Ever Wonder Why that Western TV Show was Called Bonanza?

Ever wonder why that enormously popular western TV series about a dad and three step-brothers (later just two) was called Bonanza? Oh, true, when it went into syndication while first-run episodes were still being aired it was called by the much more seemly title Ponderosa, although even that name would certainly draw some head scratching from anyone unfamiliar with the show. But why Bonanza? The show took place on the Ponderosa, the massive ranch of the Cartwright clan, and it was situated in Nevada. Just how did Ben Cartwright become a land baron and the most powerful man within 200 miles of Virginia City? The title of the show gives a clue. Bonanza was the name given to huge finds in silver mines during the peak period of the Comstock Lode. The Ponderosa was an immense ranch, measuring 1,000 square miles. In at least one episode one of the Cartwright brothers is quoted as saying that it takes at least two days to traverse this span of land. Each episode of Bonanza opens with a map of the Ponderosa and the surrounding area not part of it bursting into flames. An interesting bit of trivia: in the original drawing of the map the compass points were wrong. The opening theme song of Bonanza is one of the most famous in television history, but what a lot of people don't know is that there are lyrics to the song. Here is an excerpt from those lyrics, written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston:

"Here in the west we're livin' in the best - Bonanza
If anyone fights any one of us
He's gonna fight with me
Hoss and Joe and Adam know
Every rock and pine
No one works, fights, or eats
Like those boys of mine."

The show premiered in 1959 and owns a little known piece of TV trivia history by being the first American television series to have every one of its episodes broadcast in color. The first couple of seasons were a bit rocky for Bonanza, primarily because at the time roughly 60% of all TV dramas were westerns. Okay, I made that figure up, but this was the boon years for TV horse operas and what made the saga of the Cartwright clan stand out was that in many ways it was really the first mature western, meaning that instead of settling into a storyline rut where each episode ended with a shootout between the star and the bad guy of the week, Bonanza was really a family drama that just happened to be set in the Wild West. The Cartwrights used their fists far more often than their guns and, in fact, a fistfight became almost a weekly highlight of the show.

The premise of the show is one that has been mocked mercilessly. Ben Cartwright has three sons by three different women and a staple of the show was that any time one of the men found a love interest she would usually be dead or revealed as an unworthy and banished by the end of the episode. The sheer number of potential wives of Cartwrights who met ill-fated ends is tragically hilarious. The fact that such a strain of tragedy was the foundation of the show, along with the realization that at least two of his sons did not appear to be much younger than Ben, made for one of the most hilarious diner conversations in the Barry Levinson movie Tin Men. Danny DeVito plays the character who has the funniest lines in this scene which also manages to touch on the lack of open sexuality on the show.

The breakout star was Pernell Roberts, who played the eldest son Adam. By 1965 he'd grown tired of the part and was ready to move on to bigger and better things. Because he was leaving such a wildly successful show, Roberts for a time became the poster boy for the widely accepted convention that TV stars could not make the transition to movie stars. Roberts' career essentially foundered for years and he was mostly seen in bad TV-movies and guest appearances on other TV shows before he made his comeback in Trapper John, MD.

Another cast member who quickly stood out was Michael Landon, a young actor whose main claim to fame at the time of the show's premiere was his title role in I Was a Teenage Werewolf. With his good looks, quick humor and fun-loving attitude he was the favorite of younger female audiences. One of the most memorable episodes involves a deranged lookalike of Little Joe and it is probably Michael Landon's greatest performance. He actually comes close to pulling off the trick of making you think it's another actor impersonating him. Of course, Landon went on to become one of the most successful figures in TV history and managed to pull off the elusive triple play by starring (as well as often writing and directing) in three different shows: Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven. His life was tragically cut short by cancer.

The third son was played by yet another fan favorite Dan Blocker. Blocker was, of course, Hoss, the big, slightly dumb, but good-hearted middle brother. An interesting piece of trivia about Dan Blocker is that Stanley Kubrick actually approached him to play the part of the bomber pilot, Major Kong, in Dr. Strangelove. Blocker would have been perfect for the role of the straight-laced but laid back Texan who unwittingly unleashes a nuclear war. Strangelove co-writer has been quoted as saying that the script was returned with a note from Blocker's agent stating that the movie was too "pinko" for Blocker to consider. What a world that was back then. One of the most popular episodes of all time revolves around Hoss trying to convince the rest of the family that he met up with a real live leprechaun. It is a classic example of how the series could pull off comedy as well as drama.

When Dan Blocker died in 1972 the show merely mentioned without fanfare that Hoss had died and moved on. By then, however, the television landscape had changed dramatically. Whereas Bonanza had been just another western in a sea of cowboy shows when it premiered, by this point it was one of the few shows left on TV featuring horses. ABC moved the show to Tuesday and placed it up against Maude, one of the leaders in the revolution of early 70s TV. Compared to a show that featured very contemporary issues, Bonanza suddenly seemed old-fashioned and out of touch. It went from being a top five mainstay to barely cracking the top 20 and the end was nigh as ABC execs sought to copy the template of success over on CBS. Out with the old and in with the new as Bonanza was canceled in short order.