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Bonanza season 7

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The seventh season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 12, 1965, with the final episode airing May 15, 1966.[1] The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season seven starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. It was the first season without Pernell Roberts. The season consisted of 33 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color.[2] Season seven was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It ranked #1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1965-1966 season, the second of three straight seasons in the top spot.[3]

Bonanza
Season 7
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
Starring
No. of episodes33
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 12, 1965 (1965-09-12) –
May 15, 1966 (1966-05-15)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 6
Next →
Season 8
List of episodes

Synopsis

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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

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See also: List of Bonanza characters

Main cast

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Recurring

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Guest cast

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Production

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Casting

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After trying for years to exit his six-year contract early, Pernell Roberts left the show at the end of season six. Season seven was the first to air without Roberts in the main cast.[4]

Writing

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With the departure of Pernell Roberts, the original plan was to kill off the character. However, the decision was made to have the character travel away from the Ponderosa. Should Roberts have changed his mind, he could have been written back into the series.[5]

Filming

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Filming locations for season seven included:

Episodes

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See also: List of Bonanza episodes
Bonanza, season 7 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
2031"The Debt"William F. ClaxtonWilliam BlinnSeptember 12, 1965 (1965-09-12)
Wiley Kane (Tommy Sands) and his sister Annie (Brooke Bundy) come to the Ponderosa to work off a debt from when their father Sam (Ford Rainey) who swindled Ben.
2042"The Dilemma"William F. ClaxtonJohn Hawkins and Ward HawkinsSeptember 19, 1965 (1965-09-19)
Ben is appointed as a temporary circuit judge, but he faces a dilemma when a man he helped to parole is suspected of robbing the bank. Tom Tully guest stars.
2053"The Brass Box"William F. ClaxtonPaul SchneiderSeptember 26, 1965 (1965-09-26)
Old teller of tall tales Don Jose Ortega (Ramon Novarro) claims to have a brass box of land grants that gives him ownership over most of the area around Virginia City, including the Ponderosa.
2064"The Other Son"William F. ClaxtonThomas ThompsonOctober 3, 1965 (1965-10-03)
Ben hires mule skinner Clint Watson (Ed Begley) and his sons to take nitroglycerin to California.
2075"The Lonely Runner"William WitneyThomas ThompsonOctober 10, 1965 (1965-10-10)
A judge awards horse breeder Jim Acton (Gilbert Roland)'s beloved prize mare to rancher Sam Whipple (Ken Lynch).
2086"Devil on Her Shoulder"Virgil W. VogelSuzanne ClauserOctober 17, 1965 (1965-10-17)
The Cartwrights try to help a woman who is the member of a religious group: she is being accused of being possessed and being a witch. Ina Balin, John Doucette and Victoria Vetri guest star.
2097"Found Child"Ralph E. BlackFrank CleaverOctober 24, 1965 (1965-10-24)
Hoss protects and becomes attached to a little girl called Lisa (Eileen Baral), whose parents were killed in a stagecoach robbery.
2108"The Meredith Smith"John FloreaLois HireOctober 31, 1965 (1965-10-31)
Ben must figure which person, all claiming to be Meredith Smith, is the true heir to the estate of Jake Smith, a friend of his who asked him to make sure his estate would be given to a relative. Robert Colbert, Anne Helm, Strother Martin guest star.
2119"Mighty is the Word"William F. ClaxtonStory by : Robert Goodwin
Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson		November 7, 1965 (1965-11-07)
One of the Ponderosa's ranch hands plots revenge against the gunfighter-turned-preacher who killed his brother. Glenn Corbett, Michael Witney and Sue Randall guest star.
21210"The Strange One"Gerd OswaldStory by : Stephen Lord
Teleplay by : Jo Pagano and Stephen Lord		November 14, 1965 (1965-11-14)
A woman suspected of being a witch takes refuge on the Ponderosa—where she amazes the Cartwrights with her ability to see the future. While recuperating, she predicts a future misfortune for Little Joe. Louise Sorel, Robert McQueeney and Jean Engstrom guest star.
21311"The Reluctant Rebel"R. G. SpringsteenWally GeorgeNovember 21, 1965 (1965-11-21)
Young rebel Billy Penn (Tim Considine) has second thoughts about life as an outlaw when the Cartwrights catch him stealing cattle.
21412"Five Sundowns to Sunup"Gerd OswaldWilliam L. StuartDecember 5, 1965 (1965-12-05)
A family of outlaws, guided by the mother, Elizabeth Lassiter (Marie Windsor), embarks on a kidnapping spree in order to prevent one of their own from being executed.
21513"A Natural Wizard"Robert TottenStory by : Suzanne Clauser
Teleplay by : William Blinn		December 12, 1965 (1965-12-12)
Skeeter Dexter (Eddie Hodges) is a boy who loves animals and he helps Hoss take care of a pregnant cow. Skeeter had a brutal stepfather and he is now being blamed by his mother for his father abandonment.
21614"All Ye His Saints"William F. ClaxtonWilliam BlinnDecember 19, 1965 (1965-12-19)
Little Michael Thorpe (Clint Howard) sets out to find God in the hope that he can heal his gravely wounded father.
21715"A Dublin Lad"William F. ClaxtonMort ThawJanuary 2, 1966 (1966-01-02)
Joe serves on a jury intent on convicting Terrence O'Toole (Liam Sullivan) of murder.
21816"To Kill a Buffalo"William F. ClaxtonMichael FisherJanuary 9, 1966 (1966-01-09)
A badly injured Indian, affected by prejudice, reacts violently to Hoss's helping hand. Hoss tries to teach him to overcome his hostility to the white man. Steve Gravers guest stars.
21917"Ride the Wind"William WitneyPaul SchneiderJanuary 16, 1966 (1966-01-16)
22018January 23, 1966 (1966-01-23)

Part 1: Ben is not pleased with Joe's decision to join the Pony Express. Victor Jory, Rod Cameron and DeForest Kelley guest star.

Part 2: In spite of increasing Indian attacks, Curtis Wade (Rod Cameron) is determined to keep the Pony Express going.
22119"Destiny's Child"Gerd OswaldRobert V. BarronJanuary 30, 1966 (1966-01-30)
Ben tries to find jobs for a pair of strangers who helped him pull his wagon out of the mud. Robert V. Barron, Dick Peabody and Walter Burke guest star.
22220"Peace Officer"William WitneyDon MullallyFebruary 6, 1966 (1966-02-06)
Ruthless lawman Wes Dunn (Eric Fleming) is hired to halt the violence in Virginia City while Sheriff Coffee is out of town.
22321"The Code"William F. ClaxtonSidney EllisFebruary 13, 1966 (1966-02-13)
Joe must decide whether to obey the code of the west and answer a gunfighter's challenge. George Montgomery, Jan Shepard and Robert Ellenstein guest star.
22422"Three Brides for Hoss"Ralph E. BlackJo PaganoFebruary 20, 1966 (1966-02-20)
And ordinary day becomes everything but ordinary when Hoss receives three mail-order brides. Stuart Erwin, Majel Barrett and Mitzi Hoag guest star.
22523"The Emperor Norton"William F. ClaxtonStory by : Gerry Prince Young and Robert Sabaroff
Teleplay by : Robert Sabaroff		February 27, 1966 (1966-02-27)
Joshua A. Norton (Sam Jaffe), a friend of Ben's who fancies himself an emperor, is about to be committed to an insane asylum.
22624"Her Brother's Keeper"Virgil W. VogelStory by : Lee Pickett
Teleplay by : Mort Thaw		March 6, 1966 (1966-03-06)
Claire Armory (Nancy Gates) falls in love with Ben, but her invalid brother Carl (Wesley Lau) complicates her courtship with him.
22725"The Trouble with Jamie"R. G. SpringsteenHelen B. HicksMarch 20, 1966 (1966-03-20)
Ben's cousin Matthew (Ross Elliott) from the East brings his wife Elizabeth (Tracy Olsen) and his spoiled son Jamie (Michael Burns) for a visit to the Ponderosa, requesting that Ben keeps an eye on Jamie for the next 2 months while on a business trip.
22826"Shining in Spain"Maurice GeraghtyElliott GilbertMarch 27, 1966 (1966-03-27)
Joe falls for Wendy Daniels (Judi Rolin), a beautiful girl who's anticipating the arrival of her father Taylor (Gene Lyons).
22927"The Genius"R. G. SpringsteenDon MullallyApril 3, 1966 (1966-04-03)
Hoss tries to help poet William Warlock Evans (Lonny Chapman) beat his alcoholism by hiring him as a ranch hand for the Ponderosa.
23028"The Unwritten Commandment"Gerd OswaldStory by : Dan Ullman
Teleplay by : Jo Pagano and William Blinn		April 10, 1966 (1966-04-10)
Young singer Andy Walker (Wayne Newton) wants to develop his talents against his stern father's wishes.
23129"Big Shadows on the Land"William F. ClaxtonWilliam F. Leicester and Richard H. BartlettApril 17, 1966 (1966-04-17)
The Cartwrights deal with an immigrant winemaker family setting up business on Ponderosa land. Jack Kruschen and Brioni Farrell guest star.
23230"The Fighters"R. G. SpringsteenRobert GoodwinApril 24, 1966 (1966-04-24)
Hoss badly injures an over-the-hill boxer in a fight and refuses all other offers to box professionally. Michael Conrad, Phillip Pine and Mari Aldon guest star.
23331"Home from the Sea"Jean YarbroughGeorge F. Slavin and Stanley AdamsMay 1, 1966 (1966-05-01)
An old shipmate of Adam's plans to steal a shipment of gold from the Cartwrights. Ivor Barry and Wayne Heffley guest star.
23432"The Last Mission"R. G. SpringsteenStory by : S. S. Schweitzer
Teleplay by : William Douglas Lansford and S. S. Schweitzer		May 8, 1966 (1966-05-08)
Ben accompanies old Army buddy Colonel Keith Jarrell (R. G. Armstrong) on a mission to make peace with the Paiutes, but Hoss becomes suspicious about the Colonel's real intentions.
23533"A Dollar's Worth of Trouble"Donald R. DavesRobert GoodwinMay 15, 1966 (1966-05-15)
Hoss has his palm read and is told that two people—a blonde and a gunman—will affect his life. Sally Kellerman, Mabel Albertson and Hampton Fancher guest star.

Release

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Season seven aired on Sundays from 9:00 pm–10:00 pm on NBC.[15]

The two-part episode "Ride the Wind" was combined into a full-length theatrical release and released internationally in 1967.[16]

Reception

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Season seven held the #1 position in the Nielsen ratings. It was the second season of three straight seasons to hold that position.[3]

Awards and nominations

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Award Year[a] Category Nominee(s) / Work Result Ref(s)
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards 1966 Outstanding Dramatic Series David Dortort (producer) Nominated [17]
Individual Achievements in Music—Composition David Rose Nominated [17]
Individual Achievements in Cinematography—Cinematography Haskell Boggs and William F. Whitley Nominated [17]
Individual Achievements in Cinematography—Special Edward Ancona (color coordinator) Nominated [17]
Individual Achievements in Film Editing Marvin Coil, Everett Douglas and Ellsworth Hoagland Won [17]
  1. ^ Indicates the year of ceremony.

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 101, 106.
  2. ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Shapiro 1997, pp. 13, 15.
  5. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 211.
  6. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 100.
  7. ^ a b Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 105.
  8. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 108.
  9. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 111.
  10. ^ a b Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 113.
  11. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 101.
  12. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 102.
  13. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 104.
  14. ^ Leiby & Leiby 2015, p. 109.
  15. ^ Brooks & Marsh 2007, p. 164.
  16. ^ Greenland 2010.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Television Academy Emmy Awards & Nominations—Bonanza". emmys.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.

Bibliography

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