Bonanza
Bonanza is an American Western television series that aired from 1959 to 1973 on NBC. Set on the thousand-square-mile Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City, Nevada, it follows the Cartwright family — patriarch Ben and his three sons Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe — as they navigate life, love, and conflict on the frontier. Bonanza was the first hour-length Western filmed in color and was NBC's flagship series for over a decade, running for 431 episodes across 14 seasons. The first two seasons are in the public domain because their copyrights were never renewed, making many early episodes freely available.
Season 1
The Gunmen
Little Joe and Hoss are mistaken for notorious gunslingers when they arrive in a Texas town, forcing them to play along with the mistaken
The Fear Merchants
A ruthless businessman uses fear and intimidation to drive ranchers off their land, and the Cartwrights stand in his way when he targets the
The Spanish Grant
A Spanish noblewoman arrives at the Ponderosa claiming ownership of the land under an old Spanish grant, forcing the Cartwrights to fight for
Blood on the Land
A sheepherder drives his flock across Ponderosa land, sparking a dangerous feud that threatens to erupt into violence between cattlemen
Desert Justice
A U.S. Marshal known for his brutal methods arrests Adam as a material witness, and Ben must ride to his son's rescue before the lawman's
The Stranger
A mysterious stranger arrives at the Ponderosa with a hidden agenda connected to Ben Cartwright's past, threatening to expose a long-buried
Escape to Ponderosa
An Army deserter fleeing a court-martial seeks refuge at the Ponderosa, and the Cartwrights must decide whether to turn him in or help him
The Avenger
A mysterious vigilante known as the Avenger is hunting down men connected to a lynching years earlier, and Ben Cartwright discovers
The Last Trophy
A British lord and his wife arrive at the Ponderosa on a hunting trip, but the lord's arrogance and disdain for frontier life create tensions
San Francisco
Ben Cartwright travels to San Francisco on business and becomes entangled in a web of political corruption and murder that threatens
Details
- Years
- 1959–1973
- Seasons
- 14
- Episodes
- 10
- Genres
- Western, Drama
- Rating
- 7.4/10
- Status
- Public Domain Mark 1.0
- Studio
- NBC
