Tag: Bonanza

Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series (behind Gunsmoke) and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the Cartwright family, which lived in the area around Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The show stars Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, and David Canary. The show’s title “Bonanza” is a term used by miners in regards to a large vein or deposit of ore, and most likely refers to The Comstock Lode. In 2002, Bonanza was ranked #43 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
The show chronicled the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, headed by the thrice-widowed patriarch Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene). He had three sons, each by a different wife: the eldest was the urbane architect Adam Cartwright (Pernell Roberts) who built the ranch house; the second was the warm…