Bonanza season 12

Last updated
Bonanza season 12
Bonanza main cast 1959.JPG
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Starring
No. of episodes28
Release
Original network NBC
Original releaseSeptember 13, 1970 (1970-09-13) 
April 11, 1971 (1971-04-11)
Season chronology
 Previous
Bonanza season 11
List of episodes

The twelfth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 13, 1970, with the final episode airing April 11, 1971. [1] The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season twelve starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 28 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. [2] Season twelve was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It finished the season at #9 in the Nielsen ratings, behind #5 Gunsmoke . [3]

Contents

Synopsis

Bonanza is set around the Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City, Nevada and chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, consisting of Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) and his three sons (each by a different wife), Adam (Pernell Roberts), Eric "Hoss" (Dan Blocker), and Joseph (Michael Landon). Veteran actor Victor Sen Yung played the ranch cook, Hop Sing. In 1964, Pernell Roberts began expressing a desire to leave the series, and so prospective replacements were introduced via Barry Coe as Little Joe's wayward maternal half-brother Clay, and Guy Williams as Ben's nephew Will Cartwright. However, Roberts was persuaded to complete his contract, and remained through season six. The characters of Clay and Will were discontinued. In the ninth season, David Canary was added to the cast as ranch hand/foreman Candy Canady. After four years with the series, Canary left due to a contract dispute. In the twelfth season, Mitch Vogel joined the cast as Jamie Hunter, a teenage orphan who is adopted by Ben Cartwright.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Recurring

Guest cast

Episodes

Bonanza, season 12 episodes
No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
3621"The Night Virginia City Died"William WiardJohn HawkinsSeptember 13, 1970 (1970-09-13)
3632"A Matter of Faith"William Wiard Jack B. Sowards, John HawkinsSeptember 20, 1970 (1970-09-20)
3643"The Weary Willies" Leo Penn Robert Pirosh September 27, 1970 (1970-09-27)
3654"The Wagon" James Neilson Ken PettusOctober 4, 1970 (1970-10-04)
3665"The Power of Life and Death"Leo PennJoel MurcottOctober 11, 1970 (1970-10-11)
3676"Gideon, the Good" Herschel Daugherty Ken PettusOctober 18, 1970 (1970-10-18)
3687"The Trouble with Trouble" Herschel Daugherty Jack B. SowardsOctober 25, 1970 (1970-10-25)
3698"Thornton's Account"William F. ClaxtonPreston WoodNovember 1, 1970 (1970-11-01)
3709"The Love Child" Michael Landon Michael LandonNovember 8, 1970 (1970-11-08)
37110"El Jefe"William F. ClaxtonKen PettusNovember 15, 1970 (1970-11-15)
37211"The Luck of Pepper Shannon" Nicholas Webster John HawkinsNovember 22, 1970 (1970-11-22)
37312"The Impostors" Lewis Allen Robert Vincent WrightDecember 13, 1970 (1970-12-13)
37413"Honest John"Lewis AllenArthur HeinemannDecember 20, 1970 (1970-12-20)
37514"For a Young Lady"Don RichardsonB. W. SandefurDecember 27, 1970 (1970-12-27)
37615"A Single Pilgrim"William WiardArthur Weingarten, Suzanne ClauserJanuary 3, 1971 (1971-01-03)
37716"The Gold-Plated Rifle" Joseph Pevney Preston WoodJanuary 10, 1971 (1971-01-10)
37817"Top Hand"William F. ClaxtonArthur Heinemann, John HawkinsJanuary 17, 1971 (1971-01-17)
37918"A Deck of Aces"Lewis Allen Stanley Roberts January 31, 1971 (1971-01-31)
38019"The Desperado" Philip Leacock George Lovell HayesFebruary 7, 1971 (1971-02-07)
38120"The Reluctant American"Philip LeacockStanley RobertsFebruary 14, 1971 (1971-02-14)
38221"Shadow of a Hero"Leo PennJohn Hawkins, Mel GoldbergFebruary 21, 1971 (1971-02-21)
38322"The Silent Killer"Leo PennJohn HawkinsFebruary 28, 1971 (1971-02-28)
38423"Terror at 2:00"Michael LandonMichael LandonMarch 7, 1971 (1971-03-07)
38524"The Stillness Within"Michael LandonSuzanne ClauserMarch 14, 1971 (1971-03-14)
38625"A Time to Die"Philip Leacock Don Ingalls March 21, 1971 (1971-03-21)
38726"Winter Kill"William WiardStory by: Jack Rummler
Teleplay by: John Hawkins and Robert Pirosh
March 28, 1971 (1971-03-28)
38827"Kingdom of Fear"Joseph PevneyMichael LandonApril 4, 1971 (1971-04-04)
38928"An Earthquake Called Callahan"Herschel DaughertyPreston WoodApril 11, 1971 (1971-04-11)

Release

Season twelve aired on Sundays from 9:00 pm10:00 pm on NBC. [4]

Reception

Season twelve finished the season at #9 in the Nielsen ratings, behind #5 Gunsmoke . [3]

Awards and nominations

AwardYear [lower-alpha 1] CategoryNominee(s) / WorkResultRef(s)
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards 1971 Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition—For a Series or a Single Program of a Series (First Year of Music's Use Only) David Rose (for "The Love Child")Won [5]
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming—For a Series or a Single Program of a Series Ted Voigtlander (for "The Love Child")Nominated [5]
  1. Indicates the year of ceremony.

Related Research Articles

<i>Bonanza</i> American western television series

Bonanza is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, Bonanza is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on U.S. network television, and one of the longest-running, live-action American series. The show continues to air in syndication. The show is set in the 1860s and centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada, bordering Lake Tahoe. The series initially starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon and later featured Guy Williams, David Canary, Mitch Vogel and Tim Matheson. The show is known for presenting pressing moral dilemmas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorne Greene</span> Canadian actor (1915–1987)

Lorne Hyman Greene was a Canadian actor, musician, singer and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western Bonanza and Commander Adama in the original science-fiction television series Battlestar Galactica and Galactica 1980. He also worked on the Canadian television nature documentary series Lorne Greene's New Wilderness and in television commercials.

The Ponderosa Ranch was a theme park based on the television western Bonanza, which housed the land, timber and livestock-rich Cartwright family. The amusement park operated in Incline Village, Nevada, near Lake Tahoe, from 1968 until 2004. Portions of the last five seasons of the TV series and three television films were also filmed at that location.

The Ponderosa is a television series developed by Bonanza creator David Dortort for PAX TV that ran for the 2001–2002 television season.

Bonanza: The Next Generation is a 1988 American Western television film and a sequel to the 1959–1973 television series Bonanza starring John Ireland, Robert Fuller, Barbara Anderson, Michael Landon Jr., Brian A. Smith and John Amos.

<i>Bonanza season 1</i> Season of television series

The first season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 12, 1959, with the final episode airing April 30, 1960. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort, and season one starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 32 episodes of the series's total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. It aired on Saturdays from 7:30 pm–8:30 pm on NBC and placed at number 45 in the Nielsen ratings.

<i>Bonanza season 2</i> Season of television series

The second season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 10, 1960, with the final episode airing June 3, 1961. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort, and season two starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of the series's total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. It aired on Saturdays from 7:30 pm–8:30 pm on NBC and placed at number 17 in the Nielsen ratings.

<i>Bonanza season 3</i> Season of television series

The third season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 24, 1961, with the final episode airing May 20, 1962. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort, and season three starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. At the start of the third season, the show was moved to Sundays at 9:00 p.m. In that time slot, the ratings soared and the series become second only to Wagon Train as the most popular program on American prime time television.

<i>Bonanza season 4</i> Season of television series

The fourth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 23, 1962, with the final episode airing May 26, 1963. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort, and season four starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. Season four was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It ranked #4 in the Nielsen ratings, the highest rated Western for the 1962–1963 season.

<i>Bonanza season 5</i> Season of television series

The fifth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 22, 1963, with the final episode airing May 24, 1964. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort, and season five starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. Season five was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It ranked #2 in the Nielsen ratings, the highest rated Western for the 1963-1964 season.

<i>Bonanza season 6</i> Season of television series

The sixth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 20, 1964, with the final episode airing May 23, 1965. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort, and season six starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. Season six was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It moved up to capture the #1 spot in the Nielsen ratings for the 1964-1965 season, a position it would hold for three straight seasons.

<i>Bonanza season 7</i> Season of television series

The seventh season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 12, 1965, with the final episode airing May 15, 1966. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season seven starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. It was the first season without Pernell Roberts. The season consisted of 33 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. Season seven was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It ranked #1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1965-1966 season, the second of three straight seasons in the top spot.

<i>Bonanza season 8</i> Season of television series

The eighth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 11, 1966, with the final episode airing May 14, 1967. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season eight starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. Season eight was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It was the third straight season the show held the #1 position in the Nielsen ratings.

<i>Bonanza season 9</i> Season of television series

The ninth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 17, 1967, with the final episode airing July 28, 1968. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season nine starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. Season nine was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. After three straight seasons at number one, it slipped to #6 in the Nielsen ratings.

<i>Bonanza season 10</i> Season of television series

The tenth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 15, 1968, with the final episode airing May 11, 1969. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season ten starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 30 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. Season ten was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It was #2 in the Nielsen ratings, the highest rated Western for the season.

<i>Bonanza season 11</i> Season of television series

The eleventh season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 14, 1969, with the final episode airing April 19, 1970. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season eleven starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 28 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. Season eleven was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It was #3 in the Nielsen ratings, behind #2 Gunsmoke.

<i>Bonanza season 13</i> Season of television series

The thirteenth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 19, 1971, with the final episode airing April 2, 1972. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season thirteen starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 26 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. Season thirteen was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It fell to #20 in the Nielsen ratings.

<i>Bonanza season 14</i> Season of television series

The fourteenth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 12, 1972, with the final episode airing January 16, 1973. This was the final season for the series. The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season fourteen starred Lorne Greene and Michael Landon, the first season following the death of Dan Blocker. The season consisted of 16 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color. Season fourteen moved to a new timeslot of Tuesdays from 8:00 pm–9:00 pm on NBC. The final season fell out of the top 30 in the Nielsen ratings.

References

Footnotes

  1. Shapiro 1997, pp. 147, 150.
  2. Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
  3. 1 2 "TV Ratings: 1970–1971". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  4. Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
  5. 1 2 "Television Academy Emmy Awards & Nominations—Bonanza". emmys.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.

Bibliography