Dortort was impressed by Canary’s talent, but the character vanished in September 1970, after Canary had a contract dispute. He returned two seasons later after co-star Dan Blocker’s death, reportedly having been approached by Landon. The Bonanza theme song opens with a blazing Ponderosa map and saddlebound Cartwrights. The melodic intro, emulating galloping horses, is one of the most recognized television scores. Although there were two official sets of lyrics (some country-western singers, avoiding royalties, substituted the copyright renditions with their own words), the series simply used an instrumental theme. Before the pilot aired (on September 12, 1959), the song sequence, deemed too campy, was edited out of the scene and instead the Cartwrights headed back to the ranch whooping and howling.

Adam Cartwright

A standard practice with most westerns was to introduce some romance but avoid matrimony. 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. In 1968, a slightly revamped horn and percussion-heavy arrangement of the original score introduced the series, which was used until 1970. 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). Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

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• The family lived on a thousand-square-mile (2,600 km2) ranch called the Ponderosa on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada opposite California on the edge of the Sierra Nevada range.

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• “The Lonely Man” presents the controversial interracial marriage between the Cartwrights’ longtime Chinese chef (Hop Sing) and a white woman (Missy).

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• Teal was a bit-part player in western films for several years before landing a substantial role in Northwest Passage (1940) starring Spencer Tracy.

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• The series initially starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon and later featured (at various times) Guy Williams, David Canary, Mitch Vogel and Tim Matheson.

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• Bigotry, including antisemitism, was the subject of the episode “Look to the Stars”.

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• A standard practice with most westerns was to introduce some romance but avoid matrimony.

Main cast

The Bonanza City casino series sought to illustrate the cruelty of bigotry against Asians, African Americans, Native Americans, Jews, Mormons, the disabled, and little people. Though not familiar stars in 1959, the cast quickly became favorites of the first television generation.

Television movies

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• 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).

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• Landon began to develop his skills in writing and directing Bonanza episodes, starting with “The Gamble”.

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• The series sought to illustrate the cruelty of bigotry against Asians, African Americans, Native Americans, Jews, Mormons, the disabled, and little people.

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• In the twelfth season, Mitch Vogel joined the cast as Jamie Hunter, a teenage orphan who is adopted by Ben Cartwright.

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• Although there were two official sets of lyrics (some country-western singers, avoiding royalties, substituted the copyright renditions with their own words), the series simply used an instrumental theme.

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• His first wife was Abel’s daughter Elizabeth, and they had one son, Adam.

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Creator David Dortort introduced a storyline that would keep the character of Adam in the mix, but with a lighter schedule. During season five Adam falls for a widow with a young daughter, while making Will Cartwright a central figure. Early in the show’s history, he recalls each of his late wives in flashback episodes.

S1.E30 ∙ Feet of Clay

The character departed in that same episode, but left an opportunity for a return if needed. In the 1963 flashback episode “Marie, My Love”, his father was Jean De’Marigny. Little Joe had a son named Benjamin ‘Benj’ Cartwright who was played by Landon’s real-life son and seen in all three Bonanza TV movies.

• However, Roberts was persuaded to complete his contract, and remained through season six.
• Despite the show’s success, Roberts departed the series after the 1964–65 season (202 episodes) and returned to stage productions.

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• In the 1963 flashback episode “Marie, My Love”, his father was Jean De’Marigny.

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• During season five Adam falls for a widow with a young daughter, while making Will Cartwright a central figure.

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• Beginning in 1962, a foundation was being laid to include another “son”, as Pernell Roberts was displeased with his character.

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• 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).

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List of Bonanza episodes

After his wife’s death, he and his son traveled to Illinois, where he married his second wife, Inger Borgstrom, and continued west. Ben and his sons then continued west, reaching Nevada, and through much hard work established the Ponderosa Ranch. Teal was a bit-part player in western films for several years before landing a substantial role in Northwest Passage (1940) starring Spencer Tracy. However, the unexpected death of Blocker in 1972 left a bigger hole, and Bonanza ended one season later.
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Fourteen-year-old Mitch Vogel was introduced as Jamie Hunter Cartwright in “A Matter of Faith” (season 12, episode 363). Vogel played the red-haired orphan of a roving rainmaker, whom Ben takes in and adopts later in a 1971 episode, called “A Home For Jamie”. Beginning in 1962, a foundation was being laid to include another “son”, as Pernell Roberts was displeased with his character.