Bonanza is a TV western that takes place
in 1860s Nevada territory. Ben Cartwright is the wealthy owner
of a large ranch called the Ponderosa. Widowed three times,
Ben had a son by each of his wives: the eldest son is Adam,
the middle son Hoss and youngest son Little Joe. From 1964
to 1967, Bonanza was the single most watched television program
in America. The first episode had aired on September 12, 1959.
For 10 of its 14 year run, Bonanza was consistently in the
top 10 of all rated TV shows.
Bonanza's first season was sponsored by
Studebaker. The series struggled in the ratings during its
first 2 seasons, and was kept on the air mainly because it
was filmed in color. Color TV was new at that time, and NBC
wanted a show that would encourage viewers to purchase the
new television sets of its parent company, RCA. All during
the Studebaker Avanti era most TV broadcasts were still in
black and white, so if you had one of the new color sets you
were more likely to tune in to shows broadcast in color.
Bonanza languished on Saturday night for
two years before NBC moved it to Sunday night. On Sunday night,
the show found an audience and became a hit. The cast of Bonanza
quickly became immensely popular. Their pictures appeared
on everything from comics to key chains, lunch boxes to board
games. Lorne Green, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael
Landon were offered guest appearances at rodeos, game shows,
variety shows and TV specials. Michael Landon would later
drive a 1988 Avanti. |
Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, Lorne Green,
and Pernell Roberts, in Bonanza.
Michael Landon, Lorne Green, Dan Blocker,
and Pernell Roberts, in Bonanza. |
