Bonanza_
"America's Favorite TV Western"
The High-Sierra adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.
Created By
David Dortort
Network
NBC
Episodes
431
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Plex
FREE
13 countries
MUBI
10 countries
Tubi
FREE
6 countries
Rakuten TV
6 countries
Pluto TV
FREE
3 countries
Prime Video
3 countries
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Overview
Bonanza has 14 seasons with 431 episodes spanning 1959-1973.
Lorne Greene →
Rating
Bonanza holds a 7.5/10 rating based on 463 votes.
Year context
Bonanza first aired 67 years ago in 1959.
CAST (5)
SEASONS (14 seasons, 431 episodes)
SEASON 1
01
A Rose for Lotta
Lotta Crabtree is hired by mining tycoon Alpheus Troy to lure one of the Cartwrights into town and hold him for ransom in exchange for…
02
Death on Sun Mountain
Greedy opportunist Mark Burdette and his accomplice Early Thorne stir up trouble between the Paiute tribe and the citizens of Virginia City. Ben discovers Burdette…
03
The Newcomers
John Pennington and his crew want to mine the Ponderosa land by hydraulic means. Ben is totally against this method and evicts them in short…
04
The Paiute War
Trader Mike Wilson attempts to escape punishment by the Paiute Indians after mistreating two of their women, by placing the blame on Adam. A fierce…
05
Enter Mark Twain
Samuel Clemens arrives in Virginia City to write for the Territorial Enterprise at the same time a crooked politician tries to lay claim on the…
06
The Julia Bulette Story
Little Joe is infatuated wih saloon owner Julia Bulette, whom he imagines is like his late mother. First episode to reveal backround details concerning Marie…
07
The Saga of Annie O'Toole
Adam defends the mining claim of Annie O' Toole in a court presided over by Judge Ben Cartwright. Annie comes to the Washoe Diggings with…
08
The Phillip Diedesheimer Story
Adam and Hoss assist a German engineer in developing the concept of "square set timbering" in the mines. Based on fact, and the first episode…
09
Mr. Henry Comstock
In a flashback, the legendary prospector arrives on the Ponderosa and participates in the founding of Virginia City. Coincidentally, guest star Jack Carson played a…
10
The Magnificent Adah
Virginia City is visited by actress Adah Issacs Menken, who happens to be an old acquaintance of Ben's. Joe is badly beaten by Adah's jealous…
11
The Truckee Strip
Luther Bishop and Ben Cartwright have had an ongoing land dispute for a number of years, over a small tract called the Truckee Strip. One…
12
The Hanging Posse
Adam and Joe reluctantly join a group of vengeful townsmen, who are out to lynch the three men who supposedly killed Vannie Johnson. The posse…
13
Vendetta
In a variation of "High Noon", Ben and Hoss must face a gang of outlaws practically all alone when most of Virginia City's citizens go…
14
The Sisters
This episode begins with Adam defending the honor of Sue Ellen Terry in a duel. No one gets shot because the other man misses Adam…
15
The Last Hunt
Hoss and Joe come across a pregnant Indian woman while hunting bighorn sheep and must deliver her baby. Despite touches of humor, including a scene…
16
El Toro Grande
Ben sends Hoss and Joe to Monterey to purchase an expensive seed bull. The first of Blocker and Landon's many comic misadventures, although the casual…
17
The Outcast
Because she is related to criminals, a young woman is ostracized by everyone but the the Cartwrights. She unwisely seeks solace with an ex-con friend…
18
A House Divided
As the Civil War approaches, Adam and Joe clash over which side to support. The situation is complicated by the arrival of Frederick Kyle, a…
19
The Gunmen
In the first all-out comic episode of the series, Hoss and Joe travel to Kiowa Flats, Texas, where they are mistaken for the notorious Slade…
20
The Fear Merchants
The Cartwrights encounter racial bigotry in Virginia City and end up protecting a Chinese boy from mob violence. Victor Sen Yung, in his largest role…
21
The Spanish Grant
In "The Spanish Grant", a young bargirl, Rosita Morales is pretending to be a Spanish noblewoman named Isabella Marie Inez de la Cuesta and at…
22
Blood on the Land
A shiftless sheepherder, Jeb Drummond, encroaches his herd of sheep on the Ponderosa and refuses to budge. He resists all of Ben's attempts to throw…
23
Desert Justice
When a tough U.S. Marshal from California arrests a Ponderosa hand, Dave Walker, for murder, Adam and Hoss go along to make sure their employee…
24
The Stranger
Nevada Territory is awaiting statehood, and Ben considers running for governor until he learns he is wanted for murder in New Orleans. Inspector Charles Leduque…
25
Escape to Ponderosa
After Adam is bushwhacked by three army deserters, Ben tracks them down, and tackles the brutal Captain Bolton who is pursuing them.
26
The Avenger
A restaurant owner whom Ben and Adam have confronted over stolen Ponderosa beef ends up dead one night. His daughter, Sally Byrnes runs the cafe…
27
The Last Trophy
Adam takes Ben's friends, Lord Marion Dunsworth and Lady Beatrice, on a hunting expedition, and they are captured by a gang of crude thieves and…
28
San Francisco
In this comic episode, the first to take place far from the ranch, Ben, Hoss, and Joe deliver a herd to San Francisco. Although he…
29
Bitter Water
Len Keith, a miner, wants to purchase some land adjacent to the Ponderosa from rancher Andy McKaren. Andy's son, Tod, is anxious to sell. Keith…
30
Feet of Clay
Hoss takes Billy Allen, the young son of a convicted felon under his wing, then is forced to kill his father and Billy will not…
31
Dark Star
Joe falls in love with Tirza, an undeniably strange gypsy girl who says she is cursed and never does seem to "snap out of it".…
32
Death at Dawn
Virginia City is plagued by organized crime, Sam Bryant and his gang. One of his men, Farmer Perkins, kills a storekeeper, and at his trial,…
SEASON 2
01
Showdown
A young bank robber hires on at the Ponderosa in order to keep his gang informed of the law's efforts to discover their whereabouts.
02
The Mission
Filmed almost entirely outdoors, this is more like a feature than a series. Captain Pender is looking for a scout to lead him and his…
03
Badge Without Honor
Adam's life is saved by an enigmatic U. S. Marshal who has come to Virginia City to arrest a friend of the Cartwrights.
04
The Mill
The Cartwrights construct a grist mill to provide income for a crippled rancher who blames Ben for his predicament. Ben has to contend with the…
05
The Hopefuls
Adam guides a wagon train of Quakers and falls for the leader's daughter, Regina. The force Adam must employ to protect them, conflicts with their…
06
Denver McKee
While celebrating the return of his daughter Connie, former lawman McKee is asked to assist in the capture of an outlaw gang. While Joe is…
07
Day of Reckoning
Prejudice erupts on both sides when Ben gives an Indian named Matsou and his wife, some of his land, after saving Ben's life from a…
08
The Abduction
Hoss and Joe take their sweethearts to a colorful and strange carnival for the day. Joe's recent girlfriend Jennifer Beale is abducted by the sinister…
09
Breed of Violence
Joe's friend Dolly Kincaid is the daughter of the sheriff and she's always getting caught up with the wrong crowd. When she gets close to…
10
The Last Viking
Gunnar Borgstrom is the leader of a vicious band called the Commancheros. They burn houses, kill people and steal anything of value. When the Commancheros…
11
The Trail Gang
On a cattle drive back to Nevada from Texas, Ben hires a young man who is both an outlaw and the son of the sheriff…
12
The Savage
Adam's life is saved by a woman known to the Indians as White Buffalo Woman, but who is actually the daughter of Norwegian immigrants.
13
Silent Thunder
Captivated by the pretty, deaf-mute daughter of a reclusive mountain man, Little Joe teaches the young woman sign language. Thrilled with her newfound ability to…
14
The Ape
Hoss becomes friends with dull-witted Arnie Gurnie, who is a brute of a man with the mentality of a child. His temper scares everybody, including…
15
The Blood Line
Ben feels responsible for the son of a man he was forced to kill, but the young man is determined to get even. A professional…
16
The Courtship
Hoss plans to marry the widow of one of Ben's friends, not knowing she is a compulsive gambler and refusing to believe it when the…
17
The Spitfire
Joe becomes the target of a tough and vengeful Kentucky family, after he kills one of them who almost sets the Ponderosa on fire and…
18
The Bride
The Cartwright boys are surprised to find that a woman, claiming to have recently married their father, shows up on their doorstep. When Ben gets…
19
Bank Run
When they "rob" the bank in Virginia City to save depositors from being cleaned out by its president, Hoss and Joe wind up wanted by…
20
The Fugitive
Adam goes to Mexico to find out how the son of a family friend was killed, only to learn the man is still alive.
21
Vengeance
Hoss accidentally kills a drunk he was trying to disarm. The man's brother bushwhacks Hoss, who has lost the will to live. Joe makes a…
22
The Tax Collector
The kindness Hoss extends to shiftless Jock Henry is not exactly repaid when Henry becomes an assistant assessor and raises the Ponderosa's annual tax bill…
23
The Rescue
The Cartwright boys are concerned that Ben might be getting on in years, yet it is he who saves them from cattle rustlers.
24
The Dark Gate
Adam is confused by the sudden behavior of his good friend, Ross Marquette. He beats up his wife, Delphine, after accusing her of having an…
25
The Duke
Hoss takes on The Duke Of London, an arrogant, abusive bare-knuckle fighter, though his brawn is no match for the Duke's agile skills.
26
Cutthroat Junction
When freight company detective Jed Trask is fired after a decade of service, he joins the thieves preventing supplies from reaching Virginia City.
27
The Gift
While crossing the desert to Yuma, Arizona with a white stallion intended as a birthday present for Ben, Joe runs into a pack of merciless…
28
The Rival
Jim Applegate, Hoss' rival for the affections of Cameo Johnson, is a member of a vigilante group who lynched an innocent man and his wife.
29
The Infernal Machine
Hoss believes in his friend's primitive version of the automobile in this lighthearted, yet sad episode. When the "car" uses up the last of its…
30
The Thunderhead Swindle
With Virginia City on the verge of economic ruin, out of work miners put their hopes in word of a strike at a mine everybody…
31
The Secret
Joe is the victim of an elaborate frame-up, accused of murdering a pregnant girl. When Ben is asked if Joe is telling the truth, he…
32
The Dream Riders
To finance his dream of constructing an airship capable of crossing the Atlantic, Ben's old friend plans to rob the Virginia City bank while diverting…
33
Elizabeth, My Love
At the bedside of a seriously ill Adam, Ben thinks back to his days as a first mate in the merchant marines and his marriage…
34
Sam Hill
Blacksmith Sam Hill fights to keep the land on which his mother is buried, after his drunken father signs the deed over to Colonel Tyson…
SEASON 3
01
The Smiler
A drunk is killed in a saloon brawl with Hoss, and though the man's brother insists there are no hard feelings, he is actually a…
02
Springtime
A friend of Ben's (Mr. Milbank) arrives at the Ponderosa at a bad time...when the Cartwright boys are fighting in the mud. Mr. Milbank, who…
03
The Honor of Cochise
The Cartwrights and a bigoted army captain are pinned down by Cochise and his braves, who claim the officer poisoned 30 of their people.
04
The Lonely House
Little Joe pays a visit to the widow Lee Bolden, and brings her a bank draft for her husband's investments with Ben. Actually, the investments…
05
The Burma Rarity
In this comic episode involving a precious emerald and the sweet widow, Clemantine Hawkins who is attracted to Ben, turns the tables on a pair…
06
Broken Ballad
Adam tries to help a reformed gunman who wants only to live peacefully near Virginia City. Good story without a tidy ending. Pernell's first chance…
07
The Many Faces of Gideon Flinch
Hoss and Joe become involved when "Bullethead" Burke vows revenge on an old man he claims cheated him in an investment deal.
08
The Friendship
Joe befriends and takes responsibility for an ex-convict named Danny. Danny loves horses and is not used to people's ways on the outside of jail.…
09
The Countess
A woman Ben once loved, Lady Chadwick, returns and attempts to trick him into marrying her by ruining his business. Ben says almost losing the…
10
The Horse Breaker
A professional wrangler working for the Cartwrights is paralyzed when thrown by a particularly mean bronco. The woman nursing him was once engaged to the…
11
Day of the Dragon
Joe wins a card game and an unexpected prize...a young lady. She goes to the Ponderosa and serves them, not wanting to be set free.…
12
The Frenchman
An irritating man who boasts of being the reincarnation of French poet Francois Villion shows up causing trouble for the Cartwrights.
13
The Tin Badge
Joe accepts the job of temporary sheriff in the town of Rubicon, unaware he is being used to facilitate a scheme involving murder.
14
Gabrielle
In this Christmas story, inspired by Johanna Spyri's "Heidi", Hoss and Joe come across a blind girl whose family has been killed in a wagon…
15
Land Grab
The Ponderosa is overrun with settlers bearing phony property deeds, and one of Ben's oldest friends is responsible.
16
The Tall Stranger
Hoss plans to marry Margie, a pretty blonde, but Margie becomes fascinated with a tall, traveling stranger named Mark Connors. Margie marries Mark but soon…
17
The Lady from Baltimore
An overbearing friend of the family tries to force her daughter into marrying Joe, though she does not love him. The situation grows more complex…
18
The Ride
Adam races against the clock to prove a man who was once his friend is guilty of robbery and murder and Adam is convinced beyond…
19
The Storm
Joe plans to marry Laura White, daughter of a man Ben once sailed with, but she is fatally ill. Ben consoles him with words spoken…
20
The Auld Sod
The Cartwrights pretend the Ponderosa belongs to the town lush, when his aging mother from Ireland arrives.
21
Gift of Water
The Cartwrights dig a well, build a rig and a windmill for a drought-stricken farm family.
22
The Jackknife
Adam gives a second chance to a family man he suspects is one of the rustlers who has been hitting the Ponderosa herds.
23
The Guilty
When Ben fails to prevent the death of a friend's son, Adam and Joe, concerned by their father's depression, attempt to prove there was nothing…
24
The Wooing of Abigail Jones
In order to keep peace on the ranch, Hoss and Joe try to help ranch hand, Hank Meyers woo the the plain-looking schoolteacher, Abigail Jones.…
25
The Lawmaker
Ben supports the appointment of Asa Moran as Virginia City's temporary sheriff, but Moran goes overboard with his authority, jailing Adam in the process and…
26
Look to the Stars
A young genius, Albert Michaelson, vies for a scholarship. Adam assists Albert in the boy's experiments. Albert only needs the school teacher's approval to be…
27
The Gamble
In the town of Alkali, the Cartwrights are jailed on false charges of robbery and murder, but Joe escapes and returns with an army of…
28
The Crucible
Adam is left to die in the desert after two thieves take $5,000 and his horse from him. Near death, he stumbles into an old…
29
Inger, My Love
Ben indulges in a nostalgic reverie about Hoss's deceased mother. Having worked his way west to Galesburg, IL., Ben is befriended by a girl named…
30
Blessed Are They
When two feuding families argue over the custody of two orphaned children, a reluctant Ben is called upon to straighten out the situation before real…
31
The Dowry
The Cartwrights get mixed up in the romance of a phony heiress and an equally phony land baron.
32
The Long Night
Ben, Joe and Adam travel to Bowleg to pay the yearly taxes on the Ponderosa. After the transaction is completed, Ben and Joe ride over…
33
The Mountain Girl
Joe promises a dying sheepman he will make sure the old man's granddaughter gets her rightful inheritance from a wealthy San Francisco family. This episode…
34
The Miracle Maker
Hoss blames himself when a young woman is crippled in a wagon accident, and hopes a faith healer can help her walk again.
SEASON 4
01
The First Born
Clay Stafford signs on to work for the Cartwrights and shortly afterwards shoots and kills a man who accuses him of cheating at poker. The…
02
The Quest
Determined to prove he can succeed at something without the help of his Pa, Hoss, and Adam, Joe sets out on his quest and wins…
03
The Artist
Ben helps Matthew Raine, a famous painter who has gone blind and now wallows in self-pity, discover a new purpose in life. However, Raine's employee…
04
A Hot Day for a Hanging
Hoss is jailed for robbing the bank in Dutchman Flats, a town on the brink of economic collapse, even the sheriff knows he is innocent,…
05
The Deserter
An Indian-hating officer, Colonel Edward J. Dunwoody, comes to the Ponderosa looking for army deserter Bill Winters, who is a good friend of the Cartwrights.…
06
The Way Station
With a storm brewing, Adam takes refuge at a way station, run by cantankerous Jesse and his young grandaughter Marty, who yearns to see what…
07
The War Comes to Washoe
The Civil War once again divides the citizens of Nevada, as well as Adam and Joe Cartwright. One of season four's highlights, the plot involving…
08
Knight Errant
Hoss volunteers to pickup an injured neighbor's mail-order bride, but by the time they return, she has fallen in love with Hoss and a price…
09
The Beginning
Billy Horne is a white man who was captured by the Shoshone when he was six. He comes into Ben & Joe's campsite one night…
10
The Deadly Ones
The Ponderosa becomes a war zone when it is invaded by a detachment of Mexican mercenaries under General Diaz. The general is furious when one…
11
Gallagher's Sons
Hoss helps Charlie and Will (Charlotte and Willomina), two young girls who just lost their father. They go on a journey to find their only…
12
The Decision
Hoss is seriously injured internally and Ben seeks help from the only doctor within 50 miles, who happens to be in prison for murder. Ben…
13
The Good Samaritan
Hoss decides to help out Wade Tyree and introduces him to Abigail and her daughter, Bonnie. Hoss hopes this will stop Wade's constant drinking. Wade…
14
The Jury
When Hoss is responsible for causing a hung jury, Ben tells him, "a man is never wrong doing what he thinks is right", and Adam…
15
The Colonel
Frank Medford, a figure from Ben's "wild, misspent youth", shows up in Virginia City, and though down on his luck, creates troubles for the Cartwrights…
16
Song in the Dark
Adam's guitar-strumming friend, ranch hand Danny Morgan, is arrested on suspicion of murdering and robbing the Widow Baker. Someone had reported hearing Danny singing outside…
17
Elegy for a Hangman
A stranger, Bob Jolly, arrives in Virginia City to accuse a drunken Judge Harry Whitaker of sending his innocent father, Carl, to the gallows. Adam…
18
Half a Rogue
In this entertaining episode, laced with humor, Hoss first meets mountain man Jim Leyton. Bing Russell makes his first appearance as Deputy Clem Foster.
19
The Last Haircut
A vain outlaw murders a man in front of witnesses, including Joe, but a clever lawyer is able to get him acquitted. Though enraged, Joe…
20
Marie, My Love
When Cochise falls on Joe, Ben cannot help but remember that is how Marie Cartwright was killed. He thinks back to meeting her in New…
21
The Hayburner
For a change, it is Adam rather than Joe who becomes mixed up in one of Hoss' funny exploits. Together they purchase a thoroughbred horse,…
22
The Actress
Joe becomes romantically involved with a woman who considers herself a serious dramatic actress. Unfortunately, she is the only one who does.
23
A Stranger Passed This Way
Hoss develops amnesia after being bushwhacked and hit over the head by two outlaws and moves in with a Dutch couple. The woman regards him…
24
The Way of Aaron
Adam takes a shine to Rebecca Kaufman, the daughter of a Jewish peddler, and bandits are convinced the Kaufman wagon is worth robbing.
25
A Woman Lost
Ben's attempt to rehabilitate an alcoholic singer he knew in better days are complicated by her involvment with a former prize fighter.
26
Any Friend of Walter's
Classic comedy in which Hoss first meets prospector Obie and his lazy but allegedly brilliant mongrel dog, Walter.
27
Mirror of a Man
The peaceful world of a Ponderosa hand is disturbed by the arrival of his no-good father and twin brother, who is a wanted man.
28
My Brother's Keeper
While hunting for a wolf, Joe is attacked by the wolf. Adam also hunting for the wolf, hears Joe struggling with the wolf comes to…
29
Five into the Wind
After their stagecoach crashes, a group of rag-tag passengers and Joe must get out of the desert alive. One of the passengers may or may…
30
Saga of Whizzer McGee
Hoss becomes concerned for the welfare of an insecure, belligerent fellow who is as small as Hoss is large. Interesting blend of comedy and pathos…
31
Thunder Man
Little Joe's 19-year old girlfriend is killed by a good samaritan, an explosives expert who had stopped to render aid to the woman's uncle after…
32
Rich Man, Poor Man
Claude Miller, the laughingstock of Virginia City, gets even with everyone who made fun of him when he strikes it rich.
33
The Boss
Ben regrets that he helped Tom Slayden start a freight hauling business when Slayden sets out to ruin all the competition, and Joe is shot…
34
Little Man... Ten Feet Tall
When a Italian immigrant comes to the Ponderosa, he decides he wants to give up the guitar to become a cowboy.
SEASON 5
01
She Walks in Beauty
Hoss wants to marry mysterious Regan Miller, a woman with less than a pristine past. When he thinks Adam is trying to steal her away,…
02
A Passion for Justice
Renowned English novelist Charles Dickens comes to Virginia City. In short order, he is accused of a crime he didn't commit. The problem then becomes…
03
Rain from Heaven
A destitute rainmaker and his family arrive in drought-stricken Virginia City. While Ben tries to help him make rain, Hoss tends to the man's seriously…
04
Twilight Town
Joe is bushwhacked in the desert and awakens to find himself in Martinville, a town that may or may not be populated by ghosts. An…
05
The Toy Soldier
Adam encounters drunken artist James Callan, branded a "squaw man" because he is married to an Indian, and whose talent is going to waste in…
06
A Question of Strength
Hoss and a pair of nuns, the younger one having a difficult time training for the order, are robbed and stranded at a way station.
07
Calamity over the Comstock
Joe has a run-in with Calamity Jane, and takes her home with him after promising her dying father to take care of her. At first…
08
Journey Remembered
Ben finds an old journal that he kept while in a wagon train travelling from St. Joseph, Missouri to Ash Hollow. As he is reading…
09
The Quality of Mercy
Joe struggles to understand whether his friend was right in killing a dying man who pleaded to put out of his misery.
10
The Waiting Game
Adam becomes involved with the recently widowed Laura Dayton and her little girl, Peggy.
11
The Legacy
Adam, Hoss and Joe mistakenly believe their father was murdered. They split into 3 different directions to confront the supposed killers. In his heart, Ben…
12
Hoss and the Leprechauns
In what is arguably the best comedy of the series, Hoss swears he has seen green elves running around the Ponderosa and a smooth-talking Irishman…
13
The Prime of Life
Ben becomes irritable and reckless when the completion of an important timber contract is hindered by an old rival.
14
The Lila Conrad Story
Joe and Adam protect a saloon girl, who has killed in self-defense, from an angry lynch mob. The accompanying Judge, along with his wife, takes…
15
Ponderosa Matador
Adam, Hoss, and Joe vie for the attention of a pretty young lady named Dolores. Hoss talks Joe into entering a bull fight, but it…
16
My Son, My Son
Ben's plans to marry Katherine Saunders are upset when her son Eden is accused of killing his former girlfriend.
17
Alias Joe Cartwright
A man who looks similar to Joe uses Joe's name and gets Joe in the position of facing the firing squad.
18
The Gentleman from New Orleans
The new stranger in town claims to be the famous pirate Jean Lafitte, and Hoss believes him.
19
The Cheating Game
In this sequel to "The Waiting Game", Laura resents Adam's advice on how she ought to be running her ranch. A newcomer, Ward Bannister, comes…
20
Bullet for a Bride
While out hunting for a mountain lion, Joe accidently shots Tessa Caldwell causing her to go blind. As a result of his guilt, Joe ends…
21
King of the Mountain
When mountain man Jim Leyton decides to marry, he chooses Hoss as his best man. Julie's father, Grizzly, does not agree and Hoss must come…
22
Love Me Not
While talking with an Indian, Ben is given an unexpected present...a woman. She is a young white woman named Joan who has lived with the…
23
The Pure Truth
Hoss is suffering from spring fever, goes to the wrong town and is accused of bank robbery.
24
No Less a Man
The town council feels Roy Coffee can no longer do his job, and with the notorious Wagner gang on their way to rob the bank,…
25
Return to Honor
Ben must travel to pay his respects after he learns of the death of his nephew Will. When he visits the grave, he finds his…
26
The Saga of Muley Jones
The Cartwrights are visited by their second cousin, Muley Jones of Weedville, Missouri who sings with a window-shattering voice and stirs up trouble with Indian…
27
The Roper
Will is having second thoughts about staying on at the Ponderosa, and outlaws hit the ranch and take him with them. The leader, Lee Hewitt,…
28
A Pink Cloud Comes from Old Cathay
A headstrong Chinese girl (Marlo Thomas) visiting the Cartwrights incites labor unrest among local workers.
29
The Companeros
Mateo Ibara and his wife Carla visit the Ponderosa. Ibara asks Will to return to Mexico with him. Ibara and Will fought together for Juarez's…
30
Enter Thomas Bowers
After a triumphant tour in Europe, a famous Negro singer encounters racial prejudice in Virginia City when he arrives for a concert.
31
The Dark Past
Moody bounty hunter, Dev Farnum, shows up on the Ponderosa, where the Cartwrights are harboring the wife of the man he is after.
32
The Pressure Game
Laura Dayton's Aunt Lil comes to visit and quickly decides it's time she help the hesitant Adam propose to her favorite niece. Her plan is…
33
Triangle
Adam and Laura are finally engaged. Adam is secretly building a house and planning for the future. Laura realizes that it's Will she is in…
34
Walter and the Outlaws
Hilarious sequel to "Any Friend Of Walter's" in which Obie leaves Walter in Hoss' care. The three outlaws, Macy, Teague, and Willard, kidnap Walter and…
SEASON 6
01
Invention of a Gunfighter
Joe teaches Johnny Chapman how to use a gun for defense. What Joe doesn't see is the deadly consequences that it has in the long…
02
The Hostage
Outlaws capture Ben and hide him in an abandoned mine, holding him for a ransom. The boys must come up with a plan to save…
03
The Wild One
Lafe Jessup doesn't really want to be married, and now he's about to be a father! The horse wrangler finds a fight with Hoss at…
04
Thanks for Everything, Friend
After inadvertantly falling into the river, Adam is rescued by Tom Wilson. Wilson has feelings for Sue Miller, which bring him into trouble after her…
05
Logan's Treasure
Sam Logan is released from jail after serving his twenty year sentence for stealing $100,000 worth of gold dust. He is followed by a bounty…
06
The Scapegoat
Hoss hires Waldo as a ranch hand after keeping Waldo from killing himself. Hoss soon learns that Waldo is lousy at his job and only…
07
A Dime's Worth of Glory
An author is inspired to write about the heroic Cartwrights after watching first-hand as they fight off an attempted robbery of a stage. As Ben…
08
Square Deal Sam
A conman heads into town and takes advantage of the Cartwrights with a fake land deal. The conman ends up staying in Virginia city to…
09
Between Heaven and Earth
When Joe and his friend Mitch go after a puma, Joe climbs a big peak and throws his gun up higher, intending to crawl up…
10
Old Sheba
As payment for a performance in a circus, Joe and Hoss are given an elephant. They want to keep it but encounter opposition from Adam…
11
A Man to Admire
Hoss relies on clever attorney Whitney Parker, who has a drinking problem, to clear him of a murder charge.
12
The Underdog
Little Joe convinces Ben to hire Harry Starr, a half-Indian who is accused by other ranchers of being a chronic horse thief. Joe sets out…
13
A Knight to Remember
Two robberies take place on stagecoaches that Adam is traveling on, and both times a knight in shining armor scares the robbers away. Adam is…
14
The Saga of Squaw Charlie
A peaceful Indian is framed for the kidnapping of a young girl, a stunt which ends of tragedy.
15
The Flapjack Contest
Hoss unknowingly enters a flapjack contest and Joe puts Hoss on a diet which Hoss doesn't care for. Joe's betting on the flapjack contest could…
16
The Far, Far Better Thing
On their way to prevent a young woman from encountering the renegade Indians, Joe and Tuck are captured, and in order to save them all,…
17
Woman of Fire
Ben's friend, Don Miguel, visits the Ponderosa with his two daughters, Margarita and Elena, and Elena's two very anxious suitors. Their mission? They're on their…
18
The Ballerina
Kellie Conrad dances and her father plays the fiddle to earn a living. Hoss feels a sense of guilt after he unintentionally hurts the arm…
19
The Flannel-Mouth Gun
Adam becomes involved with a quick-triggered range detective hired by the Virginia City Cattleman's Association to find out who is responsible for all the rustling…
20
The Ponderosa Birdman
Professor Klump and Amanda pull Hoss into their flying machine scheme. The ""Hoss-mobile"" doesn't seem to be destined for a great take-off.
21
The Search
Adam sets out to track down the man who has been impersonating him to clear his reputation.
22
The Deadliest Game
The Cartwrights play host to Guido Borelli, a world renowed aerial acrobat who once saved Ben's life in Italy. Borelli's troup is beset by internal…
23
Once a Doctor
Hoss' latest acquaintance, an Englishman named Professor Poppy, is actually Percival Alexander Mundy, M.D., who has given up the practice of medicine. However, when Hoss…
24
Right Is the Fourth R
While working as a substitute teacher, Adam uncovers an ugly secret about the territory's past that others prefer remain hidden.
25
Hound Dog
Cousin Muley Jones returns to the Ponderosa, along with a pack of noisy hound dogs, in this funny sequel to "The Saga Of Muley Jones".
26
The Trap
One of Joe's old girlfriends thinks he killed her husband so they could come together. Unfortunately, that is what her husband's twin brother also believes.
27
Dead and Gone
Adam tries to find the good in Howard Mead, a talented troubadour who refuses to stay on the right side of the law. Dramatic debut…
28
A Good Night's Rest
First Ben's sons are making lots of noise, so he goes into town to sleep in the hotel. Then, various noises and things interrupt Ben's…
29
To Own the World
One of the wealthiest men in the world, Charles Augustus Hackett, offers to buy the Ponderosa, price no object. Ben says the ranch is not…
30
Lothario Larkin
Ladies' man Lothario Larkin creates havoc whenever he hits Virginia City, so Roy Coffee orders him out of town. Naturally, Hoss takes him in.
31
The Return
No one in Virginia City is happy to see ex-con Trace Cordell, especially the man he crippled in a gunfight, now married to Cordell's former…
32
Jonah
The Ponderosa hands are upset when new hand George Whitman is hired on, it is rumored he is a jinx. Hoss tells George to ignore…
33
The Spotlight
Ben invites opera singer Angela Bergstrom to perform at Virginia City's anniversary celebration. She accepts, but does not tell him that her famous singing voice…
34
Patchwork Man
Hoss befriends a self-demeaning recluse named Patch, who makes the best apple pie Hoss has ever tasted. Hoss is so impressed with him, especially his…
SEASON 7
01
The Debt
Wiley and Annie Kane arrive at the Ponderosa to work off their father's debt to Ben. It seems as though the elder Kane once swindled…
02
The Dilemma
Ben helps a convict win a parole only to have the man later become the chief suspect in a bank robbery.
03
The Brass Box
Juan Ortega claims he has a land grant which gives him ownership of the entire Nevada Territory.
04
The Other Son
A mule skinner and his two sons are hired by Ben to transport nitroglycerin to California.
05
The Lonely Runner
A judge awards itinerant horse breeder Jim Acton's beloved mare to rancher Sam Whipple. Jim tries to buy her back, but Whipple refuses his offer,…
06
Devil on Her Shoulder
Ben is attracted to Sarah Reynolds, a member of a religious order led by her fanatical uncle. When she is accused of being a witch,…
07
Found Child
Hoss comes upon an overturned stagecoach and discovers a little girl suffering from shock. After the Cartwrights suceed in bringing her around, Hoss is disappointed…
08
The Meredith Smith
Ben must determine who is the rightful heir to a fortune that includes water rights vital to the Ponderosa.
09
Mighty is the Word
Virginia City's newest preacher is an ex-gunfighter who wants only to build a new church, but the brother of one of his victims has other…
10
The Strange One
Hoss and Joe find a woman abandoned by a wagon train because her gift of prophecy is considered a curse. "Wouldn't it be wonderful," says…
11
The Reluctant Rebel
The Generation Gap, Western-style, as Hoss tries to bring a young man and his father closer together.
12
Five Sundowns to Sunup
The mother of a young outlaw condemned to hang, threatens to have her gang's hostages killed if her son is not set free. One of…
13
A Natural Wizard
Hoss finds a kindred spirit in Skeeter Dexter, a lonesome young man who feels closer to animals than most people.
14
All Ye His Saints
In this series' highlight, little Michael Thorpe heads to the high country to ask God to spare his critically wounded father, believing he has found…
15
The Dublin Lad
After sitting on a jury that has convicted Terrence O' Tool of murder, Joe has second thoughts about the verdict and decides to do some…
16
To Kill a Buffalo
Hoss finds a wounded young Indian on the prairie, who is torn between accepting the ways of the white man or returning to his old…
17
Ride the Wind (1)
The Pony Express sets up office in Virginia and Joe is one of the first to join up. Ben also decides to invest in the…
18
Ride the Wind (2)
Conclusion to the previous-week's episode, where the Cartwrights provide needed assistance to the Pony Express.
19
Destiny's Child
After his only friend is killed, the Cartwrights take in a slow-witted man, who Roy Coffee informs them, is wanted for murder by Arizona authorities.
20
Peace Officer
While Sheriff Coffee is in Saint Louis, the Morrisey bunch decides to work off excess energy by wrecking the saloon in a violent spree. When…
21
The Code
Joe is goaded into facing gunman Dan Taggert, unaware there is more to be prearranged than he realizes.
22
Three Brides for Hoss
Not one, but three mail-order brides show up unexpectedly at the Ponderosa, all of them believing they are to marry Hoss.
23
The Emperor Norton
Joshua Norton, an eccentric and formerly wealthy San Francisco merchant who considers himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, comes to the…
24
Her Brother's Keeper
Ben and Claire Armory fall in love, but their future is jeopardized by her disabled brother.
25
The Trouble with Jamie
The Cartwrights attempt to straighten out the snobbish young son of Ben's cousin.
26
Shining in Spain
Young, adoring Wendy Daniels has come to Virginia City to meet up with her father, Taylor Daniels, who has been traveling on business for the…
27
The Genius
Hoss chooses a difficult path when he decides to rehabilitate a famous poet, Will Smith, who is really William Warlock Evans, who spends too much…
28
The Unwritten Commandment
Everyone feels Andy Walker is an outstanding singer but his father, who feels the boy should concentrate on ranch work instead. Joe mentions receiving a…
29
Big Shadow on the Land
Italian immigrants are determined to establish their own vineyard on Ponderosa property.
30
The Fighters
Feeling guilty for unintentionally ending the career of a professional boxer, Hoss vows never to fight again. But things change when Joe is nearly beaten…
31
Home from the Sea
A sailor, claiming to be one of Adam's closest friends, is given a warm welcome by the Cartwrights, who have no way of knowing the…
32
The Last Mission
Ben and Hoss unwittingly aid a vengeful army colonel who plans to wipe out every Indian he can with a Gatling gun.
33
A Dollar's Worth of Trouble
Hoss finds himself in another mess, this one involving a beautiful blonde, a moonshiner, and a nearsighted outlaw who is allergic to chocolate and flowers.
SEASON 8
01
Something Hurt, Something Wild
The Cartwrights' friendship with a neighboring rancher is threatened by his mentally unstable daughter.
02
Horse of a Different Hue
So the Cartwrights will not be killed, one of Ben's oldest friends must make sure Joe does not win a horse race.
03
A Time to Step Down
After the Cartwrights put wrangler Dan Tolliver out to pasture, the embittered old man plans to take part in robbing the Ponderosa.
04
The Pursued (1)
A Mormon with two wives is badgered by the town's people and then things get much worse.
05
The Pursued (2)
As the persecuted party awaits Ben and Hoss' return, Herber is shot and killed. Joe retaliates and shoots Herber's assassin.
06
To Bloom for Thee
Hoss is engaged to Carol Attley, a troubled woman with a past darker than he imagines.
07
Credit for a Kill
Though his friend is badly in need of the reward money, Joe insists it belongs to him, to protect his friend from the dead outlaws'…
08
Four Sisters from Boston
The Cartwrights come to the rescue of four inexperienced homesteaders, when devious cattle ranchers try to run them off their property.
09
Old Charlie
A young cowpoke is killed during a fight with Hoss, but the old blowhard who runs the Virginia City stables, takes the credit, placing him…
10
Ballad of the Ponderosa
A young troubadour, who blames Ben for the death of his father, returns to Virginia City. In one scene, Ben says the young man is…
11
The Oath
While in another town, on business, Ben runs into a saloon employee who is a big figure, and after he kills an old miner, who…
12
A Real Nice, Friendly Little Town
When the woman he was planning to marry is strangled, Joe forces the only suspect to come forward, in a very tense-filled episode.
13
The Bridegroom
Joe plays matchmaker in this story of a rancher attempting to marry off his supposedly unremarkable daughter.
14
Tommy
The Cartwrights protect a woman and her deaf-mute little son from the boy's outlaw stepfather.
15
A Christmas Story
Warbling Andy Walker returns to Virginia City a big success, along with his shifty Uncle Thaddeus.
16
Ponderosa Explosion
Two Virginia City old-timers fool Hoss and Joe into raising rabbits, and the Ponderosa is overrun with paws and whiskers.
17
Justice
When the woman he was planning to marry is strangled, Joe forces the only suspect to come forward.
18
A Bride for Buford
Dolly Bantree has a crooked manager ""Blackie"", who blackmails Dolly to fleece newly rich miner Buford out of his newfound wealth. Hoss suspects something and…
19
Black Friday
In the town of Chiso, Joe encounters a former Ponderosa cowhand who is now a gunfighter and expecting to be killed on Friday the 13th.…
20
The Unseen Wound
Ben discovers that his friend, Sheriff Paul Rowan, is suffering from stress brought on by his wartime experiences.
21
Journey to Terror
Joe visits his married friends in Arizona Territory, only to discover the husband has become a criminal and is secretly part of a notorious gang.
22
Amigo
A wounded comanchero sides with the Cartwrights when the rest of the gang, led by Captain Fenner, shows up to burn and rob the Ponderosa.
23
A Woman in the House
Mary Wharton, an old friend of the family, comes to live on the Ponderosa with her shiftless husband. When Ben learns Mary is the victim…
24
Judgment at Red Creek
Hoss and Joe have their doubts as to who really robbed a way station, suspecting the two men they captured are innocent.
25
Joe Cartwright, Detective
Joe becomes fascinated by detective literature and drags Hoss into the picture when he suspects the bank is going to be robbed.
26
Dark Enough to See the Stars
Young Billy Wilcox wanders onto the Ponderosa, sick, hungry, and alone. Ben finds him, and after he regains his strength, offers Billy a job. Jennifer…
27
The Deed and the Dilemma
Ben assists Georgio Rossi in his battle for water on adjoining property.
28
The Prince
The Cartwrights play host to Russian royals, who are the target of jewel thieves.
29
A Man Without Land
The foreman of a neighboring ranch frames Joe for murder as part of a scheme to get his employer's property.
30
Napoleon's Children
A gang of juvenile delinquents, led by an intelligent runt, who calls himself Napoleon, terrorizes Virginia City and the Ponderosa as well.
31
The Wormwood Cup
A woman - convinced Little Joe intentionally killed her brother - offers $1,000 to the man who kills the youngest Cartwright in what she deems…
32
Clarissa
The Cartwrights' cousin, Clarissa visits. Her assertive, snobbish ways result in nothing but trouble for Ben and his sons.
33
Maestro Hoss
Hoss is conned into buying a violin from a gypsy fortune teller, and everyone on the Ponderosa--except for Hop Sing--suffers the consequences.
34
The Greedy Ones
The Ponderosa is in danger of being overrun by gold hunters.
SEASON 9
01
Second Chance
Renegade Indians have been on the rampage attacking settlers and raising havoc in the West. Joe and Hoss have gone to warn the settlers when…
02
Sense of Duty
Ben, Hoss and Little Joe help the Virginia City militia escort a renegade Indian, who believes he is the Almighty, through hostile Indian territory to…
03
The Conquistadors
A band of Mexican kidnaps Little Joe for a $25,000 ransom. A group of cowboys plan to rescue Joe, kill him and claim the gold…
04
Judgment at Olympus
Candy is arrested for committing murder in the town of Olympus. He is accused of killing Jed Wheelock, the son of wealthy A. Z. Wheelock.…
05
Night of Reckoning
A sadistic outlaw named Dibbs along with his gang, take siege of the Ponderosa, holding Joe, Hoss, and Candy prisoners. Their foreman, Donny Buckler, has…
06
False Witness
While at the bank in Sandust, Little Joe and the bank's secretary witness an armed robbery. During a subsequent gunfight, the main culprit kills the…
07
The Gentle Ones
Most people consider Mark Cole a coward, but he does not hesitate to step forward when his brother attempts to break a horse by torturing…
08
Desperate Passage
Driving horses to Utah, the Cartwrights and Candy discover only two people left in a town wiped out by rampaging Paiute Indians. Together, Mary Burns…
09
The Sure Thing
A young girl's ownership of a beloved stallion is jeopardized by the "big plans" of her scheming father.
10
Showdown at Tahoe
A career robber who claims to be a lumber man, and his gang plan to use Ben's new freight paddleboat to haul a $1 million…
11
Six Black Horses
Ben's old friend has stolen money from corrupt politicians in New York and plans to invest in Nevada.
12
Check Rein
An injured rancher, who has enlisted the aid of the Cartwrights to buy back one of his horses after his farm is foreclosed, must avoid…
13
Justice Deferred
An anguished Hoss discovers that his testimony helped hang an innocent man accused of murder. As he struggles to bring the real killer to justice,…
14
The Gold Detector
Hoss wants to buy a mine thought to be worthless and orders a fancy invention to prove it isn't and becomes the local laughingstock in…
15
The Trackers
A man, recently released from prison for bank robbery, is accused of robbing the same Virginia City bank and gunning down a teller. The Cartwrights…
16
A Girl Named George
Trick photography is employed to help a killer beat a murder rap, to prove he was not there at the time of the murder he…
17
The Thirteenth Man
The ranchers are once again losing stock to rustlers and not everyone agrees with range detective Marcus Alley's preventive methods.
18
The Burning Sky
A cruel, sadistic, alcoholic and racist rancher named Aaron Gore stalks the wife of Ben's friend, whom he has hired as a horse trainer. The…
19
The Price of Salt
When a young woman inherits her late father's salt mine, a greedy rancher wants to buy all the salt for himself. Ben, standing for the…
20
Blood Tie
A band of outlaws enact a scheme to rob the Ponderosa, by tricking Hoss and Little Joe away from the ranch and leaving a wounded…
21
The Crime of Johnny Mule
Hoss stands alone in refusing to convict Johnny Mule, a ""slow"" ranch hand who is accused of robbing and murdering his boss. So when Johnny…
22
The Late Ben Cartwright
In order to ruin the plans of a corrupt politician, Ben allows everyone to think that an attempt on his life was successful.
23
Star Crossed
Candy falls in love with a beautiful young woman, unaware that the man claiming to be her cousin is a bounty hunter who is not…
24
Trouble Town
The Ponderosa ranch hands are at Riverbend during a cattle drive. While there, Candy meets an old friend, Lilah Holden, working in a saloon. When…
25
Commitment at Angelus
When a horse steps on Candy's hand out on the trail, he and Joe go to Angelus to find a doctor. When they arrive, Joe…
26
A Dream to Dream
An alcoholic rancher, drinking away his bitterness, makes live unbearable for his wife and children. Hoss helps reform his friend while bringing happiness and stability…
27
In Defense of Honor
Davey - a orphaned Yute that Ben helped raise and has worked as a ranch hand on the Ponderosa - falls in love with one…
28
To Die in Darkness
While the others are away, Ben and Candy are lured by an old friend of Ben's to go somewhere. The ""friend"" traps them in a…
29
The Bottle Fighter
Hoss is accused of stabbing a man to death, and his only hope of acquittal is a once great trial lawyer who is now a…
30
The Arrival of Eddie
Eddie McKay, the son of a robber and murderer who Hoss killed several years ago in a shootout, returns to Virginia City to make a…
31
The Stronghold
Joe and Candy sell a herd to the Farrell Brothers in Arizona, but are paid a worthless bank draft. The widow of the man one…
32
Pride of a Man
Joe reluctantly takes a job as a substitute teacher and must contend with two older students who have no use for an education.
33
A Severe Case of Matrimony
An untalented gypsy girl tries to get the Cartwrights to finance her career as an opera singer.
34
Stage Door Johnnies
Hoss and Joe rival for the affections of visiting entertainer Mademoiselle Denise, though she is more concerned for her little dog, Andre, than anything else.
SEASON 10
01
Different Pines, Same Wind
The 10th season opens as Joe helps a widowed mountain woman, a recluse who is suffering from an infection that has become serious, in a…
02
Child
While Hoss is in a remote town on business, he is arrested for murder and robbery. The town's richest man has just been killed, and…
03
Salute to Yesterday
When on a cattle drive on Ponderosa land, the Cartwrights and Candy find a dying cavalry officer on the trail. With his last breath, he…
04
The Real People of Muddy Creek
Ben is in charge of a vicious prisoner and gets virtually no help from the cowardly citizens of the town where he is holding him…
05
The Passing of a King
The son of a rancher to whom the Cartwrights are selling a prize bull is trying to get his father ruled mentally incompetant, and will…
06
The Last Vote
Hoss and Joe's bickering leads them into taking opposite sides in the Virginia City mayoral race. Their zealous actions leads into dividing Virginia City's citizens…
07
Catch as Catch Can
The residents of Tin Bucket claim the Cartwrights and Candy are dealing in stolen cattle hides. With most of the town accusing Joe, Hoss and…
08
Little Girl Lost
A bratty 10-year-old girl named Samantha, whose mother is Ben's cousin and is a third cousin of Hoss and Little Joe, comes to the Ponderosa.…
09
The Survivors
A white woman abducted years before by the Paiutes is reunited with her husband, who is less than pleased to learn she has given birth…
10
The Sound of Drums
In the third and final installment of the Rossi family, Georgio Rossi doesn't understand why he cannot allow Indians who have left the reservation to…
11
Queen High
Joe and Candy win a stamping mill in a poker game, but the fact of them not knowing how to run it, is the least…
12
Yonder Man
An army scout Ben once knew comes to the Ponderosa and asks Ben to stake a cattle ranch in Mira Flores, Mexico.
13
Mark of Guilt
Hop Sing tells Hoss and Candy they can use the ancient Chinese art of fingerprinting to prove Joe is innocent of murder.
14
A World Full of Cannibals
Ben agrees to hide a government witness in a land fraud case at the Ponderosa as part of the witness protection program. However, the witness…
15
Sweet Annie Laurie
Hoss offers to help Annie Laurie, a beautiful young woman who is running away from her abusive husband, a career criminal who is determined to…
16
My Friend, My Enemy
Only the testimony of an Indian wanted for horse theft can clear Candy of murder.
17
Mrs. Wharton and the Lesser Breeds
Candy sets out to help a feisty and elderly British woman recover the jewels stolen from her in a stage holdup.
18
Erin
A neighbor of the Cartwrights threatens Hoss' fiancé, Erin - a beautiful young woman who has been raised by Indians since her childhood - when…
19
Company of Forgotten Men
A retired Army sergeant, bitter that he never received his pension from the government, kidnaps one-time friend Candy and forces him to go along with…
20
The Clarion
Ben's friend is struggling to keep her newspaper going in the face of harrassment by the town boss of Gunlock, so without telling her, Ben…
21
The Lady and the Mountain Lion
A shady magician, with his twin daughters, comes to Virginia City and there is a lot of confusion with the daughters of the magician, twin…
22
Five Candles
The floor of the Virginia City courthouse collapses, trapping Ben in the basement with three other people, one of whom may or may not be…
23
The Wish
Hoss spends his two-month vacation helping a black family get their farm in shape, and dealing with racism in the neighboring town.
24
The Deserter
Candy comes upon a soldier who is running from charges of desertion, and with Joe's help they foil a plan to sell rapid-fire rifles to…
25
Emily
Joe is shocked to see his ex-fiancee, Emily Anderson, in Virginia City. He had met her in Monterey five years earlier, and they had planned…
26
The Running Man
Joe and Candy travel to Butlerville and learn that one of Ben's closest friends is burning out new settlers, whom he regards as squatters. Candy's…
27
The Unwanted
Feeling unloved, a Marshal's daughter runs off with a Ponderosa hand her father thinks may be related to the man that shot him.
28
Speak No Evil
Coley Clayborn, who has always thought his mother abandoned him and his father, thinks she is only after the gold mine he inherited when she…
29
The Fence
While Ben and Hoss visit an old friend to negotiate the purchase of a mine, former Confederate soldiers arrive wanting to exact revenge on the…
30
A Ride in the Sun
A pair of con artists swindle Ben out of nearly $30,000 after convincing the Cartwright patriarch to enter into a deal to buy his cattle.…
SEASON 11
01
Another Windmill to Go
An Englishman with a passion for challenging ridiculous laws shows up on the Ponderosa grazing in a land-rowing boat mounted on a wagon.
02
The Witness
A young woman, Jenny Winters who is prone to telling tall tales, claims she witnessed the Logan gang holding up a stagecoach. The Cartwrights hide…
03
The Silence at Stillwater
A young boy positively identifies Candy as the man wanted in Stillwater for robbery, arson and murder.
04
A Lawman's Lot Is Not a Happy One
When he is called to testify in an out-of-town lumber shark case, Roy recruits Hoss to temporarily serve as sheriff. Hoss quickly finds his hands…
05
Anatomy of a Lynching
Will Griner is acquitted of murder which upsets the folks of Virginia City. They feel Griner silenced witnesses and are ready to lynch him. Ben…
06
To Stop a War
Dan Logan, a former army scout and lawman who works for the Cartwrights, has his hands full with rustlers, a range war, and a one-time…
07
The Medal
Ben lends a hand to a down and out war veteran, Matthew Rush, who received the Congressional Medal Of Honor.
08
The Stalker
Candy helps the widow of a man he shot and killed in self defense, unaware she is plotting revenge against him.
09
Meena
Little Joe and Candy defend Meena Calhoun and her crusty father, Luke, from horse rustlers. In the process, Joe helps Meena become assertive and stick…
10
A Darker Shadow
A Virginia City store clerk decides to take advantage of his co-worker's paralyzing sensitivity to bright light.
11
Dead Wrong
While in Sunville on business for the Ponderosa, the town's storyteller, Salty - who has a talent for grossly exaggerating his tales - identifies Hoss…
12
Old Friends
Ben is sorry to learn that two of his oldest friends are on opposite sides of the law, after 27 years. Charlie Shepard once worked…
13
Abner Willoughby's Return
Joe agrees to help the man who tried to steal his horse, Abner Willoughby, who has returned to claim the box of gold he hid…
14
It's a Small World
A prejudiced Virginia City banker spurns Ben's recommendation of a recent widower (with an infant daughter to raise) for a bank teller's job because he's…
15
Danger Road
Ben needs to haul three beams that are 30 feet long and the Cambeau Freight Company will not do it. A new, independent freight hauler…
16
The Big Jackpot
Candy has inherited a fortune from an Indian he helped. He quits his job on the Ponderosa and becomes a vice president for a land…
17
The Trouble with Amy
Ben comes to the aid of Amy Wilder, an eccentric animal lover whose mental competency is questioned when a neighbor declares an interest in her…
18
The Lady and the Mark
A new wealthy Ponderosa employee with a weakness for women becomes the target of con artists.
19
Is There Any Man Here
When the daughter of a friend declares her love for him, Ben agonizes over what to do.
20
The Law and Billy Burgess
Ben seriously doubts an angry young man committed several murders to which he has confessed to.
21
Long Way to Ogden
Ben gambles the future of the Ponderosa when a convincing meat packer from Chicago, sets out to ruin the local cattle industry.
22
Return Engagement
En route to San Francisco, actress Lotta Crabtree arrives in Virginia City for a special performance. Hoss is smitten by the beautiful actress, which makes…
23
The Gold Mine
Two drifters come to the Ponderosa and they try to rob the Cartwrights but are driven away. Joe becomes close to the young Mexican, Ramon,…
24
Decision at Los Robles
Ben and Joe stop in Los Robles for a couple of beers and a night's rest. Ben sees the town boss, John Walker, bullying the…
25
Caution, Easter Bunny Crossing
""Here comes Hoss Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail... "" That's what the folks of Virginia City were probably thinking when a Quaker woman talks…
26
The Horse Traders
In this second episode to feature Meena Calhoun and her father, Hoss and Joe's plans to sell horses from the livery stables in town is…
27
What Are Pardners For?
Hoss meets two men. He forms a rapport with them and they tell him that they plan to rob the bank in the town they…
28
A Matter of Circumstance
Little Joe stays back at the Ponderosa to tend to its operation as Ben, Hoss, Candy and Hop Sing leave for a cattle drive, who…
SEASON 12Season12
01
The Night Virginia City Died
In the 12th season premiere, a series of destructive fires strike Virginia City, and always late at night. Is it the work of a ruthless…
02
A Matter of Faith
Dusty takes in orphaned Jamie Hunter, the son of a recently-deceased rainmaker. Jamie is determined to carry on his father's tradition by using drought-stricken Virginia…
03
The Weary Willies
The Weary Willies are hippie-like former Civil War veterans who are now drifters and live off the land. Despite protests from fellow ranchers and the…
04
The Wagon
After being taken into custody by a sheriff who does not care if he is guilty or innocent of a crime, Hoss escapes from the…
05
The Power of Life and Death
A man called Davis has shot Colonel Clayton and escapes on horseback. Joe and Ben join the posse that sets out to find Davis. Ben…
06
Gideon, the Good
On the trail, Joe witnesses a woman kill a man, but the woman rides away before he can positively identify her. He rides into the…
07
The Trouble with Trouble
When Hoss volunteers to be Sheriff of a town called Trouble, he soon finds out that the town had correctly been named. Hoss almost manages…
08
Thornton's Account
Ben's new horse throws him down a steep slope, injuring his back. Joe tries to round up some help, but the settlers in the valley…
09
The Love Child
A dying woman and her son are rejected by her father because she had a child out of wedlock.
10
El Jefe
Ben and Hoss come to the rescue of Mexican farmers who are forced off their land by the greedy mine owner who runs the town…
11
The Luck of Pepper Shannon
Pepper Shannon is a dime novel hero and outlaw. Ben gives a job to Pepper Shannon on the condition the one-time outlaw stays away from…
12
The Impostors
Hoss and Joe pretend to be stage robbers' partners in order to recover stolen Cartwright money. All goes well until the wife of one of…
13
Honest John
Jamie forms a bond with a bum and his tame crow. Before long, Jamie suggests they repair an old wagon and leave the Ponderosa.
14
For a Young Lady
A girl's uncle and aunt want custody of her only because they believe she has the rights to her late grandfather's mine.
15
A Single Pilgrim
Settlers from Virginia argue over Hoss' fate after one of them accidentally shoots him.
16
The Gold-Plated Rifle
An insecure Jamie is unsure of his place in the family, having trouble adjusting at his new school and keeps getting harassed by a bully.…
17
Top Hand
The Cartwrights are about to start a major cattle drive with other ranchers. It has been decided that Ben's foreman will be trail boss on…
18
A Deck of Aces
Bradley Meredith, a Ben Cartwright look-a-like, causes trouble when he sells land to the railroad. Ben has already turned down the deal, but Meredith, acting…
19
The Desperado
Hoss is held prisoner by a fugitive black couple who they admit hate white people and have nothing to lose by killing them.
20
The Reluctant American
An English couple comes to Nevada to learn why a ranch owned by the British investment firm is the only company holding not showing a…
21
Shadow of a Hero
Ben is shocked to learn the Army general he is backing as governor, advocates a policy of genocide towards all Indians.
22
The Silent Killer
An epidemic of influenza hits the Ponderosa and the only person who seems sure of what to do is the wife of a doctor, whom…
23
Terror at 2:00
A racist and his henchmen steal a Gatling gun, with plans to massacre everyone - including the Cartwrights - involved in a peace treaty signing…
24
The Stillness Within
Blinded by an explosion, Joe wallows in self-pity, and at first resists the efforts of a woman trying to teach him to live without sight,…
25
A Time to Die
While visiting the Ponderosa, Ben's friend, April Christopher, is bitten by a rabid wolf. Ben and April and her daughter must come to terms with…
26
Winter Kill
The foreman of a neighboring ranch shoots a special steer belonging to the Cartwrights, and his scheming boss plots to take unfair advantage of the…
27
Kingdom of Fear
Ben, Hoss and Joe, along with Candy and a fellow rancher, are jailed on false trespassing charges by a greedy mining tycoon. The despot runs…
28
An Earthquake Called Callahan
The only person who can get Dusty out of jail is a professional fighter who will not return to Virginia City, so Joe stays on…
SEASON 13
01
The Grand Swing
Jamie deliberately disobeys Ben's order not to drive the supply wagons. During his recklessness, the wagon goes out of control on a sharp curve and…
02
Fallen Woman
An alcoholic woman lashes out at Hoss after his testimony sends her husband to prison. She gets back at him by forcing the big guy…
03
Bushwhacked
Joe is shot and wounded while he is on a cattle drive in the Nevada desert. Two ranchers find him, delirious from thirst and the…
04
Rock-a-Bye, Hoss
Hoss becomes a judge in a contest--he has to pick the perfect/prettiest baby. The parents of the babies nearly all try to influence Hoss, so…
05
The Prisoners
Joe volunteers to help an old lawman escort a slick outlaw to jail, but when their prisoner kills the sheriff and wounds Joe, he must…
06
Cassie
To help the hapless wife and daughter of a lazy dreamer, Hoss arranges a "fixed" horse race.
07
Don't Cry, My Son
The wife of Virginia City's new doctor leaves him, after their son dies in childbirth. The doctor snaps and abducts another woman's baby.
08
Face of Fear
Neta, a teen-age girl who is a friend of Jamie's, witnesses an assault and robbery. The victim - Mr. Trumbull, a man who is about…
09
Blind Hunch
A veteran blinded by the last battle of the Civil War, returns to Virginia City, to solve the mystery surrounding who killed his brother.
10
The Iron Butterfly
Hoss takes the blame when a visiting actress kills her former boyfriend. The ex-boyfriend's father, a senator, sets out to destroy the Cartwrights and the…
11
The Rattlesnake Brigade
Jamie and three teen-agers - a girl and two boys - are kidnapped by Doyle, a hardened criminal with nothing to lose, and his gang…
12
Easy Come, Easy Go
When Luke Calhoun loses all his money in a stock scheme, he and his daughter Meena stay at the Ponderosa with disruptive consequences. Luke turns…
13
A Home for Jamie
Just as Ben begins to formally adopt Jamie, his grandfather shows up to take him away. Ben tells the gentleman, "He's a young man with…
14
Warbonnet
Joe is stranded in the desert when his mare falls and breaks her leg. He falls unconscious from exhaustion and lack of water, and is…
15
A Lonely Man
While panning for gold on his vacation, Hop Sing meets and falls in love with a shy woman. Their future plans are dashed when a…
16
Second Sight
Hoss enlists the aid of Judith Coleman, a clairvoyant woman who has the gift of "second sight" to find Jamie. He has been missing in…
17
The Saddle Stiff
Fired ranch hand, Cactus, suggests that Ben is too old to put in a real work's week and challenges Ben to take a job as…
18
Frenzy
Ben helps shepherd a young family, the Kosovos (Nick; his wife, Anna; and his son, Sandor), who had recently immigrated from Serbia. Nick soon finds…
19
Customs of the Country
All about Joe and Hoss' visit to a small Mexican town named Agua Santos, which seems to have some rather peculiar laws. The two Cartwright…
20
Shanklin
A band of ex-Confederate soldiers demands $25,000 from Ben. When Hoss resists their demands and tries to fight them, their leader, Shanklin, shoots Hoss in…
21
Search in Limbo
Sid Langley is a real estate broker who is not well liked in Nevada, thanks to his shady ways of doing business. An irritable Ben…
22
He Was Only Seven
A 7-year-old boy is killed after he walks into a bank during a robbery by the ruthless Springer gang. Joe and Jamie help the boy's…
23
The Younger Brothers' Younger Brother
A comic tale of mistaken identity, as Hoss (and eventually Ben and Joe) are held in connection with a series of road gang robberies by…
24
A Place to Hide
The Cartwrights are once again brought in the middle of the Civil War. This time, the wife of former Civil War Col. Cody Ransom brings…
25
A Visit to Upright
Ben's ability to close a lucrative livestock contract with a conspicuous widow hinges on the sale of a dilapidated saloon in Upright that Hoss and…
26
One Ace Too Many
While the Cartwrights are away to Carson City, ruthless land baron Bradley Meredith (Lorene Greene in a dual role) poses as Ben in a scheme…
SEASON 14
01
Forever
Little Joe finds true love in newcomer Alice Harper. Following a courtship, the two are engaged. Unlike most of the Cartwrights' previous girlfriends, Alice makes…
02
Forever (2)
Little Joe learns of the tragic and savagely brutal circumstances of Alice's death and is determined to bring her killers to justice. While a good…
03
Heritage of Anger
Ex-con John Dundee, a friend of the Cartwights, is being released from prison. Ben tries to help John readjust to society, but John wants revenge…
04
The Initiation
Jamie's friend, Ted Hoag, is unfairly blamed for the death of another young fellow during a club initiation. In the end, it's a lesson in…
05
Riot!
While at the Nevada State Prison to inspect conditions, Ben is taken hostage in a riot. The riot is an attempt by frustrated inmates to…
06
New Man
In what was essentially the second part of a two-part episode centering on Griff King, the young parolee arrives at the Ponderosa and is hired…
07
Ambush at Rio Lobo
Ben and a pregnant woman named Teresa are held hostage by desperate outlaws, who plot to rob a stagecoach and force the two to go…
08
The 26th Grave
Mark Twain ruffles dangerous feathers in Virginia City with accusations of claim-jumping and murder.
09
Stallion
The moving tale of Little Joe and his beloved black stallion, which Ben purchases for his son as a birthday gift.
10
The Hidden Enemy
Dr. Will Agar is Virginia City's new town doctor, and brings with him new skills and expertise to treat area residents' health maladies. Only thing…
11
The Sound of Sadness
A lonely old man opens his home to two orphan boys but runs into bureaucratic opposition when attempting to adopt them.
12
The Bucket Dog
Jamie obtains an Irish setter pup and forms a special bond between dog and man. The dog's owner learns the puppy is at the Ponderosa…
13
First Love
Jamie becomes friends with the wife of an unpopular schoolmaster, who often browbeats her.
14
The Witness
An elderly business associate of Ben's is killed after a man, posing as Candy, tries to rob her; the woman suffers a fatal heart attack,…
15
The Marriage of Theodora Duffy
A serious game of ""let's pretend"" begins when Griff and government agent Theodora Duffy pose as husband and wife to capture a gang of war…
16
The Hunter
In what turned out to be the series finale, Little Joe is making a delivery for Ben when he meets Bill Tanner, a psychotic killer…
SERIES INFO
14
Seasons
431
Episodes
49 min/ep
Per Episode
Ended
Status
CREW
Creator
David Dortort
NETWORKS (1)
NBC
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Bonanza about?
The High-Sierra adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.
Where can I watch Bonanza?
Bonanza is available on Plex, MUBI, Tubi, Rakuten TV, Pluto TV. Availability varies by region.
How many seasons does Bonanza have?
Bonanza has 14 seasons with 431 episodes total.
Who created Bonanza?
Bonanza was created by David Dortort.
Who stars in Bonanza?
The cast of Bonanza includes Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, David Canary, Tim Matheson, Mitch Vogel.
What is the rating of Bonanza?
Bonanza has a rating of 7.5 out of 10 based on 463 votes on TMDB.
Is Bonanza still running?
Bonanza has ended. The final episode aired on .
GENRES (4)
Western
Action & Adventure
Drama
Family