Bonanza season 8
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| Bonanza | |
|---|---|
| Season 8 | |
 Cast of Bonanza in 1959 | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 34 |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 11, 1966 – May 14, 1967 |
| Season chronology | |
The eighth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 11, 1966, with the final episode airing May 14, 1967.[1] The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season eight starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color.[2] Season eight was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It was the third straight season the show held the #1 position in the Nielsen ratings.[3]
Synopsis[edit]
Bonanza is set around the Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City, Nevada and chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, consisting of Ben Cartwright and his three sons (each by a different wife), Adam, Eric ("Hoss"), and Joseph ("Little Joe"). A regular character is their ranch cook, Hop Sing.
Cast and characters[edit]
Main cast[edit]
- Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
- Dan Blocker as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright
- Michael Landon as Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright
Recurring[edit]
- Victor Sen Yung as Hop Sing
- Ray Teal as Sheriff Roy Coffee
- Bing Russell as Deputy Clem Foster
Guest cast[edit]
- Lola Albright
- John Archer
- Diane Baker
- William Bakewell
- Vincent Beck
- Ed Begley
- Robert Biheller
- Shirley Bonne
- Randy Boone
- Beau Bridges
- Paul Brinegar
- Geraldine Brooks
- Harry Carey Jr.
- Phil Chambers
- Chick Chandler
- George Chandler
- Royal Dano
- Henry Darrow
- Roger Davis
- Richard Devon
- Ann Doran
- Richard Eastham
- Jack Elam
- John Ericson
- Richard Evans
- Jason Evers
- Brioni Farrell
- Eric Fleming
- Nina Foch
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
- Claire Griswold
- Dean Harens
- Ron Hayes
- John Ireland
- Chubby Johnson
- Douglas Kennedy
- Jack Kruschen
- Louise Latham
- Joanne Linville
- Lynn Loring
- Ken Lynch
- Nancy Malone
- John McIntire
- Judi Meredith
- Dina Merrill
- Robert Middleton
- Vera Miles
- Mort Mills
- Lois Nettleton
- Wayne Newton
- Leslie Nielsen
- Frank Overton
- Ed Prentiss
- Teddy Quinn
- Paul Richards
- Elizabeth Rogers
- Charles Ruggles
- John Saxon
- Mark Slade
- Warren Stevens
- Clay Tanner
- Dub Taylor
- Vaughn Taylor
- Lurene Tuttle
- Gregory Walcott
- Martin West
Production[edit]
Filming[edit]
On location filming for season eight took place at the following:
- Golden Oak Ranch - "Something Hurt, Something Wild",[4] "Horse of a Different Hue",[5] "To Bloom for Thee",[6] "Dark Enough to See the Stars",[7] "Maestro Hoss"[8]
- Lone Pine's Anchor Ranch - "The Pursued"[6]
- Vasquez Rocks - "The Oath"[9]
Episodes[edit]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 236 | 1 | "Something Hurt, Something Wild" | Lewis Allen | Jerry Alderman and William Driskill | September 11, 1966 | ||||||
| Laurie Ferguson (Lynn Loring) accuses Joe of assaulting her, setting off a feud between her family and the Cartwrights. | |||||||||||
| 237 | 2 | "Horse of a Different Hue" | William Witney | William R. Cox | September 18, 1966 | ||||||
| Ben has no idea that the outcome of a horse race he arranged has been fixed by an old friend of his, Colonel Robert Fairchild (Charles Ruggles). | |||||||||||
| 238 | 3 | "A Time to Step Down" | Paul Henreid | Frank Chase | September 25, 1966 | ||||||
| Aging wrangler Dan Tolliver (Ed Begley) turns against the Cartwrights after his longtime friend Ben suggests that he should retire. | |||||||||||
| 239 | 4 | "The Pursued" | William Witney | Story by : Thomas Thompson and Marc Michaels Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson | October 2, 1966 | ||||||
| 240 | 5 | October 9, 1966 | |||||||||
| The Cartwrights try to help a Mormon rancher (Eric Fleming) overcome persecution against his beliefs. Eric Fleming, Dina Merrill, Lois Nettleton and Vincent Beck guest star. | |||||||||||
| 241 | 6 | "To Bloom for Thee" | Sutton Roley | June Randolph | October 16, 1966 | ||||||
| Hoss proposes marriage to Carol Attley (Geraldine Brooks), a woman with a hidden past which includes having killed her abusive first husband and fleeing from the associated murder charge. | |||||||||||
| 242 | 7 | "Credit for a Kill" | William F. Claxton | Frederick Louis Fox | October 23, 1966 | ||||||
| Joe lets his friend Morgan Tanner (Dean Harens) take credit for killing a horse thief, but when the outlaw's brothers come after him to get their revenge he has to make a difficult decision to save his friend's life. | |||||||||||
| 243 | 8 | "Four Sisters from Boston" | Alan Crosland Jr. | John M. Chester | October 30, 1966 | ||||||
| Ben tries to stop a con artist from stealing an inheritance from four Boston sisters that are trying to prevent the auctioning of a property left to them by their uncle. Vera Miles guest stars. | |||||||||||
| 244 | 9 | "Old Charlie" | William F. Claxton | Bob and Wanda Duncan | November 6, 1966 | ||||||
| Teller of tales Old Charlie Conners (John McIntire) brags about killing an outlaw, so the dead man's brothers seek their revenge. | |||||||||||
| 245 | 10 | "Ballad of the Ponderosa" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Hendrik Vollaerts Teleplay by : Rik Vollaerts and Michael Landon | November 13, 1966 | ||||||
| A balladeer blames Ben for his father's hanging. Randy Boone, Ann Doran, Roger Davis and John Archer guest star. | |||||||||||
| 246 | 11 | "The Oath" | Gerd Oswald | Martha Wilkerson | November 20, 1966 | ||||||
| Before his execution for murder, convicted man Big Charlie Monahan (Douglas Kennedy) has his son take an oath to kill the Cartwrights for revenge. | |||||||||||
| 247 | 12 | "A Real Nice, Friendly Little Town" | Herman Hoffman | Herman Hoffman | November 27, 1966 | ||||||
| Hoss confronts a woman and her gun-toting sons after Joe is hit by a ricocheting bullet, but the mother seems to be more interested in protecting her kids than seeing justice done. Louise Latham, Mark Slade and Vaughn Taylor guest star. | |||||||||||
| 248 | 13 | "The Bridegroom" | William F. Claxton | Walter Black | December 4, 1966 | ||||||
| Joe romances Maggie Dowling (Joanne Linville) so widower Jared Wilson (Ron Hayes) will be jealous enough to ask for her hand in marriage. | |||||||||||
| 249 | 14 | "Tommy" | William Witney | Story by : Mary Terri Taylor and Thomas Thompson Teleplay by : Mort Thaw and Mary Terri Taylor | December 18, 1966 | ||||||
| The Cartwrights protect deaf-mute Tommy Miller (Teddy Quinn) and his mother from his stepfather, a vicious outlaw determined to take back his wife. | |||||||||||
| 250 | 15 | "A Christmas Story" | Gerd Oswald | Thomas Thompson | December 25, 1966 | ||||||
| Singer Andy Walker (Wayne Newton) returns to Virginia City for Christmas with his scheming uncle, who plans to make a profit on the orphans' benefit. | |||||||||||
| 251 | 16 | "Ponderosa Explosion" | William F. Claxton | Alex Sharp | January 1, 1967 | ||||||
| Joe and Hoss literally get more than they bargained for when a pair of con men lead them to invest in a pair of rabbits that subsequently multiply. Dub Taylor, Chubby Johnson, Chick Chandler and Phil Chambers guest star. | |||||||||||
| 252 | 17 | "Justice" | Lewis Allen | Richard Wendley | January 8, 1967 | ||||||
| Joe seeks revenge on the bank clerk who killed his fiancée. Beau Bridges, Lurene Tuttle and Shirley Bonne guest star. | |||||||||||
| 253 | 18 | "A Bride for Buford" | William F. Claxton | Robert V. Barron | January 15, 1967 | ||||||
| Hoss is certain that a saloon girl is only interested in a miner for his wealth. Lola Albright, Jack Elam, Paul Brinegar and Richard Devon guest star. | |||||||||||
| 254 | 19 | "Black Friday" | William F. Claxton | Herbert Kastle and John Hawkins | January 22, 1967 | ||||||
| Joe tries to save his friend Steven Friday (John Saxon) from dying in a gunfight to avenge one of his victims and planned for Friday the 13th. | |||||||||||
| 255 | 20 | "The Unseen Wound" | Gerd Oswald | Frank Chase | January 29, 1967 | ||||||
| Ben tries to help his friend Sheriff Paul Rowan (Leslie Nielsen) after his wife Katherine (Nancy Malone) shows concerns about his health: the Sheriff has been driven to the breaking point by years of violence. | |||||||||||
| 256 | 21 | "Journey to Terror" | Lewis Allen | Joel Murcott | February 5, 1967 | ||||||
| After being suspected of being a member of Wade Hollister (John Ericson)'s gang, outlaws imprison Little Joe, Tom (Jason Evers) and Ellie Blackwell (Elizabeth Rogers) at the Blackwell farm. | |||||||||||
| 257 | 22 | "Amigo" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Jack Turley Teleplay by : John Hawkins and Jack Turley | February 12, 1967 | ||||||
| Ben helps a wounded comanchero who is being pursued by a lynch mob, a band of terrorists and an angry Little Joe who has just lost a friend. Henry Darrow and Gregory Walcott guest star. | |||||||||||
| 258 | 23 | "A Woman in the House" | Gerd Oswald | Joel Murcott | February 19, 1967 | ||||||
| Ben protects a girl from her alcoholic husband, but she's unable to tell gratitude from love. Diane Baker and Paul Richards guest star. | |||||||||||
| 259 | 24 | "Judgement at Red Creek" | William F. Claxton | Robert Sabaroff | February 26, 1967 | ||||||
| Joe comes to suspect that a pair of murder suspects is lying because the leader of a posse does not intend to bring them alive. John Ireland, Martin West and Harry Carey Jr. guest star. | |||||||||||
| 260 | 25 | "Joe Cartwright, Detective" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Oliver Crawford Teleplay by : Michael Landon | March 5, 1967 | ||||||
| Joe gets hooked on detective novels and tries to use Scotland Yard techniques to prevent a bank robbery. Mort Mills, Ken Lynch and Ed Prentiss guest star. | |||||||||||
| 261 | 26 | "Dark Enough to See the Stars" | Donald R. Daves | Kelly Colvin | March 12, 1967 | ||||||
| A young ranch hand who is running from the law falls in love with a girl. Richard Evans and Richard Eastham guest star. | |||||||||||
| 262 | 27 | "The Deed and the Dilemma" | William F. Claxton | William F. Leicester | March 26, 1967 | ||||||
| Ben tries to help the family of immigrant winemaker Giorgio Rossi (first introduced in episode 29 of season 7), but a racist neighbor complicates things. Jack Kruschen (as giorgio) and Brioni Farrell guest star. | |||||||||||
| 263 | 28 | "The Prince" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Melvin Levy Teleplay by : John Hawkins | April 2, 1967 | ||||||
| The Cartwrights welcome Count Alexis (Warren Stevens) and Countess Elena (Claire Griswold), who are being targeted by thieves. | |||||||||||
| 264 | 29 | "A Man Without Land" | Donald R. Daves | Steve McNeil | April 9, 1967 | ||||||
| To get Matt Jeffers (Royal Dano)'s land, a foreman murders his son and frames Little Joe. | |||||||||||
| 265 | 30 | "Napoleon's Children" | Christian Nyby | Judith and Robert Guy Barrows | April 16, 1967 | ||||||
| Ted Arseneaux (Robert Biheller) believes that he is Napoleon and leads an army of young men in terrorizing Virginia City. | |||||||||||
| 266 | 31 | "The Wormwood Cup" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Joy Dexter Teleplay by : Joy Dexter and Michael Landon | April 23, 1967 | ||||||
| A woman blames Joe for killing her brother and offers a thousand dollars to the man who will kill him in a fair fight. Little Joe tries to convince her that she's wrong, but it might be too late. Frank Overton, Judi Meredith and Clay Tanner guest star. | |||||||||||
| 267 | 32 | "Clarissa" | Lewis Allen | Chester Krumholz | April 30, 1967 | ||||||
| The Cartwrights' Eastern cousin Clarissa Cartwright (Nina Foch) brings trouble when she visits to the Ponderosa. | |||||||||||
| 268 | 33 | "Maestro Hoss" | William F. Claxton | U.S. Anderson | May 7, 1967 | ||||||
| Phony fortune-teller Madame Marova (Zsa Zsa Gabor) causes earaches when she convinces Hoss he's a master violinist. | |||||||||||
| 269 | 34 | "The Greedy Ones" | Donald R. Daves | James Amesbury | May 14, 1967 | ||||||
| Greedy gold hunters threaten to destroy the Ponderosa after a prospector claims to have found a sample there. Robert Middleton, George Chandler and William Bakewell guest star. | |||||||||||
Release[edit]
Season eight aired on Sundays from 9:00 pm–10:00 pm on NBC.[10]
Reception[edit]
The show held the #1 position in the Nielsen ratings for three straight seasons, with season eight being the final season to do so.[3]
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Award | Year[a] | Category | Nominee(s) / Work | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 1967 | Individual Achievements in Cinematography—Cinematography | Haskell Boggs and William F. Whitley | Nominated | [11] |
- ^ Indicates the year of ceremony.
References[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 107, 111.
- ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
- ^ a b
- "TV Ratings: 1964–1965". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- "TV Ratings: 1965–1966". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- "TV Ratings: 1966–1967". ClassicTVGuide.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 113.
- ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 114.
- ^ a b Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 115.
- ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 122.
- ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 125.
- ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 117.
- ^ Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
- ^ "Television Academy Emmy Awards & Nominations—Bonanza". emmys.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
Bibliography[edit]
- 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.