“Bonanza” was not always the biggest hit. In fact, it was almost canceled after season 1. That is so hard to believe, as it went on to run for over four hundred episodes!
“Bonanza” was one of the first television shows to be filmed and aired in color. Its season 1 ratings were terrible, but NBC kept it on the air for one specific reason – to sell more color TVs! RCA was actually the parent company to NBC, and RCA was really pushing the sales of color TVs. Luckily, the show continued to gain massive popularity and ended up lasting for many more seasons!
Screen Time For All
“Bonanza” is one of the greatest shows of all time. Not only was it the very first show broadcast in color, but it also portrayed the male characters in a different light. The writers made sure to make all of the men very likable. Not dim-witted, like other male characters from shows during this time.
Not only that, the writers wanted to make sure that all four male characters in the show had equal screen time. They did not want one to shine over the others. The scripts were all inspected to make sure every episode was equal. This balance was one of the things that must have made the show so successful.
'Bonanza' Is A Slang Word
Here is a little-known fact about the title of the show “Bonanza”. The term Bonanza is actually a slang word that was used to describe mineral deposit by miners. Another meaning, is something happening that suddenly increases wealth or even a big amount of something that is desirable. Which meaning do you think the show “Bonanza” is referring to?
In this case, it may be both! The show's title refers to a big deposit of ore. They are always referencing the Comstock Lode.
Michael Landon's Obsession With 'Bonanza'
Michael Landon absolutely loved his job, and loved the show “Bonanza”. He was very loyal to the show, and was even seen in 402 of the 416 episodes.
Additionally, Michael Landon got his start in directing, as well as writing, while on the show. In fact, Michael Landon even wrote some of the cast’s favorite episodes. He directed some episodes as well. He was such a fan of the show, which made it really special for him to not only act in it, but have these other roles as director and writer as well.
Landon Wasn't Easy To Work With
While Landon was a big fan of the show, both as an actor and as a writer/director, this led to some trouble on set. It was said that during the last couple of seasons of filming, Michael Landon got increasingly harder to work with.
He did not want any new characters introduced into the cast of the show. He also had a specific vision for the show and the direction it was going in, so it was said that he would become difficult and delay the shoots for various reasons. He loved the show so much he wanted to take total control.