NBC’s Bonanza stands as the network’s longest-running Western, and it brought Michael Landon into the public eye. Landon was on 430 episodes of the series for nearly 15 years as Little Joe Cartwright. And during his prime, he talked a lot about the show. Landon even revealed that Bonanza was the first to use this swear word on TV.
‘Bonanza’ helped launch Michael Landon to stardom
Bonanza was the first Western ever broadcast in color, and fans of the series will never forget the Cartwright family. The Cartwrights were a fictional family of ranchers in the mid-1800s, and the show centered on their lives. Michael Landon starred as Little Joe Cartwright, Dan Blocker played Eric “Hoss” Cartwright, Pernell Roberts played Adam Cartwright, Lorne Greene played Ben Cartwright, and Mitch Vogel played Jamie Hunter Cartwright.
Landon’s career was assisted thanks to his role in Bonanza. Not only did he act, but he went on to write, direct, and produce. His role as Little Joe put him on the map and set him up for success.Despite his charisma, not everyone got along with Landon. ALOT Living reports Roberts had an issue with Landon, as Landon took to gossiping about his co-stars on talk shows. The two actors reportedly grew to dislike each other, and Roberts eventually left the show.
Michael Landon said the show was the first to use the word ‘bastard’
Whether the Bonanza cast and crew loved or hated Michael Landon, he frequently visited talk shows to discuss his experiences on the show. During an interview in 1991, Landon divulged that Bonanza was the first American network television show to use the word “bastard.”
“There’s always certain things with language, the use of language,” Landon said, according to BriouxTV’s podcast From the Vault. “But that’s been around for forever and ever. I think Bonanza was the first screenplay to use the word ‘bastard.’”
Landon explained the show used the word in the most literal sense. “It was interesting because it was a ‘bastard’ — it was a child born out of wedlock, and a grandfather turns to his daughter and says, ‘I’m going to go get some water … and when I get back, I don’t want that ‘bastard’ here,’ Landon continued. “And he walks out of the room. Commotion at NBC. You cannot say that. He has to say, ‘When I get back, I don’t want that illegitimate child here.’”
Why was ‘Bonanza’ canceled?
Bonanza had a strong run, but NBC reportedly canceled it swiftly with little warning due to plummeting ratings. This took the cast by surprise.
“If we had know this was coming, we would have gone out with a bang and not a whimper,” Lorne Greene said, according to Television Obscurities. Greene then stated he was surprised that NBC renewed the show after Dan Blocker died in 1972. “But since they did, I would have liked to see them play out the year,” he continued.
Jan. 16, 1973, marked the day the final episode of Bonanza was broadcast.