Bonanza season 7

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Bonanza season 7
Bonanza main cast 1959.JPG
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Starring
No. of episodes33
Release
Original network NBC
Original releaseSeptember 12, 1965 (1965-09-12) –
May 15, 1966 (1966-05-15)
Season chronology
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Bonanza season 6
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Bonanza season 8
List of episodes

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. [1] 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. [2] 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. [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

After trying for years to exit his six-year contract early, Pernell Roberts left the show at the end of season six. Season seven was the first to air without Roberts in the main cast. [4]

Writing

With the departure of Pernell Roberts, the original plan was to kill off the character. However, the decision was made to have the character travel away from the Ponderosa. Should Roberts have changed his mind, he could have been written back into the series. [5]

Filming

Filming locations for season seven included:

Episodes

Bonanza, season 7 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
2031"The Debt" William F. Claxton William Blinn September 12, 1965 (1965-09-12)
2042"The Dilemma"William F. ClaxtonJohn Hawkins and Ward Hawkins September 19, 1965 (1965-09-19)
2053"The Brass Box"William F. Claxton Paul Schneider September 26, 1965 (1965-09-26)
2064"The Other Son"William F. ClaxtonThomas ThompsonOctober 3, 1965 (1965-10-03)
2075"The Lonely Runner" William Witney Thomas ThompsonOctober 10, 1965 (1965-10-10)
2086"Devil on Her Shoulder" Virgil W. Vogel Suzanne ClauserOctober 17, 1965 (1965-10-17)
2097"Found Child"Ralph E. BlackFrank CleaverOctober 24, 1965 (1965-10-24)
2108"The Meredith Smith"John FloreaLois HireOctober 31, 1965 (1965-10-31)
2119"Mighty is the Word"William F. ClaxtonStory by : Robert Goodwin
Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson		November 7, 1965 (1965-11-07)
21210"The Strange One" Gerd Oswald Story by : Stephen Lord
Teleplay by : Jo Pagano and Stephen Lord		November 14, 1965 (1965-11-14)
21311"The Reluctant Rebel" R. G. Springsteen Wally George November 21, 1965 (1965-11-21)
21412"Five Sundowns to Sunup"Gerd OswaldWilliam L. StuartDecember 5, 1965 (1965-12-05)
21513"A Natural Wizard" Robert Totten Story by : Suzanne Clauser
Teleplay by : William Blinn		December 12, 1965 (1965-12-12)
21614"All Ye His Saints"William F. ClaxtonWilliam BlinnDecember 19, 1965 (1965-12-19)
21715"A Dublin Lad"William F. ClaxtonMort ThawJanuary 2, 1966 (1966-01-02)
21816"To Kill a Buffalo"William F. ClaxtonMichael FisherJanuary 9, 1966 (1966-01-09)
21917"Ride the Wind"William WitneyPaul SchneiderJanuary 16, 1966 (1966-01-16)
22018January 23, 1966 (1966-01-23)
22119"Destiny's Child"Gerd Oswald Robert V. Barron January 30, 1966 (1966-01-30)
22220"Peace Officer"William WitneyDon MullallyFebruary 6, 1966 (1966-02-06)
22321"The Code"William F. ClaxtonSidney EllisFebruary 13, 1966 (1966-02-13)
22422"Three Brides for Hoss"Ralph E. BlackJo PaganoFebruary 20, 1966 (1966-02-20)
22523"The Emperor Norton"William F. ClaxtonStory by : Gerry Prince Young and Robert Sabaroff
Teleplay by : Robert Sabaroff		February 27, 1966 (1966-02-27)
22624"Her Brother's Keeper"Virgil W. VogelStory by : Lee Pickett
Teleplay by : Mort Thaw		March 6, 1966 (1966-03-06)
22725"The Trouble with Jamie"R. G. SpringsteenHelen B. HicksMarch 20, 1966 (1966-03-20)
22826"Shining in Spain" Maurice Geraghty Elliott GilbertMarch 27, 1966 (1966-03-27)
22927"The Genius"R. G. SpringsteenDon MullallyApril 3, 1966 (1966-04-03)
23028"The Unwritten Commandment"Gerd OswaldStory by : Dan Ullman
Teleplay by : Jo Pagano and William Blinn		April 10, 1966 (1966-04-10)
23129"Big Shadows on the Land"William F. ClaxtonWilliam F. Leicester and Richard H. Bartlett April 17, 1966 (1966-04-17)
23230"The Fighters"R. G. SpringsteenRobert GoodwinApril 24, 1966 (1966-04-24)
23331"Home from the Sea" Jean Yarbrough George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams May 1, 1966 (1966-05-01)
23432"The Last Mission"R. G. SpringsteenStory by : S. S. Schweitzer
Teleplay by : William Douglas Lansford and S. S. Schweitzer		May 8, 1966 (1966-05-08)
23533"A Dollar's Worth of Trouble"Donald R. DavesRobert GoodwinMay 15, 1966 (1966-05-15)

Release

Season seven aired on Sundays from 9:00 pm–10:00 pm on NBC. [15]

The two-part episode "Ride the Wind" was combined into a full-length theatrical release and released internationally in 1967. [16]

Reception

Season seven held the #1 position in the Nielsen ratings. It was the second season of three straight seasons to hold that position. [3]

Awards and nominations

AwardYear [lower-alpha 1] CategoryNominee(s) / WorkResultRef(s)
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards 1966 Outstanding Dramatic Series David Dortort (producer)Nominated [17]
Individual Achievements in Music—Composition David Rose Nominated [17]
Individual Achievements in Cinematography—CinematographyHaskell Boggs and William F. WhitleyNominated [17]
Individual Achievements in Cinematography—SpecialEdward Ancona (color coordinator)Nominated [17]
Individual Achievements in Film EditingMarvin Coil, Everett Douglas and Ellsworth Hoagland Won [17]
  1. ↑ Indicates the year of ceremony.

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<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 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. 101, 106.
  2. ↑ Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
  3. 1 2
    • "TV Ratings: 1964–1965". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
    • "TV Ratings: 1965–1966". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
    • "TV Ratings: 1966–1967". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  4. ↑ Shapiro 1997, pp. 13, 15.
  5. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 211.
  6. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 100.
  7. 1 2 Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 105.
  8. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 108.
  9. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 111.
  10. 1 2 Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 113.
  11. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 101.
  12. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 102.
  13. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 104.
  14. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 109.
  15. ↑ Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
  16. ↑ Greenland 2010.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "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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