Bonanza

The High-Sierra adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.

Bonanza (1959-1973) is an American western family drama created by David Dortort for NBC. Widower Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) raises three grown sons, Adam (Pernell Roberts), Hoss (Dan Blocker) and Joe (Michael Landon), on the Ponderosa, a sprawling cattle ranch in the High Sierra of 19th century Nevada. Each episode follows the family as they work the land and defend it from rustlers, feuding townsfolk, drifters and outside schemes, while they lend a hand to the surrounding community. The engine is simple and reliable: a problem arrives in town or at the ranch gate, and the Cartwrights settle it through courage, patience and decency. Across fourteen seasons and more than four hundred episodes, the show is a long-running, self-contained episodic series rather than one continuing story, so viewers can dip in anywhere. Its tone is warm, earnest and nostalgic, with sweeping mountain landscapes, horseback action and gentle humor between brothers. Fans of The Rifleman, Gunsmoke and Little House on the Prairie will find the same blend of frontier adventure and family values.

Audiences regard Bonanza as a warm, enduring family Western whose strongest seasons are its later ones, with the Cartwright family dynamic at its core.

• The Riflemanshared family western ranch setting, wholesome frontier drama with moral lessons
• Little House on the Prairieshared western frontier family drama, rural ranch life and community problems
• Gunsmokeshared western genre form, episodic frontier stories with a steady ensemble

Created by

David Dortort

Release Date

1959-09-12

Episode runtime

49 min

Rating

7.3 / 10 (503)

What is Bonanza about?

Ben Cartwright and his three sons run a High Sierra ranch in 1860s Nevada while helping their neighbors through frontier trouble.

What is Bonanza like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bonanza as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Bonanza violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Bonanza as mild.

What did critics think of Bonanza?

Audiences regard Bonanza as a warm, enduring family Western whose strongest seasons are its later ones, with the Cartwright family dynamic at its core.

Which shows are like Bonanza?

Shows with a similar feel include The Rifleman, Little House on the Prairie, and Gunsmoke.

How long is Bonanza?

Bonanza: 14 seasons, 431 episodes.

Is Bonanza still running?

No, Bonanza has ended.

Where can I watch Bonanza?

In United States, Bonanza streams on fuboTV, Philo, YouTube TV, Pure Flix, FlixFling, Best Westerns Ever Amazon Channel, Great American Pure Flix Amazon Channel, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.