| Bonanza | |
|---|---|
| Season 8 | |
Cast of Bonanza in 1959
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| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 34 |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 11, 1966 (1966-09-11) – May 14, 1967 (1967-05-14) |
| Season chronology | |
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Next → | |
| List of episodes | |
The eighth season of the American Western television series Bonanza premiered on NBC on September 11, 1966, with the final episode airing May 14, 1967.[1] The series was developed and produced by David Dortort. Season eight starred Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. The season consisted of 34 episodes of a series total 431 hour-long episodes, the entirety of which was produced in color.[2] Season eight was aired on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. It was the third straight season the show held the #1 position in the Nielsen ratings.[3]
Bonanza is set around the Ponderosa Ranch near Virginia City, Nevada and chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, consisting of Ben Cartwright and his three sons (each by a different wife), Adam, Eric ("Hoss"), and Joseph ("Little Joe"). A regular character is their ranch cook, Hop Sing.
On location filming for season eight took place at the following:
| No. overall | No.in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 236 | 1 | "Something Hurt, Something Wild" | Lewis Allen | Jerry Alderman and William Driskill | September 11, 1966 (1966-09-11) | ||||||
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Laurie Ferguson (Lynn Loring) accuses Joe of assaulting her, setting off a feud between her family and the Cartwrights.
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| 237 | 2 | "Horse of a Different Hue" | William Witney | William R. Cox | September 18, 1966 (1966-09-18) | ||||||
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Ben has no idea that the outcome of a horse race he arranged has been fixed by an old friend of his, Colonel Robert Fairchild (Charles Ruggles).
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| 238 | 3 | "A Time to Step Down" | Paul Henreid | Frank Chase | September 25, 1966 (1966-09-25) | ||||||
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Aging wrangler Dan Tolliver (Ed Begley) turns against the Cartwrights after his longtime friend Ben suggests that he should retire.
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| 239 | 4 | "The Pursued" | William Witney | Story by : Thomas Thompson and Marc Michaels Teleplay by : Thomas Thompson | October 2, 1966 (1966-10-02) | ||||||
| 240 | 5 | October 9, 1966 (1966-10-09) | |||||||||
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The Cartwrights try to help a Mormon rancher (Eric Fleming) overcome persecution against his beliefs. Eric Fleming, Dina Merrill, Lois Nettleton and Vincent Beck guest star.
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| 241 | 6 | "To Bloom for Thee" | Sutton Roley | June Randolph | October 16, 1966 (1966-10-16) | ||||||
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Hoss proposes marriage to Carol Attley (Geraldine Brooks), a woman with a hidden past which includes having killed her abusive first husband and fleeing from the associated murder charge.
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| 242 | 7 | "Credit for a Kill" | William F. Claxton | Frederick Louis Fox | October 23, 1966 (1966-10-23) | ||||||
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Joe lets his friend Morgan Tanner (Dean Harens) take credit for killing a horse thief, but when the outlaw's brothers come after him to get their revenge he has to make a difficult decision to save his friend's life.
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| 243 | 8 | "Four Sisters from Boston" | Alan Crosland Jr. | John M. Chester | October 30, 1966 (1966-10-30) | ||||||
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Ben tries to stop a con artist from stealing an inheritance from four Boston sisters that are trying to prevent the auctioning of a property left to them by their uncle. Vera Miles guest stars.
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| 244 | 9 | "Old Charlie" | William F. Claxton | Bob and Wanda Duncan | November 6, 1966 (1966-11-06) | ||||||
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Teller of tales Old Charlie Conners (John McIntire) brags about killing an outlaw, so the dead man's brothers seek their revenge.
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| 245 | 10 | "Ballad of the Ponderosa" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Hendrik Vollaerts Teleplay by : Rik Vollaerts and Michael Landon | November 13, 1966 (1966-11-13) | ||||||
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A balladeer blames Ben for his father's hanging. Randy Boone, Ann Doran, Roger Davis and John Archer guest star.
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| 246 | 11 | "The Oath" | Gerd Oswald | Martha Wilkerson | November 20, 1966 (1966-11-20) | ||||||
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Before his execution for murder, convicted man Big Charlie Monahan (Douglas Kennedy) has his son take an oath to kill the Cartwrights for revenge.
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| 247 | 12 | "A Real Nice, Friendly Little Town" | Herman Hoffman | Herman Hoffman | November 27, 1966 (1966-11-27) | ||||||
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Hoss confronts a woman and her gun-toting sons after Joe is hit by a ricocheting bullet, but the mother seems to be more interested in protecting her kids than seeing justice done. Louise Latham, Mark Slade and Vaughn Taylor guest star.
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| 248 | 13 | "The Bridegroom" | William F. Claxton | Walter Black | December 4, 1966 (1966-12-04) | ||||||
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Joe romances Maggie Dowling (Joanne Linville) so widower Jared Wilson (Ron Hayes) will be jealous enough to ask for her hand in marriage.
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| 249 | 14 | "Tommy" | William Witney | Story by : Mary Terri Taylor and Thomas Thompson Teleplay by : Mort Thaw and Mary Terri Taylor | December 18, 1966 (1966-12-18) | ||||||
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The Cartwrights protect deaf-mute Tommy Miller (Teddy Quinn) and his mother from his stepfather, a vicious outlaw determined to take back his wife.
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| 250 | 15 | "A Christmas Story" | Gerd Oswald | Thomas Thompson | December 25, 1966 (1966-12-25) | ||||||
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Singer Andy Walker (Wayne Newton) returns to Virginia City for Christmas with his scheming uncle, who plans to make a profit on the orphans' benefit.
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| 251 | 16 | "Ponderosa Explosion" | William F. Claxton | Alex Sharp | January 1, 1967 (1967-01-01) | ||||||
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Joe and Hoss literally get more than they bargained for when a pair of con men lead them to invest in a pair of rabbits that subsequently multiply. Dub Taylor, Chubby Johnson, Chick Chandler and Phil Chambers guest star.
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| 252 | 17 | "Justice" | Lewis Allen | Richard Wendley | January 8, 1967 (1967-01-08) | ||||||
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Joe seeks revenge on the bank clerk who killed his fiancée. Beau Bridges, Lurene Tuttle and Shirley Bonne guest star.
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| 253 | 18 | "A Bride for Buford" | William F. Claxton | Robert V. Barron | January 15, 1967 (1967-01-15) | ||||||
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Hoss is certain that a saloon girl is only interested in a miner for his wealth. Lola Albright, Jack Elam, Paul Brinegar and Richard Devon guest star.
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| 254 | 19 | "Black Friday" | William F. Claxton | Herbert Kastle and John Hawkins | January 22, 1967 (1967-01-22) | ||||||
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Joe tries to save his friend Steven Friday (John Saxon) from dying in a gunfight to avenge one of his victims and planned for Friday the 13th.
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| 255 | 20 | "The Unseen Wound" | Gerd Oswald | Frank Chase | January 29, 1967 (1967-01-29) | ||||||
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Ben tries to help his friend Sheriff Paul Rowan (Leslie Nielsen) after his wife Katherine (Nancy Malone) shows concerns about his health: the Sheriff has been driven to the breaking point by years of violence.
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| 256 | 21 | "Journey to Terror" | Lewis Allen | Joel Murcott | February 5, 1967 (1967-02-05) | ||||||
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After being suspected of being a member of Wade Hollister (John Ericson)'s gang, outlaws imprison Little Joe, Tom (Jason Evers) and Ellie Blackwell (Elizabeth Rogers) at the Blackwell farm.
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| 257 | 22 | "Amigo" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Jack Turley Teleplay by : John Hawkins and Jack Turley | February 12, 1967 (1967-02-12) | ||||||
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Ben helps a wounded comanchero who is being pursued by a lynch mob, a band of terrorists and an angry Little Joe who has just lost a friend. Henry Darrow and Gregory Walcott guest star.
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| 258 | 23 | "A Woman in the House" | Gerd Oswald | Joel Murcott | February 19, 1967 (1967-02-19) | ||||||
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Ben protects a girl from her alcoholic husband, but she's unable to tell gratitude from love. Diane Baker and Paul Richards guest star.
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| 259 | 24 | "Judgement at Red Creek" | William F. Claxton | Robert Sabaroff | February 26, 1967 (1967-02-26) | ||||||
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Joe comes to suspect that a pair of murder suspects is lying because the leader of a posse does not intend to bring them alive. John Ireland, Martin West and Harry Carey Jr. guest star.
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| 260 | 25 | "Joe Cartwright, Detective" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Oliver Crawford Teleplay by : Michael Landon | March 5, 1967 (1967-03-05) | ||||||
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Joe gets hooked on detective novels and tries to use Scotland Yard techniques to prevent a bank robbery. Mort Mills, Ken Lynch and Ed Prentiss guest star.
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| 261 | 26 | "Dark Enough to See the Stars" | Donald R. Daves | Kelly Colvin | March 12, 1967 (1967-03-12) | ||||||
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A young ranch hand who is running from the law falls in love with a girl. Richard Evans and Richard Eastham guest star.
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| 262 | 27 | "The Deed and the Dilemma" | William F. Claxton | William F. Leicester | March 26, 1967 (1967-03-26) | ||||||
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Ben tries to help the family of immigrant winemaker Giorgio Rossi (first introduced in episode 29 of season 7), but a racist neighbor complicates things. Jack Kruschen (as giorgio) and Brioni Farrell guest star.
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| 263 | 28 | "The Prince" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Melvin Levy Teleplay by : John Hawkins | April 2, 1967 (1967-04-02) | ||||||
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The Cartwrights welcome Count Alexis (Warren Stevens) and Countess Elena (Claire Griswold), who are being targeted by thieves.
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| 264 | 29 | "A Man Without Land" | Donald R. Daves | Steve McNeil | April 9, 1967 (1967-04-09) | ||||||
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To get Matt Jeffers (Royal Dano)'s land, a foreman murders his son and frames Little Joe.
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| 265 | 30 | "Napoleon's Children" | Christian Nyby | Judith and Robert Guy Barrows | April 16, 1967 (1967-04-16) | ||||||
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Ted Arseneaux (Robert Biheller) believes that he is Napoleon and leads an army of young men in terrorizing Virginia City.
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| 266 | 31 | "The Wormwood Cup" | William F. Claxton | Story by : Joy Dexter Teleplay by : Joy Dexter and Michael Landon | April 23, 1967 (1967-04-23) | ||||||
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A woman blames Joe for killing her brother and offers a thousand dollars to the man who will kill him in a fair fight. Little Joe tries to convince her that she's wrong, but it might be too late. Frank Overton, Judi Meredith and Clay Tanner guest star.
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| 267 | 32 | "Clarissa" | Lewis Allen | Chester Krumholz | April 30, 1967 (1967-04-30) | ||||||
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The Cartwrights' Eastern cousin Clarissa Cartwright (Nina Foch) brings trouble when she visits to the Ponderosa.
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| 268 | 33 | "Maestro Hoss" | William F. Claxton | U.S. Anderson | May 7, 1967 (1967-05-07) | ||||||
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Phony fortune-teller Madame Marova (Zsa Zsa Gabor) causes earaches when she convinces Hoss he's a master violinist.
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| 269 | 34 | "The Greedy Ones" | Donald R. Daves | James Amesbury | May 14, 1967 (1967-05-14) | ||||||
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Greedy gold hunters threaten to destroy the Ponderosa after a prospector claims to have found a sample there. Robert Middleton, George Chandler and William Bakewell guest star.
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Season eight aired on Sundays from 9:00 pm–10:00 pm on NBC.[10]
The show held the #1 position in the Nielsen ratings for three straight seasons, with season eight being the final season to do so.[3]
| Award | Year[a] | Category | Nominee(s) / Work | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 1967 | Individual Achievements in Cinematography—Cinematography | Haskell Boggs and William F. Whitley | Nominated | [11] |
