List of Bonanza episodes

Cast of Bonanza in 1959

Bonanza is an American western television series developed and produced by David Dortort and broadcast in the United States for 14 seasons on the NBC network. The entire run of the series' 431 hour-long episodes was produced in color. The premiere was on September 12, 1959, and the final episode broadcast on January 16, 1973. In its initial season, Bonanza aired on Saturday evenings and placed at number 45 in the Nielsen ratings. During its second season, the series moved up to number 17. Bonanza was moved to Sundays at 9:00 PM Eastern Time at the start of its third season. In that time slot, the ratings soared and the series become second only to Wagon Train as the most popular program on American prime time television. It remained in the top ten of the ratings through its twelfth season and ranked at number one in its sixth, seventh, and eighth seasons. Bonanza also became a worldwide success as it was broadcast in nearly 50 countries, including Canada, Brazil, Yugoslavia, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Australia, and Japan.

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. After four years with the series, Canary left due to a contract dispute. In the twelfth season, Mitch Vogel joined the cast as Jamie Hunter, a teenage orphan who is adopted by Ben Cartwright. Following Dan Blocker's death in May 1972 after season thirteen ended, Greene, Landon, and Vogel continued the series into a fourteenth season, with Canary returning as Candy (reportedly approached by Landon) and Tim Matheson was introduced as ex-prisoner and newly hired ranch-hand Griff King. The program was moved to Tuesday nights where it slipped badly in the ratings to number 52 and was subsequently cancelled. Bonanza has, however, continued to be popular in syndication. From 1964–1967, Bonanza became the most watched show in the U.S.

All 14 seasons have been released on DVD in Region 1, both individually, and as a complete series box set.

Series overview

Overview of Bonanza seasons

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired	Rank	Rating	Average viewership (in millions)	Timeslot (ET)
	1	32	September 12, 1959 (1959-09-12)	April 30, 1960 (1960-04-30)
	2	34	September 10, 1960 (1960-09-10)	June 3, 1961 (1961-06-03)
	3	34	September 24, 1961 (1961-09-24)	May 20, 1962 (1962-05-20)
	4	34	September 23, 1962 (1962-09-23)	May 26, 1963 (1963-05-26)
	5	34	September 22, 1963 (1963-09-22)	May 24, 1964 (1964-05-24)
	6	34	September 20, 1964 (1964-09-20)	May 23, 1965 (1965-05-23)
	7	33	September 12, 1965 (1965-09-12)	May 15, 1966 (1966-05-15)
	8	34	September 11, 1966 (1966-09-11)	May 14, 1967 (1967-05-14)
	9	34	September 17, 1967 (1967-09-17)	July 28, 1968 (1968-07-28)
	10	30	September 15, 1968 (1968-09-15)	May 11, 1969 (1969-05-11)
	11	28	September 14, 1969 (1969-09-14)	April 19, 1970 (1970-04-19)
	12	28	September 13, 1970 (1970-09-13)	April 11, 1971 (1971-04-11)
	13	26	September 19, 1971 (1971-09-19)	April 2, 1972 (1972-04-02)
	14	16	September 12, 1972 (1972-09-12)	January 16, 1973 (1973-01-16)

Episodes

Season 1 (1959–60)

Main article: Bonanza (season 1)

Bonanza, season 1 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"A Rose for Lotta"	Edward Ludwig	David Dortort	September 12, 1959 (1959-09-12)
Mining tycoon Alpheus Troy uses an actress called Lotta Crabtree (Yvonne De Carlo) in a plot to hold Joe Cartwright hostage in exchange for timber wood. George Macready guest stars.
2	2	"Death on Sun Mountain"	Paul Landres	Gene L. Coon and David Dortort	September 19, 1959 (1959-09-19)
The Cartwrights go up against a pair of greedy opportunists who kill antelope on Indian grounds and sell them to Virginia's city silver miners for a large profit. Barry Sullivan and Karl Swenson guest star.
3	3	"The Newcomers"	Christian Nyby	Thomas Thompson	September 26, 1959 (1959-09-26)
The Cartwrights discover an old enemy killing steers on the Ponderosa. Their camp has a sickly woman who needs to get to the high desert country. When an innocent man is killed, Ben decides to boot them all back to California but he gets resistance from the others in the camp and some local miners who now believe Ben is hiding gold.
4	4	"The Paiute War"	Paul Landres	Gene L. Coon	October 3, 1959 (1959-10-03)
A sinister trader starts a war between the tribe and a local militia when he frames Adam for the assault of two Paiute women. Anthony Caruso, Walter Coy, and Jack Warden guest star.
5	5	"Enter Mark Twain"	Paul Landres	Harold Shumate	October 10, 1959 (1959-10-10)
The Cartwrights help Virginia City reporter Samuel Langhorne Clemens investigate suspected shady goings-on between a railroad company and a local judge.
6	6	"The Julia Bulette Story"	Christian Nyby	Al C. Ward	October 17, 1959 (1959-10-17)
Little Joe falls in love with an older woman, the owner of the town's saloon/brothel, much to the chagrin of his family, moralizing town leaders, and creating a rival for her affection.Julia Bulette (Jane Greer).
7	7	"The Saga of Annie O'Toole"	Joseph Kane	Thomas Thompson	October 24, 1959 (1959-10-24)
Annie O'Toole (Ida Lupino) comes to Nevada with her old Da (aka "Himself") to mine silver and winds up feeding the silver miners, shanghaiing Adam Cartwright to be her partner in her tent-kitchen ("The Square Meal") and to be her attorney in Miner's Court when an old enemy challenges her right to her claim..
8	8	"The Philip Deidesheimer Story"	Joseph Kane	Thomas Thompson	October 31, 1959 (1959-10-31)
Pied Piper Philip Deidesheimer (John Beal), with the help of Adam and Hoss, tries to create a method for saving the silver mines of Virginia City from a cave-in.
9	9	"Mr. Henry Comstock"	John Brahm	David Dortort	November 7, 1959 (1959-11-07)
When threatened by a man fraudulently sold a part of the Ponderosa by a Henry T.P. Comstock, the Cartwrights remember when they first met the silver-tongued claim-jumper and his scheme that laid the foundation of Virginia City.
10	10	"The Magnificent Adah"	Christian Nyby	Donald S. Sanford	November 14, 1959 (1959-11-14)
When an actress named Adah Menken comes into town, Ben considers marrying her, but his sons have other ideas. Meanwhile, trouble arrives when Adah's old lover, washed-up heavyweight boxer John C. Regan, comes along seeking his former glory.
11	11	"The Truckee Strip"	Christian Nyby	Herman Groves	November 21, 1959 (1959-11-21)
A silver baron schemes to promote a fight between Ben and his neighbor just to get his hands on timber. Joe Cartwright falls in love with Amy Bishop (Adrienne Hayes) and the two lovers try to stop the family feud between the Cartwrights and the Bishops. James Coburn guest stars.
12	12	"The Hanging Posse"	Christian Nyby	Carey Wilber	November 28, 1959 (1959-11-28)
Little Joe and Adam join a posse bent on catching the murderers of Vannie Johnson. The longer they take to catch them, the more whipped into a lynching party they become, much to the liking of the grieving widower.
13	13	"Vendetta"	Joseph Kane	Robert E. Thompson	December 5, 1959 (1959-12-05)
BenWhen one of the Morgan brothers is shot and killed by Ben during a bank holdup, they vow revenge. The friends he thought he had in town decide to hide away while a wounded Ben lays up waiting for them to ride into town. Whitney Blake, Harry Carey Jr., John Milford, Mort Mills and Steve Rowland guest star.
14	14	"The Sisters"	Christian Nyby	Carey Wilber	December 12, 1959 (1959-12-12)
Adam is falsely accused of killing a dance-hall girl (Fay Spain) after she's shot in his arms and the real killer he shot at gets away. Buddy Ebsen and Jean Willes guest star.
15	15	"The Last Hunt"	Christian Nyby	Donald S. Sanford	December 19, 1959 (1959-12-19)
Joe and Hoss protect a pregnant Indian woman who tried to rob their hunting camp from a blizzard as well as a group of Shoshones given orders to find her. Raymond Bailey and Chana Eden guest star.
16	16	"El Toro Grande"	Christian Nyby	John Tucker Battle	January 2, 1960 (1960-01-02)
After tangling with bandits on the way to California to buy a prized bull for the Ponderosa, Little Joe fends off a pretty senorita and her jealous fiancé, while Hoss discovers that the bull has been spirited away by a little boy who is convinced that the Cartwrights plan to kill and eat his big bovine friend. Alma Beltran and Ricardo Cortez guest star.
17	17	"The Outcast"	Lewis Allen	Thomas Thompson	January 9, 1960 (1960-01-09)
An outcast woman named Leta Malvet is helped by the Cartwrights after her father and brother are hanged for murder. Clay Renton, Leta's beau, arrives in town. Jack Lord and Susan Oliver guest star.
18	18	"A House Divided"	Lewis Allen	Al C. Ward	January 16, 1960 (1960-01-16)
Confederate sympathizer Frederick Kyle schemes to tear apart Virginia City and the Cartwrights. Ben tries to uncover his agenda after he befriends Little Joe. John Anderson, Stacy Harris and Cameron Mitchell guest star.
19	19	"The Gunmen"	Christian Nyby	Carey Wilber	January 23, 1960 (1960-01-23)
Hoss and Joe get themselves involved in a family feud in a small Texas town when they are mistaken for bloodthirsty hired killers. Ellen Corby, Henry Hull, and George Mitchell guest star.
20	20	"The Fear Merchants"	Lewis Allen	Story by: Frank Unger Teleplay by: Frank Unger and Thomas Thompson	January 30, 1960 (1960-01-30)
The Chinese citizens of Virginia City are targeted by a manipulative mayoral candidate's campaign to "hate outsiders". Philip Ahn and Helen Westcott guest star.
21	21	"The Spanish Grant"	Christian Nyby	Story by: Morris Lee Green Teleplay by: Leonard Heideman and David Dortort	February 6, 1960 (1960-02-06)
A pair of swindlers team with a dance-hall girl (Patricia Medina) to get their hands on Nevada land, including the Ponderosa. The Cartwrights try to stop them by disproving the validity of a Spanish land grant. Sebastian Cabot and Paul Picerni guest star.
22	22	"Blood on the Land"	Felix Feist	Robert E. Thompson	February 13, 1960 (1960-02-13)
Jeb Drummond (Everett Sloane) is a greedy sheepherder determined to fatten his animals on the Ponderosa grasslands: he takes Adam hostage to force Ben to sign over part of the Ponderosa.
23	23	"Desert Justice"	Lewis Allen	Donald S. Sanford	February 20, 1960 (1960-02-20)
Adam and Hoss try to help a ranch hand (Wesley Lau) who's being taken to California for trial by a brutal U.S. marshal (Claude Akins), but things are not as they first seem.
24	24	"The Stranger"	Christian Nyby	Story by: Oliver Crawford Teleplay by: Leonard Heideman	February 27, 1960 (1960-02-27)
The vengeful police inspector LeDuque (Lloyd Nolan) from New Orleans jeopardizes Ben's bid for the governorship over a twenty year murder.
25	25	"Escape to Ponderosa"	Charles F. Haas	Story by: Bill Barrett and Malcolm Stuart Boylan Teleplay by: Robert E. Thompson	March 5, 1960 (1960-03-05)
Ben starts to have second thoughts about helping a brutal stockade commander track down three prisoners on the lam when he realizes what they had to deal with. Joe Maross, Gloria Talbott, and Grant Williams guest star.
26	26	"The Avenger"	Christian Nyby	Clair Huffaker	March 19, 1960 (1960-03-19)
A mysterious stranger called Lassiter (Vic Morrow) helps Hoss and Joe to save Ben and Adam before they're hanged like his father. The drifter is searching for the men who committeed a lynching in Kansas years ago. Ian Wolfe guest stars.
27	27	"The Last Trophy"	Lewis Allen	Bill S. Ballinger	March 26, 1960 (1960-03-26)
A British couple visits the Cartwrights - and the woman (Hazel Court) thinks her own husband is a coward. Everything changes when the couple is kidnapped for ransom along with Adam Cartwright. Edward Ashley and Bert Freed guest star.
28	28	"San Francisco"	Arthur Lubin	Thomas Thompson	April 2, 1960 (1960-04-02)
While in San Francisco, two of Ben's hired hands get shanghaied and so does Ben in the process of looking for them. Kathleen Crowley, Richard Deacon, James Hong, and David White.
29	29	"Bitter Water"	George Blair	Harold Jack Bloom	April 9, 1960 (1960-04-09)
A neighboring rancher, Andy, is good friends with Ben, but his son (Todd) wants to sell their land for mining operations which will spoil the water rights agreement that Andy and Ben made years ago.(Rhys Williams)'s son, Todd (Don Dubbins), threatens to sell his land to a miner.
30	30	"Feet of Clay"	Arthur Lubin	John Furia Jr.	April 16, 1960 (1960-04-16)
A woman dies. Her husband is in prison, and the sheriff needs someone to look after the boy until the boy's uncle can come to claim him. The Cartwrights begin to take care of the boy at the Ponderosa. When the boy arrives at the ranch, he does not know that his father is in prison. The boy learns the truth about his dad, and news reaches the Ponderosa that the convict has escaped from prison. The Cartwrights deal with the possibility that the boy's father may be coming their way.
31	31	"Dark Star"	Lewis Allen	Anthony Lawrence	April 23, 1960 (1960-04-23)
Joe romances a Gypsy named Tirza (Susan Harrison) who thinks she's a witch. Her people also believe she's bewitched and she's banished from the community.
32	32	"Death at Dawn"	Charles Haas	Laurence E. Mascott	April 30, 1960 (1960-04-30)
A criminal gang that has taken over Virginia City in the form of a protection racket kidnaps Ben. Paul Carr, Robert Middleton, and Morgan Woodward guest star.

Season 2 (1960–61)

Main article: Bonanza (season 2)

Bonanza, season 2 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
33	1	"Showdown"	Lewis Allen	Dean Riesner	September 10, 1960 (1960-09-10)
The youngest member (Ben Cooper) of a gang that has just robbed Virginia City's bank takes a job with the Cartwrights so the sheriff doesn't find his accomplices.
34	2	"The Mission"	James Neilson	Robert E. Thompson	September 17, 1960 (1960-09-17)
Hoss befriends Charlie Trent (Henry Hull), the town drunk who was once a top scout in the Army before he led his troops into a massacre. Hoss helps him regain his self-esteem. John Dehner guest stars.
35	3	"Badge Without Honor"	Arthur Lubin	John Twist	September 24, 1960 (1960-09-24)
The Cartwrights grow suspicious of U.S. Deputy Marshall Gerald Eskith (Dan Duryea), assigned to escort a reluctant witness, who is also a close friend of theirs, to a racketeering trial in San Francisco.
36	4	"The Mill"	John Rich	Halsted Welles	October 1, 1960 (1960-10-01)
The Cartwrights offer to build a mill for their paraplegic neighbor Tom Edwards (Harry Townes) and his wife Joyce (Dianne Foster), who is a longtime friend of Ben. Tom's hired hand, Ezekiel (Claude Akins), is suspicious of Ben.
37	5	"The Hopefuls"	James Neilson	E. Jack Neuman	October 8, 1960 (1960-10-08)
A Quaker woman convinces Adam to take her wagon train on a perilous journey west. He doesn't know that the woman's father has eyes on the gold that they are carrying to the promised land. Larry Gates, Patricia Donahue and Dennis Patrick guest star.
38	6	"Denver McKee"	Jacques Tourneur	Fred Freiberger and Steve McNeil	October 15, 1960 (1960-10-15)
Retired U.S. Deputy Marshall Denver McKee (Franchot Tone) is willing to do anything to make his daughter (Natalie Trundy) happy. Bob Barker guest stars.
39	7	"Day of Reckoning"	Richard H. Bartlett	Story by: Leonard Heideman Teleplay by: Leonard Heideman and R. Harner Norris	October 22, 1960 (1960-10-22)
A bigoted and racist farmer (Karl Swenson) takes action when Ben gives an Indian a piece of land as a reward for saving his life. Ricardo Montalbán and Madlyn Rhue guest star.
40	8	"The Abduction"	Charles Haas	Herman Groves	October 29, 1960 (1960-10-29)
Joe's carnival date Jennifer Beale (Jackie Russell) is abducted in a deadly ransom plot orchestrated to extort money from her rich father Joshua. The plan unravels when Hercules (Robert Maffei) finds out who killed the woman he loved, Delia (Barbara Lawrence). Gerald Mohr and Stafford Repp guest star.
41	9	"Breed of Violence"	Johnny Florea	David Lang	November 5, 1960 (1960-11-05)
Dolly Kincaid (Myrna Fahey) defies her lawman father (Val Avery) and runs off with a handsome stranger (John Ericson) who is actually a bank robber.
42	10	"The Last Viking"	Johnny Florea	Anthony Lawrence	November 12, 1960 (1960-11-12)
Hoss's uncle Gunnar (Neville Brand) turns out to be the leader of a vicious band of outlaws called the Commancheros that kidnaps Little Joe and his girlfriend.
43	11	"The Trail Gang"	John Rich	Carey Wilber	November 26, 1960 (1960-11-26)
Outlaw Johnny Logan (Richard Davalos) plots his revenge against his sheriff-father (James Westerfield) for sending him to prison years ago. To succeed, he disguises as Sam Jackson, a young drifter hired by Ben, who isn't aware of Johnny's real identity. Edgar Buchanan guest stars.
44	12	"The Savage"	James Neilson	Joseph Stone and Paul King	December 3, 1960 (1960-12-03)
Adam falls for a girl (Anna-Lisa) believed by Indians to be the white buffalo woman. The tribe wants to harm her and is looking for her.
45	13	"Silent Thunder"	Robert Altman	John Furia Jr.	December 10, 1960 (1960-12-10)
A deaf girl (Stella Stevens) is treated badly by her father and Joe decides to help her by teaching her sign language. The girl misunderstands Joe's actions as gestures of love.
46	14	"The Ape"	James P. Yarbrough	Gene L. Coon	December 17, 1960 (1960-12-17)
Hoss tries to help a mentally-challenged man with immense physical strength to control his temper. His efforts are undermined by a saloon girl. Karen Sharpe and Leonard Nimoy guest star.
47	15	"The Blood Line"	Lewis Allen	William Raynor and Myles Wilder	December 31, 1960 (1960-12-31)
Todd Grayson (David Macklin) seeks revenge on Ben for the death of his father Luke. Jan Sterling and Lee Van Cleef guest star.
48	16	"The Courtship"	James P. Yarbrough	Richard Morgan	January 7, 1961 (1961-01-07)
Hoss falls in love and proposes to a beautiful woman (Julie Adams) Adam knows is a compulsive gambler and only interested in Hoss' money.
49	17	"The Spitfire"	William D. Faralla	Ward Hawkins	January 14, 1961 (1961-01-14)
A family seeks revenge against Joe for shooting the treacherous patriarch in self-defense after the man tried to set fire to the Ponderosa. Jack Elam and Katherine Warren guest star.
50	18	"The Bride"	Alvin Ganzer	Richard Newman	January 21, 1961 (1961-01-21)
A beautiful young woman (Suzanne Lloyd) claims to be Ben's wife and a sheriff (John McIntire) falsely charges him with murder - all in a complex scheme to take over the Ponderosa. Adam West guest stars.
51	19	"Bank Run"	Robert Altman	N.B. Stone Jr.	January 28, 1961 (1961-01-28)
Joe and Hoss rob the bank in an attempt to stop the owner from foreclosing on a depositor, but they end up being pursued by the law. Dan Tobin and Ian Wolfe guest star.
52	20	"The Fugitive"	Lewis Allen	Richard H. Landau	February 4, 1961 (1961-02-04)
Adam investigates a friend's death in Mexico, only to be faced with hostile townspeople and the dead man's wife. Ziva Rodann, James Best, Frank Silvera and Arthur Batanides guest star.
53	21	"Vengeance"	Dick Moder	Marion Parsonnet	February 11, 1961 (1961-02-11)
Hoss is shot by the vengeful brother (Adam Williams) of the man he accidentally killed, Willie the town drunk (Keith Richards). Beverly Tyler guest stars.
54	22	"Tax Collector"	William Witney	Arnold Belgard	February 18, 1961 (1961-02-18)
The citizens of Virginia City unite to rebel against the new tax collector Jock Henry (Eddie Firestone), who uses peculiar methods to figure out how much people owe.
55	23	"The Rescue"	William D. Faralla	Steve McNeil	February 25, 1961 (1961-02-25)
Ben must rescue his sons from cattle rustlers. Leif Erickson and Richard Coogan guest star.
56	24	"The Dark Gate"	Robert Gordon	Ward Hawkins	March 4, 1961 (1961-03-04)
Rancher Ross Marquette (James Coburn) is behaving strangely and he accuses his friend Adam of having an affair with his wife.
57	25	"The Duke"	Robert Altman	Story by: Theodore & Mathilde Ferro Teleplay by: William R. Cox	March 11, 1961 (1961-03-11)
A British boxer called the Duke (Maxwell Reed) with a weakness for the ladies faces Hoss in a prizefight. JD (Jason Evers), the Cartwrights' meek friend, is pulverized by the Duke who also assaults Marge (Randy Stuart), a saloon girl who adores JD. The Duke's manager (J. Pat O'Malley), who is his brother, comes to her rescue.
58	26	"Cutthroat Junction"	Dick Moder	Nat Tanchuck	March 18, 1961 (1961-03-18)
Jed Trask (Robert Lansing) joins the outlaws he was supposed to stop when he is abruptly fired during his mission. He is helped by some people of the Virginia City council.
59	27	"The Gift"	William Witney	Denne Bart Petitclerc and Thomas Thompson	April 1, 1961 (1961-04-01)
Joe and a friend (Martin Landau) trek across the desert with a valuable Arab stallion to get a birthday present for Joe's father, unaware that they're being stalked by horse thieves.
60	28	"The Rival"	Robert Altman	Anthony Lawrence	April 15, 1961 (1961-04-15)
Hoss has a crisis of conscience when he sees Jim Applegate (Charles Aidman), a rival for his sweetheart Cameo (Peggy Ann Garner)'s affections, leaving the scene of a lynching.
61	29	"The Infernal Machine"	William Witney	Ward Hawkins	April 22, 1961 (1961-04-22)
A con man persuades the citizens of Virginia City to invest in a horseless carriage. A promoter sells shares into the invention, but all of a sudden he skips town. Eddie Ryder, June Kenney, Nora Hayden and George Kennedy guest star.
62	30	"The Thunderhead Swindle"	Dick Moder	Gene L. Coon	April 29, 1961 (1961-04-29)
There's a sharp rise in unemployment and Ben tries to disprove reports of a silver strike which he believes is fraudulent. Parley Baer, Judson Pratt, Vito Scotti and Ross Elliott guest star.
63	31	"The Secret"	Robert Altman	John Hawkins	May 6, 1961 (1961-05-06)
Joe is falsely accused of murdering a girl following a family friend's testimony. The Cartwrights race to prove his innocence. Crahan Denton guest stars.
64	32	"The Dream Riders"	Robert Altman	James Van Wagoner and Jack McClain	May 20, 1961 (1961-05-20)
A balloonist distracts the citizens of Virginia City while his associates make plans to rob the bank. Sidney Blackmer and Stuart Nisbet guest star.
65	33	"Elizabeth, My Love"	Lewis Allen	Anthony Lawrence	May 27, 1961 (1961-05-27)
Ben remembers his time with Elizabeth Stoddard (Geraldine Brooks), Adam's mother, while his son is seriously ill.
66	34	"Sam Hill"	Robert Altman	David Dortort	June 3, 1961 (1961-06-03)
The Cartwrights help blacksmith Sam Hill (Claude Akins) keep the land where his mother is buried after his drunk father (Edgar Buchanan) signed it away to an old enemy (Ford Rainey). Directed by Robert Altman.

Season 3 (1961–62)

Main article: Bonanza (season 3)

Bonanza, season 3 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
67	1	"The Smiler"	Thomas Carr	Lewis Reed	September 24, 1961 (1961-09-24)
The brother (Herschel Bernardi) of the drunk Hoss accidentally killed in self-defense secretly plots his revenge.
68	2	"Springtime"	Christian Nyby	John Furia Jr.	October 1, 1961 (1961-10-01)
Joe accidentally hurts old businessman Jedediah Milbank (John Carradine) while he and his brothers are enjoying the spring.
69	3	"The Honor of Cochise"	Don McDougall	Elliott Arnold	October 8, 1961 (1961-10-08)
Indian war chief Cochise (Jeff Morrow) and his warriors pursue an Army captain (DeForest Kelley) responsible for poisoning Indian women and children. Adam is seriously wounded after he's hit by an Apache bullet.
70	4	"The Lonely House"	William Witney	Frank Chase	October 15, 1961 (1961-10-15)
A lonely widow tends to a wounded bank robber whose gang takes her and Joe hostage. Paul Richards and Faith Domergue guest star.
71	5	"The Burma Rarity"	William Witney	N.B. Stone Jr.	October 21, 1961 (1961-10-21)
Con men try to sell a worthless gem to a former showgirl, but she's too smart for them. People in town would like Ben to get married with widow Hawkins (Beatrice Kay).
72	6	"Broken Ballad"	Robert Butler	John T. Kelly	October 29, 1961 (1961-10-29)
Former gunfighter Ed Payson (Robert Culp) returns to Virginia City and tries to put his past behind him. Adam decides to help him.
73	7	"The Many Faces of Gideon Flinch"	Robert Altman	Robert Vincent Wright	November 5, 1961 (1961-11-05)
Joe is mistaken for con man Gideon Flinch (Ian Wolfe), who along with his niece Jennifer (Sue Ane Langdon), has spent all the money of an investment made by Bullet Head Burke (Harry Swoger).
74	8	"The Friendship"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	November 12, 1961 (1961-11-12)
Joe tries to help former chain-gang prisoner Danny Kid (Dean Jones), locked up since he was only thirteen, to adjust to his freedom.
75	9	"The Countess"	Robert Sparr	William R. Cox and William D. Powell	November 19, 1961 (1961-11-19)
A countess (Margaret Hayes) returns to Virginia City to resume her romance with Ben, the man she spurned twenty years before in New Orleans.
76	10	"The Horse Breaker"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	November 26, 1961 (1961-11-26)
Ben tries to help bronco-buster Johnny Lightly (Ben Cooper) who's feeling depressed over losing the use of his legs.
77	11	"Day of the Dragon"	Don McDougall	John T. Dugan	December 3, 1961 (1961-12-03)
Joe wins Su Ling (Lisa Lu), a Chinese slave girl, in a poker game, but she refuses to allow him to free her. Meanwhile, her groom-to-be General Tsung (Richard Loo) is looking for her.
78	12	"The Frenchman"	Christian Nyby	Norman Lessing	December 10, 1961 (1961-12-10)
The Cartwrights deal with a Frenchman who claims to be the reincarnation of medieval and outlaw poet François Villon (Andre Philippe).
79	13	"The Tin Badge"	Lewis Allen	Don Ingalls	December 17, 1961 (1961-12-17)
Two citizens of a nearby small town appoint Joe their sheriff as part of their plot to commit a murder. After he takes the job, Joe becomes suspicious. Vic Morrow, Karen Steele and John Litel guest star.
80	14	"Gabrielle"	Thomas Carr	Anthony Lawrence	December 24, 1961 (1961-12-24)
The Cartwrights help blind girl Gabrielle Wickman (Diane Mountford) find her reclusive grandfather, who spent 21 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit.
81	15	"Land Grab"	David Orrick McDearmon	Ward Hawkins	December 31, 1961 (1961-12-31)
A range war is on the horizon when settlers use deeds to claim ownership of the Ponderosa sold by an unscrupulous friend of Ben's (John McGiver) that the Cartwrights are currently hosting.
82	16	"The Tall Stranger"	Don McDougall	Ward Hawkins	January 7, 1962 (1962-01-07)
Hoss courts Margie Owens (Kathie Browne), a wealthy woman who's equally captivated by a fortune hunter's extravagant promises.
83	17	"The Lady from Baltimore"	John Peyser	Elliott Arnold	January 14, 1962 (1962-01-14)
Status-seeking mother Deborah Banning (Mercedes McCambridge) is disappointed in her husband's financial failures and forces her daughter to marry Joe.
84	18	"The Ride"	Don McDougall	Ward Hawkins	January 21, 1962 (1962-01-21)
Adam sets out to prove one of his business partners Bill Enders (Jan Merlin) is guilty of robbery and murder, but his family and the sheriff are not convinced by his testimony.
85	19	"The Storm"	Lewis Allen	Denne Petitclerc	January 28, 1962 (1962-01-28)
Laura White (Brooke Hayward) displays her affections for Joe when she and her father, sea Captain Matthew White (Frank Overton), visit the Ponderosa.
86	20	"The Auld Sod"	William Witney	Charles Lang	February 4, 1962 (1962-02-04)
Ranch hand Danny Lynch (James Dunn) convinces the Cartwrights to go along with his charade of their ranch being his ranch for his visiting Irish mother, who thinks her son owns the Ponderosa.
87	21	"Gift of Water"	Jesse Hibbs	Borden Chase	February 11, 1962 (1962-02-11)
Tensions rise during a drought and the Cartwrights dig a well in order to bring water to drought-ridden farmers. Royal Dano, Majel Barrett and James Doohan guest star.
88	22	"The Jackknife"	William Witney	Frank Chase	February 18, 1962 (1962-02-18)
Adam tries to save the marriage of a couple whose son he befriends. Adam doesn't know that the father, rancher Matt Grant (John Archer), is the member of a gang of rustlers.
89	23	"The Guilty"	Lewis Allen	Clifford Irving	February 25, 1962 (1962-02-25)
Retired sheriff Lem Partridge (Lyle Bettger) blames his friend Ben for his son Jimmy's (Jack Easton Jr) death when the boy is shot and killed by vengeful gunman Jack Groat (Charles Maxwell).
90	24	"The Wooing of Abigail Jones"	Christian Nyby	Norman Lessing	March 4, 1962 (1962-03-04)
The Cartwrights boys help shy ranch hand Hank Meyers (Vaughn Monroe) court schoolteacher Abigail Jones (Eileen Ryan).
91	25	"The Lawmaker"	Christian Nyby	Story by: John A. Johns Teleplay by: Dick Nelson	March 11, 1962 (1962-03-11)
The acting sheriff, rancher Asa Moran (Arthur Franz), of Virginia City abuses his authority while Roy Coffee is out due to injury.
92	26	"Look to the Stars"	Don McDougall	Robert M. Fresco and Paul Rink	March 18, 1962 (1962-03-18)
Ben discovers that young genius Albert Michelson (Douglas Lambert) was expelled from school because of a bigoted schoolmaster (William Schallert).
93	27	"The Gamble"	William Witney	Story by: Michael Landon Teleplay by: Frank Cleaver and Michael Landon	April 1, 1962 (1962-04-01)
Joe hurries to rescue his father and brothers from being executed on a false murder charge. Charles McGraw and Ben Johnson guest star.
94	28	"The Crucible"	Paul Nickell	John T. Dugan	April 8, 1962 (1962-04-08)
Adam ends up stranded in the desert where he is forced to depend on insane miner Peter Kane (Lee Marvin), who forces the Cartwright into slavery to drive Adam to murder.
95	29	"Inger, My Love"	Lewis Allen	Story by: Anthony Lawrence Teleplay by: Frank Cleaver and David Dortort	April 15, 1962 (1962-04-15)
Ben remembers his courtship with his second wife and Hoss's mother, Inger (Inga Swenson).
96	30	"Blessed Are They"	Don McDougall	Story by: Borden Chase Teleplay by: Borden Chase and Frank Cleaver	April 22, 1962 (1962-04-22)
Ben must settle a bitter feud between the Mahan and Clarke families that threatens to divide the citizens of Virginia City. Robert Brown, Ford Rainey and Irene Tedrow.
97	31	"The Dowry"	Christian Nyby	Robert Vincent Wright	April 29, 1962 (1962-04-29)
The Cartwrights take in wounded man Alexander Dubois (Steven Geray), his daughter Michele (Luciana Paluzzi) and her fiancé Don Ricardo Fernandez (Lee Bergere). Michele might have been robbed of her dowry.
98	32	"The Long Night"	William Witney	George Stackalee and E. M. Parsons	May 6, 1962 (1962-05-06)
Adam is mistaken for an escaped convict and finds himself caught between the real convict (James Coburn) and a lynch mob. Adam needs to prove his real identity.
99	33	"The Mountain Girl"	Don McDougall	John Furia	May 13, 1962 (1962-05-13)
Joe is given the task of changing a mountain girl (Nina Shipman) into a refined young lady, as wished by the girl's late grandfather Seth Coombs (Will Wright).
100	34	"The Miracle Maker"	Don McDougall	Story by: Lewis Reed Teleplay by: Frank Cleaver and Preston Wood	May 20, 1962 (1962-05-20)
A so-called faith healer (Ed Nelson) offers to help Susan (Patricia Breslin) with her guilt over her father dying in a wagon crash.

Season 4 (1962–63)

Main article: Bonanza (season 4)

Bonanza, season 4 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
101	1	"The First Born"	Don McDougall	Judy and George W. George	September 23, 1962 (1962-09-23)
Joe must decide what to do when he learns that new ranch hand Clay Stafford (Barry Coe) is his mother's first-born son.
102	2	"The Quest"	Christian Nyby	John Furia and Thomas Thompson	September 30, 1962 (1962-09-30)
In order to prove himself a man, Joe sets out to win a big timber contract for the Ponderosa. Grant Richards, Frank Gerstle and Dan Riss guest star.
103	3	"The Artist"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	October 7, 1962 (1962-10-07)
Ben tries to help Matthew Raine (Dan O'Herlihy), an artist who's lost his sight. He's also supported by his friend Ann (Virginia Grey).
104	4	"A Hot Day for a Hanging"	William F. Claxton	Preston Wood and Elliott Arnold	October 14, 1962 (1962-10-14)
A sheriff (Denver Pyle) hopes to save his town from going bankrupt by framing Hoss for bank robbery and murder while he's making a payment delivery.
105	5	"The Deserter"	William Witney	Norman Lessing	October 21, 1962 (1962-10-21)
The Cartwrights face a dilemma when their neighbor Bill Winters (Robert Sampson) is wanted for deserting the Army ten years ago.
106	6	"The Way Station"	Lewis Allen	Frank Cleaver	October 28, 1962 (1962-10-28)
A desperate fugitive (Robert Vaughn) holds Adam and others captive at a remote way station. Dawn Wells guest stars as Martha "Marty" Johnson.
107	7	"The War Comes to Washoe"	Don McDougall	Alvin Sapinsley	November 4, 1962 (1962-11-04)
Statehood convention delegates debate over which side Nevada will take in the Civil War. Little Joe's romance with the daughter of a Confederate sympathizer brings tensions between him and Adam. Harry Townes, Joyce Taylor, Barry Kelley and Alan Caillou guest star.
108	8	"Knight Errant"	William F. Claxton	Joseph Hoffman	November 18, 1962 (1962-11-18)
Hoss inadvertently starts a romantic triangle when he meets his friend's mail-order bride, who falls in love with him. Judi Meredith and John Doucette guest star.
109	9	"The Beginning"	Christian Nyby	Preston Wood	November 25, 1962 (1962-11-25)
Joe tries to help Billy Horn (Carl Reindel), who was captured by Indians as a boy, adjust to life at the Ponderosa. A threat emerges when Milton Tanner (Ken Lynch) claims one-third of the Ponderosa and Billy wants to confront him the Indian way.
110	10	"The Deadly Ones"	William Witney	Story by: N. B. Stone Jr. Teleplay by: Denne Petitclerc	December 2, 1962 (1962-12-02)
Mexican patriots loyal to Benito Juárez come to the Ponderosa in order to rob a gold wagon needed for the Mexican revolution and smuggled by Emperor Maximilian. Will Kuluva, Leo Gordon, Lee Farr and Jena Engstrom guest star.
111	11	"Gallagher's Sons"	Christian Nyby	Dick Nelson	December 9, 1962 (1962-12-09)
Hoss helps out Will (Eileen Chesis) and Charlie (Larrian Gillespie), two orphaned girls who have been raised as boys. He doesn't know a posse is trailing them, looking for a bag of stolen money carried by one of the girls.
112	12	"The Decision"	William F. Claxton	Story by: Norman Jacob Teleplay by: Frank Chase	December 16, 1962 (1962-12-16)
A doctor (DeForest Kelley) convicted of murder is the only one who can perform surgery on Hoss, whose life hangs in the balance at the hands of a biased judge (John Hoyt).
113	13	"The Good Samaritan"	Don McDougall	Robert Bloomfield	December 23, 1962 (1962-12-23)
Hoss tries to play matchmaker for a ranch hand (Don Collier) and a widow (Jeanne Cooper). His friend seems determined to sabotage the possible affair.
114	14	"The Jury"	Christian Nyby	Robert Vincent Wright	December 30, 1962 (1962-12-30)
Hoss is the only one on a jury who believes a ne'er-do-well is innocent of murder. Since he doesn't agree with the other judges, he's accused of bribery. Jack Betts, Don Haggerty, James Bell and Bobs Watson guest star.
115	15	"The Colonel"	Lewis Allen	Preston Wood	January 6, 1963 (1963-01-06)
An old Army buddy of Ben's jeopardizes the Cartwrights and a Ponderosa land deal with his lies. John Larkin, Helen Westcott and Edward Platt guest star.
116	16	"Song in the Dark"	Don McDougall	Judy and George W. George	January 13, 1963 (1963-01-13)
Mysterious singer Danny Morgan (Gregory Walcott) has been charged with murder and Adam sets out to clear him.
117	17	"Elegy for a Hangman"	Hollingsworth Morse	Story by: E. M. Parsons Teleplay by: E. M. Parsons and Shirl Hendryx	January 20, 1963 (1963-01-20)
A man (Keir Dullea) forces the reopening of a murder case, believing his father was wrongfully executed. Adam helps him.
118	18	"Half a Rogue"	Don McDougall	Arnold Belgard	January 27, 1963 (1963-01-27)
Hoss takes in ornery hillbilly Big Jim Leyton (Slim Pickens), who has been framed for murder.
119	19	"The Last Haircut"	William F. Claxton	Charles Lang	February 3, 1963 (1963-02-03)
Joe pursues a cold-blooded killer who used a tricky legal maneuver to escape justice. Perry Lopez and Chubby Johnson guest star.
120	20	"Marie, My Love"	Lewis Allen	Story by: Anne Howard Bailey and Anthony Lawrence Teleplay by: Anthony Lawrence	February 10, 1963 (1963-02-10)
Ben remembers his courtship in New Orleans of Joe's mother and third wife, Marie (Felicia Farr).
121	21	"The Hayburner"	William F. Claxton	Alex Sharp	February 17, 1963 (1963-02-17)
Hoss loses his Kentucky racehorse in a poker game and he wants it back. The Cartwright brothers try to come out ahead in the Virginia City Sweepstakes. William Demarest and Ellen Corby guest star.
122	22	"The Actress"	Christian Nyby	Norman Lessing	February 24, 1963 (1963-02-24)
An actress (Patricia Crowley) is torn between her love for little Joe and her desire for show business.
123	23	"A Stranger Passed This Way"	Lewis Allen	William L. Stuart	March 3, 1963 (1963-03-03)
Hoss develops amnesia following a bushwhacking and is taken in by a Dutch couple mourning their son's death. They plan to take him to Michigan with them. Signe Hasso, Robert Emhardt and Addison Richards guest star.
124	24	"The Way of Aaron"	Murray Golden	Raphael David Blau	March 10, 1963 (1963-03-10)
Adam falls for a Jewish woman (Aneta Corsaut) after helping her and her father.
125	25	"A Woman Lost"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	March 17, 1963 (1963-03-17)
Ben and an ex-prizefighter try to cure a woman (Ruta Lee) of her alcoholism.
126	26	"Any Friend of Walter's"	John Florea	Lois Hire	March 24, 1963 (1963-03-24)
Hoss befriends an old prospector (Arthur Hunnicutt) and his communicative dog as he helps them fend off gold thieves.
127	27	"Mirror of a Man"	Lewis Allen	A. I. Bezzerides	March 31, 1963 (1963-03-31)
A reformed convict is forced to switch identities with his evil twin, who is wanted for murdering a rancher and stealing a horse. Ron Hayes and Ford Rainey guest star.
128	28	"My Brother's Keeper"	Murray Golden	Seeleg Lester	April 7, 1963 (1963-04-07)
Adam considers rejecting the violent way of life in the West after shooting Joe by accident. Ken Lynch guest stars.
129	29	"Five into the Wind"	William F. Claxton	Meyer Dolinsky	April 21, 1963 (1963-04-21)
Joe and five people are stranded after a stagecoach wreck. Joe is accused of murder when a man is found killed by Joe's knife. Kathleen Crowley and Betsy Jones-Moreland guest star.
130	30	"The Saga of Whizzer McGee"	Don McDougall	Robert L. Welch	April 28, 1963 (1963-04-28)
Hoss befriends Whizzer McGee (George Brenlin), a little man with big ideas.
131	31	"Thunder Man"	Lewis Allen	Lewis Reed	May 5, 1963 (1963-05-05)
Joe's girlfriend Ann Wilson (Toby Michaels) and her uncle Fred (Harvey Stephens) are going to Joe's birthday party, but the girl is molested and killed by explosives expert William Poole (Simon Oakland) who then works to keep his guilt secret by getting a job on the Ponderosa and staying with widowed neighbor Mrs. Gibson (Evelyn Scott).
132	32	"Rich Man, Poor Man"	John Florea	Story by: Arnold Belgard and Robert Fresco Teleplay by: Richard P. McDonagh, Barbara and Milton Merlin	May 12, 1963 (1963-05-12)
Bumbling man Claude Miller (John Fiedler) loses his job and then tries to buy respect with his new-found wealth.
133	33	"The Boss"	Arthur H. Nadel	Leo Gordon and Paul Leslie Peil	May 19, 1963 (1963-05-19)
The Cartwrights attempt to start a rally against the tyrannical owner (Carroll O'Connor) of a freight-line. The local strongman is also a former friend of Ben.
134	34	"Little Man... Ten Feet Tall"	Lewis Allen	Story by: Eric Norden and Frank Arno Teleplay by: Eric Norden	May 26, 1963 (1963-05-26)
An Italian immigrant loses respect for his father (Ross Martin) when he meets Hoss.

Season 5 (1963–64)

Main article: Bonanza (season 5)

Bonanza, season 5 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
135	1	"She Walks in Beauty"	Don McDougall	William L. Stuart	September 22, 1963 (1963-09-22)
Hoss takes a liking to a woman (Gena Rowlands) whose good looks have only led to unhappiness and a questionable choice of professions. Hoss asks her to be his wife and believes she can change even after she tries to seduce his brother Adam.
136	2	"A Passion for Justice"	Murray Golden	Peter Packer	September 29, 1963 (1963-09-29)
Charles Dickens (Jonathan Harris) founds himself embroiled in controversy and antagonizes the citizens of Virginia City with his arrogance.
137	3	"Rain from Heaven"	Lewis Allen	Robert Vincent Wright	October 6, 1963 (1963-10-06)
A rainmaker (John Anderson) offers his services to Virginia City during a drought. He brings with him his very sick daughter.
138	4	"Twilight Town"	John Florea	Cy Chermak	October 13, 1963 (1963-10-13)
Bushwhacked, Joe wanders into a seemingly deserted town and collapses. He awakens and Louise (Davey Davison) tends to his wound, telling him he is in Martinville. Louise's father (Stacy Harris) and others enlist Joe's help to combat a terrorizing outlaw gang, but the town's sheriff's widow (Dorris Dowling) warns Joe to leave while he can. At the conclusion of a mighty battle, Joe's family finds him alone in a deserted town with no signs of life. Did Joe rally the town's citizens, or did he have a supernatural encounter?
139	5	"The Toy Soldier"	Tay Garnett	Warren Douglas	October 20, 1963 (1963-10-20)
Adam helps an alcoholic artist (Philip Abbott) deal with bigots opposed to his marriage to a Paiute woman.
140	6	"A Question of Strength"	Don McDougall	Frank Cleaver	October 27, 1963 (1963-10-27)
Hoss journeys through the wilderness with two nuns after bandits wreck their stagecoach. Judy Carne and John Kellogg guest star.
141	7	"Calamity Over the Comstock"	Charles R. Rondeau	Warren Douglas	November 3, 1963 (1963-11-03)
Little Joe befriends and brings home to the Ponderosa Calamity Jane (Stefanie Powers), only to face the wrath of her boyfriend (Christopher Dark). Note: The real Calamity Jane and her family didn't reach Virginia City, Nevada until 1866, at which time she was only 14 years of age. Also, the time-frame of this episode was during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, 1861–1865 (see season five, episode five, "The Toy Soldier" which aired two weeks earlier).
142	8	"Journey Remembered"	Irving J. Moore	Anthony Lawrence	November 10, 1963 (1963-11-10)
Ben remembers his journey west with his second wife, Hoss's mother, Inger (Inga Swenson), after seeing Hoss in the barn waiting for a mare to be born.
143	9	"The Quality of Mercy"	Joseph H. Lewis	Peter Packer	November 17, 1963 (1963-11-17)
Joe struggles with his conscience after witnessing a mercy-killing committed by his friend Seth Pruitt (Richard Rust). Note: This was one of Michael Landon's favorite episodes.
144	10	"The Waiting Game"	Richard Sarafian	Ed Adamson	December 8, 1963 (1963-12-08)
Adam becomes attracted to Laura (Kathie Browne), a widow who's unwilling to tell her daughter Peggy (Katie Sweet) the bad news about her father, Frank Dayton (Wayde Preston), being dead.
145	11	"The Legacy"	Bernard McEveety	Anthony Wilson	December 15, 1963 (1963-12-15)
Believing their father to be dead after he goes missing while tracking poachers, the Cartwright boys set out to find the men who did it. Robert H. Harris, Phillip Pine and James Best guest star.
146	12	"Hoss and the Leprechauns"	John Florea	Robert Barron	December 22, 1963 (1963-12-22)
Hoss brings home a strongbox filled with gold, claiming it belongs to leprechauns. A newly arrived Irish professor confirms the mythical creatures' presence and the whole town goes searching for them. Sean McClory, Robert Sorrells and Clegg Hoyt guest star.
147	13	"The Prime of Life"	Christian Nyby	Peter Packer	December 29, 1963 (1963-12-29)
Ben competes with an old rival to win the railroad's lumber contract, but he soon questions his fitness to run the Ponderosa after an accident wounds him and kills a ranch hand. Jay C. Flippen guest stars.
148	14	"The Lila Conrad Story"	Tay Garnett	Story by: George Waggner Teleplay by: Preston Wood	January 5, 1964 (1964-01-05)
The Cartwrights protect dance-hall girl Lila Conrad (Patricia Blair) from the friends of the man she killed in self-defense and from self-righteous Judge David Knowlton (Andrew Duggan) intent on saving her soul.
149	15	"Ponderosa Matador"	Don McDougall	Alex Sharp	January 12, 1964 (1964-01-12)
The Cartwright boys compete for the attention of a visiting señorita (Marianna Hill): Adam relies on his charm and guitar, Hoss and Little Joe opt for a bull fight.
150	16	"My Son, My Son"	William F. Claxton	Denne Petitclerc	January 19, 1964 (1964-01-19)
Ben's marriage to widow Katherine Saunders (Teresa Wright) is jeopardized by the widow's son being accused of murder.
151	17	"Alias Joe Cartwright"	Lewis Allen	Robert Vincent Wright	January 26, 1964 (1964-01-26)
Joe is mistaken for an Army deserter who looks similar to him and has only a stubborn career army sergeant (Keenan Wynn) to help him avoid being executed.
152	18	"The Gentleman from New Orleans"	Don McDougall	William Bruckner	February 2, 1964 (1964-02-02)
Hoss befriends a flamboyant, sword-brandishing newcomer from New Orleans (John Dehner) who claims to be Jean LaFitte.
153	19	"The Cheating Game"	Joseph Sargent	William L. Stuart	February 9, 1964 (1964-02-09)
Laura Dayton (Kathie Browne) is told by a handsome grifter that she'll receive a large sum from her deceased husband's insurance, but it's actually part of a ruse to cheat her out of her money.
154	20	"Bullet for a Bride"	Tay Garnett	Tom Seller	February 16, 1964 (1964-02-16)
Taken by feelings of guilt, Joe proposes to Tessa Caldwell (Marlyn Mason) he blinded by accident on a hunting trip.
155	21	"King of the Mountain"	Don McDougall	Robert Sabaroff	February 23, 1964 (1964-02-23)
Hoss tries to stop Big Jim Leyton (Slim Pickens) and his fiancée's father from killing each other.
156	22	"Love Me Not"	Tay Garnett	Frank Cleaver	March 1, 1964 (1964-03-01)
A girl (Anjanette Comer) who's been held captive by the Paiutes for many years falls in love with Ben when he takes her to the Ponderosa.
157	23	"The Pure Truth"	Don McDougall	Lois Hire	March 8, 1964 (1964-03-08)
As acting deputy, Hoss is sent to bring in a prisoner, but he ends up in the wrong town and accused of robbing the bank. Glenda Farrell, Stanley Adams and Lloyd Corrigan guest star. Note: This was the highest-rated episode of the series (source: Nielsen Media Research and quoted in numerous books).
158	24	"No Less a Man"	Don McDougall	Jerry Adelman	March 15, 1964 (1964-03-15)
The citizens of Virginia City believe Sheriff Roy Coffee (Ray Teal) is too old to stop a raid from the Wagner gang and they demand his resignation.
159	25	"Return to Honor"	Don McDougall	Jack Turley	March 22, 1964 (1964-03-22)
Ben hears his nephew Will (Guy Williams) has been murdered in Pine City, only to learn Will is alive and on the lam from counterfeiters whose engraving plates he swiped (First episode of Will Cartwright).
160	26	"The Saga of Muley Jones"	John Florea	Story by: Alex Sharp and Robert V. Barron Teleplay by: Robert V. Barron	March 29, 1964 (1964-03-29)
Muley Jones (Bruce Yarnell), a distant cousin of the Cartwrights with a voice that can shatter glass, visits the Ponderosa. Meanwhile, the sheriff is looking for two moonshiners: Eskey (Jesse White) and Yuri (Strother Martin).
161	27	"The Roper"	John Florea	Peter Packer	April 5, 1964 (1964-04-05)
Will (Guy Williams) is taken hostage by outlaws who robbed Ben and killed three Army soldiers. He tries to save Ben and his sons, the doctor (John Hubbard), and the wife of one of the outlaws (Julie Sommars).
162	28	"A Pink Cloud Comes from Old Cathay"	Don McDougall	Lewis Clay	April 12, 1964 (1964-04-12)
Hoss receives a Chinese mail-order bride (Marlo Thomas) by mistake. Her militant ideas ignite a workers' rebellion and threaten the completion of a Virginia City railroad project.
163	29	"The Companeros"	William F. Claxton	Ken Pettus	April 19, 1964 (1964-04-19)
Will Cartwright (Guy Williams) is asked by his old friend Mateo Ybarra (Frank Silvera) to return to Mexico with him to defend President Juarez.
164	30	"Enter Thomas Bowers"	Murray Golden	Jessica Benson and Murray Golden	April 26, 1964 (1964-04-26)
Black opera singer Thomas Bowers (William Marshall) comes to Virginia City for a concert, but is suspected of being a runaway slave; some people want him arrested or worse.
165	31	"The Dark Past"	Murray Golden	William Bruckner	May 3, 1964 (1964-05-03)
Bounty hunter Dev (Dennis Hopper) appears to be haunted by a mysterious incident from his past.
166	32	"The Pressure Game"	Tay Garnett	Don Tait	May 10, 1964 (1964-05-10)
Adam is pressured by Laura Dayton (Kathie Browne)'s aunt Lillian (Joan Blondell) into proposing, but he's unwilling to marry her.
167	33	"Triangle"	Tay Garnett	Frank Cleaver	May 17, 1964 (1964-05-17)
As Adam secretly builds a home for his bride-to-be Laura (Kathie Browne), a love triangle ensues when Will (Guy Williams) falls for Laura Dayton.
168	34	"Walter and the Outlaws"	Ralph E. Black	Lois Hire	May 24, 1964 (1964-05-24)
Old prospector Obie (Arthur Hunnicutt) asks Hoss to help him rescue his dog from gold thieves.

Season 6 (1964–65)

Main article: Bonanza (season 6)

Bonanza, season 6 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
169	1	"Invention of a Gunfighter"	John Florea	Daniel B. Ullman	September 20, 1964 (1964-09-20)
Joe teaches to his friend Johnny Chapman (Guy Stockwell) how to use a six-shooter, only for the man to embark on a career as a ruthless bounty hunter.
170	2	"The Hostage"	Don McDougall	Don Mullally	September 27, 1964 (1964-09-27)
Ben is taken hostage by a band of outlaws demanding a ransom of $100,000. The Cartwrights formulate a plan to rescue their father. Harold J. Stone and Jacqueline Scott guest star.
171	3	"The Wild One"	William Witney	Jo Pagano	October 4, 1964 (1964-10-04)
Hoss is looking for a wild stallion for breeding and he chooses a gruff mountaineer (Aldo Ray), who is later confronted by the wife (Kathryn Hays) he left long ago.
172	4	"Thanks for Everything, Friend"	Christian Nyby	Jerry Adelman	October 11, 1964 (1964-10-11)
Tom Wilson (Rory Calhoun), who's an expert in cards and women, saves Adam from drowning. This event begins a friendship that Adam will later regret.
173	5	"Logan's Treasure"	Don McDougall	Story by: Robert Sabaroff Teleplay by: Ken Pettus	October 18, 1964 (1964-10-18)
Sam Logan (Dan Duryea) gets out of prison and tries to avoid those who are certain he's hidden a cache of stolen gold somewhere. Ben believes him and invites him to stay at the Ponderosa.
174	6	"The Scapegoat"	Christian Nyby	Rod Peterson	October 25, 1964 (1964-10-25)
Hoss befriends suicidal man Waldo Watson (George Kennedy), who turns out to be a scapegoat for three men who intend to do him harm.
175	7	"A Dime's Worth of Glory"	William F. Claxton	Richard Shapiro and Esther Mayesh	November 1, 1964 (1964-11-01)
Ben and Adam capture a known outlaw that tried to hold up the stage they were passengers on. After this episode, Ben turns down a dime novelist's offer to make the Cartwrights famous, so the novelist gives it to aging Sheriff Laramore (Bruce Cabot).
176	8	"Square Deal Sam"	Murray Golden	Jessica Benson and Murray Golden	November 8, 1964 (1964-11-08)
The Cartwrights fall for the schemes of con artist Samuel T. Washburn, nicknamed Square Deal Sam (Ernest Truex).
177	9	"Between Heaven and Earth"	William Witney	Ed Adamson	November 15, 1964 (1964-11-15)
Joe and his friend Mitch Devlin (Richard Jaeckel) are chasing a sheep-killing puma and Joe has to climb a steep slope, but something goes wrong.
178	10	"Old Sheba"	John Florea	Alex Sharp	November 22, 1964 (1964-11-22)
Hoss injured traveling circus wrestler Bearcat Samspon (Henry Kulky). When the owner of the traveling circus squanders Hoss's winnings in a wrestling match, Joe and Hoss receive an elephant as payment.
179	11	"A Man to Admire"	John Florea	Mort R. Lewis	December 6, 1964 (1964-12-06)
Hoss is accused of murdering a scheming businessman, and then has to rely on his new friend, an alcoholic lawyer (James Gregory), to clear him.
180	12	"The Underdog"	William F. Claxton	Don Mullally	December 13, 1964 (1964-12-13)
Joe tries to help half Native American Harry Starr (Charles Bronson), who is accused of being a chronic horse thief.
181	13	"A Knight to Remember"	Vincent McEveety	Robert V. Barron	December 20, 1964 (1964-12-20)
A knight in shining armor who calls himself King Arthur (Henry Jones) scares away bandits trying to rob a stagecoach carrying Adam.
182	14	"The Saga of Squaw Charlie"	William Witney	Warren Douglas	December 27, 1964 (1964-12-27)
Old Indian Squaw Charlie (Anthony Caruso) befriends a little girl in spite of the townspeople ridiculing him. After she goes missing, the whole town wants his blood.
183	15	"The Flapjack Contest"	William F. Claxton	Story by: Tom Davison Teleplay by: Frank Cleaver	January 3, 1965 (1965-01-03)
Hoss has to stay on a strict diet before a flapjack-eating contest: he has to win against champion Big Ed Simpson (Mel Berger).
184	16	"The Far, Far Better Thing"	Bernard McEveety	Mort R. Lewis	January 10, 1965 (1965-01-10)
Joe competes with ranch hand Tuck (Warren Vanders) for the affections of Lucy Melviney (Brenda Scott), an Eastern girl with a thirst for adventure.
185	17	"Woman of Fire"	William F. Claxton	Suzanne Clauser	January 17, 1965 (1965-01-17)
Shakespeare-inspired Adam takes care of a temperamental señorita (Joan Hackett) while her father finds her a husband.
186	18	"The Ballerina"	Don McDougall	Frank Chase	January 24, 1965 (1965-01-24)
An aspirant ballerina (Barrie Chase) falls for her teacher and faces resistance from her father, who is a traveling violinist.
187	19	"The Flannel-Mouth Gun"	Don McDougall	Leo Gordon and Paul Leslie Peil	January 31, 1965 (1965-01-31)
Desperate ranchers hire a gunman to take care of rustlers; tragedy follows and Sherman Clegg (Earl Holliman) is accused of murder.
188	20	"The Ponderosa Birdman"	Herbert L. Strock	Blair Robertson and Hazel Swanson	February 7, 1965 (1965-02-07)
An eccentric inventor (Ed Wynn) plans to take flight with his meticulously crafted wings. Hoss tries to help him and his overly-protective granddaughter.
189	21	"The Search"	William F. Claxton	Frank Cleaver	February 14, 1965 (1965-02-14)
Adam searches for his troublesome lookalike Tom Burns. His search lands him in the Placerville jail. Lola Albright and Elaine Devry guest star.
190	22	"The Deadliest Game"	Gerd Oswald	Jo Pagano	February 21, 1965 (1965-02-21)
Aging circus aerialist Guido Borelli (Cesar Romero) grows jealous of his partner Petina's (Ilze Taurins) attraction to Joe, but he's quick to comfort her after a fistfight with her boyfriend Carlo (Fabrizio Mioni) lands Joe in prison.
191	23	"Once a Doctor"	Tay Garnett	Martha Wilkerson	February 28, 1965 (1965-02-28)
A vengeful Englishman comes after Doctor P.A. Mundy (Michael Rennie), nicknamed Professor Poppy, that he blames for the death of his wife.
192	24	"Right Is the Fourth R"	Virgil Vogel	Jerry Adelman	March 7, 1965 (1965-03-07)
Adam tries to teach a course in frontier history and learns some unsettling facts about the territory's founders. Everett Sloane, Mariette Hartley and Barry Kelley guest star.
193	25	"Hound Dog"	Ralph E. Black	Alex Sharp	March 21, 1965 (1965-03-21)
Cousin Muley Jones (Bruce Yarnell) returns along with hound dogs, but Tracy Ledbetter (Sue Ane Langdon) claims he stole them from her.
194	26	"The Trap"	William Witney	Ken Pettus	March 28, 1965 (1965-03-28)
Married man Burk (Steve Cochran) sets a trap to keep Joe away from his wife (Joan Freeman), but when his plan backfires and he ends up dead, his twin brother decides to finish the job.
195	27	"Dead and Gone"	Robert Totten	Paul Schneider	April 4, 1965 (1965-04-04)
Adam tries to help wandering troubadour Howard Mead (Hoyt Axton) overcome his habit of stealing after he tried to rob Johann Brunner (Steve Ihnat) and his sister Hilda (Susanne Cramer).
196	28	"A Good Night's Rest"	William F. Claxton	Story by: Jeffrey Fleece Teleplay by: Frank Cleaver	April 11, 1965 (1965-04-11)
After dealing with Hoss' snoring, Adam's guitar playing and Little Joe's courting shenanigans, Ben checks into a hotel to try to get a good night's sleep. Eddie Firestone and Jean Willes guest star.
197	29	"To Own the World"	Virgil Vogel	Ed Adamson	April 18, 1965 (1965-04-18)
Wealthy tycoon Charles Augustus Hackett (Telly Savalas) is out to get the Ponderosa.
198	30	"Lothario Larkin"	William Witney	Warren Douglas	April 25, 1965 (1965-04-25)
Infamous womanizer Lothario Larkin (Noah Beery, Jr.) returns to Virginia City, to the displeasure of the fathers and the sheriff.
199	31	"The Return"	Virgil Vogel	Story by: Frank Chase & Ken Pettus Teleplay by: Ken Pettus	May 2, 1965 (1965-05-02)
Ex-convict Trace Cordell (Tony Young) returns to town, but no one is glad to see him, especially Paul Dorn (John Conte), the banker he crippled in a bank robbery.
200	32	"Jonah"	William F. Claxton	Preston Wood	May 9, 1965 (1965-05-09)
Ranch hand George Whitman (Andrew Prine) is offered a job on the Ponderosa when he saves Hoss's life, but rumors state that he's a jinx.
201	33	"The Spotlight"	Gerd Oswald	Richard Carr	May 16, 1965 (1965-05-16)
Ben tries to talk retired opera star Angela Bergstrom (Viveca Lindfors) into resuming her career on the stage.
202	34	"Patchwork Man"	Ralph E. Black	Don Tait and William Koenig	May 23, 1965 (1965-05-23)
Hoss hires recluse Albert 'Patch' Saunders (Grant Williams) to work on the Ponderosa. After learning about Patch's past, Hoss decides to help him.

Season 7 (1965–66)

Main article: Bonanza (season 7)

Bonanza, season 7 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
203	1	"The Debt"	William F. Claxton	William Blinn	September 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) swindled Ben.
204	2	"The Dilemma"	William F. Claxton	John Hawkins and Ward Hawkins	September 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.
205	3	"The Brass Box"	William F. Claxton	Paul Schneider	September 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.
206	4	"The Other Son"	William F. Claxton	Thomas Thompson	October 3, 1965 (1965-10-03)
Ben hires mule skinner Clint Watson (Ed Begley) and his sons to take nitroglycerin to California.
207	5	"The Lonely Runner"	William Witney	Thomas Thompson	October 10, 1965 (1965-10-10)
A judge awards horse breeder Jim Acton (Gilbert Roland)'s beloved prize mare to rancher Sam Whipple (Ken Lynch).
208	6	"Devil on Her Shoulder"	Virgil W. Vogel	Suzanne Clauser	October 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.
209	7	"Found Child"	Ralph E. Black	Frank Cleaver	October 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.
210	8	"The Meredith Smith"	John Florea	Lois Hire	October 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.
211	9	"Mighty is the Word"	William F. Claxton	Story 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.
212	10	"The Strange One"	Gerd Oswald	Story 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.
213	11	"The Reluctant Rebel"	R. G. Springsteen	Wally George	November 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.
214	12	"Five Sundowns to Sunup"	Gerd Oswald	William L. Stuart	December 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.
215	13	"A Natural Wizard"	Robert Totten	Story 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.
216	14	"All Ye His Saints"	William F. Claxton	William Blinn	December 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.
217	15	"A Dublin Lad"	William F. Claxton	Mort Thaw	January 2, 1966 (1966-01-02)
Joe serves on a jury intent on convicting Terrence O'Toole (Liam Sullivan) of murder.
218	16	"To Kill a Buffalo"	William F. Claxton	Michael Fisher	January 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.
"Ride the Wind"	William Witney	Paul Schneider
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.
221	19	"Destiny's Child"	Gerd Oswald	Robert V. Barron	January 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.
222	20	"Peace Officer"	William Witney	Don Mullally	February 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.
223	21	"The Code"	William F. Claxton	Sidney Ellis	February 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.
224	22	"Three Brides for Hoss"	Ralph E. Black	Jo Pagano	February 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.
225	23	"The Emperor Norton"	William F. Claxton	Story 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.
226	24	"Her Brother's Keeper"	Virgil W. Vogel	Story 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.
227	25	"The Trouble with Jamie"	R. G. Springsteen	Helen B. Hicks	March 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.
228	26	"Shining in Spain"	Maurice Geraghty	Elliott Gilbert	March 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).
229	27	"The Genius"	R. G. Springsteen	Don Mullally	April 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.
230	28	"The Unwritten Commandment"	Gerd Oswald	Story 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.
231	29	"Big Shadows on the Land"	William F. Claxton	William F. Leicester and Richard H. Bartlett	April 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.
232	30	"The Fighters"	R. G. Springsteen	Robert Goodwin	April 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.
233	31	"Home from the Sea"	Jean Yarbrough	George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams	May 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.
234	32	"The Last Mission"	R. G. Springsteen	Story 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.
235	33	"A Dollar's Worth of Trouble"	Donald R. Daves	Robert Goodwin	May 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.

Season 8 (1966–67)

Main article: Bonanza (season 8)

Bonanza, season 8 episodes

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 (1966-09-11)
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 (1966-09-18)
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 (1966-09-25)
Aging wrangler Dan Tolliver (Ed Begley) turns against the Cartwrights after his longtime friend Ben suggests that he should retire.
"The Pursued"	William Witney	Story by: Thomas Thompson and Marc Michaels Teleplay by: Thomas Thompson
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 (1966-10-16)
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 (1966-10-23)
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 (1966-10-30)
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 (1966-11-06)
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 (1966-11-13)
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 (1966-11-20)
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 (1966-11-27)
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 (1966-12-04)
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 (1966-12-18)
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 (1966-12-25)
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 (1967-01-01)
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 (1967-01-08)
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 (1967-01-15)
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 (1967-01-22)
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 (1967-01-29)
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 (1967-02-05)
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 (1967-02-12)
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 (1967-02-19)
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 (1967-02-26)
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 (1967-03-05)
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 (1967-03-12)
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 (1967-03-26)
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 (1967-04-02)
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 (1967-04-09)
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 (1967-04-16)
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 (1967-04-23)
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 (1967-04-30)
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 (1967-05-07)
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 (1967-05-14)
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.

Season 9 (1967–68)

Main article: Bonanza (season 9)

Bonanza, season 9 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
270	1	"Second Chance"	Leon Benson	Story by: Paul Schneider Teleplay by: John Hawkins and Paul Schneider	September 17, 1967 (1967-09-17)
Ben joins an Army patrol to try and save Hoss and Joe from Indians. When Joe is wounded, they meet a dying doctor who is willing to help them. James Gregory guest stars.
271	2	"Sense of Duty"	William Witney	Story by: Gil Lasky and Abe Polsky Teleplay by: John Hawkins	September 24, 1967 (1967-09-24)
Ben leads a militia troop unit that takes Paiute Indian Wabuska (Michael Forest), a man who is seen as a God by the Indians, to prison. (The first episode to feature David Canary as Candy Canady).
272	3	"The Conquistadores"	Leon Benson	Walter Black	October 1, 1967 (1967-10-01)
Joe is kidnapped by a band of Mexicans miners searching for gold and held for ransom, but thieves are out to take the gold for themselves. John Saxon, John Kellogg and Carlos Rivera guest star.
273	4	"Judgement at Olympus"	John Rich	Walter Black	October 8, 1967 (1967-10-08)
Candy is framed for the murder of A.Z. Wheelock (Arch Johnson)'s son in the town of Olympus, so Joe and Hoss try to clear him.
274	5	"Night Of Reckoning"	Leon Benson	Walter Black	October 15, 1967 (1967-10-15)
A band of outlaws, previously involved in wounding Donnie Buckler (Ron Hayes), take Joe, Hoss, and Candy hostage as they search the Ponderosa for holdup money taken by one of their own.
275	6	"False Witness"	Michael Moore	Eric Norden	October 22, 1967 (1967-10-22)
Billy Slater (Michael Blodgett) and Doug Slater (Bill Fletcher)'s gang stalk Joe, Hoss, Candy and a woman since they witnessed one of their crimes.
276	7	"The Gentle Ones"	Harry Harris	Frank Chase	October 29, 1967 (1967-10-29)
An animal-loving cowboy (Robert Walker Jr.) must stand up to his brutish older brother in order to prove to a widow that he's not a coward.
277	8	"Desperate Passage"	Leon Benson	John Hawkins	November 5, 1967 (1967-11-05)
The Cartwrights encounter two survivors of an Indian raid—a suspected murderer and a woman (Tina Louise) who knows he's innocent.
278	9	"The Sure Thing"	William Witney	Story by: Robert Vincent Wright Teleplay by: Robert Vincent Wright and Sidney Ellis	November 12, 1967 (1967-11-12)
A young woman, Trudy Loughlin (Kim Darby), has a dream of riding her stallion in a big-stakes race, but this is jeopardized when her father, Burt Laughlin (Tom Tully), associates himself with a gambler.
279	10	"Showdown At Tahoe"	Gerald Mayer	Thomas Thompson	November 19, 1967 (1967-11-19)
Candy sets a trap for a band of outlaws bent on robbing Ben's timber operation.
280	11	"Six Black Horses"	Donald R. Daves	Story by: William Jerome Teleplay by: William Jerome and Michael Landon	November 26, 1967 (1967-11-26)
An Irishman uses luck to outwit greedy businessmen.
281	12	"Check Rein"	Leon Benson	Story by: Robert I. Holt Teleplay by: Olney Sherwood and Robert I. Holt	December 3, 1967 (1967-12-03)
The Cartwrights get involved in a man's fight to save his inheritance and himself from his greedy uncle.
282	13	"Justice Deferred"	Gerald Mayer	Jack Miller	December 17, 1967 (1967-12-17)
Hoss realizes that his testimony has led to the hanging of an innocent man, so he sets out to convict the real killer.
283	14	"The Gold Detector"	Donald R. Daves	Ward Hawkins	December 24, 1967 (1967-12-24)
After buying a gold detector, Hoss tries to prove its worth and protect it from thieves. Guest starring Wally Cox, and Caroline Richter.
284	15	"The Trackers"	Marc Daniels	Story by: Frederick Louis Fox Teleplay by: Reuben Bercovitch	January 7, 1968 (1968-01-07)
Ben, Candy and Hoss try to protect a recently-released prisoner suspected of robbery and murder.
285	16	"A Girl Named George"	Leon Benson	William H. Wright	January 14, 1968 (1968-01-14)
The Cartwrights investigate a mystery involving an altered photograph.
286	17	"The Thirteenth Man"	Leon Benson	Walter Black	January 21, 1968 (1968-01-21)
The Cartwrights clash with a range detective (Albert Salmi) who pressures his suspects into drawing first so he can kill them.
287	18	"The Burning Sky"	John Rich	Story by: Carol Saraceno Teleplay by: William H. Wright	January 28, 1968 (1968-01-28)
A ranch hand (Michael Murphy) causes trouble when he arrives with his Indian bride (Dawn Wells).
288	19	"The Price of Salt"	Leon Benson	B. W. Sandefur	February 4, 1968 (1968-02-04)
A woman (Kim Hunter) who has a monopoly on the salt needed for cattle sets off the buyers when she raises the price. James Best guest stars.
289	20	"Blood Tie"	Seymour Robbie	Arthur Dales	February 18, 1968 (1968-02-18)
One of three men tricks the Cartwrights into hiring him so he and his cohorts can rob them.
290	21	"The Crime of Johnny Mule"	Leon Benson	Joel Murcott	February 25, 1968 (1968-02-25)
Johnny Mule (Noah Beery, Jr.), the man Hoss refused to convict for murder, breaks out of prison.
291	22	"The Late Ben Cartwright"	Leon Benson	Walter Black	March 3, 1968 (1968-03-03)
An assassin complicates Ben's fight to prevent a corrupt tycoon's lackey from being elected governor.
292	23	"Star Crossed"	William F. Claxton	Thomas Thompson	March 10, 1968 (1968-03-10)
Candy falls for a girl (Tisha Sterling) being harassed by a former lawman-turned-blackmailer (William Windom).
293	24	"Trouble Town"	Leon Benson	David Lang	March 17, 1968 (1968-03-17)
The Cartwrights must find out why Candy is being held in River Bend on a minor charge without bail.
294	25	"Commitment at Angelus"	Leon Benson	Peter Germano	April 7, 1968 (1968-04-07)
Joe gets involved in a miners' strike after the death of a friend leaves the miners without a leader.
295	26	"A Dream to Dream"	William F. Claxton	Michael Landon	April 14, 1968 (1968-04-14)
When a man's guilt over his son's death lead him to drinking, his wife and other children pay more attention to Hoss.
296	27	"In Defense of Honor"	Marc Daniels	Story by: Richard Wendley and William Douglas Lansford Teleplay by: William Douglas Lansford	April 28, 1968 (1968-04-28)
An outcast jeopardizes negotiations with the Indians when he decides to rejoin the tribe he rejected his whole life.
297	28	"To Die in Darkness"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	May 5, 1968 (1968-05-05)
Ben and Candy are trapped in a mine shaft by a vengeful ex-prisoner (James Whitmore), who wrongly served time based on the testimony of the pair.
298	29	"The Bottle Fighter"	Leon Benson	Story by: Colin MacKenzie and S. H. Barnett Teleplay by: John Hawkins	May 12, 1968 (1968-05-12)
The only lawyer (Albert Dekker) who can defend Hoss in the case of a murdered cattle buyer is an alcoholic.
299	30	"The Arrival of Eddie"	Marc Daniels	John M. Chester and Ward Hawkins	May 19, 1968 (1968-05-19)
Hoss seeks forgiveness from Eddie MaKay (Jan-Michael Vincent) for killing his father.
300	31	"The Stronghold"	Leon Benson	John Hawkins and William Riley Burnett	May 26, 1968 (1968-05-26)
Joe and Candy are swindled out of a herd of cattle by the Farrell brothers (Paul Mantee, Michael Witney), so they follow the sparring brothers back to their Arizona hideout.
301	32	"Pride of a Man"	William F. Claxton	Ward Hawkins and Helen B. Hicks	June 2, 1968 (1968-06-02)
Joe takes a job as a substitute teacher and must deal with two incorrigible boys and their father, who doesn't think his boys need an education.
302	33	"A Severe Case of Matrimony"	Lewis Allen	Michael Fessier	July 7, 1968 (1968-07-07)
A band of Gypsies arrives on the Ponderosa and one of them wishes to marry a Cartwright. Guest stars: J. Carrol Naish as Anselmo, Susan Strasberg as Rosalita, and Andre Philippe as Paco
303	34	"Stage Door Johnnies"	William F. Claxton	Alex Sharp	July 28, 1968 (1968-07-28)
Hoss and Joe allow their rivalry for the affections of an attractive singer (Kathleen Crowley) to get them into damage suits.

Season 10 (1968–69)

Main article: Bonanza (season 10)

Bonanza, season 10 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 (1968-09-15)
Little Joe tries to convince an ailing recluse that she needs to file a legal claim to her remote property to prevent a timber tycoon from logging on her land.
305	2	"Child"	Leon Benson	Jack B. Sowards	September 22, 1968 (1968-09-22)
Hoss, charged with robbery and murder, has to break out of jail in order to escape a lynch mob.
306	3	"Salute to Yesterday"	Leon Benson	John Hawkins	September 29, 1968 (1968-09-29)
Possession of an Army payroll brings danger to the Cartwrights, Candy and a small Army unit, with some of Candy's past coming to light in the process.
307	4	"The Real People of Muddy Creek"	Leon Benson	Alf Harris	October 6, 1968 (1968-10-06)
Ben is left alone with his prisoner (Joe Don Baker) to face a murderous and notorious gang after frightened citizens bail out.
308	5	"The Passing of a King"	Leon Benson	B. W. Sandefur	October 13, 1968 (1968-10-13)
Ben is cheated out of a valuable bull by the son (Jeremy Slate) of one of his old friends (Denver Pyle), a cattle baron who has been declared legally incompetent.
309	6	"The Last Vote"	Joseph Pevney	Robert Vincent Wright	October 20, 1968 (1968-10-20)
Hoss and Little Joe act as campaign managers for opposing mayoral candidates (Tom Bosley and Wally Cox) who are devoted friends.
310	7	"Catch as Catch Can"	Robert L. Friend	David Lang	October 27, 1968 (1968-10-27)
The Cartwrights are accused of being deadbeats in an effort to discredit their good name.
311	8	"Little Girl Lost"	Don Richardson	Michael Fessier	November 3, 1968 (1968-11-03)
The serenity of the Ponderosa is disrupted by a small relative of the Cartwrights, an unruly tomboy (Linda Sue Risk) who's the subject of a custody battle. Antoinette Bower guest stars.
312	9	"The Survivors"	Leon Benson	John Hawkins, Colin MacKenzie, S. H. Barnett	November 10, 1968 (1968-11-10)
A young woman endures scorn when she returns to Virginia City with a child fathered by a Native American after four years of captivity by renegade Indians.
313	10	"The Sound of Drums"	Robert L. Friend	William F. Leicester	November 17, 1968 (1968-11-17)
A stubborn landowner defies his family and neighbors by allowing Native Americans to live on his land.
314	11	"Queen High"	Leon Benson	Michael Fessier	December 1, 1968 (1968-12-01)
Little Joe and Candy win a damaged ore processing mill in a poker game and encounter opposition from their competitor.
315	12	"Yonder Man"	Leo Penn	Milton S. Gelman	December 8, 1968 (1968-12-08)
Ben's reunion with an old friend is marred when he learns that the man is wanted for stealing cattle and political crimes.
316	13	"Mark of Guilt"	Leon Benson	Ward Hawkins, Frank Telford	December 15, 1968 (1968-12-15)
When a rancher that Little Joe fought with is found dead, he's arrested for murder.
317	14	"A World Full of Cannibals"	Gunnar Hellström	Preston Wood	December 22, 1968 (1968-12-22)
Gunmen kidnap Little Joe and offer him in exchange for a grand jury witness.
318	15	"Sweet Annie Laurie"	Don Richardson	Jackson Gillis, John Hawkins, Jess Carneol, Kay Lenard	January 5, 1969 (1969-01-05)
Hoss takes a frightened young wife (Joan Van Ark) to the Ponderosa to protect her from her estranged outlaw husband (James Olson).
319	16	"My Friend, My Enemy"	Leon Benson	Stanley Roberts, Jack B. Sowards	January 12, 1969 (1969-01-12)
Candy has to rely on the testimony of a Native American horse thief to prove his innocence on a murder charge.
320	17	"Mrs. Wharton and the Lesser Breeds"	Leon Benson	Preston Wood	January 19, 1969 (1969-01-19)
A British widow (Mildred Natwick) involves Candy in her plan to recover valuables she lost in a holdup.
321	18	"Erin"	Don Richardson	Sandy Summerhayes	January 26, 1969 (1969-01-26)
Hoss announces his intention to marry a girl (Mary Fickett) who was raised by Native Americans.
322	19	"Company of Forgotten Men"	Leon Benson	Jess Carneol, Kay Lenard	February 2, 1969 (1969-02-02)
A group of retired Army veterans plan to rob a mint with the help of Candy. James Gregory guest stars.
323	20	"The Clarion"	Lewis Allen	John Hawkins, Frank Chase	February 9, 1969 (1969-02-09)
Ben buys a newspaper from a widow and proceeds to launch an exposé of an unscrupulous town boss.
324	21	"The Lady and the Mountain Lion"	Joseph Pevney	Larry Markes	February 23, 1969 (1969-02-23)
A magician (Richard Haydn) plots to involve the Cartwright boys with his identical twin daughters in a swindling plot.
325	22	"Five Candles"	Lewis Allen	Ken Trevey	March 2, 1969 (1969-03-02)
Ben and four companions are trapped in a collapsing courthouse and are forced to rely on an accused murderer for help.
326	23	"The Wish"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	March 9, 1969 (1969-03-09)
Hoss tries to help a freed slave (Ossie Davis) cope with bigots of a white community.
327	24	"The Deserter"	Leon Benson	B. W. Sandefur, John Dunkel	March 16, 1969 (1969-03-16)
Candy tries to help an army sergeant locate a hidden arms plant.
328	25	"Emily"	Leon Benson	Elliot Gilbert, Preston Wood	March 23, 1969 (1969-03-23)
Hoping to save her broken marriage, a woman accuses Little Joe of theft and trying to run off with her.
329	26	"The Running Man"	Leon Benson	Ward Hawkins	March 30, 1969 (1969-03-30)
Little Joe and Candy try to protect a murder witness. Will Geer guest stars.
330	27	"The Unwanted"	Herschel Daugherty	Thomas Thompson, Suzanne Clauser	April 6, 1969 (1969-04-06)
A marshal's daughter steals her father's money and runs off with an ex-convict.
331	28	"Speak No Evil"	Leon Benson	Norman Katkov, B. W. Sandefur	April 20, 1969 (1969-04-20)
Ben and Hoss mediate a custody battle among relatives of a teenager who inherited a gold mine.
332	29	"The Fence"	Lewis Allen	Ward Hawkins, Milton S. Gelman	April 27, 1969 (1969-04-27)
Ben and Hoss aid an ex-Confederate prison commandant who's being threatened by his former captives. Larry Linville guest stars.
333	30	"A Ride in the Sun"	Leon Benson	John Hawkins, Peter Germano	May 11, 1969 (1969-05-11)
Bank robbers use the Cartwrights as dupes in a plot to loot the Virginia City bank.

Season 11 (1969–70)

Main article: Bonanza (season 11)

Bonanza, season 11 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
334	1	"Another Windmill to Go"	James B. Clark	Story by: Palmer Thompson Teleplay by: Palmer Thompson	September 14, 1969 (1969-09-14)
The wording of an old law may cause Ben to lose the Ponderosa to an odd man who crossed it in a horse-drawn rowboat.
335	2	"The Witness"	Don Richardson	Joel Murcott	September 21, 1969 (1969-09-21)
A young woman named Jenny Winters claims to have witnessed a stagecoach robbery.
336	3	"The Silence at Stillwater"	Joseph Lejtes	Preston Wood	September 28, 1969 (1969-09-28)
Candy is accused of a string of serious crimes, including murder, robbery and arson in Stillwater.
337	4	"A Lawman's Lot is Not a Happy One"	Don Richardson	Vincent Wright	October 5, 1969 (1969-10-05)
When Sheriff Roy Coffee and Ben are subpoenaed to testify in a land sharking trial in San Francisco, Hoss is appointed the acting sheriff of Virginia City. Hoss soon finds plenty of trouble on his hands, namely dealing with reluctant bridegroom Hiram Peabody (Tom Bosley), who wants to get arrested so as to avoid an impending marriage to an undesirable woman (who has been his pen pal and whom he has never met in person). He also must deal with a smooth-talking salesman who plans to sell shares in a planned resort in Virginia City.
338	5	"Anatomy of a Lynching"	William Wiard	Preston Wood	October 12, 1969 (1969-10-12)
Will Griner is acquitted of a murder after two key witnesses disappeared before the trial. When a bloodthirsty lynch mob comes after him, thinking him to have silenced the witnesses, Griner goes to the Cartwrights for help.
339	6	"To Stop a War"	Leon Benson	Carey Wilber	October 19, 1969 (1969-10-19)
Joe's old friend, Dan Logan (Steve Forrest), is hired as a range detective to stop a cattle rustling outbreak. Richard Bull guest stars.
340	7	"The Medal"	Lewis Allen	Frank Chase	October 26, 1969 (1969-10-26)
Ben offers moral support to Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Matthew Rush (Dean Stockwell).
341	8	"The Stalker"	Robert L. Friend	D. C. Fontana	November 2, 1969 (1969-11-02)
After Candy shoots and kills armed robber James Campbell in self defense, he learns that he left behind his widow, Lisa, and young son.
342	9	"Meena"	Herschel Daugherty	Jack B. Sowards	November 16, 1969 (1969-11-16)
Joe and Candy compete for the attention of pretty Miss Meena Calhoun (Ann Prentiss).
342	10	"A Darker Shadow"	Don Richardson	John Hawkins, Jonathon Knopf	November 23, 1969 (1969-11-23)
Joe's friend Wade Turner (Gregory Walcott), a storekeeper who is engaged and has been offered a promotion at work, tries to deal with a devastating brain tumor that leaves him with a paralyzing sensitivity to bright light and will soon render him blind.
343	11	"Dead Wrong"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	December 7, 1969 (1969-12-07)
Hoss and Candy stop at the Sunville saloon where they meet Salty Hubbard (Arthur Hunnicutt).
345	12	"Old Friends"	Leon Benson	Barney Slater	December 14, 1969 (1969-12-14)
Two men whom Ben once worked with during a gold claim arrive in Virginia City ... on opposite sides of the law.
346	13	"Abner Willoughby's Return"	Herschel Daugherty	Jack B. Sowards	December 21, 1969 (1969-12-21)
While returning home from a horse-buying trip, Joe is met by old seafaring friend Abner Willoughby (John Astin), who has returned to Nevada to find a stash of gold he hid 17 years earlier in Glory Hole.
347	14	"It's a Small World"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	January 1, 1970 (1970-01-01)
Circus midget and new widower George Marshall (Michael Dunn) struggles to deal with the prejudice of Mr. Flynt, the town's banker, when he refuses to hire him despite Ben's recommendation all while trying to support his baby (Lynn Guzman).
348	15	"Danger Road"	William F. Claxton	Milton S. Gelman	January 11, 1970 (1970-01-11)
Ben needs to transport three large timber beams but the local freight company won't do it. When a new independent freight hauler is approached for the job, Ben recognizes "Gunny" Riley (Robert Lansing), a former soldier in the Mexican war, but on the opposite side.
349	16	"The Big Jackpot"	Herschel Daugherty	John Hawkins	January 18, 1970 (1970-01-18)
Candy quits his job at the Ponderosa after inheriting a fortune from an old Indian friend. He takes a job as vice president of a land promotion firm, unaware that the president is defrauding customers.
350	17	"The Trouble with Amy"	Leon Benson	Jack Miller, John Hawkins	January 25, 1970 (1970-01-25)
Ben comes to the aid of Amy Wilder (Jo Van Fleet), an eccentric old woman and animal hoarder, when a scheming neighbor wants her declared incompetent so he can purchase her home and property.
351	18	"The Lady and the Mark"	Leon Benson	Preston Wood	February 1, 1970 (1970-02-01)
Former Ponderosa ranch hand Chris Keller (Christopher Connelly) seeks refuge at his old workplace after con artists stalk him for his $67,000 fortune. Ralph Waite guest stars.
352	19	"Is There Any Man Here"	Don Richardson	B. W. Sandefur	February 8, 1970 (1970-02-08)
The daughter of Ben's friend Harry Carlisle, Jennifer (Mariette Hartley), develops a huge crush for the Cartwright patriarch. Ben notes that Jennifer is the same age as oldest son Adam, but that doesn't matter. It soon does matter when Jennifer's ex-fiancé, a wealthy banker from San Francisco, shows up demanding to take her back ... or else it will be the end of the Ponderosa.
353	20	"The Law and Billy Burgess"	William F. Claxton	Stanley Roberts	February 15, 1970 (1970-02-15)
A new school is opened in Virginia City, and one of the students is an angry teen-aged boy named Billy Burgess (David Cassidy). After a difficult day at school, Billy angrily wishes that his teacher would die. Sure enough, the teacher is found murdered and Billy is fingered as the suspect.
354	21	"Long Way to Ogden"	Lewis Allen	Joel Murcott	February 22, 1970 (1970-02-22)
A ruthless meat packer named Emit Whitney schemes to monopolize the local cattle industry by buying the rail line that is used to transport the cattle to market.
355	22	"Return Engagement"	Don Richardson	Stanley Roberts	March 1, 1970 (1970-03-01)
Eleven years after her last stop in Virginia City caused trouble for a young Joe Cartwright, actress Lotta Crabtree (Sally Kellerman) returns for another engagement in the Nevada town. This time, it's Hoss who finds himself in the thick of a murder case.
356	23	"The Gold Mine"	Leon Benson	Preston Wood, Robert Bruckner	March 8, 1970 (1970-03-08)
Joe helps a young Mexican boy who has suffered from years of abuse by two sadistic slave owners who now want the lad's gold claim and will do anything to get it.
357	24	"Decision at Los Robles"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	March 22, 1970 (1970-03-22)
While in Los Robles, Mexico, Ben is critically wounded by the town's cruel boss, John Walker. Ben manages to shoot and kill Walker, but now his son - the spitting image of his father - is hellbent on revenge.
358	25	"Caution, Easter Bunny Crossing"	Bruce Bilson	Larry Markes	March 29, 1970 (1970-03-29)
In the series' only Easter-themed episode, a Quaker woman convinces Hoss to pose as the Easter bunny for the orphanage. While wearing a rabbit costume, Hoss must try to foil the efforts of a bumbling gang that is plotting to loot the Wells Fargo coach.
359	26	"The Horse Traders"	Herschel Daugherty	Jack B. Sowards	April 5, 1970 (1970-04-05)
Meena Calhoun has gotten engaged to bumbling outlaw Virgil Potts, who is now trying to make an honest living in the livery business. Virgil soon finds himself in a heated rivalry with Joe, Hoss, and new friend Dusty, who have opened up a stable of their own.
360	27	"What are Pardners For?"	William F. Claxton	Jack B. Sowards	April 12, 1970 (1970-04-12)
A pair of Easterners have read tall tales about the Wild West and come to Virginia City to live out their dream - be bank robbers in the tradition of their heroes. Hoss somehow becomes involved with their adventures.
361	28	"A Matter of Circumstance"	William F. Claxton	B. W. Sandefur	April 19, 1970 (1970-04-19)
Alone at the Ponderosa while everyone else is away on a cattle drive, Joe suffers a compound fracture in his left arm when kicked by a horse spooked by a severe thunderstorm. Joe fights to stay conscious and treat his wounds.

Season 12 (1970–71)

Main article: Bonanza (season 12)

Bonanza, season 12 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
362	1	"The Night Virginia City Died"	William Wiard	John Hawkins	September 13, 1970 (1970-09-13)
A series of destructive fires has Virginia City residents on edge and anxious to catch the arsonist.
363	2	"A Matter of Faith"	William Wiard	Jack B. Sowards, John Hawkins	September 20, 1970 (1970-09-20)
An orphaned rainmaker named Jamie Hunter comes to Virginia City, hoping to help relieve the drought-stricken area. When Jamie's efforts aren't immediately successful, Ben helps the lad fend off the frustrated ranchers.
364	3	"The Weary Willies"	Leo Penn	Robert Pirosh	September 27, 1970 (1970-09-27)
The Cartwrights lend their support to The Weary Willies, a group of Civil War veterans who are struggling to re-enter society. Richard Thomas guest stars.
365	4	"The Wagon"	James Neilson	Ken Pettus	October 4, 1970 (1970-10-04)
Hoss is falsely accused of murder by a corrupt sheriff named Price Buchanan (Denver Pyle). While en route to prison, Hoss manages to escape the prison wagon with a woman named Madge Tucker (Salome Jens).
366	5	"The Power of Life and Death"	Leo Penn	Joel Murcott	October 11, 1970 (1970-10-11)
The Cartwrights are part of a posse that is after Davis, who shot and killed an Army colonel, when they are attacked by a rogue Indian tribe.
367	6	"Gideon, the Good"	Herschel Daugherty	Ken Pettus	October 18, 1970 (1970-10-18)
Gideon Yates (Richard Kiley), a corrupt lawman whose wife (Terry Moore) had shot her soon-to-be ex-husband, tries to silence the murder's only witness - Little Joe Cartwright.
368	7	"The Trouble with Trouble"	Herschel Daugherty	Jack B. Sowards	October 25, 1970 (1970-10-25)
Hoss unwittingly volunteers to be named sheriff of an aptly named town named Trouble.
369	8	"Thornton's Account"	William F. Claxton	Preston Wood	November 1, 1970 (1970-11-01)
After Ben is seriously injured in a horse-riding accident far from home, Joe seeks help from valley settlers who are terrified of a corrupt rancher and his foremen.
370	9	"The Love Child"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	November 8, 1970 (1970-11-08)
Old-school Zach Randolph (Will Geer) refuses to make amends with his gravely ill daughter, Etta (Carol Locatell), because her son had been born out of wedlock. Ben risks his family's friendship with the Randolphs to set the stubborn old man straight.
371	10	"El Jefe"	William F. Claxton	Ken Pettus	November 15, 1970 (1970-11-15)
The Cartwrights come to the aid of Mexican farmers in the Prince River vicinity, after they were run off the land by a corrupt tycoon wanting to strip mine the area.
372	11	"The Luck of Pepper Shannon"	Nicholas Webster	John Hawkins	November 22, 1970 (1970-11-22)
A reformed outlaw named Pepper Shannon comes to the Ponderosa seeking a job. Ben agrees to hire him, but has to keep both Pepper and an impressionable Jamie away from each other.
373	12	"The Impostors"	Lewis Allen	Robert Vincent Wright	December 13, 1970 (1970-12-13)
Joe and Hoss pose as stagecoach robbers in an effort to track down their stolen money. However, their plans are forced to change after the wife of one of the robbers shows up.
374	13	"Honest John"	Lewis Allen	Arthur Heinemann	December 20, 1970 (1970-12-20)
Honest John, a drifter, is looking for a nest and hopes to settle on the Ponderosa through his rapport with the newly adopted Jamie. But John's breakthrough with the boy must be weighed against the seamier side of his character.
375	14	"For a Young Lady"	Don Richardson	B. W. Sandefur	December 27, 1970 (1970-12-27)
Jamie's new friend Carrie Sturgis, herself an orphan, is the subject of a heated custody battle between her scheming aunt and uncle. Joe takes it upon himself to see that the girl is protected.
376	15	"A Single Pilgrim"	William Wiard	Arthur Weingarten, Suzanne Clauser	January 3, 1971 (1971-01-03)
Hoss is seriously wounded while accompanying the Brennan clan, Virginia natives who are settling out West, across Nevada Territory.
377	16	"The Gold-Plated Rifle"	Joseph Pevney	Preston Wood	January 10, 1971 (1971-01-10)
In this adaptation of the Prodigal Son, Jamie - who is struggling to adjust to life on the Ponderosa and at his new school - damages Ben's valuable rifle. Refusing to take responsibility, he runs away.
378	17	"Top Hand"	William F. Claxton	Arthur Heinemann, John Hawkins	January 17, 1971 (1971-01-17)
During a cattle drive, Ben finds himself involved in a power struggle between the trail boss the Cartwrights appointed (Ben Johnson) and a fellow rancher's foreman (Roger Davis), who schemes to take over the job.
379	18	"A Deck of Aces"	Lewis Allen	Stanley Roberts	January 31, 1971 (1971-01-31)
Ben's dead-on lookalike, the scheming Bradley Meredith, causes serious problems when he poses as the Cartwright patriarch and sells area ranchers' land to the railroad.
380	19	"The Desperado"	Philip Leacock	George Lovell Hayes	February 7, 1971 (1971-02-07)
It's a case of reverse racism, as a white-hating black outlaw couple (Louis Gossett Jr., Marlene Clark) kidnap Hoss and scheme to kill him.
381	20	"The Reluctant American"	Philip Leacock	Stanley Roberts	February 14, 1971 (1971-02-14)
Leslie and Gillian Harwood (Daniel Massey and Jill Haworth, respectively) come to Nevada from England to take over the operation of a failing ranch near the Ponderosa.
382	21	"Shadow of a Hero"	Leo Penn	John Hawkins, Mel Goldberg	February 21, 1971 (1971-02-21)
Gen. Ira Cloninger (Dean Jagger), an old friend of the Cartwrights, is toasted at a ceremony as a hero and asked to run for governor.
383	22	"The Silent Killer"	Leo Penn	John Hawkins	February 28, 1971 (1971-02-28)
When an influenza outbreak strikes the Ponderosa, treatment methods and philosophy clash between two women from different generations, Harriet Clinton (Louise Latham) and Evangeline Woodtree (Meg Foster).
384	23	"Terror at 2:00"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	March 7, 1971 (1971-03-07)
A white supremacist named Mr. Ganns plans to disrupt a peace-treaty signing between the people of Virginia City and the Paiutes by massacring the entire town, then pin the blame on the Indian tribe.
385	24	"The Stillness Within"	Michael Landon	Suzanne Clauser	March 14, 1971 (1971-03-14)
Joe is blinded by an explosion and wallows in self-pity as he struggles to come to grips with his condition. Ben hires a teacher (Jo Van Fleet) from the Institute for the Blind to help Joe deal with his predicament.
386	25	"A Time to Die"	Philip Leacock	Don Ingalls	March 21, 1971 (1971-03-21)
Ben's friend, April Christopher (Vera Miles), is bitten by a rabid wolf during her visit. With no treatment available, the Cartwrights and April's family struggle to watch her condition deteriorate.
387	26	"Winter Kill"	William Wiard	Story by: Jack Rummler Teleplay by: John Hawkins and Robert Pirosh	March 28, 1971 (1971-03-28)
During a harsh winter that kills off the stock of many ranchers, Ben offers to test a new breed's endurance by herding a cow from the stock on Sawtooth Mountain.
388	27	"Kingdom of Fear"	Joseph Pevney	Michael Landon	April 4, 1971 (1971-04-04)
A delusional mining tycoon has the Cartwrights and Candy arrested on false trespassing charges and sentences them to slave labor at a gold mine. Richard Mulligan guest stars.
389	28	"An Earthquake Called Callahan"	Herschel Daugherty	Preston Wood	April 11, 1971 (1971-04-11)
A traveling professional wrestler named Tom Callahan (Victor French) is the only person who can prove Dusty Rhodes's innocence when the Ponderosa foreman is falsely jailed. Sandy Duncan guest star.

Season 13 (1971–72)

Main article: Bonanza (season 13)

Bonanza, season 13 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
390	1	"The Grand Swing"	William F. Claxton	John Hawkins, Ward Hawkins	September 19, 1971 (1971-09-19)
Against Ben's orders, Jamie drives a supply wagon on a route he's not supposed to; he loses control and wrecks the wagon. Jamie escapes uninjured but one of the horses is so badly hurt it has to be shot.
391	2	"Fallen Woman"	Lewis Allen	Ward Hawkins	September 26, 1971 (1971-09-26)
Jill Conway (Susan Tyrrell) is an alcoholic mother whose husband was sent to prison (for robbery) on Hoss's testimony. In a pent-up rage, Jill demands that Hoss look after her son.
392	3	"Bushwhacked"	William Wiard	Preston Wood	October 3, 1971 (1971-10-03)
Two ranchers find a seriously wounded Little Joe in the Nevada desert. As he struggles for life, Joe mumbles incoherently about his surrealistic nightmares about a teepee and a wagon wheel.
393	4	"Rock-a-Bye, Hoss"	Herschel Daugherty	Preston Wood, Robert Vincent Wright	October 10, 1971 (1971-10-10)
A "beautiful baby" contest that Hoss is judging quickly turns into a circus, thanks to the fortune-hunting parents who are determined to win at all costs.
394	5	"The Prisoners"	William F. Claxton	Arthur Heinemann	October 17, 1971 (1971-10-17)
Little Joe helps an old-time sheriff escort cunning outlaw Hank Simmons to jail. The crafty Simmons kills the sheriff and injures Joe, but Joe turns out to always be one step ahead of Simmons.
395	6	"Cassie"	Herschel Daugherty	True Boardman	October 24, 1971 (1971-10-24)
The Cartwrights assist Jamie's friend, Cassie O'Casey (Lisa Gerritsen), and Cassie's mother (Diane Baker) in dealing with their father and husband, Kevin, who is running a race horse scam.
396	7	"Don't Cry, My Son"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	October 31, 1971 (1971-10-31)
Virginia City's new doctor, Mark Sloan (Richard Mulligan), is dealt a double-blow when his wife leaves him, blaming him for their baby being stillborn. In the heat of the moment, Sloan kidnaps the baby of another woman.
397	8	"Face Of Fear"	Chris Christenberry	Ken Pettus	November 14, 1971 (1971-11-14)
Jamie's girlfriend, Neta Thatcher, witnesses a drifter named Griff Bannon (Bradford Dillman) rob and kill a man at a roadside camp.
398	9	"Blind Hunch"	Lewis Allen	John Hawkins, Robert Pirosh	November 21, 1971 (1971-11-21)
Civil War veteran Will Hewitt (Rip Torn) returns to Virginia City, blinded and determined to solve the mystery behind the death of his brother.
399	10	"The Iron Butterfly"	Leo Penn	Harold Swanton	November 28, 1971 (1971-11-28)
Vengeful Sen. Carson (Peter Whitney) pins the blame on Hoss when his son is killed by his ex-girlfriend. The Cartwrights do all they can to stop Carson from destroying the Ponderosa.
400	11	"The Rattlesnake Brigade"	William Wiard	Gordon T Dawson	December 5, 1971 (1971-12-05)
Jamie and three of his schoolmates - Lester, Judith and Roberto - are kidnapped after church by the nefarious Doyle gang, who escaped from a wagon carrying them to prison.
401	12	"Easy Come, Easy Go"	Joseph Pevney	Jack B. Sowards	December 12, 1971 (1971-12-12)
In the third and final episode featuring the Calhouns, Luke is bankrupted after a stock investment gone bad, so he and his daughter Meena move to the Ponderosa until he can get back on his feet.
402	13	"A Home for Jamie"	Leo Penn	Jean Holloway	December 19, 1971 (1971-12-19)
Ben begins the process to adopt Jamie as his son, but the process is complicated when Jamie's maternal grandfather, Ferris Callahan (Will Geer), comes forward wanting custody.
403	14	"Warbonnet"	Arthur H. Nadel	Arthur Heinemann	December 26, 1971 (1971-12-26)
Joe is caught in the middle of a bitter dispute between an aging Native American chief and the man who stole the Indian's warbonnet years ago as a saloon decoration.
404	15	"The Lonely Man"	William F. Claxton	John Hawkins	January 2, 1972 (1972-01-02)
In a rare episode with Hop Sing in the spotlight, the Cartwright's servant is panning for gold during a vacation when he falls in love with a white woman. The relationship blossoms into an engagement, but the marriage never takes place.
405	16	"Second Sight"	Lewis Allen	Arthur Weingarten, Suzanne Clauser	January 9, 1972 (1972-01-09)
Hoss turns to a clairvoyant named Judith Coleman (Joan Hackett) to help in a search for Jamie, who has gotten lost in the high country. However, Judith is reluctant to help out, fearing that her psychic abilities will ruin her engagement to a minister.
406	17	"The Saddle Stiff"	William F. Claxton	Samuel A. Peeples, John Hawkins	January 16, 1972 (1972-01-16)
Cactus Murphy (Buddy Ebsen), an embittered ranch hand whom Ben fired, suggests that the Cartwright patriarch is getting a little old to "put in a real week's work." Ben's response: Take a job with rancher Paul Walker (Don Collier) under the assumed name Ben Brown and show Murphy that he is still more than capable of sweating out the job of a rancher.
407	18	"Frenzy"	Lewis Allen	Preston Wood, Karl Tunberg	January 30, 1972 (1972-01-30)
Ben's friendship with the Kosovos, a young immigrant family from Serbia, puts him in danger when family patriarch Nick suffers a psychotic snap, goes on a rampage and barricades them in their home.
408	19	"Customs of the Country"	Joseph Pevney	Joseph Bonaduce	February 6, 1972 (1972-02-06)
In a satirical look at unusual, silly laws and customs, Joe and Hoss try to explain to their skeptical father why their delivery run to Agua Santos, Mexico took so long. An unimpressed Ben listens as his sons explain their story. Pilar Seurat guest stars.
409	20	"Shanklin"	Leo Penn	William Kelley	February 13, 1972 (1972-02-13)
A band of rogue ex-Confederate soldiers comes to the Ponderosa to demand a $25,000 ransom. Hoss tries to disrupt the robbery and is critically wounded by the group's leader, Shanklin (Charles Cioffi).
410	21	"Search in Limbo"	Leo Penn	Don Ingalls	February 20, 1972 (1972-02-20)
The Cartwrights attempt to reconstruct a 24-hour period of Ben's life after he fears he may have been the unknown gunman who shot down Sid Langley (Lawrence Montaigne), a corrupt real estate broker who has become hated in Virginia City.
411	22	"He Was Only Seven"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	March 5, 1972 (1972-03-05)
Jamie's 7-year-old friend, Jonah Morgan, is badly wounded when he and Jamie walk into the Virginia City Bank during a robbery by the evil Springer gang. Roscoe Lee Browne guest stars.
412	23	"The Younger Brothers' Younger Brother"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	March 12, 1972 (1972-03-12)
It's a case of comic mistaken identity when Hoss - on a delivery run for the Ponderosa - is mistaken as a member of the bumbling Younger Brothers gang.
413	24	"A Place to Hide"	Herschel Daugherty	William D. Gordon, Ward Hawkins	March 19, 1972 (1972-03-19)
A friend of Ben's (Suzanne Pleshette) asks to stay with her daughter (Jodie Foster) at the Ponderosa for a time. Soon Ben discovers the woman is trying to plan a rendezvous with her husband who is a fugitive confederate soldier.
414	25	"A Visit to Upright"	William Wiard	Joseph Bonaduce	March 26, 1972 (1972-03-26)
Ben's ability to close a lucrative cattle purchase with a picky livestock heiress (Loretta Swit) hinges on Hoss and Joe's ability to sell a dilapidated saloon they were duped into buying.
415	26	"One Ace Too Many"	Lewis Allen	Stanley Roberts	April 2, 1972 (1972-04-02)
In his second attempt to cash in on Ben's good name, crooked lookalike Bradley Meredith learns that the Cartwrights are in Carson City and, posing as Ben, pretends that he is seriously ill and begins to liquidate the Ponderosa's assets.

Season 14 (1972–73)

Main article: Bonanza (season 14)

Bonanza, season 14 episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
"Forever"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon
Part 1: Little Joe falls in love with Alice Harper (played by a young Bonnie Bedelia) who he meets while rescuing her gambler brother John (Andy Robinson) from a poker game gone bad. Part 2: After Little Joe and Alice Harper are married, she is murdered at their new home. Joe returns to find their house burnt to the ground and his beautiful bride dead.
418	3	"Heritage of Anger"	Nicholas Webster	Don Ingalls	September 26, 1972 (1972-09-26)
Ben helps ex-convict John Dundee (Robert Lansing) re-adjust to society. However, Dundee's boorish attitude complicates matters.
419	4	"The Initiation"	Alf Kjellin	Douglas Day Stewart	October 3, 1972 (1972-10-03)
Jamie joins an elite club. However, when a classmate dies from cardiac arrhythmia during the initiation, the club's president Ted Hoag (Ron Howard) is blamed.
420	5	"Riot!"	Lewis Allen	Robert Pirosh	October 10, 1972 (1972-10-10)
Ben becomes horrified while inspecting living conditions at the Nevada State Prison. So are the frustrated inmates, who take Ben hostage and make a series of demands to improve conditions. Note: first episode of Griff King.
421	6	"New Man"	Leo Penn	Jack B. Sowards	October 17, 1972 (1972-10-17)
In this sequel episode to "Riot," Ben helps parolee Griff King adjust to life outside of prison, giving him a job as a ranch hand.
422	7	"Ambush at Rio Lobo"	Nicholas Colasanto	Joel Murcott	October 24, 1972 (1972-10-24)
Ben and a pregnant woman (Sian Barbara Allen) are held hostage by a gang of robbers, who are plotting a stagecoach robbery and are determined to prevent interference by anyone with the name Cartwright.
423	8	"The 26th Grave"	Nicholas Colasanto	Stanley Roberts	October 31, 1972 (1972-10-31)
Samuel Clemens (Ken Howard) makes his return to Virginia City, this time offering tall tales over an unsolved murder that was tied to a claim jumping.
424	9	"Stallion"	E. W. Swackhamer	Jack B. Sowards	November 14, 1972 (1972-11-14)
Joe is given a beautiful, black stallion for his birthday present, but winds up sacrificing it when he rides to the rescue of a young boy who was accidentally shot by his outlaw father.
425	10	"The Hidden Enemy"	Alf Kjellin	Stanley Roberts	November 28, 1972 (1972-11-28)
Dr. James Wills (Mike Farrell) is Virginia City's new town doctor. He can bring many new procedures to Nevada Territory. However, Dr. Wills is addicted to morphine, which results in trouble ... and in the end, tragedy.
426	11	"The Sound of Sadness"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	December 5, 1972 (1972-12-05)
Griff's friend, widowed farmer Jonathan May (Jack Albertson), wants to adopt two young orphans, one of whom is unable to talk. When Jonathan is told he cannot adopt the boys, Griff decides to set the adoption agency folks straight on what a loving father is.
427	12	"The Bucket Dog"	William F. Claxton	John Hawkins	December 19, 1972 (1972-12-19)
Jamie buys an Irish setter named April. However, April was a runt and - according to its rightful owner - should be put to sleep because it is a disgrace to the breed. When April competes in a field trial, the dog's owner soon learns that it's not the size of the dog that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog.
428	13	"First Love"	Leo Penn	Richard Collins	December 26, 1972 (1972-12-26)
Jamie becomes friends with Kelly Edwards (Pamela Franklin), who is abused by her husband, Dan. The catch: the husband happens to be the new teacher at the Virginia City School.
429	14	"The Witness"	Lewis Allen	Story by: Arthur Heinemann Teleplay by: Joel Murcott and Arthur Heinemann	January 2, 1973 (1973-01-02)
A man posing as Candy robs one of Ben's elderly business associates; during the robbery, the woman suffers a fatal heart attack. Candy is quickly arrested and brought to trial.
430	15	"The Marriage of Theodora Duffy"	William F. Claxton	Ward Hawkins	January 9, 1973 (1973-01-09)
Unknown to the Cartwrights, Griff is asked to be a government witness in helping to bring a gang of war criminals to justice and Griff is asked to pose as the husband of beautiful Theodora Duffy (Karen Carlson), whom the Cartwrights think Griff had abandoned years ago.
431	16	"The Hunter"	Michael Landon	Michael Landon	January 16, 1973 (1973-01-16)
During a delivery run, Joe meets Cpl. Bill Tanner (Tom Skerritt), who turns out to be a war-deranged madman who enjoys stalking down his helpless victims before killing them. After stealing Joe's wagon and his supplies, the psychotic Tanner explains that Joe just became his latest "prey."

TV movies

Bonanza television movies

Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
Bonanza: The Next Generation	William F. Claxton	Paul Savage	March 3, 1988 (1988-03-03)
This is the continuing saga of the Cartwrights, only none of the original Cartwrights are here anymore but their sons appear. Ben and Hoss have died, Little Joe is MIA; he joined up with Teddy Roosevelt and is currently missing and Adam has emigrated to Australia. Ben's brother, Aaron (John Ireland) is now in charge of the Ponderosa, and Little Joe's wife, Annie also lives there. His son, Benjamin (Michael Landon Jr.) has come back from the East. Charlie Poke is a man who owes his life to Ben Cartwright. He is now the ranch foreman and is not exactly on good terms with Aaron. Aaron has allowed a mining company access to the Ponderosa, but the man in charge has other ideas. Hoss' son, Josh (Dirk Blocker), whom no one has seen before, has come to the Ponderosa to kill Hoss because he thinks Hoss deserted him and his mother - not knowing that Hoss died before he could go back to bring Josh's mother to the Ponderosa.
Bonanza: The Return	Jerry Jameson	Michael Landon Jr.	November 28, 1993 (1993-11-28)
A man with a grudge against the late Little Joe seeks revenge on the Cartwrights and attempts to take over the Ponderosa, A.C. thinks about writing a letter to his father.
Bonanza: Under Attack	Mark Tinker	Denne Bart Petitclerc	January 15, 1995 (1995-01-15)
A reimagining of the next generation of Cartwrights, three cousins Benji, A.C., and Josh join together to fight off forces to save the Ponderosa. Under the guidance of old friend Bronc Evans, they learn the meaning of family.

Ponderosa prequel series

Main article: Ponderosa (TV series)

For the original 1959-1973 television series also known as Ponderosa, see Bonanza.

Ponderosa
Genre	Western
Created by	Beth Sullivan
Starring	Matthew Carmody Daniel Hugh Kelly Drew Powell Jared Daperis Brad Dourif Josephine Byrnes Fernando Carrillo Sara Gleeson Nicky Wendt Gareth Yuen Jacqueline Aries Marcella Toro Peter Stefanou
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	20
Production
Running time	49 minutes
Production company(s)	Paxson Entertainment
Release
Original network	PAX
Picture format	NTSC
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	September 9, 2001 (2001-09-09) – May 12, 2002 (2002-05-12)
Chronology
Related shows	Bonanza
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

Ponderosa is a television series developed by Bonanza creator David Dortort for PAX-TV (now known as ION) that ran for the 2001–2002 television season.

Envisioned as a prequel to the long-running NBC series Bonanza, covering the time when the Cartwrights first arrived at the Ponderosa, when Adam and Hoss were teenagers and Joe a little boy, it had less gunfire, brawling and other traditional western elements than the original.
Bonanza creator; David Dortort, approved PAX TV's decision to hire Beth Sullivan, creator and executive producer of Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, to oversee scripts and executive produce, which some believe gave the series a softer edge.

Ponderosa was canceled after one season, in part because of disappointing ratings and high production costs. Although Sullivan had hoped to film the series in and around Los Angeles, PAX decided to film in Australia to reduce costs.
Series "show runner" Sullivan sustained severe injuries in a car crash only 12 days after the airing of the first season's last episode.

The show should not be confused with Ponderosa, the title used for Bonanza reruns aired on NBC during the summer of 1972.

Cast

• Matt Carmody as Adam Cartwright
• Daniel Hugh Kelly as Ben Cartwright
• Drew Powell as Hoss Cartwright
• Jared Daperis as Little Joe Cartwright
• Brad Dourif as Frenchy
• Josephine Byrnes as Margaret Green
• Fernando Carrillo as Carlos Rivera de Vega
• Sara Gleeson as Tess Greene
• Nicky Wendt as Shelby Sterritt
• Gareth Yuen as Hop Sing
• Jaqueline Aries as Isabella Maria Rivera de Vega (episodes 10-16)
• Marcella Toro as Isabella Maria Rivera de Vega (episodes 6–7)
• Peter Stefanou as Jorge

and others

Plot

Territory of Nevada, year 1849: ten years before the original Bonanza starts, the Cartwright family moves onto some scrub land. In this new land Ben Cartwright, a new widower, tries to raise his three young sons - at their late teens Adam and Hoss, and a pre-teen Joseph, commonly known as Little Joe.

Continuity

A number of minor (or perceived) inconsistencies exist between Ponderosa and Bonanza, and a few glaring retcons are present.

• Most notable among these is the fate of Little Joe's mother. In the original series, her death was depicted in the episode "Marie, My Love" (4x20) as a result of falling off a horse in front of the Ponderosa ranch house. In the new series, she is killed in Virginia City by a miner who is trying to murder Ben Cartwright. Making the situation even more confusing, the pilot for the original series identifies Little Joe's mother as Felicia and not Marie as in the original.
• The Hop Sing character is depicted not only as a cook but also a family counselor and herbal healer.

Episode list

#	Title	Original air date
1	"Pilot (Part 1)"	September 9, 2001
Ben Cartwright moves his family to Lake Tahoe, seeking to open a cattle ranch. Trouble arises, however, when a mining prospector seeks to claim the same property as Cartwright.
2	"Pilot (Part 2)"	September 9, 2001
After his third wife is murdered by the prospector, Ben seeks an end to the developing feud. At the same time, Little Joe decides to take matters into his own hands and goes after the killer. At the same time, Ben hires Carlos and Hop Sing to work at his ranch.
3	"Joaquin"	September 16, 2001
Hoss and Little Joe are in for a shock when an accused gunman known as "Joaquin" is rumored to be in town. Joaquin is a well known outlaw who teaches Adam how to shoot a pistol, something that his father refuses him to have.
4	"Bare Knuckles"	September 23, 2001
Hoss decides to challenge "Iron Hands" Malloy, a renowned fighter, to a boxing match. However Adam does some digging and finds that this particular fighter is known for his cheating...
5	"Promise"	September 30, 2001
After Adam shoots and kills a robber, he makes a promise to watch out for the man's family. At the same time a former slave named Samuel Washington, but who in reality is Samuel Newborn shows up in town peddling items that he claims are passed down from George Washington's mansion.
6	"Homeland"	October 14, 2001
Carlos is reunited with his long-lost sister Isabella whom he had been separated from during the Mexican–American War. Destitute and homeless, Ben agrees to take her in, but when a sheriff enters town on the trail of a killer things become complex as Isabella's horse once belonged to the murdered man.
7	"Quarantine"	October 28, 2001
A deadly illness afflicts the area, putting the town under a quarantine.
8	"Secrets & Lies"	October 14, 2001
An author whose adopted son lived through Donner Party seeks out Adam, of all people, to write the "true story" of what happened. At the same time, Ben does some soul-searching in regards to past mistakes while secrets hidden by Margaret and Shelby are revealed.
9	"The Legend of John Riley"	October 18, 2001
When a known traitor who fought for Mexico against his country of birth, one John Riley, takes up residence at the Ponderosa, a wedge is driven between members of the Cartwright family and their friends. Particularly upset is Tess, who opposes the man because her own father was killed in the Mexican–American War.
10	"Brother vs. Brother"	December 2, 2001
A dance is being held in town and everyone is trying to find the perfect date. Tess tries to woo Adam, but is too late when Isabella asks him first. Margaret and Shelby also get in on the fun, both battling for Ben's affections.
11	"Where the Heart Is"	December 16, 2001
Ben's sister-in-law comes to town with the intention of taking Little Joe back to New Orleans, determined to fulfill a promise she made to her sister before the Cartwrights moved to Nevada.
12	"Treasure"	January 6, 2002
Adam, Carlos, and Hoss find a treasure map in the hands of a dead man. The three decide to follow it to the riches apparently hidden by the man, but, as one would expect, they are being followed by others who know about the map.
13	"Spoils of War"	January 13, 2002
A former friend of Carlos' named Manuel comes to Ponderosa. He reacts with shock and disgust at Carlos' employment with the Cartwrights as it was the Americans who defeated their people in the Mexican–American War. At the same time, he sets into motion a plan to retake the land around Lake Tahoe. It is the last episode with Carlos as he is killed by a robber that is working with Manuel.
14	"A Time to Win"	January 20, 2002
An entrepreneur comes to town, builds a new hotel, and seeks to expand the town's market, but what is he really after?
15	"Blind Faith"	February 10, 2002
A rainmaker with a beautiful daughter named Judith comes to town. Hoss immediately falls for her, but can the good reverend really perform miracles?
16	"Lesser of Evils"	February 17, 2002
Isabella's childhood sweetheart, long thought dead, arrives at the Ponderosa and wants to pick up where they left off. Isabella is torn between doing just that or trying to continue her blossoming relationship with Adam.
17	"Comes a Horse"	March 24, 2002
An illness sweeps through the cattle all around Lake Tahoe, leading to calls to destroy all the livestock.
18	"Grown Ups"	April 28, 2002
Hoss and Tess discover an abandoned baby and consider marrying in order to raise the child together.
19	"Samson and Hercules"	May 5, 2002
Hoss sets out to end wolf fights that are being held in town as a gambling event.
20	"Fugitive"	May 12, 2002
Sam Newborn returns on the run after a new law states that escaped slaves in any territory must be captured and returned to their owners.

DVD release

Shortly after the series first aired, four episodes were released on two DVDs. The first DVD featured both parts of the pilot episode, while the second featured "Brother vs. Brother" and "Treasure".

On May 25, 2004, The Ponderosa: Season 1: Volume 1 was released. This set collects the first ten episodes of the series. No plans have been announced yet to release the last ten episodes of the series on DVD.

External links

• Ponderosa at IMDb
• Ponderosa at TV.com
• Matt Carmody's Official Website
• Drew Powell's Official Website

See also

• Bonanza accolades

External links

• Bonanza at IMDb
• Bonanza World
• Bonanza on TVLand.com
• Bonanza at Fiftiesweb.com Archived 2012-04-14 at the Wayback Machine
• Bonanza at EpisodeWorld.com
• Bonanza: Scenery of The Ponderosa
• Season 1 DVD review and production history