The first episode of the classic western Bonanza debuted on September 12, 1959, and lasted 14 seasons until January 16, 1973, making it the second longest running western television series in history. The only western that ran longer and, like Bonanza, continues to air in syndication is Gunsmoke, which remained on the air for twenty years.

Broadcast by the NBC television network, the show followed the lives of the Cartwright family.  Lorne Greene portrayed Ben Cartwright, the father of three boys, all of whom lost their mother early on in their lives.

There was the oldest son Adam, played by Pernell Roberts, who was the most level-headed of the three brothers.

Most viewers never knew that the middle son’s name was Eric because throughout the series he was known as Hoss Cartwright, played by Dan Blocker. Hoss was the warn,  caring, emotional giant of the show.  The youngest sibling was their hotheaded, quick to temper, quick to act little brother named Joseph, better known as Little Joe played by Michael Landon.

Bonanza was actually considered an atypical western for its time, as the story lines primarily dealt with their family and how Ben’s dissimilar sons cared for one another, their neighbors and the land in their own unique character styles. While other westerns centered around wagon trains and fighting American Indians, Bonanza concentrated on the human aspect of the western movement. The show made the main actors equal stars and the opening credits would actually rotate the order among the four stars of the show.

The Cartwrights owned a huge cattle ranch called the Ponderosa which was located off the shores of Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Few people know it, but the name was derived from the Ponderosa Pine that is common in that particular area of the U.S. The nearest town to their ranch was Virginia City, run my by the legendary Sheriff, Roy Coffee, played by Ray Teal.

I recall watching Bonanza as part of the Saturday westerns lineup. My father would literally sit on our couch four or five hours with just is bottle of soda pop and his westerns. Being a kid, I remember being totally into the western called the Lone Ranger, but as I got older I too developed the Saturday westerns bug, and like my father, I looked forward to a relaxing weekend watching the classics.