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 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.