List of Bonanza episodes
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.[1] The premiere was on September 12, 1959, and the final episode broadcast on January 16, 1973.[2] 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.[3] Bonanza was moved to Sunday nights at 9:00 PM 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.[3] It remained in the top ten of the ratings until its twelfth season and ranked at number one in its sixth, seventh, and eighth seasons.[3] 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.[4]
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
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.[5][6] 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.[5][6] The program was moved to Tuesday nights where it slipped badly in the ratings to number 52 and was subsequently cancelled.[5][6] Bonanza has, however, continued to be popular in syndication. From 1964–1967, " Bonanza " became the most watched show in the U.S.
The first eleven seasons have been released on DVD in Region 1.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Rating | Tied with | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||||||
| 1 | 32 | September 12, 1959 | April 30, 1960 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
| 2 | 34 | September 10, 1960 | June 3, 1961 | 17 | 24.8 | N/A | ||
| 3 | 34 | September 24, 1961 | May 20, 1962 | 2 | 30.0 | N/A | ||
| 4 | 34 | September 23, 1962 | May 26, 1963 | 4 | 29.8 | The Lucy Show | ||
| 5 | 34 | September 22, 1963 | May 24, 1964 | 2 | 36.9 | N/A | ||
| 6 | 34 | September 20, 1964 | May 23, 1965 | 1 | 36.3 | N/A | ||
| 7 | 33 | September 12, 1965 | May 15, 1966 | 1 | 31.8 | N/A | ||
| 8 | 34 | September 11, 1966 | May 14, 1967 | 1 | 29.1 | N/A | ||
| 9 | 34 | September 17, 1967 | July 28, 1968 | 4 | 25.5 | Gunsmoke Family Affair | ||
| 10 | 30 | September 15, 1968 | May 11, 1969 | 3 | 26.6 | N/A | ||
| 11 | 28 | September 14, 1969 | April 19, 1970 | 3 | 24.8 | N/A | ||
| 12 | 28 | September 13, 1970 | April 11, 1971 | 9 | 23.9 | N/A | ||
| 13 | 26 | September 19, 1971 | April 2, 1972 | 20 | 21.9 | N/A | ||
| 14 | 16 | September 12, 1972 | January 16, 1973 | 50 [7] | 17.0 [8] | N/A | ||
Episodes
Season 1 (1959–60)
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| A pair of greedy opportunists 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 | |
| The Cartwrights discover an old enemy killing steers on the Ponderosa. Hoss falls for the fiancée of a treacherous prospector who suspects the Cartwrights of hiding gold. John Larch and Inger Stevens guest star. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "The Paiute War" | Paul Landres | Gene L. Coon | October 3, 1959 | |
| 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 | |
| The Cartwrights help Virginia City reporter Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain (Howard Duff) in his investigation against a corrupt judge (John Litel). | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Julia Bulette Story" | Christian Nyby | Al C. Ward | October 17, 1959 | |
| Ignoring the admonitions of his father and brothers, Joe falls for a much older woman, the owner of the town's saloon, a madam named Julia Bulette (Jane Greer). | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "The Saga of Annie O'Toole" | Joseph Kane | Thomas Thompson | October 24, 1959 | |
| Annie O'Toole (Ida Lupino) arrives to Virginia with her old Da and sets a canteen in a silver mine with Adam's help. Alan Hale Jr. guest stars. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "The Philip Deidesheimer Story" | Joseph Kane | Thomas Thompson | October 31, 1959 | |
| 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 | |
| When they are threatened by a man who fraudulently sold a part of the Ponderosa, the Cartwrights remember the day they met claim-jumper Henry Comstock (Jack Carson), whose discovery of the Comstock Lode laid the foundation for Virginia City. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "The Magnificent Adah" | Christian Nyby | Donald S. Sanford | November 14, 1959 | |
| The Cartwright boys suspect actress Adah Menkin (Ruth Roman) of having an ulterior motive for marrying their father. Adah's old lover John C. Regan (Don Megowan) comes along seeking his former glory. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "The Truckee Strip" | Christian Nyby | Herman Groves | November 21, 1959 | |
| 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 | |
| Adam and Joe attempt to stop a posse bent on catching the murderers of Vannie Johnson from changing into a lynch mob. Arthur Hunnicutt, Onslow Stevens, and Adam Williams guest star. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Vendetta" | Joseph Kane | Robert E. Thompson | December 5, 1959 | |
| Ben is seriously wounded as he and Hoss seek help in fighting the vengeful Morgan brothers, only to be confronted with cowardice when all the friends they thought he had in town decide to hide away. 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Joe and Hoss go south lands to buy a unique bull for the Ponderosa, but they discover that the bull has been spirited away by a little boy. Alma Beltran and Ricardo Cortez guest star. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "The Outcast" | Lewis Allen | Thomas Thompson | January 9, 1960 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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" | Christian Nyby | Story by : Bill Barrett and Malcolm Stuart Boylan Teleplay by : Robert E. Thompson | March 5, 1960 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| The Cartwrights finish a cattle drive in San Francisco with Hop Sing. Ben is shanghaied at the Barbary Coast while searching for a pair of ranch hands. Kathleen Crowley, Richard Deacon, James Hong, and David White. | ||||||
| 29 | 29 | "Bitter Water" | George Blair | Harold Jack Bloom | April 9, 1960 | |
| The Cartwrights are worried their water will be polluted when their neighbor Andy (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 | |
| Hoss attempts to comfort a boy (David Ladd) whose mother has just died and whose father is in jail, but not for long. | ||||||
| 31 | 31 | "Dark Star" | Lewis Allen | Anthony Lawrence | April 23, 1960 | |
| 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 | |
| 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)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 1 | "Showdown" | Lewis Allen | Dean Riesner | September 10, 1960 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 Montalban and Madlyn Rhue guest star. | ||||||
| 40 | 8 | "The Abduction" | Charles Haas | Herman Groves | October 29, 1960 | |
| Joe's carnival date Jennifer Beale (Jackie Russell) is abducted in a deadly ransom plot orchestrated to extort money from his 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| The Cartwrights help blacksmith Sam Hill (Claude Akins) keep the land where his mother is buried after his drunk father signed it away to an old enemy. | ||||||
Season 3 (1961–62)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 1 | "The Smiler" | Thomas Carr | Lewis Reed | September 24, 1961 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
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. Note: This episode was one of Pernell Roberts' personal favorites, as it gave him the best opportunity to showcase his acting abilities. | ||||||
| 95 | 29 | "Inger, My Love" | Lewis Allen | Story by : Anthony Lawrence Teleplay by : Frank Cleaver and David Dortort | April 15, 1962 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
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. Note: while filming this episode on location, Pernell Roberts’ horse, Sport, slipped and fell while going downhill on a muddy path. After Sport fell, Blocker's horse, Chub, who was following closely, stumbled over him. Roberts and Blocker jumped off their mounts as they had been trained to do, but both actors were injured. Roberts sprained his neck, while Blocker broke his collarbone and shoulder and would miss one episode then wear a sling for the remainder of the season. | ||||||
| 98 | 32 | "The Long Night" | William Witney | George Stackalee and E. M. Parsons | May 6, 1962 | |
| 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 | |
| Joe is given the task of changing a mountain girl (Nina Shipman) into a refined young lady, as wished by the late girl's 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 | |
| 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)
| 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 | |
| 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[A] and Thomas Thompson | September 30, 1962 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| A desperate fugitive (Robert Vaughn) holds Adam and others captive at a remote way station. | ||||||
| 107 | 7 | "The War Comes to Washoe" | Don McDougall | Alvin Sapinsley | November 4, 1962 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 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 | |
| A doctor (DeForest Kelley) convicted of murder is the only one who can perform surgery on Hoss, whose life hangs in the balance. | ||||||
| 113 | 13 | "The Good Samaritan" | Don McDougall | Robert Bloomfield | December 23, 1962 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
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. Note: This was Pernell Robert's favourite comedy episode. William Demarest and Ellen Corby guest star. | ||||||
| 122 | 22 | "The Actress" | Christian Nyby | Norman Lessing | February 24, 1963 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Adam rejects 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Hoss befriends Whizzer McGee (George Brenlin), a little man with big ideas. | ||||||
| 131 | 31 | "Thunder Man" | Lewis Allen | Lewis Reed | May 5, 1963 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| An Italian immigrant loses respect for his father (Ross Martin) when he meets Hoss. | ||||||
Season 5 (1963–64)
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Little Joe befriends and brings home to the Ponderosa Calamity Jane (Stefanie Powers), only to face the wrath of her boyfriend (Christopher Dark). | ||||||
| 142 | 8 | "Journey Remembered" | Irving J. Moore | Anthony Lawrence | November 10, 1963 | |
| 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 | |
|
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 favourite episodes. | ||||||
| 144 | 10 | "The Waiting Game" | Richard Sarafian | Ed Adamson | December 8, 1963 | |
| 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 | |
| Believing their father to be dead after he goes missing during a hunt, 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Will (Guy Williams) is taken hostage by outlaws who robbed Ben and killed an Army soldier. He tries to save Ben and his sons. | ||||||
| 162 | 28 | "A Pink Cloud Comes from Old Cathay" | Don McDougall | Lewis Clay | April 12, 1964 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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. [9] | ||||||
| 165 | 31 | "The Dark Past" | Murray Golden | William Bruckner | May 3, 1964 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Old prospector Obie (Arthur Hunnicutt) asks Hoss to help him rescue his dog from gold thieves. | ||||||
Season 6 (1964–65)
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Aging circus aerialist Guido Borelli (Cesar Romero) grows jealous of his partner Petina (Ilze Taurins)'s 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
Wealthy tycoon Charles Augustus Hackett (Telly Savalas) is out to get the Ponderosa. Note: This episode features the final appearance of Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright. | ||||||
| 198 | 30 | "Lothario Larkin" | William Witney | Warren Douglas | April 25, 1965 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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)
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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. | ||||||
| 219 | 17 | "Ride the Wind: Part 1" | William Witney | Paul Schneider | January 16, 1966 | |
| Ben is not pleased with Joe's decision to join the Pony Express. Victor Jory, Rod Cameron and DeForest Kelley guest star. | ||||||
| 220 | 18 | "Ride the Wind: Part 2" | William Witney | Paul Schneider | January 23, 1966 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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. | ||||||
| 228 | 26 | "Shining in Spain" | Maurice Geraghty | Elliott Gilbert | March 27, 1966 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 236 | 1 | "Something Hurt, Something Wild" | Lewis Allen | Jerry Alderman and William Driskill | September 11, 1966 | |
| Laurie Ferguson (Lynn Loring) accuses Joe of assaulting her, setting off a feud between her family and the Cartwrights. | ||||||
| 237 | 2 | "Horse of a Different Hue" | William Witney | William R. Cox | September 18, 1966 | |
| Ben has no idea that the outcome of a horse race he arranged has been fixed by an old friend of his, Colonel Robert Fairchild (Charles Ruggles). | ||||||
| 238 | 3 | "A Time to Step Down" | Paul Henreid | Frank Chase | September 25, 1966 | |
| Aging wrangler Dan Tolliver (Ed Begley) turns against the Cartwrights after his longtime friend Ben suggests that he should retire. | ||||||
| 239 | 4 | "The Pursued: Episode 1" | William Witney | Story by : Thomas Thompson and Marc Michaels Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson | October 2, 1966 | |
| The Cartwrights try to help a Mormon rancher overcome persecution against his beliefs. Eric Fleming, Dina Merrill, Lois Nettleton and Vincent Beck guest star. | ||||||
| 240 | 5 | "The Pursued: Episode 2" | William Witney | Story by : Thomas Thompson and Marc Michaels Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson | October 9, 1966 | |
| Bigots force Mormon rancher Heber Clawson (Eric Fleming) to flee with his two wives, one of whom needs medical attention. | ||||||
| 241 | 6 | "To Bloom for Thee" | Sutton Roley | June Randolph | October 16, 1966 | |
| Hoss proposes marriage to Carol Attley (Geraldine Brooks), a woman with a hidden past which includes having killed her abusive first husband and fleeing from the associated murder charge. | ||||||
| 242 | 7 | "Credit for a Kill" | William F. Claxton | Frederick Louis Fox | October 23, 1966 | |
| Joe lets his friend Morgan Tanner (Dean Harens) take credit for killing a horse thief, but when the outlaw's brothers come after him to get their revenge he has to make a difficult decision to save his friend's life. | ||||||
| 243 | 8 | "Four Sisters from Boston" | Alan Crosland Jr. | John M. Chester | October 30, 1966 | |
| Ben tries to stop a con artist from stealing an inheritance from four Boston sisters that are trying to prevent the auctioning of a property left to them by their uncle. Vera Miles guest stars. | ||||||
| 244 | 9 | "Old Charlie" | William F. Claxton | Bob and Wanda Duncan | November 6, 1966 | |
| Teller of tales Old Charlie Conners (John McIntire) brags about killing an outlaw, so the dead man's brothers seek their revenge. | ||||||
| 245 | 10 | "Ballad of the Ponderosa" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Rik Vollaerts Teleplay by : Rik Vollaerts and Michael Landon | November 13, 1966 | |
| A balladeer blames Ben for his father's hanging. Randy Boone, Ann Doran, Roger Davis and John Archer guest star. | ||||||
| 246 | 11 | "The Oath" | Gerd Oswald | Martha Wilkerson | November 20, 1966 | |
| Before his execution for murder, convicted man Big Charlie Monahan (Douglas Kennedy) has his son take an oath to kill the Cartwrights for revenge. | ||||||
| 247 | 12 | "A Real Nice, Friendly Little Town" | Herman Hoffman | Herman Hoffman | November 27, 1966 | |
| Hoss confronts a woman and her gun-toting sons after Joe is hit by ricocheting bullet, but the mother is more interested in protecting her kids than seeing justice done. Louise Latham, Mark Slade and Vaughn Taylor guest star. | ||||||
| 248 | 13 | "The Bridegroom" | William F. Claxton | Walter Black | December 4, 1966 | |
| Joe romances Maggie Dowling (Joanne Linville) so widower Jared Wilson (Ron Hayes) will be jealous enough to ask for her hand in marriage. | ||||||
| 249 | 14 | "Tommy" | William Witney | Story by : Mary Terri Taylor and Thomas Thompson Teleplay by : Mort Thaw and Mary Terri Taylor | December 18, 1966 | |
| The Cartwrights protect deaf-mute Tommy Miller (Teddy Quinn) and his mother from his stepfather, a vicious outlaw determined to take back his wife. | ||||||
| 250 | 15 | "A Christmas Story" | Gerd Oswald | Thomas Thompson | December 25, 1966 | |
| Singer Andy Walker (Wayne Newton) returns to Virginia City for Christmas with his scheming uncle, who plans to make a profit on the orphans' benefit. | ||||||
| 251 | 16 | "Ponderosa Explosion" | William F. Claxton | Alex Sharp | January 1, 1967 | |
| Joe and Hoss literally get more than they bargained for when a pair of con men lead them to invest in a pair of rabbits that subsequently multiply. Dub Taylor, Chubby Johnson, Chick Chandler and Phil Chambers guest star. | ||||||
| 252 | 17 | "Justice" | Lewis Allen | Richard Wendley | January 8, 1967 | |
| Joe seeks revenge on the bank clerk who killed his fiancée. Beau Bridges, Lurene Tuttle and Shirley Bonne guest star. | ||||||
| 253 | 18 | "A Bride for Buford" | William F. Claxton | Robert V. Barron | January 15, 1967 | |
| Hoss is certain that a saloon girl is only interested in a miner for his wealth. Lola Albright, Jack Elam, Paul Brinegar and Richard Devon guest star. | ||||||
| 254 | 19 | "Black Friday" | William F. Claxton | Herbert Kastle and John Hawkins | January 22, 1967 | |
| Joe tries to save his friend Steven Friday (John Saxon) from dying in a gunfight to avenge one of his victims and planned for Friday the 13th. | ||||||
| 255 | 20 | "The Unseen Wound" | Gerd Oswald | Frank Chase | January 29, 1967 | |
| Ben tries to help his friend Sheriff Paul Rowan (Leslie Nielsen) after his wife Katherine (Nancy Malone) shows concerns about his health: the Sheriff has been driven to the breaking point by years of violence. | ||||||
| 256 | 21 | "Journey to Terror" | Lewis Allen | Joel Murcott | February 5, 1967 | |
| After being suspected of being a member of Wade Hollister (John Ericson)'s gang, outlaws imprison Little Joe, Tom (Jason Evers) and Ellie Blackwell (Elizabeth Rogers) at the Blackwell farm. | ||||||
| 257 | 22 | "Amigo" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Jack Turley Teleplay by : John Hawkins and Jack Turley | February 12, 1967 | |
| Ben helps a wounded comanchero who is being pursued by a lynch mob, a band of terrorists and an angry Little Joe who has just lost a friend. Henry Darrow and Gregory Walcott guest star. | ||||||
| 258 | 23 | "A Woman in the House" | Gerd Oswald | Joel Murcott | February 19, 1967 | |
| Ben protects a girl from her alcoholic husband, but she's unable to tell gratitude from love. Diane Baker and Paul Richards guest star. | ||||||
| 259 | 24 | "Judgement at Red Creek" | William F. Claxton | Robert Sabaroff | February 26, 1967 | |
| Joe comes to suspect that a pair of murder suspects is lying because the leader of a posse does not intend to bring them alive. John Ireland, Martin West and Harry Carey Jr. guest star. | ||||||
| 260 | 25 | "Joe Cartwright, Detective" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Oliver Crawford Teleplay by : Michael Landon | March 5, 1967 | |
| Joe gets hooked on detective novels and tries to use Scotland Yard techniques to prevent a bank robbery. Mort Mills, Ken Lynch and Ed Prentiss guest star. | ||||||
| 261 | 26 | "Dark Enough to See the Stars" | Donald R. Daves | Kelly Colvin | March 12, 1967 | |
| A young ranch hand who is running from the law falls in love with a girl. Richard Evans and Richard Eastham guest star. | ||||||
| 262 | 27 | "The Deed and the Dilemma" | William F. Claxton | William F. Leicester | March 26, 1967 | |
| Ben tries to help an immigrant family, but a racist neighbor complicates things. Jack Kruschen and Brioni Farrell guest star. | ||||||
| 263 | 28 | "The Prince" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Melvin Levy Teleplay by : John Hawkins | April 2, 1967 | |
| The Cartwrights welcome Count Alexis (Warren Stevens) and Countess Elena (Claire Griswold), who are being targeted by thieves. | ||||||
| 264 | 29 | "A Man Without Land" | Donald R. Daves | Steve McNeil | April 9, 1967 | |
| To get Matt Jeffers (Royal Dano)'s land, a foreman murders his son and frames Little Joe. | ||||||
| 265 | 30 | "Napoleon's Children" | Christian Nyby | Judith and Robert Guy Barrows | April 16, 1967 | |
| Ted Arseneaux (Robert Biheller) believes that he is Napoleon and leads an army of young men in terrorizing Virginia City. | ||||||
| 266 | 31 | "The Wormwood Cup" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Joy Dexter Teleplay by : Joy Dexter and Michael Landon | April 23, 1967 | |
| A woman blames Joe for killing her brother and offers a thousand dollars to the man who will kill him in a fair fight. Little Joe tries to convince her that she's wrong, but it might be too late. Frank Overton, Judi Meredith and Clay Tanner guest star. | ||||||
| 267 | 32 | "Clarissa" | Lewis Allen | Chester Krumholz | April 30, 1967 | |
| The Cartwrights' Eastern cousin Clarissa Cartwright (Nina Foch) brings trouble when she visits to the Ponderosa. | ||||||
| 268 | 33 | "Maestro Hoss" | William F. Claxton | U.S. Anderson | May 7, 1967 | |
| Phony fortune-teller Madame Marova (Zsa Zsa Gabor) causes earaches when she convinces Hoss he's a master violinist. | ||||||
| 269 | 34 | "The Greedy Ones" | Donald R. Daves | James Amesbury | May 14, 1967 | |
| Greedy gold hunters threaten to destroy the Ponderosa after a prospector claims to have found a sample there. Robert Middleton, George Chandler and William Bakewell guest star. | ||||||
Season 9 (1967–68)
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| The Cartwrights encounter two survivors of an Indian raid -- a suspected murderer and a woman 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 | |
| A woman's dream of riding her stallion in a big-stakes race is jeopardized when her father associates himself with a gambler. | ||||||
| 279 | 10 | "Showdown At Tahoe" | Gerald Mayer | Thomas Thompson | November 19, 1967 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| After buying a gold detector, Hoss tries to prove its worth and protect it from thieves. | ||||||
| 284 | 15 | "The Trackers" | Marc Daniels | Story by : Frederick Louis Fox Teleplay by : Reuben Bercovitch | January 7, 1968 | |
| 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 | |
| The Cartwrights investigate a mystery involving an altered photograph. | ||||||
| 286 | 17 | "The Thirteenth Man" | Leon Benson | Walter Black | January 21, 1968 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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[B] | February 18, 1968 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| A band of Gypsies arrives on the Ponderosa and one of them wishes to marry a Cartwright. | ||||||
| 303 | 34 | "Stage Door Johnnies" | William F. Claxton | Alex Sharp | July 28, 1968 | |
| 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)
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Candy tries to help an army sergeant locate a hidden arms plant. | ||||||
| 328 | 25 | "Emily" | Leon Benson | Elliot Gilbert, Preston Wood | March 23, 1969 | |
| 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 | |
| Little Joe and Candy try to protect a murder witness. Will Geer guest stars. | ||||||
| 330 | 27 | "The Unwanted" | Herschel Daugherty | Thomas Thompson, Suzanne Clauser | March 30, 1969 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Bank robbers use the Cartwrights as dupes in a plot to loot the Virginia City bank. | ||||||
Season 11 (1969–70)
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 (whom has been his pen pal and 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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. | ||||||
| 348 | 15 | "Danger Road" | William F. Claxton | Milton S. Gelman | January 11, 1970 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
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. Note: A new actress plays Miss Crabtree. The events of the show's pilot episode, "A Rose For Lotta", are disregarded. | ||||||
| 356 | 23 | "The Gold Mine" | Leon Benson | Preston Wood, Robert Bruckner | March 8, 1970 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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)
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
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. Note: First episode of Jamie Hunter and Dusty Rhodes (as a regular) | ||||||
| 364 | 3 | "The Weary Willies" | Leo Penn | Robert Pirosh | September 27, 1970 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Leslie and Gillian Harwood (Jill Haworth, Daniel Massey) 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 | |
| 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 | |
| When an influenza outbreak strikes the Ponderosa, the treatment methods and philosophy of two women from different generations clash. | ||||||
| 384 | 23 | "Terror at 2:00" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | March 7, 1971 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
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. Note: The three year delay in the broadcast of this episode meant that David Canary was billed as a "Special Guest Star" because at the time the episode aired he was not a regular on the series. Note: Filmed in 1968, this episode was originally scheduled to air during the 1968-1969 season. The show was pulled due to its violent content. | ||||||
| 389 | 28 | "An Earthquake Called Callahan" | Herschel Daugherty | Preston Wood | April 11, 1971 | |
| 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)
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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. | ||||||
| 409 | 20 | "Shanklin" | Leo Penn | William Kelley | February 13, 1972 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
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. Note: Dan Blocker (Hoss Cartwright)'s final television role. He passed away a month after this episode aired from complications following surgery. Note: Ray Teal's last appearance as Sheriff Roy Coffee. | ||||||
Season 14 (1972–73)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 416 | 1 | "Forever: Episode 1" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | September 12, 1972 | |
| 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. | ||||||
| 417 | 2 | "Forever: Episode 2" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | September 19, 1972 | |
| See Episode 1 | ||||||
| 418 | 3 | "Heritage of Anger" | Nicholas Webster | Don Ingalls | September 26, 1972 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
|
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. Note: This episode features the final appearances of Candy Canaday and Griff King and Victor Sen Yung as Hop Sing. Note: Last episode filmed, but broadcast second to last based on edict from NBC that a season finale episode could not be focused on character(s) that weren't Cartwrights. | ||||||
| 431 | 16 | "The Hunter" | Michael Landon | Michael Landon | January 16, 1973 | |
| 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
| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonanza: The Next Generation | William F. Claxton | Paul Savage | March 3, 1988 | |
| 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 is now in charge of the Ponderosa, and Little Joe's wife, Annie also lives there. His son, Benjamin 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, 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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. | ||||
TV movies and prequel series
In 1988, NBC revived Bonanza with the television film Bonanza: The Next Generation. Lorne Greene, who was to have reprised his role as Ben Cartwright, died before production began, and was replaced by John Ireland as Ben's brother, Aaron Cartwright. Michael Landon Jr. played the role of Little Joe's son, Benjamin Cartwright.[10] Landon Jr. again played Benjamin Cartwright in a second television film Bonanza: The Return. Dirk Blocker, the son of Dan Blocker, played a supporting role in this film which, in its original broadcast on November 28, 1993, was preceded by Back to Bonanza, a one-hour special devoted to the original series.[11] A third TV movie, Bonanza: Under Attack, aired January 15, 1995. Landon Jr. also starred in this film.[12]
In 2001–2002, a "prequel" series, Ponderosa, aired on the PAX-TV network. Set 10 years prior to the first season, it starred Daniel Hugh Kelly as Ben Cartwright, Matt Carmody as Adam, Drew Powell as Hoss, and Jared Daperis as Little Joe.[13]
References
Footnotes
- Shapiro 1997, pp. 5, 65–157.
- Shapiro 1997, pp. 65, 157.
- "Ratings". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
- Poppy, John (December 1, 1964). "The Worldwide Lure of "Bonanza"". Look magazine. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
- "Bonanza World Home". Bonanza World. Bonanza Ventures, Inc., and NBC, Inc. 2002–2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
- Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
- http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/2020/02/1972-73-ratings-history.html
- http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/2020/02/1972-73-ratings-history.html
- Adams, Val. "2 Shows on Negroes", The New York Times, January 18, 1964, p.47
- Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza: The Next Generation". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza: The Return". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- Erickson, Hal (2010). "Bonanza: Under Attack". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
- "Ponderosa". film.com. RealNetworks. 2006–2008. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
Bibliography
Shapiro, Melany (1997). Bonanza: The Definitive Ponderosa Companion. Cyclone Books. ISBN 978-1-890723-18-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
External links
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