The Ponderosa, a sprawling Nevada cattle ranch, is home to the first family of television westerns - The Cartwrights. Patriarch Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) has raised his sons, Adam (Pernell Roberts), Hoss (Dan Blocker), and Little Joe (Michael Landon), into fine young men, but there are still many lessons and dangers to be faced in the largely untamed West during the mid 1800's. Launched in 1959, the
"Bonanza" series was the first hour-long television show shot in color, and ranks as the second longest running TV western after "Gunsmoke." In the 14 seasons that it ran, millions of Americans tuned in every week to watch the Cartwright family live, love, work, play and fight on the Ponderosa.
Death At Dawn: Ben is kidnapped by a Virginia City crime boss and is offered up as an exchange for a gang-member on death row.
Escape To Ponderosa: When Ben tracks down three army deserters who have attacked Adam, he hears their tales of abuse at the hands of a brutal Captain.
The Ape: Hoss has a unpopular new friend, a big, slow-witted man with a quick temper. Guest Star:
Leonard Nimoy
The Blood Line: After being forced to kill a man, Ben feels obliged to help the man's son, but all the boy wants is revenge.
