The story behind the cancellation of the iconic TV series “Bonanza”

When a series is on for a longer period of time, fans feel like the characters they see on TV every day become someone they know personally. So, when such a show is over, we feel sorry and as though we were forced to say that final goodbye without ever wanting to.

Bonanza aired for 13 and a half years and is still considered one of the best TV shows ever made. People not only from the States but from the whole world were eagerly waiting for each episode to air. The Cartwrights, father Ben and his three sons, Little Joe, Adam and Hoss, were our everyday heroes who faced many difficulties as they ran their large Ponderosa ranch while always helping their neighbors.

YouTube

The show was extremely popular, so when it was canceled after 14 seasons, both the cast and the millions of fans were left in shock.

The actors who helped shape the show in what it was and what it represented, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, David Canary, Bill Clark and Mitch Vogel among the rest, were all huge stars. While Robers left the show in 1965, calling it a “Junk TV” and later regretting his words, the rest of the characters remained with the show until its very end.

YouTube

The sudden death of actor Dan Blocker seemed to be one of the main reasons why producers and directors decided it was enough. The loss of Blocker was a shock for his fellow friends. They found it hard to return to filming knowing their Hoss was no longer there.

“After Dan’s death, I didn’t see how the show could continue,” Lorne Greene told TV Guide following Dan Blocker’s passing. “I said to my wife, ‘That’s it. It’s finished.’ I know Michael Landon felt the same way.”

YouTube

Landon had a hard time accepting that Blocker was forever gone.

“The first day we went back to work was just incredible, it was so bad,” he said.

“Everybody was just trying to force good humor, because here we were, back in the same place again. Fortunately, we stayed out of the dining room that day. We’ve had so many laughs in that dining room over the last 13 years, and that’s where Dan and Lorne and I did most of our horsing around.”

Wikipedia Commons

The final season was very emotional because Hoss was no longer there.

When the news that Bonanza was canceled spread around, LA Times reporter Gregg Kilday wrote:

Last Monday morning, a stranger rode into town. A man out of the East in the hire of the National Broadcasting Co. It was his job to inform the cast and crew of “Bonanza” that their series had been canceled in midyearAfter 13 1/2 years of riding the high country of the Ponderosa, the Cartwright family had finally been gunned down.”

It was a businesslike farewell as the actors and crew went through the familiar motions of piecing together yet another conflict in the troubled history of “Bonanza’s” Virginia City.”

Speaking of the end of the series that marked an era, Lorne Green said, “If we had known this was coming we would have gone out with a bang and not a whimper.”

One thing is certain, Bonanza, the longest running series with 431 episodes, was and still is loved and watched by many.

Monica Pop
Monica Pop
Monica Pop is a senior writer for Bored Daddy magazine covering the latest trending and popular articles across the United States and around the world.

More from author

Related posts

Latest posts

Prince William knew Meghan had ‘no intention’ of staying royal, expert claims

The initial meeting between Prince William and Meghan Markle was said to be promising, with the two “clicking” right away. William was very fond of...

Airport remains shut down following fireball plane crash

London Southend Airport remains closed until further notice following a devastating plane crash that took place on Sunday, its chief executive Jude Winstanley said during...

Eat cloves every day, but avoid this common mistake!

Cloves are a versatile spice with a peculiar flavor used in the kitchen, especially in the Indian cuisine, and as a medicine. Among the...

They made fun of my grandpa’s inheritance — until they realized what it really was

When my grandfather passed away, all my cousins seemed to care about was the will he left behind. All seven of them were eager...

Two children among dead as floodwaters ravage New Mexico Town

The record-breaking flash flood that swept through a village in New Mexico on Tuesday claimed the lives of three people — two children and...

‘Healthy’ 38-year-old shares the only bowel cancer symptom he noticed — And it wasn’t blood in the loo

Dave Paxton, a 38-year-old father-of-one from Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire, was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bowel cancer — with only 22 other...