Lorne Greene said that this was the moment when Bonanza should have ended for good

The series lasted for 14 years — but did it need to?

CBS Television Distribution

Television is often considered a superficial business. But the fact is that on many television shows, actors form bonds that last for years to come. Just as the Cartwright family remained close to Bonanza, so too did their actors in real life.

Actors Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, and Lorne Greene were a tight-knit group of friends, both on and off set. Of course, Bonanza was on television for a whopping fourteen years, and the three men often made appearances together at fan events as well.

But Blocker and Landon looked up to Greene, seeing him as a sort of surrogate father. Much like their characters, the two men would come to Greene with any issues they were struggling with, and Greene would guide them through.

Watch Bonanza on MeTV!

Monday - Saturday at 2 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

Sadly, Dan Blocker passed away in 1972, just before Bonanza officially ended. In a 1974 interview with The Toronto Star, Greene remembered his old friend fondly.

He also shared his personal opinion that, perhaps Bonanza would have been a better show if it had ended when Blocker had died, instead of attempting to adapt.

"The death of anybody would have had some effect," said Greene. "You know, when you go to a house where there's been a death, you feel a little uncomfortable. I thought they were going to cancel it then, and now I think they should have. It was a different show after that. They didn't change the direction right. But it was never a grind."

The death of a major actor is always difficult, though Greene never regrets the time and energy he spent working on Bonanza.

"I don't consider 14 years in Bonanza a failure," said Greene during an interview with The Toronto Star.

Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
Close

6 Comments

MaryMitch 8 days ago
IMO there are many reasons Bonanza was cancelled. The "TV Western" was on the way out, and the plots had changed to reflect that. Michael Landon was chomping at the bit to start his own show where he would have full control. The death of Hoss - arguably the most popular character with the remaining fans - was just the last nail in the coffin.
sjbang88 9 days ago
Was it my imagination, but anytime one of the boys fell in love, the woman died by the end of the episode? I haven't watched Bananas in fifty years.
KawiVulc 12 days ago
It can be very hard to get past a major change like that. Two successful transitions that come to mind are Dennis the Menace - Joseph Kearns to Gale Gordon/George to John (adapted & wrote a recognizably different character) and on Frasier when Niles married Daphne (didn't seem to miss the plot tension that was lost although perhaps by then they'd used it up anyway). If the writers don't get it right things can turn to crap pretty quickly. Sounds like Lorne Greene believed the Bonanza writers failed in the transition.
JERRY6 12 days ago
show was not the same without Hoss '
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?