Behind the Scenes Facts about Bonanza Revealed Finally

Audiences throughout the nation fell in love with the Bonanza cast between 1959 and 1973. The show focused on the adventures and lives of the Cartwright family, led by Ben Cartwright. Ben and his sons owned and operated Ponderosa Ranch, which was located by Virginia City, Nevada. Throughout the years, they defended it from adversaries and helped the townspeople around them.

Bonanza had a 14-year run with 431 total episodes, making it the longest-running Western television series in NBC’s history. Do you still remember that iconic show and look for reruns? Let’s go back in time right now to see some fascinating facts about the cast and filming!

Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright

Lorne Greene was a musician and Canadian actor who landed the part for Ben Cartwright, a widowed leader of his clan. One TV Guide survey shows him as the second-favorite dad on television in 2007.

The Father Figure

TV shows were depicting dads as dimwitted men who required their wives for help during the time that Bonanza premiered. However, David Dortort (the producer) wanted something different. Ben had to be admired and worthy of respect and demanded an hour-long show to explore this character fully.

Never Changed Clothes

If you were a die-hard fan of the show, you may have noticed that your beloved characters didn’t change clothes. That way, the production crew could use stock footage and keep costs low. Still, it was quite expensive to create each episode!

Michael Landon as Joseph Cartwright

Michael Landon was an American writer, actor, producer, and director who played Little Joe, the youngest son. His mother had French Creole descent. Before and after his appearance here, he was in many movies and television shows. Sadly, he passed in 1991.

Michael Landon’s Name

Eugene Maurice Orowitz was Michael Landon’s real name. Initially, he wanted Michael Lane as his screen name, but another actor had it. He went through an old phone book to find “Alf Landon,” and he transformed into Michael Landon.

Multitalented Cast

The actors were quite talented in front of the camera, and many could sing. Four Cartwright brothers were part of a Christmas album in 1964 called Christmas at the Ponderosa. Plus, Lorne Green had a huge hit from “Ringo.”

Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright

Pernell Roberts Jr was an American singer and actor who played Adam, the oldest Cartwright son. He guest-starred in over 60 television shows, leaving Bonanza after six years. He retired in the 90s and died at 81 years old in 2010.

Pernell Hated the Show

Roberts left the show after six years, surprising the viewers. However, people behind the scenes realized that he hated the show because of it’s low intelligence in writing and politics.

Television Inspires Restaurant Chain

The Bonanza Steakhouse and Ponderosa Steakhouse were inspired by the television show. Dan Blocker was a cast member on Bonanza and founded them. The first one opened in 1965 and expanded to Canada in the early 1970s.

Victor Sen Yung as Hop Sing

Art imitates life with Victor Sen Yung. He played the family cook on the show and was an accomplished chef in his real life. He authored a book and appeared on other cooking shows when this one ended.

Western King Arthur

Dortort thought about the show and how to put it together, picturing it as the Old West version of the King Arthur story. In his version, Ben was King Arthur, with his sons being knights. That came true because Ben guided his kids throughout their lives.

Dan Blocker as Hoss Cartwright

Dan Blocker was Eric “Hoss” Cartwright. His character was dimwitted, sweet, and gullible, which is the opposite of the man in real life. Before becoming an actor, he was a teacher. He died at 43 years old in 1972 before the next production of the series was set to start.

The Massive Baby

Dan Blocker weighed a whopping 14 pounds at birth, so he was the largest baby born at that time in Bowie County, Texas. He was 105 pounds when he started first grade, too!

Barely Surviving to Thriving

Bonanza struggled during the first season, airing every Saturday night and picking up dismal ratings. In fact, it was almost canceled. However, it was the first show broadcast in color, and NBC wanted to keep it running. When it got bumped to Sunday nights, ratings soared!

David Canary as Candy Canaday

David Canary became Candy Canaday on Bonanza to fill the gap when Pernell Roberts chose to leave the show. He was a top candidate for Mr. Spock on Star Trek, but he decided on a Western. He died in 2015 from natural causes.

The Ponderosa Ranch in Real Life

Bonanza fans couldn’t stop themselves from visiting Incline Village, Nevada, which was the location for the fictional town. However, there was nothing there, leaving them disappointed. Joyce and Bill Anderson decided to build a theme park based on the series.

Stock Footage to Lower Costs

Because the characters didn’t change clothes, stock footage was often used. Production crews cut the budget by thousands of dollars for each episode. This was a simple and effective trick and saved tons of money.

Still Expensive

While production crews saved money by using stock photos and never changing the character’s clothes, the network spent about $100,000 to $150,000 on each episode. Therefore, it was the most expensive series to produce at the time, though it out-performed many others.

Zorro as Adam Cartwright

Guy Williams was initially offered the Adam Cartwright role, but he refused and played Zorro instead. Though he didn’t take on a main character, he appeared in five episodes of Bonanza as a cousin. It had been created to replace Pernell Roberts if and when he walked off.

Hoss’s Real Name

You’ve probably heard him called Hoss in almost every episode, but that wasn’t his actual name in the show. His full name was Eric Haas Cartwright. The characters just used his nickname, which was a play on the middle name.

The Cartwright Curse

If a woman fell in love with a Cartwright, they ended up leaving town or dead. It was a joke among the fans and actors that there truly was a Cartwright Curse. Overall, the man was meant to raise kids alone as a strong father figure.

Fake Hair

Many Bonanza actors ended up wearing toupees during the show’s production. These include Greene, Roberts, and Blocker. Luckily for all the ladies out there, Landon’s hair was real.

Equal Screen Time

The four men in the household share similar screen time. Production teams didn’t want to overshadow anyone. Therefore, each script was scrutinized to ensure that every show had four stars, leaving a well-balanced series that everyone fell in love with.

Title Slang

The term “Bonanza” was a slang term that miners used to describe large ore and mineral deposits. It also meant hitting the jackpot. In the Comstock Lode episode, the Cartwrights found a real-life bonanza on the ranch!

Selling Color TVs

Bonanza was one of the first television shows to get filmed in color. RCA and NBC decided to keep it on the air as ratings suffered because RCA wanted to sell color television sets. When it became more popular, it didn’t rely so heavily on selling television sets.

Michael Landon’s Obsession

Michael Landon had a role on the popular TV show, but he was devoted to each frame. He appeared in almost every episode, being left out of only 14. It was here that Landon started his directing and writing career, even taking over some of the episodes of Bonanza.

Hard to Work with Landon

Landon was actually hard to work with during the last few seasons. There were rumors floating around that he worked hard to keep major characters off the show. He often delayed production shoots to make the series his own vision.

No Dan on MASH

Dan Blocker was a top choice to play the lead role in M*A*S*H – The Movie. However, the producers didn’t think he was a good fit. The movie was successful, but it could have been interesting to see Dan blocker as a character!

Blocker Makes History

Dan Blocker actually died in 1972 before the final season was filmed. “Forever” was where Hoss fell in love and got married, but Landon rewrote it so that Little Joe fell in love. Still, that was the first time in television history where a character’s death was acknowledged on the air.

Guest Stars Earn More

During the first season, the production team didn’t know if people might like the show. Therefore, famous stars were brought in as guests and earned more than the actual actors. However, the second season stopped that when the Bonanza characters became stars in their own right.

Lyrics for the Theme Song

Though most viewers only heard the instrumental part, the theme song had lyrics. Ray Evans and Jay Livingston wrote it, and there is footage out there with the lead actors singing. Though they never aired, you can find them if you try hard enough.

One of the First

You may not realize that Bonanza was the first U.S. Western show to be 100 percent in color. That’s also why it was so expensive to make. If it hadn’t been for this decision, the show would likely have been canceled before it could become so popular!

Its Incredible Run

Gunsmoke (20 seasons) was the only Western television series to run longer than Bonanza (14 seasons). Syndication of each show continues in many parts of the world even today.

Cartwrights Not Hostile

During the first few episodes, the Cartwrights appeared hostile to visitors on the land. However, Lorne soon realized that the family was crucial for the community. Many people had to visit the homestead for business, so they changed their approach.

Chevy Connection

Much of Bonanza’s income came from the partnership with Chevrolet. This car company sponsored almost every episode, keeping it in production. The stars were even featured in Chevy commercials as part of the deal.

Deep Connection to Star Trek

Most of the major actors from Star Trek in 1966 were featured on Bonanza at some point during the run. Majel Barrett, DeForest Kelley, Leonard Nimoy, and James Doohan were just a few of them.

Landon’s Writing Wasn’t Enough

Landon wanted to write for this show, but David Dortort didn’t allow that. Finally, though, Landon submitted a script Dortort liked. From then on, he became a regular writer and occasionally produced episodes before writing for Little House on the Prairie.

First Issue-Oriented Western

Bonanza was actually the first dramatic Western on television that didn’t focus solely on hunting and killing the bad guys. Instead, it talked about social justice, prejudice, and racism problems that were very real at the time.

Rotating Credits Every Week

If you watch the opening sequences for many episodes, you soon see that the actors’ names were put in different orders. That way, no one had the top billing each time. The four main actors were equal stars, so this was carefully monitored.

Theatrical Release

You may not realize that Bonanza had a theatrical release in Mexico. Overall, the two “Ride the Wind” episodes were offered a full release. However, the episodes were renamed as “Jintes del Viento.