Bonanza season 4

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Bonanza season 4
Bonanza main cast 1959.JPG
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Starring
No. of episodes34
Release
Original network NBC
Original releaseSeptember 23, 1962 (1962-09-23) –
May 26, 1963 (1963-05-26)
Season chronology
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Bonanza season 3
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Bonanza season 5
List of episodes

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. [1] 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. [2] 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. [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 and his three sons (each by a different wife), Adam, Eric ("Hoss"), and Joseph ("Little Joe"). A regular character is their ranch cook, Hop Sing.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Recurring

Guest cast

Production

Casting

Bing Russell was added to the series as recurring character Deputy Clem Foster beginning with episode 18, "Half a Rouge". [4]

Filming

On location filming for season four took place at Incline Village for episode 1, "The First Born"; episode 2, "The Quest", and episode 7, "The War Comes to Washoe". [5] Additional locations were Griffith Park for episode 29, "Five into the Wind", [6] and Bronson Canyon for episode 32, "Rich Man, Poor Man" [7]

Episodes

Bonanza, season 4 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1011"The First Born" Don McDougall Judy and George W. GeorgeSeptember 23, 1962 (1962-09-23)
1022"The Quest" Christian Nyby John Furia [A] and Thomas ThompsonSeptember 30, 1962 (1962-09-30)
1033"The Artist"Don McDougall Frank Chase October 7, 1962 (1962-10-07)
1044"A Hot Day for a Hanging" William F. Claxton Preston Wood and Elliott Arnold October 14, 1962 (1962-10-14)
1055"The Deserter" William Witney Norman Lessing October 21, 1962 (1962-10-21)
1066"The Way Station"Lewis AllenFrank CleaverOctober 28, 1962 (1962-10-28)
1077"The War Comes to Washoe"Don McDougallAlvin SapinsleyNovember 4, 1962 (1962-11-04)
1088"Knight Errant"William F. Claxton Joseph Hoffman November 18, 1962 (1962-11-18)
1099"The Beginning"Christian NybyPreston WoodNovember 25, 1962 (1962-11-25)
11010"The Deadly Ones"William WitneyStory by : N. B. Stone Jr.
Teleplay by : Denne Petitclerc 		December 2, 1962 (1962-12-02)
11111"Gallagher's Sons"Christian NybyDick NelsonDecember 9, 1962 (1962-12-09)
11212"The Decision"William F. ClaxtonStory by : Norman Jacob
Teleplay by : Frank Chase		December 16, 1962 (1962-12-16)
11313"The Good Samaritan"Don McDougallRobert BloomfieldDecember 23, 1962 (1962-12-23)
11414"The Jury"Christian NybyRobert Vincent WrightDecember 30, 1962 (1962-12-30)
11515"The Colonel" Lewis Allen Preston WoodJanuary 6, 1963 (1963-01-06)
11616"Song in the Dark"Don McDougallJudy and George W. GeorgeJanuary 13, 1963 (1963-01-13)
11717"Elegy for a Hangman" Hollingsworth Morse Story by : E. M. Parsons
Teleplay by : E. M. Parsons and Shirl Hendryx		January 20, 1963 (1963-01-20)
11818"Half a Rogue"Don McDougallArnold BelgardJanuary 27, 1963 (1963-01-27)
11919"The Last Haircut"William F. ClaxtonCharles LangFebruary 3, 1963 (1963-02-03)
12020"Marie, My Love"Lewis AllenStory by : Anne Howard Bailey and Anthony Lawrence
Teleplay by : Anthony Lawrence		February 10, 1963 (1963-02-10)
12121"The Hayburner"William F. Claxton Alex Sharp February 17, 1963 (1963-02-17)
12222"The Actress"Christian NybyNorman LessingFebruary 24, 1963 (1963-02-24)
12323"A Stranger Passed This Way"Lewis AllenWilliam L. StuartMarch 3, 1963 (1963-03-03)
12424"The Way of Aaron" Murray Golden Raphael David Blau March 10, 1963 (1963-03-10)
12525"A Woman Lost"Don McDougallFrank ChaseMarch 17, 1963 (1963-03-17)
12626"Any Friend of Walter's"John FloreaLois HireMarch 24, 1963 (1963-03-24)
12727"Mirror of a Man"Lewis Allen A. I. Bezzerides March 31, 1963 (1963-03-31)
12828"My Brother's Keeper"Murray GoldenSeeleg LesterApril 7, 1963 (1963-04-07)
12929"Five into the Wind"William F. Claxton Meyer Dolinsky April 21, 1963 (1963-04-21)
13030"The Saga of Whizzer McGee"Don McDougallRobert L. WelchApril 28, 1963 (1963-04-28)
13131"Thunder Man"Lewis AllenLewis ReedMay 5, 1963 (1963-05-05)
13232"Rich Man, Poor Man"John FloreaStory by : Arnold Belgard and Robert Fresco
Teleplay by : Richard P. McDonagh, Barbara and Milton Merlin		May 12, 1963 (1963-05-12)
13333"The Boss"Arthur H. Nadel Leo Gordon and Paul Leslie PeilMay 19, 1963 (1963-05-19)
13434"Little Man... Ten Feet Tall"Lewis AllenStory by : Eric Norden and Frank Arno
Teleplay by : Eric Norden		May 26, 1963 (1963-05-26)

Release

Season four aired on Sundays from 9:00 pm–10:00 pm on NBC. [8]

Reception

Season four ranked #4 in the Nielsen ratings, the highest rated Western for the 1962–1963 season. [3]

Awards and nominations

AwardYear [lower-alpha 1] CategoryNominee(s) / WorkResultRef(s)
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards 1963 Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and Scenic Design Earl Hedrick (scenic designer) and Hal Pereira (art director)Nominated [9]
  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">Michael Landon</span> American actor and filmmaker (1936–1991)

Michael Landon was an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza (1959–1973), Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983), and Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven (1984–1989). Landon appeared on the cover of TV Guide 22 times, second only to Lucille Ball.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pernell Roberts</span> American actor (1928–2010)

Pernell Elven Roberts Jr. was an American stage, film, and television actor, activist, and singer. In addition to guest-starring in over 60 television series, he was best known for his roles as Ben Cartwright's eldest son Adam Cartwright on the Western television series Bonanza (1959–1965), and as chief surgeon Dr. John McIntyre, the title character on Trapper John, M.D. (1979–1986).

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 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 12</i> Season of television series

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. 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. Season twelve was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It finished the season at #9 in the Nielsen ratings, behind #5 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. 83, 88.
  2. ↑ Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
  3. 1 2 "TV Ratings: 1962–1963". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  4. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 70.
  5. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 64-66.
  6. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 74.
  7. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 75.
  8. ↑ Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
  9. ↑ "Television Academy Emmy Awards & Nominations—Bonanza". emmys.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.

Bibliography

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