BonanzaSeizoen 1

TV-PG

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The Cartwrights' one-thousand-square-mile Ponderosa Ranch is located near Virginia City, Nevada, site of the Comstock Silver Lode, during and after the Civil War. Each of the three sons was born to a different wife of Ben's; none of the mothers are still alive. Adventures are typical Western ones, with lots of personal relationships/problems thrown in as well.

32 Episodes

A Rose for Lotta
A1
A Rose for LottaLotta Crabtree is hired by mining tycoon Alpheus Troy to lure one of the Cartwrights into town and hold him for ransom in exchange for Ponderosa timber rights.
Death on Sun Mountain
A2
Death on Sun MountainGreedy opportunist Mark Burdette and his accomplice Early Thorne stir up trouble between the Paiute tribe and the citizens of Virginia City. Ben discovers Burdette and Thorne are selling antelope beef to the miners and finds the price too high. He offers the miners beef at a more reasonable price. Burdette and Thorne retaliate by framing the Paiute's for attacks, by dressing as them and killing ranchers. Based on a factual accounting. Lorne Greene's first voice-over narration, and no landing constructed yet for the Ponderosa stairway.
The Newcomers
A3
The NewcomersJohn Pennington and his crew want to mine the Ponderosa land by hydraulic means. Ben is totally against this method and evicts them in short order. Hoss is given the task of telling Pennington's men to leave, but soon has a moral dilemma on his hands when he meets Pennington's beautiful sister, Emily. He soon discovers a heartbreaking secret...she's terminally ill; but their relationship soon leads to plenty of trouble for the Cartwrights.
The Paiute War
A4
The Paiute WarTrader Mike Wilson attempts to escape punishment by the Paiute Indians after mistreating two of their women, by placing the blame on Adam. A fierce war between the Paiutes and the California militia follows, and the Paiutes seize Adam as hostage. Very impressive battle scenes in the this first mini-epic of the series. This episode did all it could to stage the real thing; 50 Indians were used and 50 cavalry actors and extras were used, and the production involved three days of shooting on location. This episode encompassed both the biggest cast and most costly stunts. This episode is based on the factual accounting that occured in May and June of 1860.
Enter Mark Twain
A5
Enter Mark TwainSamuel Clemens arrives in Virginia City to write for the Territorial Enterprise at the same time a crooked politician tries to lay claim on the Ponderosa.
The Julia Bulette Story
A6
The Julia Bulette StoryLittle Joe is infatuated wih saloon owner Julia Bulette, whom he imagines is like his late mother. First episode to reveal backround details concerning Marie Cartwright, and inspired by the true story of a Virginia City madam. Also, the first episode to showcase Michael Landon.
The Saga of Annie O'Toole
A7
The Saga of Annie O'TooleAdam defends the mining claim of Annie O' Toole in a court presided over by Judge Ben Cartwright. Annie comes to the Washoe Diggings with a claim to a mine filed by her beau, Swede Lundberg. Swede has two claims and sold one to an acquaintance of theirs named Gregory Spain, creating confusion, that only Judge Ben Cartwright can make a ruling on.
The Phillipe Diedesheimer Story
A8
The Phillipe Diedesheimer StoryAdam and Hoss assist a German engineer in developing the concept of "square set timbering" in the mines. Based on fact, and the first episode not to include all four Cartwrights. Hoss refers to the character, Emily, with whom he was in love with in, "The Newcomers".
Mr. Henry Comstock
A9
Mr. Henry ComstockIn a flashback, the legendary prospector arrives on the Ponderosa and participates in the founding of Virginia City. Coincidentally, guest star Jack Carson played a teller at the Comstock Bank and Trust in the 1942 film, "Gentleman Jim". This early classic was the second episode filmed.
The Magnificent Adah
A10
The Magnificent AdahVirginia City is visited by actress Adah Issacs Menken, who happens to be an old acquaintance of Ben's. Joe is badly beaten by Adah's jealous suitor, John C. Regan, who is bested in a fight with an enraged Hoss.
The Truckee Strip
A11
The Truckee StripCaught in the middle of a longtime family feud over a disputed piece of land, star-crossed lovers Joe Cartwright and Amy Bishop try to convince their stubborn fathers to resolve their differences as tension escalates into violence.
The Hanging Posse
A12
The Hanging PosseAdam and Joe reluctantly join a group of vengeful townsmen, who are out to lynch the three men who supposedly killed Vannie Johnson. The posse is run by Paiute Scroggs and Flint Johnson, the dead woman's husband. When Adam and Joe clash with them, they both separate and try to reach the three men before the posse does. This episode's storyline is a variation of the 1943 film "The Ox-Bow Incident".
Vendetta
A13
VendettaIn a variation of "High Noon", Ben and Hoss must face a gang of outlaws practically all alone when most of Virginia City's citizens go into hiding. The most action-filled episode since "The Paiute War".
The Sisters
A14
The SistersThis episode begins with Adam defending the honor of Sue Ellen Terry in a duel. No one gets shot because the other man misses Adam and Adam generously shoots in the air to end the duel. Sue Ellen lives with her sister, who seems nice but turns out to be fairly evil, consumed with jealousy because she's getting older and her sister is a young beauty. When Adam drops Sue Ellen off after a date one night, half way through this episode, someone shoots her dead, and Adam becomes a suspect and is thrown in jail. When the sheriff suggests that Adam escape, he does it, but when he walks out, someone tries to shoot him. He chases after them but doesn't find them, and soon after hears Sue Ellen's sister scream. He runs up the stairs to find her dead, and of course, is then suspected of that murder as well. Of course, his family helps him during the last half hour, and it all turns out that someone we should not have suspected did all the murders, but that he actually wasn't trying to hit
The Last Hunt
A15
The Last HuntHoss and Joe come across a pregnant Indian woman while hunting bighorn sheep and must deliver her baby. Despite touches of humor, including a scene in which Joe refers to a meal as "cattle fodder", the story does not have an altogether happy ending.
El Toro Grande
A16
El Toro GrandeBen sends Hoss and Joe to Monterey to purchase an expensive seed bull. The first of Blocker and Landon's many comic misadventures, although the casual use of violence, as in the rapier fight, is oddly uncharacteristic for the series. Hoss reveals his real name to be Eric for the first time.
The Outcast
A17
The OutcastBecause she is related to criminals, a young woman is ostracized by everyone but the the Cartwrights. She unwisely seeks solace with an ex-con friend of Joe's, Clay Renton, and it's up to Ben to straighten everything out. First episode to have a chapter title after the cast credits.
A House Divided
A18
A House DividedAs the Civil War approaches, Adam and Joe clash over which side to support. The situation is complicated by the arrival of Frederick Kyle, a Southern sympathizer. He was an old friend of Joe's mother and viewers also discover that Joe's middle name is Francis.
The Gunmen
A19
The GunmenIn the first all-out comic episode of the series, Hoss and Joe travel to Kiowa Flats, Texas, where they are mistaken for the notorious Slade Brothers, also played by Blocker and Landon.
The Fear Merchants
A20
The Fear MerchantsThe Cartwrights encounter racial bigotry in Virginia City and end up protecting a Chinese boy from mob violence. Victor Sen Yung, in his largest role to date, speaks normally in the presence of his fellow countrymen, but reverts to broken English when with the Cartwrights.
The Spanish Grant
A21
The Spanish GrantIn "The Spanish Grant", a young bargirl, Rosita Morales is pretending to be a Spanish noblewoman named Isabella Marie Inez de la Cuesta and at the end of the story, it's revealed she is really Rosita Morales, but on the other hand, is she really Rosita Morales? This little twist at the end is simply entertaining everytime it's viewed, with the viewer able to determine the young woman's real identity at the end of act four.
Blood on the Land
A22
Blood on the LandA shiftless sheepherder, Jeb Drummond, encroaches his herd of sheep on the Ponderosa and refuses to budge. He resists all of Ben's attempts to throw him off his land and finally resorts to taking Adam prisoner in exchange for ownership of the ranch.
Desert Justice
A23
Desert JusticeZoals vaak het geval is op Bonanza, zijn de dingen niet altijd wat ze op het eerste gezicht lijken. Hoss en Adam leren uiteindelijk wie de goede kerel is en wie niet.
The Stranger
A24
The StrangerInspecteur Leduque komt van New Orleans naar Virginia City om Ben Cartwright terug te halen voor een twintig jaar oude moord. Wanneer Ben publiekelijk verklaart dat hij zich terugtrekt uit de race van de gouverneur, zijn de stedelingen niet alleen hierover boos, maar wordt Little Joe er ook van beschuldigd Leduque's plaatsvervanger in koelen bloede neergeschoten te hebben.
Escape to Ponderosa
A25
Escape to PonderosaDrie deserteurs ontsnapten uit een legerpalissade naar de Ponderosa. Als een kapitein hen komt zoeken, beseft Ben waar ze mee te maken hebben gehad en belooft hij zijn goede vriend die de leiding heeft over dat fort de echte waarheid te vertellen.
The Avenger
A26
The AvengerBen en Adam staan op het punt te worden opgehangen voor een misdaad die ze niet hebben begaan. Joe en Hoss moeten erachter komen waarom de getuigen van het vermeende misdrijf meineed hebben gepleegd voordat de executie plaatsvindt.
The Last Trophy
A27
The Last TrophyVoormalig premiejager Lord Marion Dunsford en zijn vrouw Lady Beatrice zijn te gast op de Ponderosa Ranch. Lord Marion Dunsford wordt jaloers als blijkt dat Beatrice ongewoon veel belangstelling heeft voor Adam.
San Francisco
A28
San FranciscoBen, Hoss en Joe zijn op vakantie in San Francisco, maar dat verloopt niet zonder problemen. Ben wordt op transport gesteld met bestemming Hong Kong.
Bitter Water
A29
Bitter WaterLen Keith, a miner, wants to purchase some land adjacent to the Ponderosa from rancher Andy McKaren. Andy's son, Tod, is anxious to sell. Keith has offered him a partnership,and more importantly, he is in love with Keith's daughter. When Ben warns Andy that a mine on the property would foul up Ponderosa water, Andy agrees not to sell the land. Len Keith, determined to get that land, plants tick infested cattle in a Ponderosa herd to turn Andy against the Cartwrights.
Feet of Clay
A30
Feet of ClayDe Cartwrights bieden onderdak aan een jongen genaamd Little Billy Allen, wiens moeder onlangs is overleden. Maar wanneer zijn vader, die gevangen zit voor moord, ontsnapt, wordt Hoss gedwongen drastische maatregelen te nemen.
Dark Star
A31
Dark StarJoe falls in love with Tirza, an undeniably strange gypsy girl who says she is cursed and never does seem to "snap out of it". The first episode of the series with a supernatural flavor, directed appropriately enough, by Lewis Allen, who made the classic ghost film "The Uninvited".
Death at Dawn
A32
Death at DawnVirginia City is plagued by organized crime, Sam Bryant and his gang. One of his men, Farmer Perkins, kills a storekeeper, and at his trial, the wife of the store owner is afraid to testify. When Perkins is sentenced to hang, Bryant kidnaps Ben and wants to exchange Ben for Perkins, which leaves Adam with the most difficult decision of his life. A stellar cast.