# Bonanza season 7

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

## Synopsis

Bonanza is set around the Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City, Nevada and chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, consisting of Ben Cartwright and his three sons (each by a different wife), Adam, Eric ("Hoss"), and Joseph ("Little Joe"). A regular character is their ranch cook, Hop Sing.

## Cast and characters
### Main cast

* Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
* Dan Blocker as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright
* Michael Landon as Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright

### Recurring

* Victor Sen Yung as Hop Sing
* Ray Teal as Sheriff Roy Coffee

### Guest cast

* Mabel Albertson
* Mari Aldon
* Ina Balin
* Majel Barrett
* Robert V. Barron
* Ivor Barry
* Ed Begley
* Brooke Bundy
* Walter Burke
* Michael Burns
* Rod Cameron
* Lonny Chapman
* Robert Colbert
* Michael Conrad
* Tim Considine
* Glenn Corbett
* John Doucette
* Robert Ellenstein
* Ross Elliott
* Jean Engstrom
* Stuart Erwin
* Hampton Fancher
* Brioni Farrell
* Eric Fleming
* Nancy Gates
* Steve Gravers
* Wayne Heffley
* Anne Helm
* Mitzi Hoag
* Eddie Hodges
* Clint Howard
* Sam Jaffe
* Victor Jory
* Sally Kellerman
* DeForest Kelley
* Jack Kruschen
* Wesley Lau
* Ken Lynch
* Gene Lyons
* Robert McQueeney
* Strother Martin
* George Montgomery
* Wayne Newton
* Ramon Novarro
* Dick Peabody
* Phillip Pine
* Ford Rainey
* Sue Randall
* Gilbert Roland
* Tommy Sands
* Jan Shepard
* Louise Sorel
* Liam Sullivan
* Tom Tully
* Victoria Vetri
* Marie Windsor
* Michael Witney

## Production
### Casting

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

### Writing

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

### Filming

Filming locations for season seven included:
* Incline Village - "The Debt", "The Dublin Lad", "The Code", "Big Shadow on the Land", "The Fighters"
* Toiyabe National Forest and Incline Village - "The Other Son", "The Lonely Runner", "All Ye His Saints"
* Iverson's Movie Ranch - "The Strange One"
* Golden Oak Ranch - "Her Brother's Keeper"
* Vasquez Rocks - "The Last Mission"

## Episodes

Bonanza, season 7 episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 203 | 1 | "The Debt" | William F. Claxton | William Blinn | September 12, 1965 (1965-09-12) |
| Wiley Kane (Tommy Sands) and his sister Annie (Brooke Bundy) come to the Ponderosa to work off a debt from when their father Sam (Ford Rainey) who swindled Ben. ||||||
| 204 | 2 | "The Dilemma" | William F. Claxton | John Hawkins and Ward Hawkins | September 19, 1965 (1965-09-19) |
| Ben is appointed as a temporary circuit judge, but he faces a dilemma when a man he helped to parole is suspected of robbing the bank. Tom Tully guest stars. ||||||
| 205 | 3 | "The Brass Box" | William F. Claxton | Paul Schneider | September 26, 1965 (1965-09-26) |
| Old teller of tall tales Don Jose Ortega (Ramon Novarro) claims to have a brass box of land grants that gives him ownership over most of the area around Virginia City, including the Ponderosa. ||||||
| 206 | 4 | "The Other Son" | William F. Claxton | Thomas Thompson | October 3, 1965 (1965-10-03) |
| Ben hires mule skinner Clint Watson (Ed Begley) and his sons to take nitroglycerin to California. ||||||
| 207 | 5 | "The Lonely Runner" | William Witney | Thomas Thompson | October 10, 1965 (1965-10-10) |
| A judge awards horse breeder Jim Acton (Gilbert Roland)'s beloved prize mare to rancher Sam Whipple (Ken Lynch). ||||||
| 208 | 6 | "Devil on Her Shoulder" | Virgil W. Vogel | Suzanne Clauser | October 17, 1965 (1965-10-17) |
| The Cartwrights try to help a woman who is the member of a religious group: she is being accused of being possessed and being a witch. Ina Balin, John Doucette and Victoria Vetri guest star. ||||||
| 209 | 7 | "Found Child" | Ralph E. Black | Frank Cleaver | October 24, 1965 (1965-10-24) |
| Hoss protects and becomes attached to a little girl called Lisa (Eileen Baral), whose parents were killed in a stagecoach robbery. ||||||
| 210 | 8 | "The Meredith Smith" | John Florea | Lois Hire | October 31, 1965 (1965-10-31) |
| Ben must figure which person, all claiming to be Meredith Smith, is the true heir to the estate of Jake Smith, a friend of his who asked him to make sure his estate would be given to a relative. Robert Colbert, Anne Helm, Strother Martin guest star. ||||||
| 211 | 9 | "Mighty is the Word" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Robert Goodwin Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson | November 7, 1965 (1965-11-07) |
| One of the Ponderosa's ranch hands plots revenge against the gunfighter-turned-preacher who killed his brother. Glenn Corbett, Michael Witney and Sue Randall guest star. ||||||
| 212 | 10 | "The Strange One" | Gerd Oswald | Story by : Stephen Lord Teleplay by : Jo Pagano and Stephen Lord | November 14, 1965 (1965-11-14) |
| A woman suspected of being a witch takes refuge on the Ponderosa—where she amazes the Cartwrights with her ability to see the future. While recuperating, she predicts a future misfortune for Little Joe. Louise Sorel, Robert McQueeney and Jean Engstrom guest star. ||||||
| 213 | 11 | "The Reluctant Rebel" | R. G. Springsteen | Wally George | November 21, 1965 (1965-11-21) |
| Young rebel Billy Penn (Tim Considine) has second thoughts about life as an outlaw when the Cartwrights catch him stealing cattle. ||||||
| 214 | 12 | "Five Sundowns to Sunup" | Gerd Oswald | William L. Stuart | December 5, 1965 (1965-12-05) |
| A family of outlaws, guided by the mother, Elizabeth Lassiter (Marie Windsor), embarks on a kidnapping spree in order to prevent one of their own from being executed. ||||||
| 215 | 13 | "A Natural Wizard" | Robert Totten | Story by : Suzanne Clauser Teleplay by : William Blinn | December 12, 1965 (1965-12-12) |
| Skeeter Dexter (Eddie Hodges) is a boy who loves animals and he helps Hoss take care of a pregnant cow. Skeeter had a brutal stepfather and he is now being blamed by his mother for his father abandonment. ||||||
| 216 | 14 | "All Ye His Saints" | William F. Claxton | William Blinn | December 19, 1965 (1965-12-19) |
| Little Michael Thorpe (Clint Howard) sets out to find God in the hope that he can heal his gravely wounded father. ||||||
| 217 | 15 | "A Dublin Lad" | William F. Claxton | Mort Thaw | January 2, 1966 (1966-01-02) |
| Joe serves on a jury intent on convicting Terrence O'Toole (Liam Sullivan) of murder. ||||||
| 218 | 16 | "To Kill a Buffalo" | William F. Claxton | Michael Fisher | January 9, 1966 (1966-01-09) |
| A badly injured Indian, affected by prejudice, reacts violently to Hoss's helping hand. Hoss tries to teach him to overcome his hostility to the white man. Steve Gravers guest stars. ||||||
| 219 | 17 | "Ride the Wind" | William Witney | Paul Schneider | January 16, 1966 (1966-01-16) |
| 220 | 18 | "Ride the Wind" | William Witney | Paul Schneider | January 23, 1966 (1966-01-23) |
| Part 1: Ben is not pleased with Joe's decision to join the Pony Express. Victor Jory, Rod Cameron and DeForest Kelley guest star. Part 2: In spite of increasing Indian attacks, Curtis Wade (Rod Cameron) is determined to keep the Pony Express going. ||||||
| 221 | 19 | "Destiny's Child" | Gerd Oswald | Robert V. Barron | January 30, 1966 (1966-01-30) |
| Ben tries to find jobs for a pair of strangers who helped him pull his wagon out of the mud. Robert V. Barron, Dick Peabody and Walter Burke guest star. ||||||
| 222 | 20 | "Peace Officer" | William Witney | Don Mullally | February 6, 1966 (1966-02-06) |
| Ruthless lawman Wes Dunn (Eric Fleming) is hired to halt the violence in Virginia City while Sheriff Coffee is out of town. ||||||
| 223 | 21 | "The Code" | William F. Claxton | Sidney Ellis | February 13, 1966 (1966-02-13) |
| Joe must decide whether to obey the code of the west and answer a gunfighter's challenge. George Montgomery, Jan Shepard and Robert Ellenstein guest star. ||||||
| 224 | 22 | "Three Brides for Hoss" | Ralph E. Black | Jo Pagano | February 20, 1966 (1966-02-20) |
| And ordinary day becomes everything but ordinary when Hoss receives three mail-order brides. Stuart Erwin, Majel Barrett and Mitzi Hoag guest star. ||||||
| 225 | 23 | "The Emperor Norton" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Gerry Prince Young and Robert Sabaroff Teleplay by : Robert Sabaroff | February 27, 1966 (1966-02-27) |
| Joshua A. Norton (Sam Jaffe), a friend of Ben's who fancies himself an emperor, is about to be committed to an insane asylum. ||||||
| 226 | 24 | "Her Brother's Keeper" | Virgil W. Vogel | Story by : Lee Pickett Teleplay by : Mort Thaw | March 6, 1966 (1966-03-06) |
| Claire Armory (Nancy Gates) falls in love with Ben, but her invalid brother Carl (Wesley Lau) complicates her courtship with him. ||||||
| 227 | 25 | "The Trouble with Jamie" | R. G. Springsteen | Helen B. Hicks | March 20, 1966 (1966-03-20) |
| Ben's cousin Matthew (Ross Elliott) from the East brings his wife Elizabeth (Tracy Olsen) and his spoiled son Jamie (Michael Burns) for a visit to the Ponderosa, requesting that Ben keeps an eye on Jamie for the next 2 months while on a business trip. ||||||
| 228 | 26 | "Shining in Spain" | Maurice Geraghty | Elliott Gilbert | March 27, 1966 (1966-03-27) |
| Joe falls for Wendy Daniels (Judi Rolin), a beautiful girl who's anticipating the arrival of her father Taylor (Gene Lyons). ||||||
| 229 | 27 | "The Genius" | R. G. Springsteen | Don Mullally | April 3, 1966 (1966-04-03) |
| Hoss tries to help poet William Warlock Evans (Lonny Chapman) beat his alcoholism by hiring him as a ranch hand for the Ponderosa. ||||||
| 230 | 28 | "The Unwritten Commandment" | Gerd Oswald | Story by : Dan Ullman Teleplay by : Jo Pagano and William Blinn | April 10, 1966 (1966-04-10) |
| Young singer Andy Walker (Wayne Newton) wants to develop his talents against his stern father's wishes. ||||||
| 231 | 29 | "Big Shadows on the Land" | William F. Claxton | William F. Leicester and Richard H. Bartlett | April 17, 1966 (1966-04-17) |
| The Cartwrights deal with an immigrant winemaker family setting up business on Ponderosa land. Jack Kruschen and Brioni Farrell guest star. ||||||
| 232 | 30 | "The Fighters" | R. G. Springsteen | Robert Goodwin | April 24, 1966 (1966-04-24) |
| Hoss badly injures an over-the-hill boxer in a fight and refuses all other offers to box professionally. Michael Conrad, Phillip Pine and Mari Aldon guest star. ||||||
| 233 | 31 | "Home from the Sea" | Jean Yarbrough | George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams | May 1, 1966 (1966-05-01) |
| An old shipmate of Adam's plans to steal a shipment of gold from the Cartwrights. Ivor Barry and Wayne Heffley guest star. ||||||
| 234 | 32 | "The Last Mission" | R. G. Springsteen | Story by : S. S. Schweitzer Teleplay by : William Douglas Lansford and S. S. Schweitzer | May 8, 1966 (1966-05-08) |
| Ben accompanies old Army buddy Colonel Keith Jarrell (R. G. Armstrong) on a mission to make peace with the Paiutes, but Hoss becomes suspicious about the Colonel's real intentions. ||||||
| 235 | 33 | "A Dollar's Worth of Trouble" | Donald R. Daves | Robert Goodwin | May 15, 1966 (1966-05-15) |
| Hoss has his palm read and is told that two people—a blonde and a gunman—will affect his life. Sally Kellerman, Mabel Albertson and Hampton Fancher guest star. ||||||

## Release

Season seven aired on Sundays from 9:00 pm–10:00 pm on NBC.
The two-part episode "Ride the Wind" was combined into a full-length theatrical release and released internationally in 1967.

## Reception

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

### Awards and nominations

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