Welcome to Bonanza Brand

"Captain, I'm, I'm through with the sea too. I have a dream, sir. To go west." - Ben (Elizabeth, My Love)

Bonanza is the story of Ben Cartwright and his sons, living and working on their ranch - the Ponderosa. The Ponderosa was a thousand square mile ranch located outside of Virginia City, Nevada.

Set in the mid-19th century (from about the time of when the Comstock Lode was discovered in 1859), Bonanza chronicled the adventures of the Cartwrights and their friends in over 430 episodes. Beginning on 12th September, 1959 and for the next fourteen years, viewers got to know Ben and his sons - Adam, Hoss and Little Joe as they battled enemies, help their neighbours, fell in love and learnt important life lessons.

Over the years there were many changes - Adam left towards the end of the 6th season; Candy Canaday (a drifter with a mysterious background) arrived in the 9th season, left at the end of the 11th, only to return for the last season; Jamie Hunter (an orphan, later adopted by Ben) arrived at the beginning of season 12; and the death of Hoss after season 13.

This website is about the characters, the actors, the stories and much more that came together to help create one of the most innovative shows (the first to be filmed entirely in colour) ever made. For nearly 50 years, Bonanza has been a show that has and continues to capture the imagination of people all over the world.