Bonanza season 14
| Bonanza | |
|---|---|
| Season 14 | |
 Cast of Bonanza in 1959 | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 12, 1972 – January 16, 1973 |
| Season chronology | |
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.[1] 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.[2] Season fourteen moved to a new timeslot of Tuesdays from 8:00 pm–9:00 pm on NBC.[3] The final season fell out of the top 30 in the Nielsen ratings.[4]
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. Following Dan Blocker's death in May 1972 after season thirteen ended, Greene, Landon, and Vogel continued the series into a fourteenth season, with Canary returning as Candy and Tim Matheson was introduced as ex-prisoner and newly hired ranch-hand Griff King.
Cast and characters
Main cast
- Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
- Michael Landon as Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright
Recurring
- Victor Sen Yung as Hop Sing
- Bing Russell as Deputy Clem Foster
- David Canary as "Candy" Canaday
- Mitch Vogel as Jamie Hunter Cartwright
- Tim Matheson as Griff King
Guest cast
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 416 | 1 | "Forever" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | September 12, 1972 |
| 417 | 2 | September 19, 1972 | |||
| 418 | 3 | "Heritage of Anger" | Nicholas Webster | Don Ingalls | September 26, 1972 |
| 419 | 4 | "The Initiation" | Alf Kjellin | Douglas Day Stewart | October 3, 1972 |
| 420 | 5 | "Riot!" | Lewis Allen | Robert Pirosh | October 10, 1972 |
| 421 | 6 | "New Man" | Leo Penn | Jack B. Sowards | October 17, 1972 |
| 422 | 7 | "Ambush at Rio Lobo" | Nicholas Colasanto | Joel Murcott | October 24, 1972 |
| 423 | 8 | "The 26th Grave" | Nicholas Colasanto | Stanley Roberts | October 31, 1972 |
| 424 | 9 | "Stallion" | E. W. Swackhamer | Jack B. Sowards | November 14, 1972 |
| 425 | 10 | "The Hidden Enemy" | Alf Kjellin | Stanley Roberts | November 28, 1972 |
| 426 | 11 | "The Sound of Sadness" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | December 5, 1972 |
| 427 | 12 | "The Bucket Dog" | William F. Claxton | John Hawkins | December 19, 1972 |
| 428 | 13 | "First Love" | Leo Penn | Richard Collins | December 26, 1972 |
| 429 | 14 | "The Witness" | Lewis Allen | Story by : Arthur Heinemann Teleplay by : Joel Murcott and Arthur Heinemann | January 2, 1973 |
| 430 | 15 | "The Marriage of Theodora Duffy" | William F. Claxton | Ward Hawkins | January 9, 1973 |
| 431 | 16 | "The Hunter" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | January 16, 1973 |
Release
Season fourteen aired on Tuesdays from 8:00 pm–9:00 pm on NBC.[3]
Reception
The final season fell out of the top 30 in the Nielsen ratings.[4]
References
Footnotes
- ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 107, 111.
- ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
- ^ a b Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
- ^ a b "TV Ratings: 1972–1973". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
Bibliography
- Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
- Greenland, David R. (2010). Bonanza: A Viewer's Guide to the TV Legend. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-62933-722-7.
- Greenland, David R. (2015). Michael Landon: The Career and Artistry of a Television Genius. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-59393-785-0.
- Leiby, Bruce R.; Leiby, Linda F. (2015). A Reference Guide to Television's Bonanza: Episodes, Personnel, and Broadcast History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 9781476600758.
- McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
- Shapiro, Melany (1997). Bonanza: The Definitive Ponderosa Companion. Cyclone Books. ISBN 978-1-890723-18-7.