10 of all rated TV shows, and from 1964 to 1967, it was the single most watched television program in America.

The success of Bonanza was due to more than a move to Sunday night, however. After the initial seasons, Lorne Greene persuaded the producers to soften his character from a stern disciplinarian to a more understanding and wise father. Roberts, Blocker and Landon also "fleshed out" their characters, giving them more depth and complexity. More attention was paid to the scripts, also, moving from rather simplistic stories to more interesting tales. In many ways, Bonanza was ahead of its time. The show dealt with then-controversial issues, such as racial prejudice, wife abuse, psychological problems, drug and alcohol abuse, and mercy killing. The writers also kept the viewers interested by offering contrasting shows. One week, a episode would be a compelling drama and the next week, the episode would have a comedic theme. Such was the excellence of the cast that the four stars handled drama and comedy with equal ease. Each actor had the ability to create a scene filled with tension or heart-wrenching tenderness, then turn around and send the audience into gales of laughter with hilarious misadventures. ( Use this link to view an early press release which illustrates how the characters evolved)

While Bonanza offered a variety in its episodes, the show did have some constants. Fans quickly learned that any female character who developed a relationship with a Cartwright was doomed to death or departure. Michael Landon joked that the Cartwrights had to be careful their horses didn’t trip over all the graves of the female characters who had d