[h=1]THEY NEVER CHANGED CLOTHES[/h]
Eagle-eyed fans of the show might have noticed the characters never changed clothes. This tactic made it so production could work in stock footage when necessary and lower production costs. Despite the lower costs, the show was still one of the most expensive of its day.
[h=1]A MULTI-TALENT CAST[/h]
Not only were the actors of the show talented in front of the camera, most could sing and four of the Cartwrights contributed to the 1964 Christmas-themed album, Christmas at the Ponderosa. Lorne Greene even had a single, ?Ringo,? that became a huge hit in the U.S. and Canada.[h=1]PERNELL ROBERTS (ADAM CARTWRIGHT)[/h]
American actor and singer Pernell Roberts Jr. played he role of Adam Cartwright, the oldest son. Aside from Bonanza, he had guest-starred in over 60 television series. After working on Bonanza for only 6 years, he decided to leave the show. After that he returned to doing some stage work and appeared on other programs. He retired in the 1990?s, and died in 2010 at the age of 81 following a battle with cancer.[h=1]PERNELL ROBERTS HATED THE SHOW[/h]
Roberts leaving the show after six years may have surprised viewers, but people behind the scenes knew that Roberts? politics and lack of regard for the intelligence of the script caused him to detest the show from the beginning.[h=1]THE TV SHOW THAT INSPIRED A RESTAURANT CHAIN[/h]
Restaurants Ponderosa/Bonanza Steakhouseswere actually inspired by the show and started by Bonanza cast member Dan Blocker. He founded the first American Bonanza Steakhouse in Kokomo, Indiana in 1965. The chain expanded to Canada in 1971. The restaurants are owned by the Metromedia Restaurant Group.[h=1]DAN BLOCKER - THE LARGEST BABY EVER BORN IN A TOWN IN TEXAS[/h]
Weighing in at 14 pounds at birth, Dan Blocker was, at the time, the largest baby ever born in Bowie County, Texas. In his first grade, Blocker already weighed a whopping 105 pounds.[h=1]FROM BARELY SURVIVING TO THRIVING[/h]
Bonanza suffered very low ratings during its first season as it aired every Saturday night to dismal ratings and was nearly cancelled. However, because it was the first TV show filmed and broadcast in color, and NBC was intent on keeping the show running due to its color production, they moved it to Sunday evenings, where its ratings soared. Bonanza eventually reached number one in 1964.[h=1]STOCK FOOTAGE THAT SAVED A TON OF MONEY[/h]
Because of the stock footage used, the production saved thousands of dollars per episode. It was a simple but very effective trick that cut out plenty of big shoots that would have inflated the show?s budget.[h=1]FAKE HAIR[/h]
Many of the actors on the show wore toupees, including Blocker, Roberts, and Green. Landon?s hair however was all real.[h=1]THE SHOW STAYED ON TV TO SELL COLOR TVS[/h]
Bonanza was one of the earliest TV shows to be filmed in color. When it suffered ratings, it remained on air because NBC and its parent company RCA wanted to sell more color TVs. As the TV show increased in popularity it didn?t have to rely any longer on its ability to sell color TVs.:0008
