Bonanza season 10
| Bonanza | |
|---|---|
| Season 10 | |
 Cast of Bonanza in 1959 | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 15, 1968 – May 11, 1969 |
| Season chronology | |
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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]
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.
Cast and characters
Main cast
- Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
- Dan Blocker as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright
- Michael Landon as Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright
- David Canary as "Candy" Canaday
Recurring
- Victor Sen Yung as Hop Sing
- Ray Teal as Sheriff Roy Coffee
- Bing Russell as Deputy Clem Foster
Guest cast
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 304 | 1 | "Different Pines, Same Wind" | Leon Benson | Suzanne Clauser | September 15, 1968 |
| 305 | 2 | "Child" | Leon Benson | Jack B. Sowards | September 22, 1968 |
| 306 | 3 | "Salute to Yesterday" | Leon Benson | John Hawkins | September 29, 1968 |
| 307 | 4 | "The Real People of Muddy Creek" | Leon Benson | Alf Harris | October 6, 1968 |
| 308 | 5 | "The Passing of a King" | Leon Benson | B. W. Sandefur | October 13, 1968 |
| 309 | 6 | "The Last Vote" | Joseph Pevney | Robert Vincent Wright | October 20, 1968 |
| 310 | 7 | "Catch as Catch Can" | Robert L. Friend | David Lang | October 27, 1968 |
| 311 | 8 | "Little Girl Lost" | Don Richardson | Michael Fessier | November 3, 1968 |
| 312 | 9 | "The Survivors" | Leon Benson | John Hawkins, Colin MacKenzie, S. H. Barnett | November 10, 1968 |
| 313 | 10 | "The Sound of Drums" | Robert L. Friend | William F. Leicester | November 17, 1968 |
| 314 | 11 | "Queen High" | Leon Benson | Michael Fessier | December 1, 1968 |
| 315 | 12 | "Yonder Man" | Leo Penn | Milton S. Gelman | December 8, 1968 |
| 316 | 13 | "Mark of Guilt" | Leon Benson | Ward Hawkins, Frank Telford | December 15, 1968 |
| 317 | 14 | "A World Full of Cannibals" | Gunnar Hellström | Preston Wood | December 22, 1968 |
| 318 | 15 | "Sweet Annie Laurie" | Don Richardson | Jackson Gillis, John Hawkins, Jess Carneol, Kay Lenard | January 5, 1969 |
| 319 | 16 | "My Friend, My Enemy" | Leon Benson | Stanley Roberts, Jack B. Sowards | January 12, 1969 |
| 320 | 17 | "Mrs. Wharton and the Lesser Breeds" | Leon Benson | Preston Wood | January 19, 1969 |
| 321 | 18 | "Erin" | Don Richardson | Sandy Summerhayes | January 26, 1969 |
| 322 | 19 | "Company of Forgotten Men" | Leon Benson | Jess Carneol, Kay Lenard | February 2, 1969 |
| 323 | 20 | "The Clarion" | Lewis Allen | John Hawkins, Frank Chase | February 9, 1969 |
| 324 | 21 | "The Lady and the Mountain Lion" | Joseph Pevney | Larry Markes | February 23, 1969 |
| 325 | 22 | "Five Candles" | Lewis Allen | Ken Trevey | March 2, 1969 |
| 326 | 23 | "The Wish" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | March 9, 1969 |
| 327 | 24 | "The Deserter" | Leon Benson | B. W. Sandefur, John Dunkel | March 16, 1969 |
| 328 | 25 | "Emily" | Leon Benson | Elliot Gilbert, Preston Wood | March 23, 1969 |
| 329 | 26 | "The Running Man" | Leon Benson | Ward Hawkins | March 30, 1969 |
| 330 | 27 | "The Unwanted" | Herschel Daugherty | Thomas Thompson, Suzanne Clauser | April 6, 1969 |
| 331 | 28 | "Speak No Evil" | Leon Benson | Norman Katkov, B. W. Sandefur | April 20, 1969 |
| 332 | 29 | "The Fence" | Lewis Allen | Ward Hawkins, Milton S. Gelman | April 27, 1969 |
| 333 | 30 | "A Ride in the Sun" | Leon Benson | John Hawkins, Peter Germano | May 11, 1969 |
Release
Season ten aired on Sundays from 9:00 pm–10:00 pm on NBC.[4]
Reception
It was #2 in the Nielsen ratings, the highest rated Western for the season.[3]
References
Footnotes
- ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 135, 140.
- ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
- ^ a b "TV Ratings: 1968–1969". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
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.