Ponderosa (TV series)
Ponderosa is a television series developed by "Bonanza" creator David Dortort for PAX TV that ran for the 2001–2002 television season. Envisioned as a prequel to the NBC series "Bonanza", covering the time when the Cartwrights first arrived at the Ponderosa, when Adam and Hoss were teenagers and Joe a little boy, it had less gunfire, brawling and other traditional western elements than the original. "Bonanza" creator David Dortort approved PAX TV's decision to hire Beth Sullivan, creator and executive producer of "", to oversee scripts and executive produce, which some believe gave the series a softer  edge. "Ponderosa" was canceled after one season, in part because of disappointing ratings and high production costs. Although Sullivan had hoped to film the series in and around Los Angeles, PAX decided to film in Australia to reduce costs. The series should not be confused with "Ponderosa", the title used for "Bonanza" reruns aired on NBC in mid-1972. Premise. Territory of Nevada, year 1849: ten years before the original "Bonanza" starts, the Cartwright family moves onto some scrub land. In this new land Ben Cartwright, a new widower, tries to raise his three young sons – at their late teens Adam  and Hoss, and a pre-teen Joseph, commonly known as Little Joe. Home release. Shortly after the series first aired, four episodes were released on two DVDs. The first DVD featured both parts of the pilot episode, while the second featured "Brother vs. Brother" and "Treasure". On May 25, 2004, The "Ponderosa: Season 1: Volume 1" was released. This set collects the first ten episodes of the series. No plans have been announced yet to release the last ten episodes of the series on DVD. Continuity. A number of minor (or perceived) inconsistencies exist between "Ponderosa" and "Bonanza", and a  few glaring retcons are present.