Bonanza season 8

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Bonanza season 8
Bonanza main cast 1959.JPG
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Starring
No. of episodes34
Release
Original network NBC
Original releaseSeptember 11, 1966 (1966-09-11) –
May 14, 1967 (1967-05-14)
Season chronology
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Bonanza season 7
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Bonanza season 9
List of episodes

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. [1] 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. [2] 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. [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

Filming

On location filming for season eight took place at the following:

Episodes

Bonanza, season 8 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
2361"Something Hurt, Something Wild" Lewis Allen Jerry Alderman and William DriskillSeptember 11, 1966 (1966-09-11)
2372"Horse of a Different Hue"William WitneyWilliam R. CoxSeptember 18, 1966 (1966-09-18)
2383"A Time to Step Down" Paul Henreid Frank Chase September 25, 1966 (1966-09-25)
2394"The Pursued"William WitneyStory by : Thomas Thompson and Marc Michaels
Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson		October 2, 1966 (1966-10-02)
2405October 9, 1966 (1966-10-09)
2416"To Bloom for Thee"Sutton RoleyJune RandolphOctober 16, 1966 (1966-10-16)
2427"Credit for a Kill" William F. Claxton Frederick Louis FoxOctober 23, 1966 (1966-10-23)
2438"Four Sisters from Boston"Alan Crosland Jr.John M. ChesterOctober 30, 1966 (1966-10-30)
2449"Old Charlie"William F. ClaxtonBob and Wanda DuncanNovember 6, 1966 (1966-11-06)
24510"Ballad of the Ponderosa"William F. ClaxtonStory by : Hendrik Vollaerts
Teleplay by : Rik Vollaerts and Michael Landon 		November 13, 1966 (1966-11-13)
24611"The Oath"Gerd OswaldMartha WilkersonNovember 20, 1966 (1966-11-20)
24712"A Real Nice, Friendly Little Town"Herman HoffmanHerman HoffmanNovember 27, 1966 (1966-11-27)
24813"The Bridegroom"William F. ClaxtonWalter BlackDecember 4, 1966 (1966-12-04)
24914"Tommy"William WitneyStory by : Mary Terri Taylor and Thomas Thompson
Teleplay by : Mort Thaw and Mary Terri Taylor		December 18, 1966 (1966-12-18)
25015"A Christmas Story" Gerd Oswald Thomas ThompsonDecember 25, 1966 (1966-12-25)
25116"Ponderosa Explosion"William F. Claxton Alex Sharp January 1, 1967 (1967-01-01)
25217"Justice" Lewis Allen Richard WendleyJanuary 8, 1967 (1967-01-08)
25318"A Bride for Buford"William F. Claxton Robert V. Barron January 15, 1967 (1967-01-15)
25419"Black Friday"William F. ClaxtonHerbert Kastle and John HawkinsJanuary 22, 1967 (1967-01-22)
25520"The Unseen Wound"Gerd OswaldFrank ChaseJanuary 29, 1967 (1967-01-29)
25621"Journey to Terror"Lewis AllenJoel MurcottFebruary 5, 1967 (1967-02-05)
25722"Amigo"William F. ClaxtonStory by : Jack Turley
Teleplay by : John Hawkins and Jack Turley		February 12, 1967 (1967-02-12)
25823"A Woman in the House"Gerd OswaldJoel MurcottFebruary 19, 1967 (1967-02-19)
25924"Judgement at Red Creek"William F. ClaxtonRobert SabaroffFebruary 26, 1967 (1967-02-26)
26025"Joe Cartwright, Detective"William F. ClaxtonStory by : Oliver Crawford
Teleplay by : Michael Landon		March 5, 1967 (1967-03-05)
26126"Dark Enough to See the Stars"Donald R. DavesKelly ColvinMarch 12, 1967 (1967-03-12)
26227"The Deed and the Dilemma"William F. ClaxtonWilliam F. LeicesterMarch 26, 1967 (1967-03-26)
26328"The Prince"William F. ClaxtonStory by : Melvin Levy
Teleplay by : John Hawkins		April 2, 1967 (1967-04-02)
26429"A Man Without Land"Donald R. DavesSteve McNeilApril 9, 1967 (1967-04-09)
26530"Napoleon's Children" Christian Nyby Judith and Robert Guy BarrowsApril 16, 1967 (1967-04-16)
26631"The Wormwood Cup"William F. ClaxtonStory by : Joy Dexter
Teleplay by : Joy Dexter and Michael Landon		April 23, 1967 (1967-04-23)
26732"Clarissa"Lewis AllenChester KrumholzApril 30, 1967 (1967-04-30)
26833"Maestro Hoss"William F. ClaxtonU.S. AndersonMay 7, 1967 (1967-05-07)
26934"The Greedy Ones"Donald R. DavesJames AmesburyMay 14, 1967 (1967-05-14)

Release

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

Reception

The show held the #1 position in the Nielsen ratings for three straight seasons, with season eight being the final season to do so. [3]

Awards and nominations

AwardYear [lower-alpha 1] CategoryNominee(s) / WorkResultRef(s)
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards 1967 Individual Achievements in Cinematography—CinematographyHaskell Boggs and William F. WhitleyNominated [11]
  1. ↑ Indicates the year of ceremony.

Related Research Articles

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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.

<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.

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

<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 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. 107, 111.
  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. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 113.
  5. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 114.
  6. 1 2 Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 115.
  7. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 122.
  8. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 125.
  9. ↑ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 117.
  10. ↑ Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
  11. ↑ "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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